Poll: Working in Retail/Customer Service

[Bat Vader]

I was a manager at a retail store in a trade school a few years ago. I didn't really care for it all that much. I do think though that everyone should have to at least work in any type of retail position for a year. I have heard and read horror stories about customers that are rude and disrespectful to employees. It is wrong for a customer to be rude and disrespectful to an employee.

 

[Froggy Slayer]

Did work experience in a bookshop for a couple of weeks. It was repetitive but pretty easy, the customers were friendly (though one thought I was a girl) and so were the staff. I find it surprising that so many people are douches to people in retail.

 

[DugMachine]

I've gone through the shit filled gauntlet that is retail. Just do what you gotta do and get out as soon as you can. As for the poll uh no I wouldn't think so. I forgot I wore the damn thing a week after I started.

 

[MetaKnight19]

I don't find it as bad as I used to, although that's probably because I've gotten used to the massive amounts of annoying/stupid customers. I've become more talkative though as a result of retail, although you wouldn't really know seeing as though I hardly talk to anyone. There have been times where I have had to shout at inadequate customers, but those occasions are very few and far between...

Captcha: chicken salad. I wouldn't try it if I were you...

 

[lunam-kardas]

Not less of a person no, but it's kinda shady how Target's training videos try to paint unions as this unnecessary thing that only wants to ruin your good time.... oh and the cash registers time the cashiers.

 

[doggy go 7]

I appreciate bad customer service. If your happy and helpful after working a low paying thankless job all day you either a liar or a moron and I dislike both more than I dislike jerkwads.

Don't think you can slip a David Mitchell quote past me, dear sir!

OT: No, I haven't worked retail, but I always try to be as courteous as possible to the people who are helping me. Of course, I'm not a dickhead, and when you work somewhere where you meet a lot of people, you're going to meet dickheads.

 

[Terramax]

Eh, there are more stressful jobs out there. If it paid the same money, I've prefer going back to the tills and stacking shelves than my current job.

 

[Kargathia]

... Suddenly I feel weird for actually enjoying working in retail. It's not very challenging, but all the amusing little quirks of the customers provide a good bit of entertainment.

Nor was I ever much bothered by grumpy customers, or (surprisingly enough) even treated all that badly.

 

[Froggy Slayer]

... Suddenly I feel weird for actually enjoying working in retail. It's not very challenging, but all the amusing little quirks of the customers provide a good bit of entertainment.

Nor was I ever much bothered by grumpy customers, or (surprisingly enough) even treated all that badly.

What kind of shop did you work in?

 

[Kargathia]

... Suddenly I feel weird for actually enjoying working in retail. It's not very challenging, but all the amusing little quirks of the customers provide a good bit of entertainment.

Nor was I ever much bothered by grumpy customers, or (surprisingly enough) even treated all that badly.

What kind of shop did you work in?

Had one in a supermarket, stacking shelves / working tills, and one in a vegetable market stand.

 

[Froggy Slayer]

... Suddenly I feel weird for actually enjoying working in retail. It's not very challenging, but all the amusing little quirks of the customers provide a good bit of entertainment.

Nor was I ever much bothered by grumpy customers, or (surprisingly enough) even treated all that badly.

What kind of shop did you work in?

Had one in a supermarket, stacking shelves / working tills, and one in a vegetable market stand.

That is quite unusual; I've heard that working in a supermarket is one of the ones where you have to deal with the most assholes

 

[Kargathia]

... Suddenly I feel weird for actually enjoying working in retail. It's not very challenging, but all the amusing little quirks of the customers provide a good bit of entertainment.

Nor was I ever much bothered by grumpy customers, or (surprisingly enough) even treated all that badly.

What kind of shop did you work in?

Had one in a supermarket, stacking shelves / working tills, and one in a vegetable market stand.

That is quite unusual; I've heard that working in a supermarket is one of the ones where you have to deal with the most assholes

I guess it depends how you define assholes, or how much you're bothered by them. Personally I don't mind specifically checking for things in the magazine when I'm paid by the hour anyway.

Being nice also does help. That in turn is made quite a bit easier by the fact that anyone is civilised when compared to internet trolls.

 

[Froggy Slayer]

... Suddenly I feel weird for actually enjoying working in retail. It's not very challenging, but all the amusing little quirks of the customers provide a good bit of entertainment.

Nor was I ever much bothered by grumpy customers, or (surprisingly enough) even treated all that badly.

What kind of shop did you work in?

Had one in a supermarket, stacking shelves / working tills, and one in a vegetable market stand.

That is quite unusual; I've heard that working in a supermarket is one of the ones where you have to deal with the most assholes

I guess it depends how you define assholes, or how much you're bothered by them. Personally I don't mind specifically checking for things in the magazine when I'm paid by the hour anyway.

Being nice also does help. That in turn is made quite a bit easier by the fact that anyone is civilised when compared to internet trolls.

I define an asshole customer as anyone who treats you like dirt just because you work in retail.

 

[Yopaz]

So... nobody else liked working in retail?
I would do it again in a second.
It's easy, it's insanely repetitive but I don't mind that, and you always get to see new people and the occasional regular.
One of my favourites was one old lady who used to come into the shop about once every few days, demand to be told as much as possible about everything she picked up and then she would declare it `Too expensive!` and leave. She came in all the time and I think I only saw her buy like one or two things, my manager thought she was a shoplifter, but I just thought she wanted someone to talk to.

I much prefer being behind a register to waitressing. I dont know what it is about waitressing that makes me hate everything, but I never wanna do it again.
Probably gonna have to, cause of there being almost fuck-all work.

I've worked in retail for a short while too and I would like to do so again. It's not fun, but I haven't had any really bad experiences, it also gives me time to think about things, meet people and there's money to be earned. There are a few customers that can really make a nuisance, but every job got something to get annoyed over. I might also have been lucky with where I was working so I might not have the full picture.

Now I treat pretty much anyone working in retail, customer support or a waitress the same. I follow the rule that I treat them the way I want to be treated by them and the results are sometimes shocking. I have seen quite positive reactions just to a polite word dropped in. I also do not show temper when I complain to customer support.

 

[Imthatguy]

I appreciate bad customer service. If your happy and helpful after working a low paying thankless job all day you either a liar or a moron and I dislike both more than I dislike jerkwads.

Don't think you can slip a David Mitchell quote past me, dear sir!

OT: No, I haven't worked retail, but I always try to be as courteous as possible to the people who are helping me. Of course, I'm not a dickhead, and when you work somewhere where you meet a lot of people, you're going to meet dickheads.

I couldn't remember who I was quoting , thank you!

 

[Terminate421]

I work at a staples and I get more accusations that I'm going to steal a credit card than I do comments about my height. And I'm 6'6".

Also, I get people who want a bag for the simplest of items, such as one pen.

 

[Mana Fiend]

Not allowed to say where I work, but I'm working retail right now: 9-6 (though by the time we've finished it's usually 6:45) ina baking hot shop with no air conditioning.

We get so many people who come in thinking they can get refunds on items they don't want anymore, when we have our returns policy listed on the front of the tills, and on posters around the shop floor. When we tell them what they can do, they often treat us like morons, and total shit. Sometimes, it's far easier to pass them onto a manager, as they won't be happy with a responce from a lowly store assistant (fortunately our manager is usually working on the shop floor with us, doing work and filing behind the till).

I hate working retail, but it's money and a job in a very tough economy.

 

[Broady Brio]

I have an interview for a retailer. It will be my first job. While I don't expect to fly through and insta-gain that job, I plan to let my optimism shine through me. Or something like that.

 

[sleeky01]

After my time in retail i'm left with a low opinion of the human race in general.

 

[Mr. GameBrain]

Beep Boop BEEP BOOP I AM A ROBOT! XD

My current Saturday job is in retail, and I don't mind it.
It pays decently, and its easy work you can mostly go autopilot on if you don't feel up for a conversation.

It helps one to develop their small talk, which to some people, (like myself), doesn't come naturally.

Plus I love seeing cute little kiddies. They love it when I goof off, and the parents don't mind either.

I tend to be able to diffuse most problems by genuinely getting worried for a customer, even if there is absolutely nothing I can do to help them, (so sometimes they are like "its not your fault, its X's", or they laugh along when I make some witty meta-humour about the whole situation).

I guess in the UK, most people are quite polite in these situations because its relateable and seen as pretty childish to rant over something trivial.
I rarely get complaints and a person like me (introverted, not normally smiley unless I'm in a good mood), normally is perfect fodder for some grumpy old bag to moan about.

I think the trick on checkouts is to try to be aware of the shoppers ability and adapt yourself to it. ("Be water my friend"... XD)
I hate it myself when I see people just launch stuff at people, and I make extra effort to keep to a customer's pace, and to try not to overload them with stuff, or just wait if they need to keep up.
In the end of the day, you can only go as fast as the person you serve.

EDIT: Good tip for checkouts - Always try to pre-prepare bags if you get some time to. Handy in a pinch.
But when you get really good at the bag opening technique (wet fingers, slide the middle, pull and twist), you can open like 3 or 4 bags before most people can even do one, and if you can keep aware of how many bags there are, you can keep an almost constant and consistent flow.
(Which I think customers really like. Showing that attentive awareness, getting bags they need without even having to ask)