Retail jobs: the dumbest customer question you've been asked?
- Thread starter funkyjiveturkey
- Start date
Maybe not the stupidest question I have ever been asked, but I had a client walk up to me, point at an article on the shelf and ask me where he could find that item. I stared at him for a few seconds and said "Right there." He thanked me, grabbed the item and left the store.
I don't understand people sometimes.
I don't understand people sometimes.
I used to work at Disney and the dumbest thing I was ever asked was if there was a bathroom nearby when we were right next to a bathroom.
Well if they do fire you, all you have to do it bring it up to the court system, and they'll take it from there for you.Amethyst Wind said:
Unrelated to what you are saying here, I just have to say The gunners are going to lose to Bayern..just so you know =PAris Khandr said:
On Topic: I was working in the electronics part of my target, and someone asked me "Is there anyone working at Starbucks today?" Now...I don't know why they think someone wouldn't be working there during the regular operating hours, but I don't know why they would ask me. I'm on the other side of the store.
This was not so much stupid as funny
I had an woman that was over 40 and knew very little about computers
She wanted to know if a 4gb flash drive would hold a "big" word and excell document or if she needed to get two or more.
She thought the flash drives held about the same as the floppy disks and did not trust me when I said it would absolutely hold her word document.
I finally got it in terms she understood by putting it in physical units.
Me
retend your word document is about 20 pounds.
Herk
Me: That flashdrive will hold about 4 tons.
Her: O my
I had an woman that was over 40 and knew very little about computers
She wanted to know if a 4gb flash drive would hold a "big" word and excell document or if she needed to get two or more.
She thought the flash drives held about the same as the floppy disks and did not trust me when I said it would absolutely hold her word document.
I finally got it in terms she understood by putting it in physical units.
Me
retend your word document is about 20 pounds.Her
kMe: That flashdrive will hold about 4 tons.
Her: O my
I'm a bank Teller, so we get a few. Stupid statements are just as common.
Like after I refused to accept someone's expired Drivers Licence as ID: customer- "You mean I have to DRIVE all the way home to pick up my current one?"
Yes she did.
Or the goddamn jokes that we hear constantly: me- "is that from you savings account?" customer- "Well actually it's more like a SPENDING account!"
Fuckin hilarious.
And of course there are the people who are just looking to complain: me- "I'll do it like this because there's no fee involved." customer- "Well you didn't tell me about any fees so you can't charge me!" me- "... alright then. I won't charge you any fees for this."
We get a lot of people like that.
Like after I refused to accept someone's expired Drivers Licence as ID: customer- "You mean I have to DRIVE all the way home to pick up my current one?"
Yes she did.
Or the goddamn jokes that we hear constantly: me- "is that from you savings account?" customer- "Well actually it's more like a SPENDING account!"
Fuckin hilarious.
And of course there are the people who are just looking to complain: me- "I'll do it like this because there's no fee involved." customer- "Well you didn't tell me about any fees so you can't charge me!" me- "... alright then. I won't charge you any fees for this."
We get a lot of people like that.
Welcome to the escapist! I'm still relatively new as well.
Many years ago--I'm thinking about 1996, I was working in the sporting goods department of a K-Mart.
Hunting season (buck deer) was starting the next week, so we had all of our hunting supplies full &
prominently displayed. I spotted a customer who looked puzzled and asked if he needed help. He asked,
"Do you carry reversible hunting vests?" He was standing less than two feet away from some. So I pointed
them out to him. He said "Well, I was looking for a reversible orange vest." I again explained to him,
those were the vests he was standing right next to. To which he replied "Those are camouflage that reverse
to orange. I want an orange vest that reverses to camouflage." I looked at him as levelly as I could, and
in the flattest tone I could manage said "Sorry sir, we don't carry those." As he walked away shaking his
head, all I could think was "My God. That man is going to be running around the woods with a *gun* next
week."
Many years ago--I'm thinking about 1996, I was working in the sporting goods department of a K-Mart.
Hunting season (buck deer) was starting the next week, so we had all of our hunting supplies full &
prominently displayed. I spotted a customer who looked puzzled and asked if he needed help. He asked,
"Do you carry reversible hunting vests?" He was standing less than two feet away from some. So I pointed
them out to him. He said "Well, I was looking for a reversible orange vest." I again explained to him,
those were the vests he was standing right next to. To which he replied "Those are camouflage that reverse
to orange. I want an orange vest that reverses to camouflage." I looked at him as levelly as I could, and
in the flattest tone I could manage said "Sorry sir, we don't carry those." As he walked away shaking his
head, all I could think was "My God. That man is going to be running around the woods with a *gun* next
week."
I've had a customer ask "Do you work here?". The question itself wasn't stupid. The fact that I was in the Dairy Cooler (she asked me through an open door), in uniform with my name tag in clear view, while stocking milk made it stupid.
Aww lol. I could write a novel from Goodwill.
"Do you work here?" as oft mentioned already. No, I'm just wearing this goofy blue smock thing, a nametag, and cleaning up shelves because I have no fashion sense and some sort of OCD.
"This is scratched/scuffed/whatever, can I get a discount?" No, you're in a thrift store. That scratch/whatever is why the shoes are 5 dollars, and the dressers 20 dollars and stuff, instead of ya know, 100, 500 etc.
"Do you test this (insert electronic item that would incredibly time consuming to fully test)" No, cause we aren't gonna brew 7 pots of coffee, make ten sets of toast, watch six movies, and iron sheets all day. The lights turn on, beyond that its your dice to roll.
"Do golf clubs count as furniture?" (During a furniture sale). Sit on it. Please.
"Why are you charging X-amount of money for stuff you get for free?" Uhm. Lights? Heat? Employees? Rent? Garbage disposal? Charitable cause? Take your pick?
"Which cash are you on? Are you on this side? Is this cash open?" Frequently including a counter without a cash register, a counter filled up with displayed items, a cash register obviously open and not loaded with cash, the opposite cash from the one you're standing at.
It's also fairly common for people to ask us to check the inventory to see if we have whatever, or to request holds on things. Neither of which makes any sense in a thrift shop of more or less random items that usually aren't in multiples.
"Do you work here?" as oft mentioned already. No, I'm just wearing this goofy blue smock thing, a nametag, and cleaning up shelves because I have no fashion sense and some sort of OCD.
"This is scratched/scuffed/whatever, can I get a discount?" No, you're in a thrift store. That scratch/whatever is why the shoes are 5 dollars, and the dressers 20 dollars and stuff, instead of ya know, 100, 500 etc.
"Do you test this (insert electronic item that would incredibly time consuming to fully test)" No, cause we aren't gonna brew 7 pots of coffee, make ten sets of toast, watch six movies, and iron sheets all day. The lights turn on, beyond that its your dice to roll.
"Do golf clubs count as furniture?" (During a furniture sale). Sit on it. Please.
"Why are you charging X-amount of money for stuff you get for free?" Uhm. Lights? Heat? Employees? Rent? Garbage disposal? Charitable cause? Take your pick?
"Which cash are you on? Are you on this side? Is this cash open?" Frequently including a counter without a cash register, a counter filled up with displayed items, a cash register obviously open and not loaded with cash, the opposite cash from the one you're standing at.
It's also fairly common for people to ask us to check the inventory to see if we have whatever, or to request holds on things. Neither of which makes any sense in a thrift shop of more or less random items that usually aren't in multiples.
There's a by-law here that makes it so that any retail outlet containing pharmaceuticals cannot sell cigarettes. Most people know about this, and the ones who don't tend to get that it's not our fault that our grocery store/post office/pharmacy doesn't sell cigarettes. We tell them to try the gas station at the street corner, and off they go.
There's always an exception, of course. But while you'd figure the exception would be some dude who doesn't give a damn about "laws and stuff" and demands we sell them anyways, it wasn't.
It was a man who looked me in the eye and asked "Then why don't you close down the pharmacy?"
Me: "..."
Him: "Look, I want to talk to a manager about this."
Me: "...Ma... Manager... one sec..."
Him: "Thanks. I'll get that pharmacy shut down, so you can sell me my smokes."
Me: "...Ah... I... OK."
I have no idea how that meeting went down, and quite frankly, I don't want to know.
There's always an exception, of course. But while you'd figure the exception would be some dude who doesn't give a damn about "laws and stuff" and demands we sell them anyways, it wasn't.
It was a man who looked me in the eye and asked "Then why don't you close down the pharmacy?"
Me: "..."
Him: "Look, I want to talk to a manager about this."
Me: "...Ma... Manager... one sec..."
Him: "Thanks. I'll get that pharmacy shut down, so you can sell me my smokes."
Me: "...Ah... I... OK."
I have no idea how that meeting went down, and quite frankly, I don't want to know.
The stupidest has to be "Do you work here?", but since that has been said, I will have to say:
"Where is the store's parking lot?", The best part? I was standing literally 5 steps from the exit door, within view of said parking lot.
And for one that made me want to punch someone in the face:
"Why should I listen to someone who's balls hasn't even dropped yet?" "Entitled" WIC customers are a different brand of sub-human...
EDIT:
This is from an experience at a store I DIDN'T WORK AT. I went over after work, still in uniform, no name badge. The store's (employee)dress code was black shirt and khakis, my work uniform is blue shirt and khakis.
A customer comes up to me and asks me to help them get something off the top shelf, i told them that I don't work there and I go back to browsing. They come back with a manager still complaining that I'm "Not doing my job.". I turn to the manager, he looks at me and to the customer, and tells her again that I don't work there. She throws a fit threatening to call corporate over it.
The manager leans in close to me, asks me my name and if he can "fire" me. So we stage this "firing" and I finish my shopping, and I end up getting a gift card for my "troubles".
Very interesting to say the least.
"Where is the store's parking lot?", The best part? I was standing literally 5 steps from the exit door, within view of said parking lot.
And for one that made me want to punch someone in the face:
"Why should I listen to someone who's balls hasn't even dropped yet?" "Entitled" WIC customers are a different brand of sub-human...
EDIT:
This is from an experience at a store I DIDN'T WORK AT. I went over after work, still in uniform, no name badge. The store's (employee)dress code was black shirt and khakis, my work uniform is blue shirt and khakis.
A customer comes up to me and asks me to help them get something off the top shelf, i told them that I don't work there and I go back to browsing. They come back with a manager still complaining that I'm "Not doing my job.". I turn to the manager, he looks at me and to the customer, and tells her again that I don't work there. She throws a fit threatening to call corporate over it.
The manager leans in close to me, asks me my name and if he can "fire" me. So we stage this "firing" and I finish my shopping, and I end up getting a gift card for my "troubles".
Very interesting to say the least.
Actually it sounds like you dodged a bullet there. Some con artists do a thing where they quiz retail employeesSniper Team 4 said:
about seemingly random stuff, then ask the "Do you want to make a lot of money" or "Would you like a much better
job" question. If the employee answers "Yes" the con artist tries to rope them in to an "Opportunity" where the
employee would supposedly get a lot of money/better job but needs to pay for registration/training/startup fees--
I'm sure you can guess where that goes.
I worked at a golf course as a ball boy for year and a half. Here's what I have been asked. I am NOT making these up.
"Your number changed. Have you moved?"
And
"Are you guys open on weekends?" -Asked on a Saturday...
Captcha: question everything. NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE ASKED!!!
"Your number changed. Have you moved?"
And
"Are you guys open on weekends?" -Asked on a Saturday...
Captcha: question everything. NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE ASKED!!!
"Where are the lids?"
Right where you got your sugar and cream you dolt.
I worked at a Tim Hortons and I currently work at a 7/Eleven. I'm sure I've had stupid questions but mostly what I remember are being being disgustingly rude and getting upset over such tiny things. The question above is from working at 7/Eleven, Tim Hortons we do everything for you pretty much.
Captcha: jump over
Customers do want me to jump through hoops...
Right where you got your sugar and cream you dolt.
I worked at a Tim Hortons and I currently work at a 7/Eleven. I'm sure I've had stupid questions but mostly what I remember are being being disgustingly rude and getting upset over such tiny things. The question above is from working at 7/Eleven, Tim Hortons we do everything for you pretty much.
Captcha: jump over
Customers do want me to jump through hoops...
"Why can't you give me more money for this?!?"
said by everyone who has ever traded games at GameStop. Because I make per hour about what your game is worth, Gamestop is an evil corporation, and they don't let me arbitrarily change prices.
Also, "Are you closed?" When the open sign is off, we are vacuuming, the door is locked, and the giant metal front gate is down. No, we're open. Clearly.
Followed by "I know what I need, can I get it real quick?" SMH.
said by everyone who has ever traded games at GameStop. Because I make per hour about what your game is worth, Gamestop is an evil corporation, and they don't let me arbitrarily change prices.
Also, "Are you closed?" When the open sign is off, we are vacuuming, the door is locked, and the giant metal front gate is down. No, we're open. Clearly.
Followed by "I know what I need, can I get it real quick?" SMH.
Depending on the state in the US as there are some at will states where you can be fired for any reason that is not protected by law aka racism, sexism, retaliation, ect. Arizona they made it very clear I could quit whenever for whatever and they could fire me whenever for whatever. Contracts can make it different, but most retail worked on the at will model. I fear I lack knowledge of how the rest of the world handles employment law.Spot1990 said:
In my mind very few customers said anything smart, most were bland. I usually said odd stuff to see if they were paying attention. The wonderful ?how are you today?? spiel was great for that.
Ah, Friday, Black Friday. I used to work at a big-time clothing chain that everyone has probably set foot in at one point or another, but I'll leave out the name. I remember my first (and thankfully last) Black Friday. I was a 'service specialist', which is basically a glorified cashier who also folds clothes and occasionally gives fashion advice.Amethyst Wind said:
I had heard a few horror stories about Black Friday, so early that morning I printed out a bit of receipt to tally up customers with.I checked out about 250 people that day.I got asked a torrent of stupid questions all day.
I kept the reciept as a souveneir.