Before I start this discussion I would like to point out that I am not intending to offend anybody. All I am doing is expressing how I feel, which I cannot not do in the workplace. I admit I may sway towards generalisation in this post, I am not saying all of the general public are like this but, hopefully it will open the eyes of those who are.
So, as you may have already guessed this weeks topic is: unbearable customers A.K.A cu*tomers. Like many other people out there I have a job in which I must deal with the general public - I, myself in the world of retail. I know that entering the industry of retail doesn't require a lot of "skills" per say but, it does help if you are good with people, which I damn well am. Anyway, I am coming up to my third year of being a shop assistant - Oooh haven't I done well - and it's really beginning to get to me, how rude some people are to us (Sales Assistants).
Just to give you a picture, I work in a "top end" department store, selling "luxury" goods. I work on the accessory floor selling designer sunglasses. My colleagues/friends around me sell: watches, jewellery and shoes.
Here are some of the scenarios that we encounter on a daily basis:
As a sales person the concept of excellent customer service is hammered into our heads. So, the first step of delivering excellent customer service is greeting the customer. Unfortunately this is the usual response...
"I don't have time right now"
Look, if you honestly don't have time then why have you been wandering around the shop floor for the past ten minutes? To those who don't want us to talk to them, we don't really want to talk to you either.
I lock up the sunglasses I sell because they are worth a lot of money and we have had some stolen before...
"Ugh, why are they locked?... it's so we have to talk to them"
I AM IN EAR SHOT. We are assistants. That is our job, to assist you. Just ask and I will unlock them, I'm not going to hassle you. I don't want to have anything to do with you quite frankly, anyway. Following the complaining about the stand being locked they then insist on asking a million questions. Then they claim to know more than you do about the products you sell, even though they were the ones who were clueless just moments before. Then they say...
"These are too expensive anyway."
Why the fuck did you waste so much of my time then?
OR
"They're cheaper at, optitions over the road/costco/duty free"
"I'm just gonna buy them at the airport"
- No, they are not cheaper at the airport, it's the same company at the airport and the prices are the same.
- Great. If costco is so fucking fantastic why are you wasting my time?
After having a customer be incredibly vocal about how they didn't like the stand being locked, here's what they say when it's open...
"Ooh, this is silly have them open like this."
Oh, I'm sorry does that make life too easy for you?
When talking to a customer about the prices of our products...
"Surely you can do better than that?"
No, I cannot, you smug prick and you know I can't.
When we try yet again to offer good customer service by asking if the customer needs any help or whether they were looking for a particular item we get this...
"I'M JUST LOOKING"
Hmm... I wonder what happened to being polite? Which brings me to this...
"Is anyone serving?!"
No. Now fuck off!
Please, please, please to those of you who know you are saying these things please stop! Just because we work in a shop doesn't make you better than us. It is just our job, remember that.
That's it. Rant over.
P.S. Thank you to all the lovely people who appreciate what we do.
