Why do customers treat retail workers so wrong? (hire, how to, hours)
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Retail is not a CAREER.
Its for high school and college students while they are in school learning new skills.
As a blanket statement, that is not true. Cars, jewelry, furniture... in a commission shop, you can make six figures, easy. If you're good at sales, that is.
I'm 24, ive never worked in retail or fast food and never will. The closest to fast food that I worked was Starbucks while in college. I do indeed think fast food and retail employees are below me. SOME at that. I think It's because those guys tend to make a ton of mistakes. Like they have absolutely no professionalism. Now I can't say I am the most professional, I generally go to my office in a sweatshirt, LeBrons and a SnapBack, but I don't deal with customers. Like today, I was at Papa Johns where the customer in front of me was being held due to cash register failures, after about 15 minutes the issue is sorted out and it's my turn in line. Some guy walks up past the register and starts talking to my cashier while I am trying to receive my order. 1/2 through my order, the dude who I guess is the cashiers BF says "I want her ass" and the b**** walks out right in the middle of my order causing me to have talk to another cashier.
2 days ago at CookOut some dummy decides to fill my large cup with like 100% ice barely any tea like it was retarded how much ice was in it when I specifically ordered a no ice drink. The level of autism in SOME cashiers is stupid, they have no care for anything. I generally don't have much issue with retail employees, but 75% of the time it's a retarded fast food employee. I think retail has higher standards than fast food.
I worked 10 year in retail in the distant past. I sold furniture, and right out of the navy, I was earning over $125,000 in today's dollars. I worked in a major one of the top rated ones in the U.S. for 4 years back then. The furniture, major appliance, and electronics (10 employees total) all earned in excess of $125,000 in today's dollars. At the same time the rest of the employees made 50 cents an hour till they raised the minimum wage to 85 cents an hour. My biggest sales, each earned me more in an hour or just a little more commission than those employees made in a year. That was my background way back then. Then I found there were ways to make real money, and moved on still in sales. I am revealing this, so you know I have been on both sides of the counter. I have watched how a lot of customers got treated, and how they treated customers.
I learned that the average customer got treated the way that they treat the cashier, etc. Be nice and friendly to them, and they are nice in return. But on the other hand, no customer that treats them like pond scum like a lot do, can expect to be treated nice and with respect.
The old saying, What you sow, you will reap, is very true. The attitude that the customer shows the clerk, is the one they are going to get back.
Retail is not a CAREER.
Its for high school and college students while they are in school learning new skills.
A desktop support job at a coporate office is better than retail.
Many folks don't care about those positions
I treat them with respect if they are gentle and nice
But I just went to Walmart last night
Some ladies there did overcharged me with supplies I bought and got upset i corrected them they charge me 4 times for the same movie in addition to the other 3 I got
I know some people don't care about those jobs but at least do your job right
Not necessarily true. I know quite a few who have made retail their career and are doing quite well at it. I made a career out of food service and did well with it. We can make a 'career' out of anything if we really want it and work for it.
I don't understand how that cashier wasn't immediately aware of her error. If I scan something four times I'm going to know about it right then. Sometimes something does double scan, but only one beep, and I watch my register for that. Don't know why they'd get upset when you pointed it out. I'd have been hugely embarrassed.
Anyway, I wish people wouldn't judge ALL retail workers because of a few bad apples. We don't judge all our customers because of the not so good ones. There are many people working in those places who really do like their jobs, give it all they've got and are friendly and helpful. More than not, really. And yes, there are the apathetic, no personality people as well. Just like some of our customers but I have to say that the majority of them are pretty good too.
THIS. I worked my way through part of high school and all of college in retail, so I know how you are *supposed* treat a customer. How they actually treat a customer is a whole 'nother story. Sometimes I am appalled and I find myself thinking "Where is the manager?"
this
When I was younger, I worked for a clothing store in the 80's. Those stores are still around now. We were taught basic customer service. When a customer entered the store, you approached them, smiled and asked if there was anything they needed help with or could find. You were taught to monitor them ask if they needed help with sizes or needed a fitting room. You folded their clothes and placed them in the bag. You let them try on as many clothes they wanted regardless if they bought anything. You didn't take offense or belittle a customer for not buying anything. We recognized it was part of the business.
I walk into those same stores now. No one greets you. No one offers to help you find clothes. You have to find a sales person to help you. They are either chatting with another worker or hiding in a corner folding clothes. If you request their help, they will give you attitude and act like you are bothering them. They do the bare minimum possible. We used to have to fold clothes and place them in the bags. Now, they just stuff the clothes in the bag. If you asked for a manager to criticize an employee, the manager would take you aside and have a serious discussion with you. If you ask for a manager now, the manager turns around and fist bumps the employee and laughs about you behind your back and offers no condolences or gift. Now if you try clothes and don't buy anything, you are given a dirty look and treated badly like you wasted their time.
This is a product of the Millennial generation. In short, the blame falls on their parents. The parents of the Millennial generation decided to stop being parents and be their gilfriend or buddy. These kids have no discipline, no humility, no respect in general.
Customer service is so poor now that I deliberately shop at certain stores and pay the premium for good service because it's just lousy in general unless you go to a place that deliberately makes an effort to train staff to treat people well ie Ruths Chris Steakhouse, Nordstrom etc.
I'm 24, ive never worked in retail or fast food and never will. The closest to fast food that I worked was Starbucks while in college. I do indeed think fast food and retail employees are below me. SOME at that. I think It's because those guys tend to make a ton of mistakes. Like they have absolutely no professionalism. Now I can't say I am the most professional, I generally go to my office in a sweatshirt, LeBrons and a SnapBack, but I don't deal with customers. Like today, I was at Papa Johns where the customer in front of me was being held due to cash register failures, after about 15 minutes the issue is sorted out and it's my turn in line. Some guy walks up past the register and starts talking to my cashier while I am trying to receive my order. 1/2 through my order, the dude who I guess is the cashiers BF says "I want her ass" and the b**** walks out right in the middle of my order causing me to have talk to another cashier.
2 days ago at CookOut some dummy decides to fill my large cup with like 100% ice barely any tea like it was retarded how much ice was in it when I specifically ordered a no ice drink. The level of autism in SOME cashiers is stupid, they have no care for anything. I generally don't have much issue with retail employees, but 75% of the time it's a retarded fast food employee. I think retail has higher standards than fast food.
You do not portray yourself as a nice person in this post of yours.
I learned that the average customer got treated the way that they treat the cashier, etc. Be nice and friendly to them, and they are nice in return. But on the other hand, no customer that treats them like pond scum like a lot do, can expect to be treated nice and with respect.
I learned the average worker gets treated the way they treat customers. In my job sometimes I run really late as in 1.5 hours late. I always apologize and am humble about it. I never get treated badly. Mistakes happen all the time and people are understanding of that as long as you acknowledge it and show some humility. But when you screw up and then act defensive like you didn't do anything wrong, that will upset people and you can't blame them when you get treated poorly then.
If more retail workers actually provided good service, were humble, apologetic and smiled, they would not face all these rude customers they claim to encounter. The problem is they have too much of an ego to be nice and want to maintain their "street cred" or "keeping it real" and then they wonder why people get upset and ask for their manager.
The reality is most retail workers suck and are too ignorant to realize they provide bad service.
Last edited by azriverfan.; 02-16-2017 at 06:01 PM..
Not necessarily true. I know quite a few who have made retail their career and are doing quite well at it. I made a career out of food service and did well with it. We can make a 'career' out of anything if we really want it and work for it.
I don't understand how that cashier wasn't immediately aware of her error. If I scan something four times I'm going to know about it right then. Sometimes something does double scan, but only one beep, and I watch my register for that. Don't know why they'd get upset when you pointed it out. I'd have been hugely embarrassed.
Anyway, I wish people wouldn't judge ALL retail workers because of a few bad apples. We don't judge all our customers because of the not so good ones. There are many people working in those places who really do like their jobs, give it all they've got and are friendly and helpful. More than not, really. And yes, there are the apathetic, no personality people as well. Just like some of our customers but I have to say that the majority of them are pretty good too.
Fine it can be a good career
I like customer service jobs but not retail
Fast food and retail generally have unpredicatable work hours ( weekend , holidays )which is probably why I don't like it.
But if it wasn't for that it can be fun.
Its a walmart thats in a ghetto neighborhood the thing is that some of those folks don't like it when I ask them for help like Im expected to do it myself.
Im asking
Can you help me look for some boxes , kitchen supplies and movies?
If its not there then its not there.
But where is it ? Can you show me where?
Okay hold on lemme get you someone that knows
Doesn't come back but sure has time to be using the phone
I got pretty upset with the service
I complain to the manager that the service was pretty bad that it took me a while to find what I wanted and would have been much faster if they helped me but I let them know that their workers make it seem they are so busy but they sure use their phones while on the floor and cashier
Im not going back to that walmart again
Its not like that everywhere there are some very nice people in retail too who do what they can to help you.
You do not portray yourself as a nice person in this post of yours.
I can be a nice person. I have empathy.
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