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I was once at a company dinner function held at a 5 star restaurant, and my co-worker's husband mistook me for one of the waitresses and tried to order a drink from me.
Seriously? He couldn't tell the difference between a guest dressed to the 9's, and service personnel?!
You are missing a perfect opportunity to have some fun when someone asks you that. You could start to help them, acting like you work there, then become rude and insulting. It would be fun to watch them go to the manager and complain about his "rude employee". Think how funny it would be when he explains that he/she doesn't work there !
Everyone who works retail would love watching you do it !
I think I've seen that happen at least once at a store. It was kinda funny.
I am surprised by all the suggestions of nasty or rude responses to someone who has mistaken you for an employee. They are not doing it on purpose.
Have you never asked someone for help only to find the person does not work in the store?
The customary response should be, "I'm sorry I don't work here."
I am surprised by all the suggestions of nasty or rude responses to someone who has mistaken you for an employee. They are not doing it on purpose.
Have you never asked someone for help only to find the person does not work in the store?
The customary response should be, "I'm sorry I don't work here."
It is until you get asked the third time that period that you are in the store. By the third I was wanting to say "No, what have you that idea?"
I was thinking about this today before seeing this thread. When I used to wear a suit and the for work (11 years) I would get mistaken from everything from a supermarket manager to a security guard. Supermarkets were the most frequent. At least twice a customer was rude, and so once I decided the item they had was on sale. I told them it was BOGO just for the rudeness they displayed, or sent them to the wrong aisle. All other cases people were just polite and got a chuckle at the fact I was a customer myself. Happened at other retail stores. It was common for me.
Once outside a bar at a company outing people walked up to me with their ID as they thought I was the doorman. The best though was at a restaurant where I was handed keys to a car-They thought I was the valet!
Now at a job where I wear a ball cap, jeans and skip shaving for a week or two no one approaches me. I used to get stopped with requests for everything from cigarettes, to loose change to directions. Never happens now.
I honestly hate being asked if I know where things are in stores or if I work at the store. It seems I'm always asked even if I don't have the best or clothes that are common to the store. Please tell me I'm not the only one who is annoyed by this.
People ask you things, because you look intelligent and informed and you move around with an air of purpose. They do the same to me. I always tell them where the items are located or how to use them properly. This applies to medical clinics, as well.
I get asked all the time at the grocery store and my husband says I look frumpy. Mind you, I have a shopping cart and a grocery list and coupons in hand.
I am surprised by all the suggestions of nasty or rude responses to someone who has mistaken you for an employee. They are not doing it on purpose.
Have you never asked someone for help only to find the person does not work in the store?
The customary response should be, "I'm sorry I don't work here."
Exactly ^^^^
No reason to be rude about it. The people who are asking if you work there are not doing it out of spite or malice.
I've been asked multiple times for help in a store by people who assumed that I worked there, and if I knew where to find it, I showed them where it was It only takes a moment of my time and it's not like it is offensive. How are they supposed to know that I'm a plant operations manager and not a store employee?
I've been asked to get things down from shelves or reach down for people who are mobility impaired and do it even though I don't work there. Would those of you who have a hissy fit about being mistaken for a store employee be crappy about this, too?
If these people are so bothered by it, then they should just stay home or buy a shirt that says "I Don't Work Here" to avoid being offended...lol
Good grief, get over yourselves if this is the biggest worry you have in your lives.
No reason to be rude about it. The people who are asking if you work there are not doing it out of spite or malice.
I've been asked multiple times for help in a store by people who assumed that I worked there, and if I knew where to find it, I showed them where it was It only takes a moment of my time and it's not like it is offensive. How are they supposed to know that I'm a plant operations manager and not a store employee?
I've been asked to get things down from shelves or reach down for people who are mobility impaired and do it even though I don't work there. Would those of you who have a hissy fit about being mistaken for a store employee be crappy about this, too?
If these people are so bothered by it, then they should just stay home or buy a shirt that says "I Don't Work Here" to avoid being offended...lol
Good grief, get over yourselves if this is the biggest worry you have in your lives.
Actually I do. The people do it out of stupidity. The people should know that you don't work there. Most stores these days have vests if not store colors (say Target's red or the blue Fry's ClickList shirts) and a name plate. If someone is too stupid to not realize that a guy in a shirt with no vest in a Walmart is a worker or not, I don't know what to tell them. It's not like I am wearing red in Target where you are asking to get asked "Where is the dairy?" The last time this happened (yesterday,) I had no name plate on like thee store employees, just a badge from my 9-5 job with sodas in my hand, and three women asked me. The last one was right after I just told a woman I don't work there and she should have been able to hear that as she was in earshot.
I don't get paid for it (except the one time I got money for helping a woman at a WinCo bagging her food which I didn't want to do but my parents whom I was helping that day, guilt-ed me into doing it.) I want to be in and out of the store ASAP, typically I'm going in commando style. I want to be left alone when I shop because maybe I need to be in an out quickly after or before work. If you can't get items, go use a service like ClickList or Amazon Pantry, if you can't go with someone who can get them and don't want to wait for a worker.
I honestly think I'm gonna start shopping at home to avoid these stupid people, except for food shopping when I can. I can't seem to go a week without this happening once.
It isn't a worry in my life, just a gripe and a now major annoyance because of how often it happens. I hate when people assume I work there or would be willing to get a milk for them or can reach the cereal at the top when I don't work there. Store employees are there to help for that reason and are paid for it, I'm not. I do other things out of the kindness of my heart, this I get paid for so why do it for free? I also don't wear clothes like workers at the store.
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