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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 might be objectively funny, but I couldn't do that to anyone, even if they were being annoying (the only thing I might do is be a little less polite in saying "I don't work here"). People's lives are hard enough, I don't know what the person's going through. I wouldn't want to add anything more negative to it.
It might be objectively funny, but I couldn't do that to anyone, even if they were being annoying (the only thing I might do is be a little less polite in saying "I don't work here"). People's lives are hard enough, I don't know what the person's going through. I wouldn't want to add anything more negative to it.
Sorry I don't see what your post has to do with my suggestion to simply respond. "I'm sorry I don't work here".
This reminded me of when I got married and my friend brought her date to a wedding. He was a drop-dead gorgeous Puerto Rican guy with the stereotypical olive skin and dark hair, and he came to the wedding wearing a white suit.
People kept calling him over asking for drinks or a fork or something. He was getting annoyed, and finally as he walked by and someone yelled, "Oh, waiter", he turned and yelled back "I ain't no f*****g waiter!"
We still laugh about this 30 years later.
It's understandable how he would have gotten frustrated at that point. What's even worse is if the person snaps their fingers in your face to get your attention. I've had that happen a few times when I really did work as a waitress.
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.
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.
Are you tall? I sometimes ask when I can't find a store employee a tall guy if he could reach something for me. It is not that I think he is an employee. I have grabbed stuff for little old ladies myself. It is called being polite and helpful. I was even asked by an elderly couple about toilet paper. They knew I wasn't an employee but were just confused about all the new choices; double, mega, super mega, wanting to know which was the normal toilet paper that fit in a wall dispenser (double is now the norm unless the cheap version).
Are you tall? I sometimes ask when I can't find a store employee a tall guy if he could reach something for me. It is not that I think he is an employee. I have grabbed stuff for little old ladies myself. It is called being polite and helpful. I was even asked by an elderly couple about toilet paper. They knew I wasn't an employee but were just confused about all the new choices; double, mega, super mega, wanting to know which was the normal toilet paper that fit in a wall dispenser (double is now the norm unless the cheap version).
I'm 5'10/11" so I'm average. I get it being polite, but it is also polite to let other shoppers you know shop. When I'm shopping, I shop for myself. I'm not carousing the store looking to find someone to help at all, I'm carousing the store for what I came for. I'm sorry that I may not politely get that item for you or an elderly couple, but as I said, when I'm shopping, I'm there to shop. Especially if I had two people already ask and I had to say no, I have my attention rudely grabbed or I am generally having a bad day.
Some 10-15 years ago, a group "Improv Everywhere" got a bunch of people to put on blue polo shirts and tan khakis and wander into a large Best Buy in New York City. They didn't claim to work there but they looked exactly like employees. It caused utter chaos.
I'm 5'10/11" so I'm average. I get it being polite, but it is also polite to let other shoppers you know shop. When I'm shopping, I shop for myself. I'm not carousing the store looking to find someone to help at all, I'm carousing the store for what I came for. I'm sorry that I may not politely get that item for you or an elderly couple, but as I said, when I'm shopping, I'm there to shop. Especially if I had two people already ask and I had to say no, I have my attention rudely grabbed or I am generally having a bad day.
Perhaps leave your work badge in the car if you are being asked while wearing it. Honestly, I don't really bother people unless I am really desperate and there are no employees around. Seems you trip over employees when you don't want them around and can't find any when you do.
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