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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.
I guess you haven't read my other posts or it didn't catch you. It isn't a badge issue. This is besides the Big Lots story. It dont matter if i have the badge or dont, if I worn shirts that are NOT store colors or not, and even dress nice or casual, regardless I seem to have that "this guy has to be an employee guy."
I do however agree with your point about finding employees. You ever notice when you don't need them and just browsing or you know what you need and can find it, they ask you "Can I help you?" This drives me insane.
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."
Semi-colon needed in that customary response, unless you wish to express regret that you aren't in fact employed by random store X, heh.
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 have had this happen to me a few times. I guess I may have looked like I belong, or not fill the stereotype of a typical shopper. I do have a good way to deal with it, "i dont know, I just work here" , and disappear quickly. I have also sent people to a far away isle, to look for what they need. screw them, how can you mistaken me?
It can be offensive, to be confused with staff. Like I dont look like I have enough money to shop there. Or because of my ethnicity/color , I must be a Walmart worker?
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.
Maybe it's because they assume you shop there often enough that you might know where things are? I don't mind people asking me where things are and I'm happy to help, if I can. However, I DO work retail and I have NO idea where a lot of things are located. I'm pretty good at guessing though.
I get asked if I work there even when I'm in full uniform and name tag intact! "Nope, I got this entire outfit at Goodwill for $5! What a deal huh?" I actually told a guy that one day and he just laughed.
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.
Wow!
Just...WOW!
And bless your thumpin' little heart!
I mentioned earlier that people always think I work at walmart because I am dressed in business casual and have a badge (obviously not a walmart badge).
I assumed that if I'm carrying a basket or stuff to buy that I wouldn't be bothered so I always grabbed something up front and carried it around like I'm going to purchase it. Nope, people still thought I worked there!
[quote=Mr_Geek;50303276]I'm an upper 30s male and I often go to walmart or target at lunch. I get asked for help all the time at walmart and every now and then at target. I wear business casual to work.
People at walmart assume anyone dressed halfway nicely is an employee. I'm not sure why though because most employees aren't dressed that nicely. Maybe it's a combo of my business casual and a badge (even though it's obviously not a walmart badge).
I made the mistake a few time of wearing khakis and any shade of red to target. I had to get out of there quick![/quote]
I once had a customer who bought two pairs of khakis and two navy polo shirts. I told her to NEVER wear those at Walmart or she'd be bugged constantly by customers. She said, "Oh, that's okay. I start working here tomorrow!".
Some our employees aren't dressed so "nicely" sometimes. The proper colors and items EXCEPT that they are "different". Like pedal pushers or cargo pants, etc....as long as they are khaki. And the shirts might be the right color but they will be any style. Most of us dress "correctly", including all the managers, so you'd think they'd enforce it. I guess, in the long run, it's really not that important.
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This drives me insane.
