Genesia said:

"Retail is not rocket science" definitely has a certain tone to it that is not endearing.

Cinnie said:

Oh, come on.

Retail isn't rocket science. If the truth offends you that much, you're going to have some tough times.

Sounds like you've become one of them.

Genesia said:

And you're rolling your eyes at me while I simply ask you on this thread to THINK about having compassion for a cashier. Are you sure that attitude doesn't come through when you are being served?

Genesia said:

You are implying that if something is not rocket science than it is tedious and not worth your patience or respect. That's how that phrase is condescending. "_____ is not rocket science" - try putting any word in that blank of work that YOU value and you will see it is not a nice tone.

Genesia said:

EXCELLENT customer service teaches to treat employees with the same friendly manner and respect as one would the customers (as we would like to be treated). Internal customer service. There is the truth, but there is also friendlier ways of saying it.

lazycrockett said:

Who has become one of what?

The other day, I bought 3 items at a grocery store- 2 bottles of coke and a carton of cottage cheese. It was around 9PM and the place was virtually empty. I wanted to pay with my savings card and get cash back. It seems that the standard policy at this store is to always ask the customer with a savings card if he/she wants any cash back. However, after I swiped, she went through the transaction without asking. No big deal, really, until she rolled her eyes when I asked her if I could get cash back. Then, after going through the transaction again, she just left my items next to her without giving them to me. I said, "Could I have a bag, please?" and she stuffed them in without saying a word.

I know that sometimes people have bad days, but working in a business where customers are met face to face, such a thing isn't acceptable! I would have asked to complain to her manager had I not been in a hurry.

it's a two way street. Plenty of customers are rude to the sales help.

-talking on your cell phone, ignoring the sales staff trying to help you. Believe we don't want to know about your kids' infection, or how stupid your spouse is, or what tee off time you have

-throwing your money/credit card at the checkout person...as in here..take it

-taking out your bad day on the sales staff

-calling female staff "sweetie" or ''honey'' or chickie..its degrading

Moonbeam said:

I hope people don't think I am condoning the poor service from an (underachieving) cashier like THAT. In this example, I would hope that a complaint to the manager would result in more training or support.

I just think that, internally, that sort of poor service is preventable, and the responsibility lies in the "organizational culture". The real behavior and attitudes of management "trickle down" (to borrow the economic term) to the employees.

So, what the fuck, am I too sympathetic?

oh my god, i have to stop everything and share the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE of my ENTIRE LIFE.

and it happened only last weekend!

we were on our way to a birthday party and decided to stop into our local hippie dippie co-op for coffee and breakfast treats, and when we got in line we CLEARLY chose the wrong cashier.

FIRST: he spent about five minutes just GABBING with the customer ahead of us.

SECOND: he had to examine every item as he scanned it. i mean, he held our items up to his face as if he had never experienced these things before.

THIRD: he spilled my coffee as he scanned it.

FOURTH: i have a discount card which i include my bf and our housemate on. this fool tried to tell me my name wasn't on my own discount card account when i was holding my membership card in my own damn hand.

FIFTH: sometimes he would just stop ringing us up and hum for a little bit.

...and okay, i get it. it's a co-op. he was probably some friendly community volunteer fellow doing his good deed. but GOD DAMN IT!!!

now THAT is beyond the pale in my book.

Cinnie said:

Gen.

BlackAdder7 said:

this is true too .. sales help, cashiers and waitresses I've seen abused alot

lazycrockett said:

I just don't understand if someone worked in that setting for 5 years, then surely some compassion or insight is in order. Maybe that 5 years of paying dues (like that justifies someone lacking compassion now?) was too long ago to remember.

Anxiety said:

God bless 'im.

I'm not sure those annoying habits could be curbed by the best corporate training in the world - that's home training!

Cinnie said:

Neither do I. I have more respect and kindness to the 3rd shift clerk at 7-11 than I have for anyone working in management or corporate. Those people I tend to ignore. You know they're just the "I'd like to speak to your manager" type. There just not worth dealing with.

Cinnie said:

the store was completely congested and full of long lines, and there were literally NO spaces in the parking lot. we blamed it all on him taking 20 minutes to ring each damn person up. we were joking, but i think there was some truth to it.

oh no, lazycrockett, managers have EARNED their title, and as such are ENTITLED to remind people where they are in the pecking order.

(The truth is that kind of attitude only comes from middle management)

Anxiety said:

that is SAD!!!! and funny

the effect is like being short that staff member or one till if they take too long.

Cinnie said:

Do you guys get my point or what?

Should we take a short snack break and then resume in 5 minutes?

Cinnie said:

when people go into middle management, it's like when anakin skywalker went from a well-meaning jedi to lord of the sith. sure, you can make some people tremble now, but you're still an underling. it's just that you're an asshole with misplaced autority issues now, too.

As someone who's worked a number of retail and customer service jobs, let me explain a few of these.





No amount of employee training is going to change the fact that the cashier is tired and underpaid, and has been taking shit from those delightful customers we're barely paid to serve all day. After a point, it's easier just to look down than to be the recipient of another rant about how your employer obviously fixes the prices.

In many stores, it is part of the cashiers' job description to answer the phone, regardless of whatever else they may be doing. Often there is no one else posted to answering the phone. As this is part of their assigned duties, employees may be reprimanded by bosses for not answering the phone. Have a little patience, we will get to you.
This is inappropriate. For any customer who's ever felt the frustration of trying to get the attention of employees chatting about their cute new skirts, I feel for you. The other, non-chatty employees feel the same as you do, believe me.

The practice of counting change back to the customer has been discontinued because it's assumed that if the 15 year old high school student behind the cash register is smart enough to assess proper change just by glancing at it, then so can the customer. That's all there is to it. It's not an act of rudeness, it's an act of assuming your clientele knows how to count. What's so hurtful about that?


Again, this has a lot to do with having to work long hours for as little pay legally possible. It's only human to function on autopilot after you've hit your 7th hour of being screamed at by rude customers and knowing you're being paid beans for it. Who's going to be motivated to be energetic about their job under those conditions?

Cinnie said:

I understand but I don't want or expect anything except my purchases from someone behind a counter making minimum wage. They don't want to be there in a dead end job trying to make ends meet, toss in a bunch of "I'm a customer dammit" types and I don't blame them for being high, hung over, smoking crack, or mind wandering a hundred miles away trying to escape from the drudgery.

Hell I like the scruffy poorly dressed don't give a damn types.
[Edited 9/12/08 19:43pm]

Anxiety said:

I HATE add-ons! Everywhere I've worked that had them, it was mandatory to ask, too. Even if it was somethign the customer obivously wouldn't want. You never knew when it was a secret shopper checking up on you.

The worst was at holidays at Toys R Us when we had to ask people to donate to charity. Nothing like asking folk to be generous in the midst of their overzealous consumption to bring out the worst in people. The stories I could tell...

meow85 said:

MrsGoodnight said:

Anxiety said:

There's a reason retail and customer service typically have such high turnover rates. A lot of people have a really hard time putting up with the crap being flung at them from the customers and the employer. I've seen more than one cashier reduced to tears because of something a "valued customer" or their boss had said or done. It's not easy to take shit all day, and smile while you're doing it.

When I'm King of the World, being a crappy boss or a rude customer will be a punishable offence. The punishment will be to be a dish bitch for 6 months, then a bathroom jockey for the next 6, then a cashier or waiter for another year. See if they ever treat service employees like shit again.

meow85 said:

For real, I don't know what else a person would expect, because rarely would voicemail be installed to pick up later.

MrsGoodnight said:

You were in A&F and you were expecting someone not to be a snotty bitch? That's what the label thrives off of!

meow85 said:

EVERYONE should have to wait tables, I think it should be a requirement by law. So many people would get what assholes they are, if they had to stand there and be asked if, the meatloaf "taste like Mom's?".
[Edited 9/12/08 19:55pm]

meow85 said:

I think they actually retitled the position's official titles to "Snotty Bitch - Counter" "Snotty Bitch - Entrance"

BlackAdder7 said:

I have had a customer literally throw her wallet at me. Not a gentle toss, either.