I'll preface this by saying that for the most part, I really do like like my job. I'm fully qualified in a few other industries but retail has offered me the work/family balance that most of us strive for. My co workers are all pretty great too and I am genuinely grateful that I have a job to wake up to every morning.
What's to come next probably will come across like a bit of an insane rant but after reading people's Facebook posts over the last month demeaning retail staff, I feel like I need to offer a bit of insight.
And I would post this publicly but I don't want to get fired 😂
So, on today's agenda:
I am not responsible for the store layout. Chances are that I think it's stupid too but I can't help that the big exec's decided the checkouts needed to be relocated to the middle of the store. I can't help that the milk and bread that's always been in aisle 1 has now been moved to aisle 10.
I can however, help you find whatever item or department you're looking for. All you need to do is ask politely!
I am not responsible for the returns policy!
I can't help you've only got 28 days for change of mind returns. I can't refund your money if you don't have proof of purchase. If we only offer store credit - also not my fault. Please just accept that I'm just abiding by the policy, I'm not trying to make your life difficult.
Whilst we're on the topic of policies:
I am also not responsible for the security policy! If I have to ask to check your bags or receipt, it's not because I've singled you out and profiled you as a thief. It's because it's a loss prevention tactic, not a particularly effective one I'll admit. I realise no one puts their stolen goods in their shopping bags but I can't ask to look down some guy's pants even if I know he has 6 packs of batteries down there.
Same goes for ID. I'm not asking to offend you or be a pain in the arse. My job simply depends on me asking!
Self serve checkouts!
Believe me, I get it. They're a nightmare for us too but I personally didn't decide to bring them in just to inconvenience you. Consider us here too. Instead of being in charge of 1 customer and 1 checkout, I'm in charge of 8 customers and 8 checkouts. Poor Mrs Smith keeps getting the "unexpected item in the bagging area" message, Dave over the other side has clogged the machine with 20c pieces, Kate down the bottom is trying to scan 2kgs of avocado's as 2kgs of onions and conveniently 'forgot' to scan a $100 coffee maker.
Please, I beg you, if you have moral objections to these machines, just choose a traditional checkout or ask the self serve attendant to help you through if that's not possible.
Other things I have no control over:
The amount of stock we get in, the availability of items, what we have or don't have "out the back", if something you wanted is sold out, a crappy interaction you had with another staff member...
Things I would like you to know:
I am human, sometimes I make mistakes. If I do accidentally scan something twice or incorrectly charge your credit card please do let me know so I can fix it but don't abuse me.
Please treat the store with the same respect you would treat your home with. Contrary to popular belief, cashiers and store people do not get paid to clean up after you. If you knock something off the shelf, pick it up. If you bring food and drink in with you, dispose of the rubbish properly (I've pulled a half eaten hot dog out of a shoe once). If your child has an accident (pee, poop, vomit) please try and attempt to clean it up. As a parent myself I do understand that's not always possible but at the very least let a staff member know asap so other customers don't slip over in the mess (which I've seen happen and it's awful). Also, as a side note, if your child is so sick you need to lay them down in the trolley, you probably don't need to be casually perusing the home wares section for 25 minutes and then act surprised when your kid spews all over the place...
My overall message here.
We don't deserve to be sworn at, abused, threatened with violence, have things thrown at us or be treated like we're lesser beings, especially when we're there providing YOU with a service.
Edit:
Aaaaand I'm back, today's shift made me realise I forgot quite a few things.
* If I ask your child nicely not to do something, it's not because I'm the fun police on a power trip, not trying to override your parental authority and I'm not being judgemental. It's simply just because I have the ability to recognise imminent injury or broken products with impressive accuracy.
I really don't want to see your kid hurt themselves!
* Queues. There's nothing worse for staff and customers than huge queues.
Waiting sucks for everyone, I'm trying to be as fast as possible whilst still holding a decent standard of customer service so please know I'm doing my best in this scenario. If you notice there's only 2 cashiers on at rush hour, if you wish to do so call or email managent and make them aware of the situation. That benefits everyone in the long run!
* I think this is my last gripe.
Don't bully or condescend teenaged trainees. There once was a time we were all new to the work force and learning new things. They're hugely out of their comfort zone. Just be kind and patient!
10 Replies
Agree with you! And please don’t leer at my name tag area, I know you are staring at my tits!!!!
Lol yes that too! Or they're trying to remember your name so they can include it in their epic Facebook rant about how shocking the service was when in reality, the "shocking service" was something mentioned above 😂
"I'm not responsible for store layout" After I read that I immediately said Kmart 😂
All these reasons are why I shop online. This week I ordered groceries online for the first time and OMG I will never enter a supermarket again if I can help it.
Retail workers see the worst of people! I hate that customer service workers are trained to just take abuse and grin and bare it, it goes against everything we teach our kids. I worked in a servo for a number of years and our manager didn't take crap from anyone it was really funny. Out of all the groups of people we served from truckies, kids, teenagers, miners, families, indigenous, backpackers, tourists, the rudest of the lot were grey nomads! Just thought it was their right to talk to people however they pleased and be so demanding. Even though we were in the middle of nowhere they would kick up a stink at our prices or if they couldn't find the random thing they wanted like a low fat soy decaf cappuccino. Why even leave the city 😂.
Adding to that, please don't be a grot in public toilets that a business provides. Toilet paper, paper towels and sanitary product wrappings do not need to be over the floor. Bodily fluids need to be flushed do not hangs dump and forget to flush and piss in the toilet or urinal not beside it, on the wall or floor.
And for effs sake stop eating in toilets it's disgusting.
My hat's off to you, I couldn't do it without a mound of rotting corpses in the back storage area.
I like the new Kmart layout, I don't understand it but how fucking awesome is it that you can go in, not find what you want and walk back out without hitting the queue!
I pay far too much attention to where stuff is, I have one of those faces that little old ladies will approach in the IGA despite the fact I don't work there. For the record I've been able to find everything requested 🤣.
I like self serve checkouts, don't return shit unless it doesn't work, check my docket before I leave in case there was a mistake, and for the record am not yet at pissing or shitting myself level, nor do I eat in or devastate dunnies.
Wow I thought I was a shit person.
Now I think I'm a retail workers fucking wet dream!
I'm sorry you have to deal with so many shit humans, I hope the good outweighs the bad.
I hate it when teenaged workers are spoken to like crap! Every Friday night is Dominos night and it makes me so sad to see how grown men and women speak to these kids, they wouldn't do it if they were older! I used to work at maccas too so used to see it a lot there as well. Australians have little respect for our young retail workers which is sad. Spoilt nation.
Yes exactly.
Our order was missing a few things once. The girl serving looked terrified when she saw me come back in to fix it up, I'll never forget the look on her face of sheer relief when I didn't abuse her.
Disgusting the way people treat customer service staff.
I had one do it so badly when I was 17yo I lost my crap at them. Co worker (15 but looked 9yo) first time front of house. Customer knew as she had been buying same order every Friday for 5 years plus random orders through week. She came back the next week and was polite. She was always rude but that day she went too far.