Monday, October 30, 2006

Shopping Etiquette

Some people would say that everyone should have the experience of working as a waiter or waitress so that they will be better customers. I say that everyone should have to work retail for the same reason. I worked at The Gap and Bath and Body Works for several years and these are the most annoying customer habits from the eyes of a sales clerk:

1. Not hanging up or folding clothes after you try them on. It's true that they have people who are paid to do that, but I can tell you that they're not paid very well and it's really just courteous.

2. People who come in at 8:57 pm (a whopping 3 minutes before the store closes) and expect to stay as long as they want to. Again, it's courteous to leave the store when it closes and come early enough that you'll have plenty of time to do so. Unless you've done it, you have no idea how much goes on after store hours before employees are allowed to leave.

3. Using the store as a trash recepticle. Most retail stores can't throw away your food trash because of health codes, but that doesn't mean that you should stash your grande starbucks coffee cup in amongst the sales items or in the middle of a new display. It's called littering and it's gross.

4. Cell phone attachment. Talking on your cell phone while paying for merchandise comes across as rude. You are esentially talking to someone else not present while ignoring the person standing right in front of you.

5. Here's a bonus no-no for shoppers: moving up to the part of the register where you pay when someone else is already there trying to check out. I'm sure you've experienced this at the grocery store or other places and it's so annoying! Just provide some space for the person paying and wait your turn, please!

1 comment:

LoriLoo310 said...

I have worked retail my entire life, and I have to applaude your list. Number two especially hit home, you can always identify the people who have never worked retail in their entire life. Do they not understand that it takes an extra hour or more to straighten the store after closing hours because most customers are utter slobs? Apparently not. In addition to that, after you have closed and locked the door, DO NOT knock on the door and ask if it's too late to purchase something. The answer is always YES, it's TOO LATE to purchase your item, as the door is locked and WE ARE CLOSED.

Sheesh! The nerve of some people.