“Sorry, I don’t work here.”

[aeiou]

that is freaking funny ...


and to the thread starter..... maybe try throwing on a baseball cap or beenie..

maybe get a special shopping shirt made that says " I dont work here"..

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/frustrations/38e2/

Think Geek has the coolest stuff......

 

[perfectturmoil]

Ok. To start this off, I agree with almost everthing said in this thread.. and I feel for those of you stuck in retail. But there were a few comments that reaaly bothered me here..

... Working in the retail industry does not suck by default, it is the customers who make it so.

...There are stupid customers who will come in looking for a CD, but waste your time and theirs because they want to know if the artist is in Rock/Pop or another section...

...for several different ... NOT BUY ANYTHING...

1) Thats probably definatly true. I'm sure there are plenty of exceptions, and plenty of time when jerk customers just make a bad day worse, or even just a normal day anoying.

2) This is the part that really bugged me. I don't know if it was one bad day, or annoying case or something.. but this complaint seems on the surface very childish. "Oh my god, I can't believe mom is making me take out the garbage just so I can get some allowance..." was the way this paragraph came off. Yes you might have been working very hard stocking or cleaning or whatever you might have been doing.. But your job is to work at the store. Your job is to help customers. That is WHAT you are PAID to do. I work in the semiconductor industry. Would I complain about my boss asking me to go do something so simple and basic to my job? "Oh my god, I can't believe Milt is making me run the test for just 3 op amps, it would be easier if he just did it himself." I don't think that would fly.

And aside from that, this hit at a closer level too. Now. Maybe this customer was asking what section the latest Hillary Duff cd was filed in. In that case, I don't blame you for being ****ed (I'd be ****ed if someone ever asked me anything about Hillary Duff too :- ] ). Even still, even if they didn't look, you should still help them.

One of my favorite bands is "Bela Fleck and the Flecktones". Chances are, very few of you have heard of them.. and if you have, good for you! They are a progressive bluegrass / jazz fusion / newgrass / who knows how to classify the band. Sometimes they are filed under country, sometimes rock and pop, sometimes bluegrass, jazz, world music, new age... And to top it off, all of the members are some of the most talented in their fields.. they all have their own solo / project albums.. which are also in other genres.. so their stuff ends up in classical, whatever.

Basically, they could be anywhere in the store - and the biggest problem for me is that they are usually nowhere in the store. Cause many places are either out of the one or two cds they have, or just don't cary them. So I spend a good 10 minutes looking in all of the different sections, only to find that there either aren't any.. or to see that they were listed under B instead of F because they are a band name (even though I happen to be looking for the solo album by Bela Fleck, which technically is F...)

However, I almost never ask store employees. Mainly, I don't want to bother them.. But, if I did, I would not expect them to be bothered by a customer asking them for assistance.. you know.. their job.

I dunno. This one post bothered me.. Because, although possibly well founded, the arguement seems silly and childish...

3) Damn. Now THAT you should DEFINATLY be ****ed about. I mean.. I can understand trying to check out a few different things.. maybe for comparing them as gifts.. but jeez.. find them yourself..

 

[tom10167]

Post a picture of yourself and we'll be able to tell you how to wash the nerd off.

 

[larva]

All these retail stores better train their staff or people would stop shopping there.

Exactly where is the bastion of product knowledge from which the training would emmanate? Do you really feel there is anyone in these organizations that can even spell PC? You've got to pack a lunch to find anybody in the PC business who knows anything about PCs, when you progress to a big-box retailer there simply is no chance.

 

[mdameron]

2) This is the part that really bugged me. I don't know if it was one bad day, or annoying case or something.. but this complaint seems on the surface very childish. "Oh my god, I can't believe mom is making me take out the garbage just so I can get some allowance..." was the way this paragraph came off. Yes you might have been working very hard stocking or cleaning or whatever you might have been doing.. But your job is to work at the store. Your job is to help customers. That is WHAT you are PAID to do. I work in the semiconductor industry. Would I complain about my boss asking me to go do something so simple and basic to my job? "Oh my god, I can't believe Milt is making me run the test for just 3 op amps, it would be easier if he just did it himself." I don't think that would fly.

And aside from that, this hit at a closer level too. Now. Maybe this customer was asking what section the latest Hillary Duff cd was filed in. In that case, I don't blame you for being ****ed (I'd be ****ed if someone ever asked me anything about Hillary Duff too :- ] ). Even still, even if they didn't look, you should still help them.

One of my favorite bands is "Bela Fleck and the Flecktones". Chances are, very few of you have heard of them.. and if you have, good for you! They are a progressive bluegrass / jazz fusion / newgrass / who knows how to classify the band. Sometimes they are filed under country, sometimes rock and pop, sometimes bluegrass, jazz, world music, new age... And to top it off, all of the members are some of the most talented in their fields.. they all have their own solo / project albums.. which are also in other genres.. so their stuff ends up in classical, whatever.

Basically, they could be anywhere in the store - and the biggest problem for me is that they are usually nowhere in the store. Cause many places are either out of the one or two cds they have, or just don't cary them. So I spend a good 10 minutes looking in all of the different sections, only to find that there either aren't any.. or to see that they were listed under B instead of F because they are a band name (even though I happen to be looking for the solo album by Bela Fleck, which technically is F...)

However, I almost never ask store employees. Mainly, I don't want to bother them.. But, if I did, I would not expect them to be bothered by a customer asking them for assistance.. you know.. their job.

I dunno. This one post bothered me.. Because, although possibly well founded, the arguement seems silly and childish...

Well, we don't have many categories anyway... Country, Rock/Pop (almost 90% is in here), espanol, rap, new age, soul, classical, jazz, and humor.

Yeah, I know there are exceptions like the band you mentioned, but it happens in move obvious ones than that. One example off the top of my head is someone asked for a certain Mariah Carey CD, but didn't want to look until they knew which category she's in, Rock/Pop or soul. I wouldn't care, and am almost always very patient, but the fact of the matter is we use InfoWizard, and all the stations are linked to I don't even know what kind of computer, but think of running photoshop on a 486 with 128Kb of RAM. Yeah, that slow.

It just ****es me off that they'll waste both of our time, rather than just looking in 'C' in both places! Our soul selection is about 8 feet wide, not that hard. Now if she had found Mariah Carey, but not the CD, I'd smile while looking up the CD... it's a completely different story.

On that same note, someone would be looking for an Eric Clapton CD, and get this... before even looking, ask me whether or not he's classified in 'E' or 'C'... questions like this lead me to believe that the apocalypse is on its way right now... Not that it's stupid to wonder whether we go by first name or last, that's a valid question because I'll bet a box of donuts it varies store to store, but the laziness involved is what kills me.

Side note, the only CD's that have lock boxes on them to prevent theft are Espanol and Rap... HAHAH racial profiling on a whole new level!!! JK, we have #s to back it up

 

[CoreGamer]

My advice would be to get a Shirt made with the words " I DONT WORK HERE!!!!" On the front and back

 

[CrystalMethod]

I have the unfortunate problem of being recognized almost everywhere in a roughly 3 mile radius. Last night I walked into the corner store to get a bag of chips and a pack of cigarettes, and ended up spending 15 mins politely trying to tell 3 different people to visit me at the shop I work at, when I'm actually working. It's equally as bad as FeralCom's situation if I'm in somewhere like Future Shop, or Best Buy. Twice as bad when the staff that recognizes me, starts asking my opinion for their clients.

 

[mdameron]

Exactly where is the bastion of product knowledge from which the training would emmanate? Do you really feel there is anyone in these organizations that can even spell PC? You've got to pack a lunch to find anybody in the PC business who knows anything about PCs, when you progress to a big-box retailer there simply is no chance.

True on so many levels, and you can't blame anyone IMO. You'd have a huge payroll if you tried to have people who knew WTF they were talking about in the PC area.

Another place this is true is in my store. People get ****ed off at me when I haven't heard of their favorite band and their best album, or their favorite movie. Not to mention, they'll come to MY department (books) and ask me, and then throw a tantrum when I can't help them very well at all. I'm like dude, ask me who wrote the Horatio Hornblower series and I'll tell you and point the books out in 2 seconds, but damn! I've been shopping in best buy and morons will go to the car audio place just to find someone to ask a question, and then get ****y cause they can't tell them which video card works the best. Then they go post on internet forums how all best buy people are horrible and so stupid... I feel sorry for best buy people...

EDIT: And IMHO, I think people should do more research before they go to a retail store to buy something that requires some intelligence, like anything for a PC. It's common knowledge (and proven in this forum) that best buy does NOT have a $15 an hour staff in their video card section that know everything about the latest tech. I think it's unfair for the technological elite (us on this and many other forums) to bash best buy employees so hard... They don't sit around all day on the computer looking and drooling over the next socket and latest ATi core to come out... Sure their video card people should know about video cards... but I'll bet that people come in without their PC specs and say, 'Which one is the best?' We all know that you need to know A) what specs are on the current rig and if it's AGP 4x or 8x (though backwards compatible, we know it's stupid to recommend an AGP 6800 Ultra OC to someone running AGP 4x) B) what they do with the pc, and many other things.

I've had morons say that run windows 2k XP... uh sure dude. What is windows update? I'd absolutely hate working there. I consider myself pretty good with computers, and I absolutely LOATHE it when my girlfriend asks me something about the computer... I'm betting this reason is why you don't see many pasty white nerds in the PC section of best buy... talking to someone about PC's and recommending gear when you know a lot about it is frustrating when the questioner is a moron.

I'd cry if I had to see someone buy a $400 AGP 6800GT, not knowing the real worth of it...

Again, I feel sorry for them

 

[Super Nade]

Exactly where is the bastion of product knowledge from which the training would emmanate? Do you really feel there is anyone in these organizations that can even spell PC? You've got to pack a lunch to find anybody in the PC business who knows anything about PCs, when you progress to a big-box retailer there simply is no chance.

Training your staff isn't too hard. A bit expensive in the short run, but not impossible. In the long run, people would rather shop at a place which has knowledgeable personell. I bet there are several IT establishments who cater to such markets (training) once created.

A crash course in the products you are handling isn't too much to ask for. Heck, even the floor manager can take the initiative and get his/her team upto speed on technology.

 

[iNSiGMA]

Ill end with a tip for those who shop or know others that do at these places and need help. Find the most expensive item on the sales floor (A $4,000 plasma TV works well) and start playing with the controls. If it has audio, crank it all the way up. You will have a sales rep in your face less than 30 seconds. You can then lead them to the area you needed them.

Nice.

 

[Newegg Support]

Ah, yet another reason why internet shopping is sublime.

Have you considered Newegg.com?!

Sincerely,
Aaron Aragonez
Newegg Customer Support

About 10 years ago there were 2 different types of people I could look at and tell you their occupation. The first was guys who worked with computers and the other was women who were strippers. Today the IT guys look like every other Joe and 12 year-old girls dress like strippers so that no longer holds.

There is nothing about me visually that screams “computer geek”. I don’t even own a cell phone, red or blue polo shirt and my pocket protectors have been retired for at least 10 years. However, for some odd reason, people assume I work at Best Buy, Circuit City, Comp USA, etc.

Last Thursday I decided to spend some gift certificates I received for Christmas. Needing or wanting nothing in particular and dressed in a black button-up with jeans, I started at Best Buy to just shop around. I was there a total of 15 minutes before I ran out screaming due to the hounding of other Best Buy customers. “Can you help me?” “Will this controller work with XP?” “Is this the video card I need?” These requests came from everywhere and I couldn’t get a moment of peace to shop for myself. Sometimes “Sorry, I don’t work here bought me a minute or two. Other times it didn’t matter. The moment of exile came when a line began to form.

Next stop was Comp USA (conveniently across the street). Here things were worse and I probably didn’t last 10 minutes before I left. However, this time when leaving the store I noticed no less than 6 red-shirt wearing employees smoking in a huddle just outside the door.

Now, I realize the stores are still crowded with holiday shopping and it usually isn’t this bad. However, it is no exaggeration to say that there has not been a single time I have shopped at one of the stores without having another customer request me for assistance. It may also seem a little “selfish” of me to have such a bad attitude. It might not be a good defense, but I happily help people with their computer questions 10 hours a day at my job. Is it so unreasonable to expect some “me time”?

So my new saying is “I don’t shop here”. It’s bad enough that I have to deal with figuring out rebates, overpriced items and shelves where ¼ of the items have zero price information. I’m not going to be an unpaid member of their sales staff. Want me back? Hire more and competent employees or find out a way to give me a discount for acting as one.

Ill end with a tip for those who shop or know others that do at these places and need help. Find the most expensive item on the sales floor (A $4,000 plasma TV works well) and start playing with the controls. If it has audio, crank it all the way up. You will have a sales rep in your face less than 30 seconds. You can then lead them to the area you needed them.

 

[perfectturmoil]

Ah, yet another reason why internet shopping is sublime.

Have you considered Newegg.com?!

Sincerely,
Aaron Aragonez
Newegg Customer Support

HEY! NO SELLING OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSIFIEDS!!

haha :- ]

 

[Gnufsh]

i have a similar problem, people sometimes think i'm a gardener.

Why are you hanging out in people's gardens?

..or maybe I don't really want to know...

 

[Oroka Sempai]

I really dont know why people go to those places anymore...? Crap service, high prices, never get EXACTLY what you are looking for, and being harassed by customers

Being harassed by customers often stems from how professional you look. Clean cut, non worn out clothes, shirt tucked in, no raggity running shoes... you are either an employee or a well dressed customer, and other customers dont realize that they are not the only people in the store shopping.

I gave up on buying stuff in stores bout the time I moved 3 hours from a major city center I either shopped online or paid double the price at a mom and pop place. Now, I just order exactly what I want, compair prices, stock... etc, from my computer at home. Often, in 2-3 days, my order is here, and I didnt have to get dressed for any of it

It is kinda nice to wander around a electronics store though, dreaming about stuff you cant afford :'(

 

[GearShift3r]

Ill end with a tip for those who shop or know others that do at these places and need help. Find the most expensive item on the sales floor (A $4,000 plasma TV works well) and start playing with the controls. If it has audio, crank it all the way up. You will have a sales rep in your face less than 30 seconds. You can then lead them to the area you needed them.

LMFAO. That is too funny. I understand what you're saying though, it must get annoying after a while.

-GearShift3r

 

[Super Nade]

Curiously, this happened to me at Frys. I did help the gentleman looking to upgrade his Dell. The guy managing the floor had no clue regarding what to suggest. He picked out the first 1Gb kit he could lay his hands on and said.."you can bring it back if it doesn't work". Not wanting to embarass the floor guy,I helped the customer pick out a set of PC2700 Modules (Anything higher would not have worked) later on.

Therewas no way I could have been mistaken for a sales guy, given my shabby countenance

 

[tritontr21]

Funny thread. I manage an EBgames and the walmart shoppers just make me want to shoot myself, i have had customers (kids, dads, whatever) pick up a 3.99 PS2 used game (they have no clue its used) and the mother will say, "walmart has it for 1.99", or " i saw it at walmart for cheaper" Walmart has no PS2 game or xbox game near that price. it usually a OLD discontinued game or old sports game like madden 03 or 04 that sells for 3.99 or so used.


I freakin hate walmart shoppers!


And i know what you mean about customers making you jump through a 100 hoops and never buy anything. I have learned how to deal with them now, when someone comes up to the counter as soon as they walk in the door and asks if i have something i say " its 39.99, that will be 42.39 total, will that be all today" as i type on the PC/register. that usually gets them to go around the store "looking" and mind you everything in my store is in alpha order on every wall in ever section.


Yea, i really love working retail with all the cool stuff and the new product we get to have and see early and all the cool stuff but people are STUPID!!

I love my regulars and smart people who come in and ask real questions. And i don't even mind answering peoples questions about products that they are not buying, its all in the way you talk or treat the associate or person. I love people.

Retail people will tell you that there are STUPID days, where every person that comes in is stupid, i don't know if it is the alignment of the moon and the planets or what, but a couple of days out of the month it happens.

You can only imagine how it was and is with the 360 this year. There are so many people that bought these systems for little johnny or bought it because they saw on the news that"it is the hardest thing to find this year", they have no clue what it does, how it operates or anything. it is really funny.

O.k I'm through...(for now)always wanted to use this dude in a post -->

 

[Randyman...]

Not related to the "I Don't Work Here" - but another Retailer gripe...

Best Buy.

They had a Westinghouse 37" LCD HDTV on a special sale for $1195 (retailed at $2200!). I had been researching this TV for 5-6 months now. I know ALL about it - I just needed to BUY it, and the price was right. I found out about this sale on a Tuesday (last tuesday, or 2 weeks ago), and QUICKLY called the BB closest to my house. I hit the appropriate #'s on the Automated Phone directory, and "Ring... Ring... Ring...Ring... Ring... Ring...Ring... Ring... Ring...Ring... Ring... Ring..." The automated voice comes back on - "There is no one availible in this department. To reach TV's and VCR's, Press 1 now...". I do this 4 or 5 times, and get the same result. Then, after I do this 3-4 times in a row (phone ringing like crazy back-to-back), someone picks up, and hangs up on me!!! This happened 2 times! So I call the PC dept, and they try to find a TV salesman. FINALLY (after like 4 seperate "call sessions" and 30 minutes on the phone) - a salesman picks up.

They didn't have the TV in stock, but he ASSURED me the $1195 sale lasted through the weekend, AND that I could come in on Wednesday and PAY IN FULL at the sale price, and they would get one in ASAP.

OK - So I figure I had better check another BB store just to be safe. Starts off the same way (no one answering, and I have to call another dept to find a TV Salesman). After I finally get in touch with a TV salesman, he ALSO assured me the sale was good until the weekend, and I could come in and pay in full on Wednesday, and they would get one in ASAP.

Fantastic. Now I can relax, and not have to drive like a maniac on my 1Hour Lunch Break to try and buy this TV on Tuesday. According to 2 different salesmen at 2 diffeent BB's, I can come in on Wednesday, and pay in full at $1195.

Ahh a good nights rest. Wednesday AM. I call the BB by my house again (on hold for like 10 minutes this time), and then I get "This TV is backordered, and we can not honor this $1195 price on B/O'ed items".

This, of course, makes me a bit mad - but I stay cool, and call the other BB I spoke to the previous day.

The other BB (after the same "on hold for 10 minutes" fiasco) informs me that "Yes we have 4 of these in the box, but the sale ended yesterday. I'll sell you one for $1899".

I plead with the guy to try and honor the $1195 price from less than 10 hours ago. No go.

So, I missed out on saving a good $500 (or more) because of complete incompetence IMO. If EITHER salesman would have said "The sale ends TUESDAY NIGHT" - that would have been all it took for me to take an elongated lunch-break from work (on my dime), and go pay for this bad-boy. Since 2 different salesmen confirmed the sale was good thru the weekend - why would I bother scapmpering around on my short lunch break?

Really frustrating.

I know when I worked in Retail for 5 years, I would ALWAYS treat the customer with respect, and ALWAYS try my very best to give accurate info. I would gladly say "I'm not sure" instead of falsifying my knowledge on ANY item. Sure, my other co-workers and I might gossip and poke fun "behind the scenes", but the customers always saw our professional side (but still maintained a "Fun" atmosphere). I guess not everyone takes pride in their job (or are Americans just really THAT stupid and lazy these days???)

I have zero tolerance for incompetence... Do your job correctly, or get the BLANK out IMO!!! Argghhhh

Venting over

 

[RoadWarrior]

I think the trick is, when browsing in these stores, to pick up whatever you want to look at, turn the box over several times in your hands, put a look on your face like a deer in the headlights and read the spec while moving your lips. Then nobody bothers you.

On the other hand, if you pick up the item, immediately scan the spec, and let out a "heh" or something as you put it down. It looks like you know what it meant and that you decided it was crappy or good (depending on tone of "heh") and thus have identified yourself to the startled deer type customers as an alpha geek.

If someone starts asking you a question, blink a lot and look confused, they won't finish it, and apologise. If you get the look of understanding and the superior smile starts flickering at teh corner of your mouth as you gain amusement from the n00b question, you're stuck there until you've answered.



Road Warrior

 

[speed bump]

Just do what I do look like a cross between someone who iss lost, just got out of bed, and likes to a have deer in headlight look whenever I visit the pop section of the music store