# "Friendly" retailers make me stabby **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 27, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489 "2011-05-27T21:42:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/41 "2011-05-28T15:33:12Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > All right-- you know what I really hate–Customers who complain about trivial shit. Many staff members says “hello” to you, and you don’t like it. Boo hoo hoo. > > Don’t you realize that the last customer before you just complained that our people were not friendly enough? > > The customer before that hated the remodeling. The one before that didn’t like that we used plastic bags. The one before that sneered at our coupon policy. The one before that was thrown into a tizzy because her favorite type of olive was out of stock and the one before that bitched about how we had too many products and it was too hard to shop. The previous customer to her didn’t like that the carts were running low, and the one before that was miffed that there weren’t cart corrals in the parking lot because it is so much trouble to have to wheel an entire empty shopping cart another twenty feet. > > The customer before that thought the lights were too bright. The customer before him was annoyed because we don’t carry the strawberry-kiwi yogurt in larger containers. Prior to that customer came the one upset about the cashier who checked her watch. This was just ahead of the customer who was upset because he couldn’t figure out the self checkout. That customer was just ahead of the one who complained that the shelves were too high. Before him was the guy who didn’t like the sandwich selection who was just ahead of the woman who thought the signs were too confusing. This group of people was just ahead of these shoppers: the one who was upset because we asked for an ID when she presented a check, the one who griped about the prices, the lady who was disappointed we did not carry a competitor’s brand name item, the lady who thought the bathrooms were too dirty, the customer who railed about produce grown abroad, the customer who despised the reward card system, the man who was riled because he couldn’t understand his receipt, the woman who just couldn’t grasp why she couldn’t bring the dog in the store, the man who couldn’t believe we wouldn’t take his return though he bought the tuna at another store, the woman who couldn’t understand the sale flyer, the man who insisted we are always out of Log Cabin Syrup, and the customer who hated that we were asking for a donation to a charity this month. > > Then, yesterday, there was the customer who said he was ignored, the man who was upset about the 13 items in the “12 or fewer” line, the one who swore we carried an item we have never carried, the gent who resented the student discount, the woman who blew her top because we charge 50 cents extra for a book of stamps, the lady who didn’t understand the concept of “out-of-season” fruit, the man who thought the pet food should be in the front of the store, the individual disgruntled by the lack of fat-free choices, the man who complained the music was too loud, the woman who thought the cover of the magazine was inappropriate, the fellow who was incovenienced by our asking for an ID to buy alcohol, the one who couldn’t figure out the lottery machine, the man who disliked the placement of the melba toast, the chap who couldn’t understand why a few screws would clog up the Coinstar, the lady who wanted too much cash back, the man who thought it was too hot in here, the woman who couldn’t find the exit, the customer who blamed us for his dropping his bottle of wine, the girl who found the cigarette selection not to her liking, the woman who couldn’t figure out how to operate the electric cart, the man who was upset because we didn’t carry organic cauliflower and now he’d have to go to Whole Foods, and if he has to get that at Whole Foods don’t we know he will probably do all his shopping there and we wouldn’t want that would we, and the one who thought the month later date on the milk wasn’t enough and the one who couldn’t find the expiration date on the Ragu jar, and the one that liked the aisles better when they were wider. Also, we were visited that day by the person who worried about the toothpicks at the sample table, the lady who wanted her order re-rung because certain items were supposed to be “Buy One, Get One Free”, but instead rang up at half price and who didn’t understand that this was, of course, the same thing, the customer who wanted us to cash an out-of-state check and threatened to call corporate to complain when we said it was against policy, the man who thought the honeydew should be the same price as the cantaloupe, the couple who swore they had money left on the gift card, the man who wished for a different juice, the lady angry because we used too many bags, the man upset because there were too many items packed in a single bag, the one who found the wall colors distracting, the man who thought the olive oil should be by the vinegar, the granny who wanted every day to be senior discount day, the one who missed last week’s sale because she was out of town so now wants those prices, the woman who felt the music was too dull, the man who hated the long line, the guy whose favorite item was discontinued, the one who could get it much cheaper at Wal-Mart, and the girl who was sure the Alpo dog food she bought last Tuesday gave her Fifi a rash. The customer is always right. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/42 "2011-05-28T15:38:21Z")
> [@Wheeljack](#): > > I usually just reply “District Manager’s in town, huh?” It’s about a 50-50 split between people who rightfully look at me like I just said something dickish and people who cast me the Nod-o’-Acknowledgement / Sigh-o’-Solidarity. Heh, me too. Either District Manager or Secret Shopper. I find the split is more like 75/25 in favor of the NoA/SoS. > [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Yes, customers complain about everything. However, if a LOT of customers are complaining about one specific thing (getting addressed by name when they pay by check or card, for instance) maybe the retailers should take note that this specific thing seems to piss off a lot of customers. Problem is, you don’t know what the \*other \*customers are complaining about - it may very well be that for everyone complaining about over-familiarity, three are complaining that they’re being ignored - even if the interaction is exactly the same. And at the end of the day, it’s those DMs and Secret Shoppers. They’re the ones who want greater interaction and friendliness. Their input is the input that can dock pay raises and fire people who don’t play the game by their rules. Thanks for posting on the Straight Dope today! Did you get to check out our other great fora while you visited us today? Y’all come back real soon, mmmm’kay?! ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/43 "2011-05-28T15:41:19Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Yes, customers complain about everything. However, if a LOT of customers are complaining about one specific thing (getting addressed by name when they pay by check or card, for instance) maybe the retailers should take note that this specific thing seems to piss off a lot of customers. Retailers DO take note. Customers are surveyed, complaints are tallied, comments are not simply shrugged off. In order to survive in this retail economy you have to listen to customers and adapt. Changes occur frequently due to customer feedback. That said, complaints about name use by the cashiers wouldn’t even make it into the top 50 of the complaints I hear. For every customer who hates it there is probably a customer who shops at the store because “even though they are a large chain they know my name.” The method of repeating a customer’s name at the register does help the cashier (who sees many of the same faces every week) to remember that customer and their specific needs/wants. I’ve had plenty of customers say “Hi, Biotop” and I can’t remember who they are and if they just read my name off the nametag or if they are regular shoppers who will now be angry with me because I can’t remember who they are because I see literally thousands of faces every day. So if it is really that annoying to hear your name, let folks know and sooner or later it will change…and then the one’s who like to hear their names will start complaining and the whole process will be repeated again. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/44 "2011-05-28T16:22:05Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > But now that you mention it, why is it so hard to log on at times? How come the moderator is so pissy? Why can’t they make it obvious how to quote another poster, what do you mean I can’t swear, why don’t you stop that “Hi Opal” thing from continuing, and that other \*%^^& -ing poster was mean to me, and I don’t like the smilies and why does it cost for membership and so what if I can’t spell and I shouldn’t have to pay extra for a funny title under my name and you should make the spoiler boxes easier to insert and blah blah blah blah blah. The server has arthritis; the Moderator has arthritis; because that lets us sneer at the newbies; you fucking well can swear, it’s the Pit; 'cause if they banned everyone who used “Hi, Opal” they’d have about three members left; I’d be happy to be mean to them for you if you’d like; sorry about the smilies :(:(☹ but Corporate says they’ve got to offer them; to keep the Mod lounge well stocked with champagne and canapes; because otherise eye cin’t andarstund yiou; maybe not but the competition charges twice as much for funny titles so, really, you’re getting the same high quality for much less; and lastly, if you’ll just bend over for a moment I’d be more than happy to assist with the spoiler box insertion. What size were you thinking of? Extra large is half off this week, you know. HOW WAS YOUR POSTING EXPERIENCE?? DID YOU FIND EVERYTHING YOU NEED?? THANKS AND COME BACK SOON!!! ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/45 "2011-05-28T16:30:08Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > It would be better, from a customer service perspective, to ditch the greeters and train more knowledgable floor walkers. But I know that being “friendly”'s not the real reason for greeters, it’s a way to say “hey, we see you, so don’t shoplift mmmkay?” Let’s cut the Gordian Knot even further - how about turning the greeters into more cashiers? What pisses me off more than any faux friendliness is long checkout lines that management doesn’t seem care about. More than once I’ve abandoned a full cart right in front of a friendly-as-hell greeter or knowledgeable floor walker because there weren’t enough cashiers. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/46 "2011-05-28T16:48:57Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > The server has arthritis; the Moderator has arthritis; because that lets us sneer at the newbies; you fucking well can swear, it’s the Pit; 'cause if they banned everyone who used “Hi, Opal” they’d have about three members left; I’d be happy to be mean to them for you if you’d like; sorry about the smilies :(:(☹ but Corporate says they’ve got to offer them; to keep the Mod lounge well stocked with champagne and canapes; because otherise eye cin’t andarstund yiou; maybe not but the competition charges twice as much for funny titles so, really, you’re getting the same high quality for much less; and lastly, if you’ll just bend over for a moment I’d be more than happy to assist with the spoiler box insertion. What size were you thinking of? Extra large is half off this week, you know. > > HOW WAS YOUR POSTING EXPERIENCE?? DID YOU FIND EVERYTHING YOU NEED?? THANKS AND COME BACK SOON!!! Excuse me, **El Kabong**. You misunderstand. (Jots down **El Kabong** ’s name on a slip of paper) I don’t really want to know why you do things here a certain way. [increasing anger]I want you to know that you really should be doing them \*the way I suggest \*and I want you to acknowledge that.[/increasing anger] [smirk] Please let me speak to your supervisor because you have a terrible attitude. [/smirk] ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/47 "2011-05-28T16:54:41Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > [smirk] Please let me speak to your supervisor because you have a terrible attitude. [/smirk] Sure thing. Would that be before or after the spoiler box insertion? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/48 "2011-05-28T17:07:26Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Once Mrs. J. and I were eating at one of those Texas roadhouse kind of places (this one was in West Virginia). As we were finishing our meal a bunch of waitstaff congregated nearby. Suddenly rancid country music began to blare from the loudspeakers and they all started doing a line dance in front of us and other shell-shocked customers. We were in one of those places once also. It was brutal! The music was so loud, I couldn’t hear myself think, and it turned out we were ready for our check just as the dance recital started. We had things to do and we were stuck till the performance was over and our server started doing her job again. I’ve never been back, and I never intend to patronize that chain again. **Mach Tuck** - \*Amen \*to more cashiers. Now, if only someone could perfect a detector that tells you to avoid a certain line because a customer in that line will need 4 price checks, 2 cartons of cigarettes that are kept at the customer service desk, and the order has to be divided in two, one paid with a check and the other with a gift card that doesn’t have a large enough balance. :smack: Meanwhile the rest of us stand there as our ice cream melts and drips on the floor… _THAT’S_ when someone needs to come by and ask if I’ve found everything I need! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/49 "2011-05-28T17:22:15Z")
I think there’s a fine distinction that needs to be made here; corporate retailers don’t make decisions based on customer satisfaction, they make them based on sales. Period. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/50 "2011-05-28T17:42:27Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > Let’s cut the Gordian Knot even further - how about turning the greeters into more cashiers? What pisses me off more than any faux friendliness is long checkout lines that management doesn’t seem care about. More than once I’ve abandoned a full cart right in front of a friendly-as-hell greeter or knowledgeable floor walker because there weren’t enough cashiers. A-freaking-men. Honestly, I don’t even know why they build 15 check-out lanes. If they don’t ever open them all (and I shop all different times and days, trust me when I say they NEVER open them all!), why not build the 3 or 4 they’ll actually use, and leave more room for sales displays? Or, even better, a few more self-checkouts. I love those things. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/51 "2011-05-28T18:25:02Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I think there’s a fine distinction that needs to be made here; corporate retailers don’t make decisions based on customer satisfaction, they make them based on sales. Period. Bingo 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/52 "2011-05-28T19:08:01Z")
OK, I have the answer. When you enter a store, you grab a reversible hat. The red side means “Just looking. I know what I want. Let me shop in peace.” The green side means “I need some assistance or information.” A feather on the cap means “Talk to me pleeeeeeeeease!!!” Oh, wait - some folks are colorblind. So instead of red and green, we go solids and stripes. Problem solved. You’re welcome. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/53 "2011-05-28T19:15:43Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > It would be better, from a customer service perspective, to ditch the greeters and train more knowledgable floor walkers. But I know that being “friendly”'s not the real reason for greeters, it’s a way to say “hey, we see you, so don’t shoplift mmmkay?” On the one hand, I agree with this. On the other hand, some people are still annoyed whether approached by a knowledgeable staff member or a greeter. I speak from the experience of annoying people daily with my quite extensive knowledge of our product and pleasant, helpful demeanor. I can’t win every time, so I just do my job the best I know how. Sorry if it rubs you the wrong way. You’ll live. ETA: And, yeah, you’re right about the reason behind greeting and making frequent contact with customers. It seems to be effective means of reducing shrink from shoplifting and customers damaging goods while shopping. That’s good for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/54 "2011-05-28T19:26:25Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > ETA: And, yeah, you’re right about the reason behind greeting and making frequent contact with customers. It seems to be effective means of reducing shrink from shoplifting and customers damaging goods while shopping. That’s good for everyone. It also keeps the employees busy and out on the floor where the managers can see them. Instead of, say, in the break room shoving DVDs into their bookbag. “Friendliness” reduces \*both \*kinds of shrink - internal and external. Plus, there’s a certain amount of “fake it 'till you feel it.” I started many a shift just feeling like a grumpasaurus, and the first few conversations \*were \*forced, until just acting happy made me \*feel \*happy midway into my shift. Maybe it was because I’d stumble into a conversation that actually turned interesting, or maybe it’s some neuromuscular effect of a faked smile, I don’t know. But it worked more often than not. Happy employees are less likely to rob you blind, too. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/55 "2011-05-28T19:30:19Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > Let’s cut the Gordian Knot even further - how about turning the greeters into more cashiers? What pisses me off more than any faux friendliness is long checkout lines that management doesn’t seem care about. More than once I’ve abandoned a full cart right in front of a friendly-as-hell greeter or knowledgeable floor walker because there weren’t enough cashiers. They don’t care about long lines. Most people are not going to ditch the purchases they were going to make just because there’s a line. In fact, the line makes you strictly more likely to add those “cheap” items they put on stands on either side of the lines. They herd U liek buying so they added buying to your buying so you can buy while you buy. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/56 "2011-05-28T21:42:15Z")
OK, I understand loss prevention. I can deal with the passing employee asking “Are you finding everything?” or “Can I help you?” when the shopper is staring at a display or looking lost. So is it too much to ask that I not have to deal with a gauntlet of “How ya doin’??” when I walk thru the doors. Why not “Welcome to SuperMegaHappyStore!! Can I help you find something today?” because sometimes I do wonder which aisle has the headlight fluid. 😉 There has to be a happy medium somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![RedWood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f08c70/32.png) [@RedWood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedWood)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/57 "2011-05-28T21:47:45Z")
I’m still waiting to find out where El Kabong inserts that spoiler box… ---
**Author:** ![Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eugene_of_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/58 "2011-05-28T22:31:15Z")
The faux courtesy bugs me, too. Always has but for years now I just breeze right along with usually a little wave and/or a nod or a wink, never breaking stride. I’ve worked a ton of retail in the past and know what’s up. Not long ago I had a problem with the self checkout scanner getting kerflunked. A harried lady came to my rescue and then proceeded to continue madly checking the other items in my basket as if I was just going to screw it up anyway so she’d rather do it herself. Talk about needing therapy in a few years, she needs it now! Poor thing. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/59 "2011-05-28T22:40:23Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > OK, I understand loss prevention. I can deal with the passing employee asking “Are you finding everything?” or “Can I help you?” when the shopper is staring at a display or looking lost. > > So is it too much to ask that I not have to deal with a gauntlet of “How ya doin’??” when I walk thru the doors. Why not “Welcome to SuperMegaHappyStore!! Can I help you find something today?” because sometimes I do wonder which aisle has the headlight fluid. 😉 There has to be a happy medium somewhere. Don’t know where that is. On a given busy day in our store, you’ll have at 2-3 people covering a department. If they are all doing their jobs and not already engaged with customers, they will each engage you (especially if they aren’t aware that you’ve already been engaged by their coworker). If you are there long enough, they will engage you again. If a supervisor sees me walk past a customer without acknowledging them verbally, it’s likely to be called to attention. Then I have to explain that I have already talked to them twice and I am most assuredly \*not \*ignoring our customers. At the very least, I try to make eye contact. If I’m on you like white on rice, you can assume I think you’re acting (or looking) like someone that requires extra attention, if you know what I mean. Or its slow and we’re bored. Or maybe you were rude to a coworker and they’ve decided to give you the best customer service you’ve ever had, like if we were in Tiffany’s and you were Queen of England. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489/60 "2011-05-29T00:06:05Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > At Kmart, it was called the “5-Foot Rule” (or something like that, I can’t remember). It was required and yes, management gave you hell if you didn’t offer help to customers. It was 10 feet at Wally World. And then they’d give us hell for not doing whatever we were doing while we helped the customer. Seems to me that helping the customer ought to be a higher priority than fixing that table of shirts that I would have to fix six times in as many hours, but they didn’t see it that way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friendly-retailers-make-me-stabby/583489.md?page=4)