As a college student, I’ve been apart of the retail industry for 5 years and counting, since high school. Even though I don’t hate my job at all, I’ve noticed some patterns over the years:
Some people act like they’re in a rush, even if they’re in no rush at all.
Some people don’t understand why long cashier lines exist, unless if it’s during a busy weekend or holiday. Even when people call off, it’s our own problem to deal with.
People would rather shop at a local store closer to where they live rather than traveling a little out of their way just to save some money on their grocery bill.
Some people don’t understand why we close early or for an entire day during the holidays, except for Christmas. This only occurs when people don’t celebrate American holidays.
Some people don’t understand why we’re out of certain items.
Bonus Statement: My store is more relaxed when it comes to how we act during certain times of the day. However, it all depends on the manager in charge during that time.
For example, during my cart attendant shifts, I can walk throughout the store without anyone questioning me. I may stock or organize some items here and there, but it’s not like I’m doing nothing. As long as I’m doing something useful, they won’t say anything to me.
This is not true where I live. There is a local store about 9 miles away in a town of 1500, but two chains and a Walmart in a 10,000 population city about 30 miles away. People spend the bulk of their spending on the three options 30 miles away where they stock up–instead of the local store (where they only pick up a few fill up items). This is because of the more limited assortment of the local store as well as the local store being about 30% more expensive.
I think this is a very common pattern in rural America.
My wife dislikes everything about shopping. She is never rude or unpleasant to the store staff, but she has no desire to be in a store one second longer than is absolutely necessary.
Yes, if people call off, it is your problem to deal with. Not mine. Similarly, busy weekends and/or holidays should be planned for. The store knows those days are going to busy. They should have more staff. It’s not that we don’t understand why long cashier lines exist. We do. The problem is that we can’t understand why retail managers allow long lines to exist. Whether it’s from incompetence or apathy, customers shouldn’t have to tolerate it.
What country are these people from? America has some of the longest operating hours and fewest holidays than probably every other country. You’re more likely to find an American store to be open late, to be open on weekends, and to be open on holidays. Who the fuck are these people who don’t understand that stores often close on holidays? I simply can’t believe that there is any country with citizens surprised to see stores closed on a holiday.
It’s probably just the case that these people weren’t familiar with Martin Luther King’s birthday or something. It’s not that they didn’t understand why you would close on a holiday. Every country closes on holidays. Most stores in Germany are still closed on Sundays. In Italy, stores are closed all weekend and for about an hour every afternoon. Closing stores for holidays is not unique to America.
They understand why you’re out. It’s because you failed, logistically. We don’t understand why you could be that incompetent. Stay on top of your inventory and project accordingly. Stop acting like running out of certain items is an act of nature outside of your control. We can’t understand why you don’t understand this.
You shouldn’t need a manager to tell you how to act. That’s my bonus statement for you.
Yeah… I don’t act the way I do because of the behavior of my coworkers or my manager.
I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me why I am the only person in the lab between 11am and 1pm. It’s a mystery…
Keep your Employee Handbook convenient. Offer to make copies of sections of it for your manager when he /she acts inappropriately. It’s a great way to make friends.
Assuming the OP isn’t the head of Purchasing, he/she has zero control of what items are in stock at any given time. Do you berate the cashier because the store is out of your favorite flavor of something? Do you berate waitstaff when the kitchen runs out of something?
And actually, sometimes the delay at the store is at the warehouse level, or the even at the product manufacturer’s end and is completely out of that location’s power to correct. Shit happens. Sigh, pick something else, and get over it.
I’ve worked retail and other customer-facing roles for a helluva lot more than 5 years, and there’s not a lot I haven’t seen about the sort of entitled behavior your post suggests. Bottom line is: Don’t piss on staff for things they have no control over, and maybe extend a little sympathy because they are the ones having to give out the bad news over and over and over again. We don’t actually like doing that, you know …
Are you replying to something in this thread? I can’t find the part where anyone is berating employees. And yes, sometimes the delay is at the warehouse level or higher. What does that have to do with the customer? That’s still a failure of the business.
The OP suggested that the customers don’t understand how things can be out of stock. This isn’t the case. I could probably list a dozen reasons why that might happen. Every single one of them can be prevented by the company. Nobody is blaming the OP. The OP is assuming that customers don’t understand why things are out of stock. Ironically, it seems to be the OP who doesn’t understand. He seems to think it’s just a normal acceptable thing. Leadership at successful retail establishments would disagree. It’s a failure that should be rectified.
If the OP doesn’t understand this, and he is just casually telling customers that he’s out of stock on something–as if that is perfectly normal and acceptable, n.b.d. get over it–then I can completely see where the look of disgust on the customers’ face might be misinterpreted as a lack of understanding. If the OP understood that companies are not supposed to–and if run properly, would hardly ever–run out of inventory. If they run out, he should be sympathetic and apologetic, and above all he should realize that this is a failure of the company to provide the expected experience for their customers.
Nobody mentioned berating employees. Nothing has been said that would excuse conduct like that. Nobody should be blaming the OP directly. But the OP needs to understand that running out of stock is just piss-poor logistics. If a customer is taken aback by the company’s incompetence, that shouldn’t be interpreted as “people don’t understand why stores run out of things”. No, they likely understand quite well. It’s all the more reason for their disapproval.
Yes, the customer should get over it and move on. I’d actually say that if the OP was a customer complaining about stores running out of things. I’d say, “just get over it”.
But imagine if a retail store had that kind of mission statement, or allowed its employees to have that kind of attitude. Do you think the right response to the OP is, “You’re right. Those customers should just get over it!”
I don’t think you sounded rude. I think you sound exactly like I’d expect a college student working in retail to sound. I’m just showing you a different perspective. Stores running out of things, and check out lines being too long… those are all problems for the store to deal with. If, in your head, you’re thinking that the long cashier line is not the company’s fault because an employee got sick, you need to rethink that.
Even if you’re not saying it, your facial expression and tone might reflect a “It’s not our fault, so get over it” attitude. Then, what you’re reading as a lack of understanding on their part is probably just their response to your deportment.
If, on the other hand, you actually understand and internalize the fact that these things are your fault (not necessarily you, but your company), then you might actually come off as more apologetic. You might actually start getting frustrated enough to drive improvements in the performance of your coworkers and/or management. Maybe you get promoted to manager and can start influencing change.
Or, maybe you just continue to not care. Doesn’t really matter. Just know that it isn’t the customers’ lack of understanding that you’re experiencing. They know why things are out of stock, and they know why the lines are long. It’s because you guys fucked up. Somewhere down the line, someone is fucking up. And this cashier doesn’t seem the least bit sorry for that. He doesn’t even care that they fucked up. Fuck this place, I’m going to Target!
Oh, I am actually still curious where these customers are from who are confused by holidays.
“They understand why you’re out. It’s because you failed, logistically. We don’t understand why you could be that incompetent. Stay on top of your inventory and project accordingly. Stop acting like running out of certain items is an act of nature outside of your control. We can’t understand why you don’t understand this.“
This sounded pretty judgmental and as though you thought the cashier had failed in some very basic way.
I also don’t see where the OP was casual and nbd over it, or abjectly apologetic, or anything else. The fact remains that yes, stores run out of things and anyone who is upset by an occasional shortfall, to the point of seriously complaining to a cashier, is pretty entitled, in my book.
No, not the cashier. The company. But the cashier should still feel guilty enough or embarrassed enough to be apologetic about it. He’s part of that company. He should be as angry and intolerant of the issue as the customer! More-so, even.
If someone in my organization fucked up, and I happen to be–at the moment–the face or representation of my organization, I am going to be embarrassed and apologetic. I’m not going to be dismissive about the whole thing and then assume the customer just doesn’t understand how things can happen. “Shit happens. Wasn’t my fault. Get over it.” People in business with that attitude are much less successful than others, I’d think.
Is this the game we’re going to play? I don’t see where I said that I saw the OP being casual or apologetic or anything else.
:rolleyes: If… then statements are not “You said this” or “You did this”. It was “IF you did this thing, THEN I could imagine this thing”. I shouldn’t have to explain that to you.
Would the responses be different if anybody else on this forum worked in retail?
IMO, the Coronavirus Pandemic is making the entire retail industry stressed and frustrated. However, complaining about it isn’t the best way to deal with it.
Yeah, I understand why all of these things happen. I suppose “some” people don’t, but it isn’t rocket science. However, if a store is frequently out of what I need, or if they consistently under-staff the cashier lanes, then I just stop going there.
The real question here is why the OP would say that this list of “facts” makes the retail industry “an interesting place to work.” I agree that it’s interesting, but for other reasons. None of these points are particularly interesting to me.
Yes, I too would love to hear the interesting parts.
The personalities of the customers? The coworkers? (Do the butchers and the bakers get in altercations?) Do the owners ever make up unhelpful rules? Do they even show up? Do crises occur?
I gained some retail experience in the later Reagan years after my software engineering career died in downsizing. I worked for a SF Bay Area chain selling ham (amateur) radio gear, microcomputers (not Apples!), components, and surplus electronics. The manager was an old ham; he hired me for my systems background and commercial FCC licenses.
Customers were overwhelmingly geeks, filled out by civilians desperate to computerize their small businesses. A natty guy laid out several thousand 1987 bucks in $20s to buy a system. Drug dealer? Pimp? No, his legit limo service ran on cash. Nerds utterly freaked out when a Kyocera chip-packaging plant exploded and so did RAM prices but that wasn’t our fault and they knew it. We saved some older, cheaper chips for regulars.
No shopping carts to wrestle. No refrigerated stuff to rot. No long lines. Few overblown expectations. Worst part was latrine-cleaning duty but that was minor - customers usually weren’t messy. I liked geek retail. But concrete floors killed my feet.
It’s not the store’s fault if the item has been recalled or discontinued or, if it’s a movie or game, hasn’t been released yet. And yes, people will go ballistic over it. I’ve seen plenty of people raking grocery store cashiers over the coals because all the romaine lettuce or other produce has been recalled over E. Coli.
Some parts of your posts in this thread could be read as being directed at the OP rather than a general comment about the retail industry, perhaps you didn’t intend them that way but the tone came across as slightly aggressive to this disinterested observer. The OP didn’t imply that they didn’t care about these problems or responded in an unprofessional way when they were raised, but you are giving the impression with the way you have worded your posts that you might think this is the case. I don’t think you’re one of those people who berates store employees for things outside of their control, but one could (perhaps incorrectly) infer from your posts that you are.
Or to put it another way - I think you’re both right, but the nature of the medium of communication here makes it look like an argument when maybe it isn’t.