Attention last-minute shoppers:

Brain of J.Lo

mookie9999 wrote:

No shit! I hope they hired additional staff that are used to being up at that hour. Knowing the retail field, I'm sure they didn't. Have these kids who are used to working a 10-6 or 3-close arriving at 1a.m. to work until morning is just wrong! Probably a germ infested rathole right now with all of their immune systems shutting down!

Exactly... I'm sure the people getting stuck with those shifts are just the regular employees, and this is just the luck of the draw for them. I feel bad for them. I was really tired last night leaving at 12:15. I can't imagine pulling an all-nighter. Plus, you know some of these people have full time jobs and are working a full day (or, as in my case, caring for a child all day) and then going in and working all night.

It's really sad, because it's surely only for the sake of publicity. I doubt it's even worth it for the company to have the store open and running overnight. It's probably costing more than it's making them.

binauralsounds

Brain of J.Lo wrote:

I agree that there needs to be a lot more product training in retail.

But we're not "fuckin idiots" for not knowing specific details about products we're selling. We're uninformed. That's not our fault.

Specifics? Here's one.. My question to a few clerks about product...
ME: This work good under this condition?
Clerk: Not sure
ME: Hmmm... What if I go this route and do it this way. Would it be better?
Clerk: Shooot, not real sure
ME: ANYBODY else that KNOWS anything about this?
Clerk: Yeah but he's tied up. Maybe come back in a few minutes????
Me.. Hell with this, you lost a sale
Clerk: OK

Another...
Clerk. You like this product?
Me. Absolutley. Price little higher than Costco. 30 bucks more here
Clerk. Sorry
ME: Sorry?
Clerk: Yeah, guess you need to go back to costco. cant help you on the price.
ME. Great customer service you got here.
Clerk. Silence and walks off.

BRILLIANT clerks. Lost tons of money just having a fuckin attitude and not going the mile for the customer.

Brain of J.Lo

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

There are OTHER people that work through Christmas though!

I know there are tons of people that have to work on Christmas, and tons of people that have to work shitty hours all the time. I feel for them. It's a shame.

However, I also feel for the people who work for the same company that I do, and have to have their lives upended (by suddenly working overnight shifts) simply because they have the misfortune of working at one particular store.

MattCameronKicksButt

mookie9999 wrote:

I'll be working through XMAS eve, but that's by choice. Plus I'm self employed so if a client pisses me off I'll tell them to go f themselves and all will better in this world!

Wow! It's Scrooge! *wink*

JaneNY

binauralsounds wrote:

BRILLIANT clerks. Lost tons of money just having a fuckin attitude and not going the mile for the customer.

Poor management. Management needs to incentivize the sales force to encourage people to sell and be nice. Otherwise they're just drawing a paycheck whether there's any sales or not.

I'm not a last minute shopper. I'll be avoiding stores like the plague till after Christmas, at this point. I do not enjoy the environment so I'll stay home and backup up music or something.

mookie9999

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

Wow! It's Scrooge! *wink*

Shh!!! I'm counting money over here!!! Damnit, my identity has been revealed! I guess I'll be visited soon by three friends, right?

MattCameronKicksButt

mookie9999 wrote:

Shh!!! I'm counting money over here!!! Damnit, my identity has been revealed! I guess I'll be visited soon by three friends, right?

dammit mookie. i always thought you were mysterious. that's disappointing. *wink*

anyway, that's christmas eve...

Brain of J.Lo

binauralsounds wrote:

Specifics? Here's one.. My question to a few clerks about product...
ME: This work good under this condition?
Clerk: Not sure
ME: Hmmm... What if I go this route and do it this way. Would it be better?
Clerk: Shooot, not real sure
ME: ANYBODY else that KNOWS anything about this?
Clerk: Yeah but he's tied up. Maybe come back in a few minutes????
Me.. Hell with this, you lost a sale
Clerk: OK

Another...
Clerk. You like this product?
Me. Absolutley. Price little higher than Costco. 30 bucks more here
Clerk. Sorry
ME: Sorry?
Clerk: Yeah, guess you need to go back to costco. cant help you on the price.
ME. Great customer service you got here.
Clerk. Silence and walks off.

BRILLIANT clerks. Lost tons of money just having a fuckin attitude and not going the mile for the customer.

So...the clerks weren't able to provide you with the information you wanted (or comment on the price) and it's their fault? And this makes them stupid?

First of all, the clerks you speak of might not even make commission. So don't get too excited about the huge sale that you cost them by walking out.

Furthermore, the problems you had in the first situation sounds as if you were talking to someone who hadn't been trained to sell the product he was selling. Maybe he was from another area of the store? You weren't willing to wait for the person who could answer your question. That's not the fault the clerk. For 8 bucks an hour, or whatever this guy is making, no one is compelled to do their own product research. That is the store's responsibility.

In the second situation, how is it the clerk's fault that Costco has a lower price? It's not on the clerk to explain to you why the store where he is employed has to price items higher to make a profit.

mookie9999

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

dammit mookie. i always thought you were mysterious. that's disappointing. *wink*

anyway, that's christmas eve...

I still hold a little mystery about myself. For example do I look like this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1710000/images/_1714048_georgecscottscrooge150.jpg

or more like this:

http://duckman.pettho.com/characters/scrooge.jpg

Perhaps, a little of both?!?

iamsampj

Brain of J.Lo wrote:

Please don't be dicks to the retail employees that are just trying to do their fucking jobs during these last few miserable days before Christmas, ok?

It's not our fault that you procrastinated.

yes...please don't be mean and angry. especially when everything that you printed out from the website is sold out! i'm sorry...but i will do my best to help you locate another store that has it (though it will not get to you in time for christmas)!

i like to alieviate the stress of the holidays for my staff by having "VIBE" days...urban speak for theme days. today is going to be "mixed print" day...essentially any kind of clashing, crazy print you can put together. half the time customers don't understand what we're doing, and think we're crazy you should've seen the looks we got when we did "christmas in july"...christmas music, lights, santa hats, and crazy sweaters.

we're also having a pot luck dinner...i love it!!

i'm just glad that my store now is not in a mall and is on a streetfront...it eliminates a lot of the stress and i've found that people are way more friendly!

the madness is almost over

MattCameronKicksButt

mookie9999 wrote:

I still hold a little mystery about myself. For example do I look like this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1710000/images/_1714048_georgecscottscrooge150.jpg

or more like this:

http://duckman.pettho.com/characters/scrooge.jpg

Perhaps, a little of both?!?

Thank God you're only 30! If you looked like the top one I think I'd be a little scared getting PM's from you.

-That didn't come out right. You know what I mean.

mookie9999

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

Thank God you're only 30! If you looked like the top one I think I'd be a little scared getting PM's from you.

-That didn't come out right. You know what I mean.

What's even scarier is your comfort level of receiving pm's from the second one pictured!

blackredyellow

JaneNY wrote:

Poor management. Management needs to incentivize the sales force to encourage people to sell and be nice. Otherwise they're just drawing a paycheck whether there's any sales or not.

Some of it is definitely management's fault, but to "incentivize the sale force to encourage people to sell and be nice"? I don't agree with that at all... you have to incentivize people to be nice? that falls on the employee in my opinion.

If an employee is that miserable at work or hate their job so much that you can't be nice to customers, then quit.

And as far as product knowledge, I don't expect all of the employees to know the ins and outs of every product (especially seasonal employees), but what I can't put up with is the "I don't know" answer or just making something up. I have worked retail, and now I manage a staff in a ticket office (basically retail), and nothing annoys me more than one of our sellers saying "I don't know" to a question, and not offering to get someone who does or to look into it, or even worse just to make up an answer so the customer goes away. It is just laziness in my opinion.


That being said, over the years customers have gotten much more rude and demanding... I absolutely hate dealing with a lot of the public, but I can put my attitude in check and deal with a customer in a calm and happy way.

From the movie Road House
"If somebody gets in your face and calls you a cocksucker, I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk. Be nice. If he won't walk, walk him. But be nice. If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you, and you'll both be nice. I want you to remember that it's a job. It's nothing personal. "

MattCameronKicksButt

mookie9999 wrote:

What's even scarier is your comfort level of receiving pm's from the second one pictured!

I stand by that. It's still better than the first!

JaneNY

blackredyellow wrote:

Some of it is definitely management's fault, but to "incentivize the sale force to encourage people to sell and be nice"? I don't agree with that at all... you have to incentivize people to be nice? that falls on the employee in my opinion.

If an employee is that miserable at work or hate their job so much that you can't be nice to customers, then quit.

Oh you are quite right employees *should* be nice, but *will* they? Another question entirely. (And I can't blame them sometimes - its people on both sides of this equation) I'm just being pragmatic and practical- human nature and behavior being what it is, a little incentive never hurts.

binauralsounds

Brain of J.Lo wrote:

In the second situation, how is it the clerk's fault that Costco has a lower price? It's not on the clerk to explain to you why the store where he is employed has to price items higher to make a profit.

Guess I'm spoiled. The company with whom I'm employed offers 110% price guarantee. If you find it cheaper, we will match and GIVE you another 10% for your pocket.
That's what makes that place beautiful!!!! LIFETIME CUSTOMERS!! We make sure our customers are treated like royalty.

mookie9999

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

I stand by that. It's still better than the first!

3 out of 4 message pit members prefer ducks over geezers.

shaggy15

Another...
Clerk. You like this product?
Me. Absolutley. Price little higher than Costco. 30 bucks more here
Clerk. Sorry
ME: Sorry?
Clerk: Yeah, guess you need to go back to costco. cant help you on the price.
ME. Great customer service you got here.
Clerk. Silence and walks off.

BRILLIANT clerks. Lost tons of money just having a fuckin attitude and not going the mile for the customer.[/quote]




The clerk to you to leave? O poor baby. I love when customers say thats why i shop at a compeading company. they think that hurts me. News for you it doen't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also it does not scare me when you say i want to talk to your manager.
I can't quit b/c where alse can i get 3 weeks vac and 14.05 an hour time and time and 1/2 when i have bills and paying for school.

I hate adults acting like 2 yr old whilinng until they get their way.

binauralsounds

Let me make it clear! I know the clerks didn't lose the money!!!
The company did.

ThreeSadSemesters

Look. This thread is bullshit. Do you *like* working in retail? No. No one does. So why should people treat you nicely? If everyone treats you like an educated, respect-deserving human being, you'll have far less motivation to find a better career. I find it admirable...neigh...downright charitable that wealthy department store customers and store management see fit to berate and dehumanize the clerks. A living wage, reasonable work hours and basic respect would just make you complacent. Happy chrimbo.