Retail Workers Union

[Razer302]

We don't have a trainee badge. I got a name badge straight away and now you get everyone coming in knowing my name straight away. Even when I walk in the street you have people saying hello just from my work. Some I don't mind but some just drive me mental.

My job is mainly old people that come in and my god, they are SO SLOW. Drives me mad, and they just talk about nothing and make a huge que.

[CarefulWetPaint]

*smashes head against wall* THEM OLD PEOPLE AND THEIR STORIES!! /rant

I've never had a trainee or name badge but everyone seems to know my name anyway, it sucks, especially when you have no idea what their names are and you have to be like.. ummm.. Hi? Who are you again? Which then leads to a conversation that you really couldnt care less for and try to escape as fast as possible! Ughhhhhhh.

[Shining Raichu]

Originally Posted by Razer302

My job is mainly old people that come in and my god, they are SO SLOW. Drives me mad, and they just talk about nothing and make a huge que.

I have the same problem with old people at one of the stores I work at. It's in this town about fifteen minutes away from my own, and I refer to it as "Death's Waiting Room" because the population is basically old people on pensions. We sell so much port and sherry because they have nothing else in their lives and wish to slowly drink themselves to death.

But God they are so slow. I know it isn't their fault, I know they'd move faster if they could, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating when Ethel has to put a 2-Litre flagon of port into her wheely bag at the most glacial pace when there are three people behind her waiting to be served.

[Razer302]

Well my shop got arm robbed again on Saturday night... When will these people ever learn we need security.

[Shining Raichu]

Oh my freaking God. Were you there this time? Are you OK?

[Jellicent♀]

First lemme start by saying, Razer302, I hope you're ok. <3
Secondly, I wanna join now that I actually work in retailt.

Thirdly; I hate my job. Like, omg. I work for this clothing store called maurices. All lowercase, no apostrophe. That's the legit name. All women's clothing store, cute as can be clothing, and our philosophy is customer obsession, like, extreme one-on-one care for these people. The problem is, people aren't used to this type of customer service, and people do not want to talk to some 19 year old kid trying to help them get some outfits. My manager tried to make it better by telling me that they'll love me because I'm a little gay dude, but no, I like in bumfrick Louisiana. Almost no one likes gay men here. We also have, HAVE, to get them ALL to sign up for a store credit card. Every one in ten transactions should have a credit card to them. We must sell at least four items to each person, and our average dollar amount per sale should be over fifty-two dollars. To keep up those standards, we really need people to buy eight items, and spend two hundred dollars every time they come in. People don't want to do this, and my manager just doesn't understand why we can't convince people to break their wallets in half for crap they'll wear maybe three times.

Even better, because of this, and because so many people don't want the credit card, it's my fault that people don't want it. I haven't convinced them that lowering their credit score by 3+ points is worth the 10% of savings they could make from a 25 dollar sale. I mean, how could they be so dumb as to not listen to my explanation of the card that's full of holes and tricks? I mean, the average American has no idea what a credit card is, especially when it comes to women, and especially since they're middle aged. Middle age women have no idea what a CREDIT CARD IS. Like, frick, it doesn't take a doctor to figure out why women don't want another credit bill. It also makes sense that they don't want to buy 200 dollars worth of clothing when they come in.

So because of all of my faults, my manager has been discussing the possibility of me getting fired. He tells me this, while there are four customers waiting in line for him to check them out, and while the two new sales associates that he literally JUST hired are standing right behind me.

I'm really about to find another job at this beauty store, which is the industry I actually have a passion for, I spend a lot of money at this store, and I know everyone that works there by name because of how often I shop. Like, it's literally two stores down the strip from my current job. not much of a difference in the commute. Maybe an additional five seconds.

Oh, my favorite is when the customer pretend to listen when you try to make a connection with them. my favorite so far:
-woman walks in with a puppy in a puppy carriage-
Me: "Oh he's so cute, what kind of dog is he?"
Her: "Oh no thank you, I'm just browsing for right now."

Took everything I had not to laugh and call her an idiot.

[CarefulWetPaint]

My god Razer, I hope youre okay. I think you need to get a new job though dude, does not seem safe where you are

My god I hate it when stores try to push things like that on you and try and make their employees sell a certain amount of things to everyone that comes in. PEOPLE DISLIKE YOU TRYING TO "HELP" THEM. How does your manager not understand this all it does is frustrates the customer and makes them not want to get anything.
Pushing Credit cards on people lolol! Goodluck with that. Your manager is an idiot, quit and get a job at the other place!

Also customers do that a lot dont they, just dont even pay attention to what you say and have a generic answer to get through any attempt at a conversation you make with them.

[Jellicent♀]

Originally Posted by CarefulWetPaint

My god Razer, I hope youre okay. I think you need to get a new job though dude, does not seem safe where you are :S

My god I hate it when stores try to push things like that on you and try and make their employees sell a certain amount of things to everyone that comes in. PEOPLE DISLIKE YOU TRYING TO "HELP" THEM. How does your manager not understand this all it does is frustrates the customer and makes them not want to get anything.
Pushing Credit cards on people lolol! Goodluck with that. Your manager is an idiot, quit and get a job at the other place! :P

Also customers do that a lot dont they, just dont even pay attention to what you say and have a generic answer to get through any attempt at a conversation you make with them.

Ugh. Like, my manager doesn't understand why we don't sell a lot. It's because of that stupid credit card. If we didn't push that, our sales would be awesome. But yeah, I have errands tomorrow in town and I'll swing by the beauty store and apply. It's just ridiculous at the clothing store.

They do! They want nothing to do with you. It's like, "I'm only trying to make you not hate me and our store, ok?"

[PhantomX0990]

Haha, sign me up. I work in Security, so I deal with... questionable intelligence, all the time.

Like last week when a guy thought I told him to take his semi through the turnstyles and he thought I was an idiot.

[Razer302]

Yeh I was in again. Lots of people are leaving due to it. I personally am fine with it and love the job still.

I hate when I go into a shop and the people are pushy. It really drives me mad and I end up buying nothing. Bad management as far as I'm concerned.

[Shining Raichu]

Welcome to Jellicent and Phantom! I hope you'll enjoy venting here just as much as I do

Razer, I have to say, I love you so much haha. I just imagine this guy coming into your store wearing a balaclava and holding a gun and you just dropping your head, letting out a long-suffering sigh, walking to a chair on the other side of the room, sitting, and saying "alright guys, just take what you want".

You're just so 'eh, you get that' about something that most people would find utterly terrifying and life-altering XD.

There was this 16 year old kid that got held up at a takeaway place not far from where I work, and he's just fallen to pieces. It's been about two months and he still hasn't returned to work. He's traumatised and too scared to leave the house. So it's great when you're a bit older and don't let them get to you that way.

[Razer302]

It happens so much now that I am used to it. A few people have left because of it but I need the money. So I can't and until I can sort out moving to america I am stuck there. Then knowing my luck I will start work in america and get robbed again... If that happens I will just help them take the money. Really lost interested in stopping them, more important things to live for than stopping robbers.

[CarefulWetPaint]

Getting held up would not be a pleasant experience at all.

I think you have the best idea how to handle it now, just help them out and get them out as fast as possible, I guess thats the safest way to handle it.

I hope when you move to America you have a much safer job that doesnt get you held up every other month!

[Shining Raichu]

Let me all show you this example from my store's daily bulletin. This is one of the more ridiculous items, just to give you all an idea of the wank I have to deal with from the higher ups on a day-to-day basis:

Spoiler:

I think the highlight was the quote they actually expect us to say lmfao.

[CarefulWetPaint]

Andy are you sure you're even allowed to post something like that where the public can see it ?
The carbon tax is going to kill retail.. Just like this constant rain is! Ugh does weather effect anyone else's business?!

[Razer302]

I bet none of the wages have increased to handle the extra cost of living... Oh of course it hasn't because no one cares about the people aslong as government gets its money.

[Shining Raichu]

Well I wouldn't know anything about that. All I know is that where I work, we work hard to keep prices down, but they can change for a range of different reasons. I also know that we have worked with our suppliers to minimise the impact of the carbon tax on products sold at our stores.

[CarefulWetPaint]

Originally Posted by Shining Raichu

Well I wouldn't know anything about that. All I know is that where I work, we work hard to keep prices down, but they can change for a range of different reasons. I also know that we have worked with our suppliers to minimise the impact of the carbon tax on products sold at our stores.

hahaha! Do you already have that memorized? Have you had to say that to any customers yet?
Oh how the carbon tax will make everything in Australia even more ridiculously priced.

[Shining Raichu]

lmao no. I'm never going to actually say it to a customer. We haven't even had anybody through that has been *****ing about the carbon tax yet... so I don't know how I'll handle it when they do. But you can bet your ass I will not be regurgitating a company line. They don't pay me nearly enough for that.

I'll probably just tell them we're not allowed to discuss the carbon tax with customers in an eye-rolly sort of way that will allow us all to laugh at the company's douchery together

[CarefulWetPaint]

Haha!
How much is the carbon tax even changing the prices? The Australian government just wants our retail industry to fail and die doesnt it..

Is anyone else experiencing stupid price raises like this because of the carbon tax or a similar thing?

[Shining Raichu]

I wouldn't know anything about that. All I know is that where I work, we work hard to keep prices down, but they can change for a range of different reasons. I also know that we have worked with our suppliers to minimise the impact of the carbon tax on products sold at our stores.

[Jellicent♀]

So, here i go on to hit the ol' dusty trail again. After a very crappy week of sales, I'm going to be put on "correction" because i was unable to trick my customers into buying $200 worth of merchandise per sale. Like, they literally told me that is what I need to do in order to keep sales up, and if I don't, I'm in trouble. Again, they don't realize people don't want to spend that much money in a store they've never visited before. not only have they never visited, but they do not want to/can't open up a store credit card, which is my fault. [/sarcasm]

So, here I go off to have a meeting with my manager within the next hour or so, to hear him tell me how wonderful he is and how badly I'm doing, and then treating me like I'm a complete idiot throughout the whole process of it all.

That beauty store still hasn't contacted with me. :c
WISH ME LUCK.

[CarefulWetPaint]

Are they legit saying they are going to fire you if you cant make people spend $200? Are they crazy? Do they not understand how retail works and that you cant force people to buy things, especially if they arent interested. Your boss sounds like a real big idiot and I really hope you can get out of there soon!

GOODLUCK ON THE BEAUTY JOB!! I think at least there you wont feel so bad and actually enjoy yourself.

I currently have no interesting stories to share besides shutting shop early to go surfing which was awesome. Anyone else have the power to shut early if they have somewhere else to go?

[Shining Raichu]

Yeah, good luck on that beauty store job indeed - you really need to get out of there. The sooner the better.

If you get fired though, surely you could sue them for wrongful termination. There has to be a part of that law that caters for 'unreasonable demands' or something like that.

[botanicas]

I'm new, but damn am I joining this club.

I work at a head shop (or a hemp shop for non-canadians. or generally just a store that sell "tobacco" paraphernalia). Most of my customers are nice people who are having normal days and understand how to interact with people. I guess everyone has most of those people as customers...

Being a non-smoker myself though, I rage pretty hard at stoners who come in and are too fried to describe what they want or have a coherent conversation that doesn't take them 5 minutes to string together a coherent sentence...
Then there are the hippies that think I want to hear about my aura or this cool new crystal that enhances their "quantum mechanics". I swear, I had a hippie try to explain to me what quantum mechanics are and get it completely ****ed. Lots of pretentious mumbo jumbo happens here, anyway. Oh and people who think I give at all about their drug use at any point in time.