The Keep-Asking Customer

Easily to be spotted if you pay attention to a sales debate between the customer and associate. This buyer just does not know when to stop.

Customer: Do you have this item on hand?

Associate: No.

Customer: Well do you have it in the warehouse possibly? Can you check if another store has it? 

As associates we are condemned to do all that we can to satisfy the customers needs but at some point, you have to realize that there may be NO ALTERNATIVE! Can you live with that? How many times have I been sent back to warehouse to look for a single item. Exactly, too many to count! A SINGLE item, customers are you aware that our warehouse is not the size of your bedroom but as big as a one family house with hundreds of thousands of items. And not only that, you expect us to find everything in seconds. As I said before hundreds of thousands of items, some things take time to look for! And I am sure you do not know the feeling when you return with nothing in your hands. The disappointment is written on your face like a billboard on the highway. And then there are times we are lucky to find the oh-so-really-needed-item-I-cant-wait-another-day, sometimes you are grateful and praise us to the heavens and then there are times where you will keep looking around and just set it back. So I wasted a good fifteen minutes just so you can set it down and tell your child, “oh we will get it next time”. Ofcourse you will never hear this, what is actually going through our heads. We smile back and tell you E-V-E-R-Y time that it is no problem.

The True Definition of "Customer"

According to Google.com

Customer

ˈkʌstəmə/

Noun

1. a person who buys goods or services from a shop or business.

"Mr Harrison was a regular customer at the Golden Lion"

Synonyms: shopper, consumer, buyer, purchaser

The actual Meaning

Customer

1. a person who has forgotten the ability to fold clothes; pick things up after themselves; has lost their sense of seeing and understanding (see Zombie for further explanation); thinks they are king/queen of the entire universe; speaks gibberish when agitated and bored; sees the associate as babysitter; psychologist and butler free of charge and after all the above mentioned still wants to be treated as if you were forever in their debt.

The Start of Something Great!

At first this blog was all a silly idea (actually it was supposed to be a book but I think that a blog is faster to update and can reach out to more people). I would come home from work and still feel exhausted about the customers, coworkers and supervisors I had to deal with. I started realizing patterns and things that would really stand out and certainly get on my nerves. As I shared my idea with friends and certain coworkers I realized they were going through the same things with their customers and for many of them this blog is their cry for help.

Many people expect retail associates to always be friendly and act almost like robots but to be honest we all are humans. We have days when we shine but also have days that are our doom and if you get cranky with us then, just be careful because you might get something you didn’t ask for. We have problems and issues we have to deal with in- and outside of our job and sometimes it is just hard for us to separate them. I mean, you have to admit to yourself, you as a customer aren’t always the easiest to get along with, so why would you expect it from us. Your excuse is always, “well you get paid for that”. True but we don’t get paid to babysit YOUR children, to solve YOUR personal issues or to even put up with YOUR unthankful attitude. 

We drag ourselves into work every day to fulfill everyone’s needs and sometimes it just takes a toll on us. So instead of keeping things for myself or just ranting to my coworkers and family, I decided to put an end to it all and work on what only started out as a list of specific customers. I am sure everyone has caught themselves being one of these customers, even myself.

This blog is not to offend anyone, so don't take it to heart but maybe stop and rethink before acting. I hope this blog opens the eyes of customers and maybe even associates. I just wish all the best for the associates struggling and that there may be a way to work things out.