The other thing that has really been bugging me lately is all the haggling going on. Everyone wants a deal on something, and now the managers are so desperate to get decent numbers that they’re actually agreeing to it. Example: product down to $399.99 on clearance, open item/display price down to $319.99 and the managers give it away for $299.99… (at around 5% above cost).

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, and by the way “everyone who has worked in a retail chain knows” is an assuption about each worker’s knowledge, as well as assuming that the attitudes of managers with any certainty affect the attitudes of workers in such a way as the a worker’s attitude becomes the same as his/her manager’s/managers’ attitude(s), which is simply not the case as I still view customers as people and treat them respectfully, offering assistance when I could have easily ignored the person.

“A common response to a simple question is a blank stare, or “I don’t know”, or “I work in x dept, so I can’t help you”, and so on.”

I hate when people say that and end it there. At least do what I do, do what you can to help until you can find someone else who can do better to help the customer…

“I don’t for one second buy that working in a big store is any excuse for providing poor service.”

Nor do I. But some people don’t realize that a person’s doing all they can and say the employee’s providing poor service when they’re really doing all they’re allowed to do.

“Finally, regarding being responsible for what happens on my watch – I’m a physician.”

Very different. But I see why you’re responsible for those other people now.

“the basic principle is that if something needs to get done, someone with a decent work ethic is going to do what they can to get it done and not just sit around blaming the system.”

Most of the time, in my position, that’s just calling the supervisor. Today, that wasn’t the case. (Working in the cafe end of the store I work in, we’re more responsible for what happens because the supervisors are all in the front end.) I ended up running to the other end of the store, getting a call made to the back to check inventory on an item, running back, suggesting an alternative, running to the other end of the store again to grab an item for the customer, and running back again. All for a bottle of soda. (We were out of the 20 oz. bottles of diet soda, but the 2 liter bottles are cheaper anyway. The store is completely out of the store brand diet soda until the truck comes in with more in a few days.) (The store is Wegmans, by the way, ever heard of it? 11 years in Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 companies to work for, top 10 for about half of that time. http:// money .cnn .com/video/ft/#/video/fortune/2008/01/22/bpw .wegmans .fortune Put that together and watch the video, it’s about 3 minutes long and actually shows the store I work in. This site seems to block my post without the spaces. But it’s a pretty cool place to work for.)

“Oh, and good luck getting started with school and with whatever career path you choose.”

Thank you.

“A common response to a simple question is a blank stare, or “I don’t know”, or “I work in x dept, so I can’t help you”, and so on.”

Yeah, I DO hate that. I sometimes end up saying those things, but it’s because it’s true and either I don’t know or it’s outside of what I’m allowed to do, and I at least help the person as much as I can and try to find someone who can help more…

“I don’t for one second buy that working in a big store is any excuse for providing poor service.”

No, it’s not, but when there’s only so much you can do, sometimes it seems like you’re providing poor service when there’s nothing you can do to make it better.

I hate when people just don’t care so they blow the customers off, too. It’s happened to me a few times in stores and I try to do whatever I can for the customer. (I actually ended up running up and down the store a few times for one item a customer wanted. First run was to have a supervisor call into the storeroom to check inventory levels on an item that wasn’t on the shelves, and when we found out the store was out of the item, I suggested an alternative and went back across the store again for the item… All for a bottle of soda. I also ended up working back and forth between my normal position at a register in the cafe and cleaning tables and trays because someone called in sick today. Luckily, we weren’t very busy today… Still, I don’t like bussing tables, but I do like helping the store keep its reputation of being clean. Ever heard of Wegmans, by the way? That’s where I work. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2008/ #3. That’s Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 companies to work for based on random employee data. http://money.cnn.com/video/ft/#/video/fortune/2008/01/22/bpw.wegmans.fortune Also, watch that video if you have the time, it’s about 3 minutes long. I actually work in that store, Kevin’s one of my supervisors, Cherianita’s one of my co-workers, and so on. I was part of the first group to train in the store. If I wasn’t going to move with my family in a few years, I’d try to move up through the store and stick with them.)

And yes, I do treat my customers with respect. And its not so few and far between to find people who do so.

Oh, and then there are the people who want to know what happened to their book they just left over there (point to completely wrong shelve) just a few days ago, because they want to pick it up now….

You misinterpreted the intent of my post, and I did the same. My apologies.
I wasn’t however, being defensive. I was merely informing you of my perception of the fallacy being used to respond to my post. A quick FYI — the logical fallacy of style over substance emphasizes the way in which something is presented over the actual content. It has nothing to do with being stylistically correct.

My hat goes off to you for making something of yourself. I honestly have great respect for people who take control of their lives and make something of themselves when everyone else seems convinced they’ll never amount to more than a cashier in retail.
I am in a similar situation as you in that I come from a less-then-privileged background and must work very hard to get to where I want to be.
But that still doesn’t excuse you from showing respect here or calling people like myself [who work in retail] illiterate “[h]igh school drop-outs.”

High standards are great, but keep in mind that different people will have also have high standards but they will differ from your own.
High standards are great, but what you are displaying here, ma’am, are not high standards but condescending criticisms of people you likely do not even know.

Retail sucks as a job, as does every other job. But you know what? I don’t criticize anyone else when they complain about *their* job. Let these people rant about their job for once.

I am a call center rep, and I try my damnedest to be respectable to people who have quote-unquote “high standards” such as yourself. However, they tend to not have the high standards they claim but instead prefer to demean the people they requested help them.

I don’t for one second buy that working in a big store is any excuse for providing poor service. Sure they’re different environments, but the basic principles of providing good service are the same.

Finally, regarding being responsible for what happens on my watch – I’m a physician. If I order a lab test and it’s not being done, I take ownership of the situation and figure out why. Has the nurse not drawn the blood? Has the specimen not made it to the lab? Is the lab being lazy and not getting it done? And so on. The nurses and lab techs do not report to me, but I’m responsible for seeing that their work gets done. It wouldn’t look very good to miss a heart attack for hours and only be able to say, “I ordered the tests, it’s not my fault they didn’t get done.” Obviously that’s different than working in a store, but the basic principle is that if something needs to get done, someone with a decent work ethic is going to do what they can to get it done and not just sit around blaming the system.

Oh, and good luck getting started with school and with whatever career path you choose.

Maybe people need to pay attention to the rules before they complain?

That’s my position. (First job, saving up money for college. I’m only 18, I got the job last year.)

I’m in the same position as jjmblue7. I’m not allowed to overstep my boundaries or I get in trouble. When there’s anything that’s not my job to deal with, I’m supposed to page one of the supervisors. I’m not allowed to go further that that and take matters into my own hands or I’m out of a job.

“I’m responsible for what happens on my watch, which includes the actions of other people that I don’t directly control.” That’s an obvious sign that your store is being managed by people who don’t know what they’re doing.

“Or you could perform the price check yourself.” That, we’re allowed to do.

“one could take some ownership of the situation and figure out why there isn’t a price tag on an item, fix the problem and try to do something so it doesn’t happen again.” That, we’re not. It’s not our job, we just report it to the supervisors.

“Or, knowing you’re understaffed, you could work a little harder to pick up the slack.” You can only do so much in one position.

“Working in a small store means nothing compared to working in a big store.” Exactly.

Luckily, I work in a store where the supervisors care about the lower positions and are ready and willing to help when needed.

In my line of work there is no room for excuses like that (“I’m just going to provide bad service because it’s easier”). I’m responsible for what happens on my watch, which includes the actions of other people that I don’t directly control. So, if there’s a situation that needs to be changed, I change it to ensure that my clientelle get the best service I can deliver.

Aside from that, don’t assume that the mere fact that a person works in retail means that they are high school drop-outs or that they’re illiterate or anything less than you, because the truth is that many intelligent people drop out of high school or simply choose not to go on to college or university, or they can’t afford it. How does working to support oneself make them any less of a decent person than you?

And, let’s be honest, the reason you really shop online is more likely that others can’t stand you, not the other way around. Sir.

See, I can be condescending just like you!

She can back a few HOURS later, sober, with the lingerie damn near torn in half, trying to get her money back. I told her not no, but heeeell no. She cussed for a while and left.