Consumer Etiquette Part 1: What You Might Not Know
This post will cover a few little known things about working in customer service, things that the average consumer most likely doesn’t know.
Were everyone to know these things, it would save a lot of time and lessen the nuisance which the clerks have to deal with every single day.
So, let’s begin:
Don’t assume the clerk knows everything about the store and its items. Many customers assume this, forcing the clerk to pretend they know what’s being asked of them, when they really don’t. A larger supermarket may possess over 100,000 items on sale, some much more than that. It is humanly impossible for anyone to know the location of each items, how many are in stock, whether or not the store actually has a specific items, and especially what it costs. It smaller stores, it’s easier for the clerks to know where things are, but don’t expect miracles. What’s even more impossible is knowing the EAN code (the 13-digit code under the barcode) for each item. On numerous occasions a customer has brought an item to the cash which was missing the barcode, and then said somewhere along the lines of “it costs about 12 euros” or “just come up with a price and get on with it”. Knowing the price won’t help. If it’s a small store, we have to either leave the cash and go find the code (which we are not allowed to do in many stores), and in larger stores we have to call someone to go and find it. It will take some time, trust me. If you want to avoid this, check that the barcode is intact.
Sometimes the barcode itself might not work, meaning we have to really go out of our way to find out how EXACTLY we’re supposed to punch it into the cash register. Have patience. It is not your fault, and neither is it ours.
Typically, the people working in the store aren’t responsible for ordering specific items which aren’t in the store’s selection. So stop asking about it. We can’t really do much to get the items you need. Every chain of stores has one or more buyers who decide what’s in the selection and in what quantities. If you want something specific, email the corporate headquarters. The emails are typically available on the website of the specific store.
Many stores use temporary workers (temps) to cover for missing workers and busy seasons. There is a good chance that these temps or extras don’t know as much as the regular workers. Wait, it’s a given that these people don’t know everything about the store and everything concerning it. Have patience. Atleast they’re there so there’s more people there FOR YOU! (I work as a temp, so I know…) Everyone in the store has not worked there forever, so don’t even try to assume everyone knows everything…
If a clerk is trying to sell you extra items, telling you about deals, etc, don’t get pissed off at them. It’s just part of their job, and they might not even want to do it, but they have to.
Typically, the person at the cash is responsible for every single cent in their cash register. If they’re missing some money, they might have to pay for it out of their own pockets. So if you try to defraud the company, you’re actually fucking the person who’s behind the cash register. Same might apply to counterfeit money, depending on the store rules. If we find out that you have a counterfeit bill, or if our money checker machine says it’s counterfeit (notorious for false negatives, btw…), we won’t accept the money. We don’t want to answer to our bosses, nor do we want to pay it out of our paychecks. In Europe, we have the 500euro bill. That’s a substantial chunk of our paycheck…
Don’t ask us for discounts. Most probably, we aren’t allowed to give you a discount. In today’s world, every clerk has their own username for the cash register, and every single thing we do is registered. If we give you an unwarranted discount because you’re being pushy about it, we could end up paying for it…
If something used to be on sale and it isn’t anymore, we can’t turn back the clock just for you. Either pay the full price or don’t buy it. It’s your fault you came late and missed the sale.
If the store utilizes a bonus card, it’s your responsibility to give it to us at the right time. If you give it to us at the wrong time, too late, it means a lot of unnecessary work for us, and it’s not that easy to do either…
Speaking of too late, once the transaction is complete, don’t change your mind. It truly is too late. We CAN still change it, but once again, it’s a lot of unnecessary work, just because you made a mistake.
In large stores, there are tens of people working there at any given time. Everyone of these workers is responsible for a certain section of the store. For example, you might have people responsible for working at the cash register, or in the frozen goods, or the clothing section, or the electronics, or the non-food items, etc… Knowing this, remember that if you need assistance, ask the person at the particular section of the store, or ask someone else to get someone from that section to assist you. That way everyone wins.
If you’re underage and trying to buy alcohol or cigarettes, don’t bother. Please. We will ID you and won’t listen to any excuses for not having ID with you. Pleading to us will not work, because it is against the law to sell to underage people. We could lose our jobs, or even get a substantial fine. So we have to abide by the law at all times.
This one’s very important. We are humans too. Many of us don’t like working in customer service. For many it’s only a short time source of money. It’s an easy job to get, and young people need money. So have some respect when dealing with a clerk. He or she might actually be better educated than you, or working just to pay for college, or in between jobs, just trying to get bills paid. Regardless of who the person behind the cash register is, they’re still a human being, with hopes and dreams an aspirations. A little respect will go a long way…
And finally for this post, we’re usually only as slow as the customer we’re dealing with at the time…
Part Zero: Introduction [16.08.2007]
Part One: What You Might Not Know [17.08.2007]
Part Two: Everyday People [18.08.2007]
Part Three: Under The Influence [19.08.2007]
Part Four: Children And Their Parents [20.08.2007]
Part Five: Senior Citizens [21.08.2007]
Part Six: Animals [22.08.2007]
Part Seven: Disorderly Conduct [23.08.2007]
Part Eight: Tips And Hints [24.08.2007]
Part Nine: For The Workers [25.08.2007]
Part Ten: Summary [26.08.2007]
If you have any comments, experiences or additions to this post, please leave a comment! Thank you in advance!
