Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
Yeah, as far as stupid goes, there's far worse.
Yeah, as far as stupid goes, there's far worse.
Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Moments
- Thread starter apostle83
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Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
I remeber one I posted many years ago on a thread like this...
I worked in a bookstore and just before we closed a guy came in and asked me if I had "found Jesus and why I worked where hethan books were sold?"
I managed to assure him I was "okay with the Lord" and he left.
When I went to close I realized he had been back in our paranormal section and placed little religious pamplets in all of them.
I could only be happy that it was a small section and they all stuck up out of the books.
When I fist posted this, Jethro Elvis came in further down the thread and said, "That was you?"
Ah, fond memories of my early days with this BBS.
I remeber one I posted many years ago on a thread like this...
I worked in a bookstore and just before we closed a guy came in and asked me if I had "found Jesus and why I worked where hethan books were sold?"
I managed to assure him I was "okay with the Lord" and he left.
When I went to close I realized he had been back in our paranormal section and placed little religious pamplets in all of them.
I could only be happy that it was a small section and they all stuck up out of the books.
When I fist posted this, Jethro Elvis came in further down the thread and said, "That was you?"
Ah, fond memories of my early days with this BBS.
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
That sounds like him..
When I fist posted this, Jethro Elvis came in further down the thread and said, "That was you?"
Ah, fond memories of my early days with this BBS.
That sounds like him..
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
Well, I don't work with the public - THANK GOODNESS!!! But, I am the public, and this is my story.....
I've had cable internet service for quite a while now. The tech guy from the cable company came out, ran the cable, plugged me in and proceeded to set up my machine. He was very thorough, making sure I had what I wanted for an email user name and password.
About a year ago, my email program bit the dust, and while I waited for the new disc, I was using the internet mail server program - Mail2Web or something like that. Keep in mind, I haven't had to type my user name or password in over five years.
I got to the web site, put in my user name and my password - I thought. Many frustrating tries later, I broke down and called the cable tech guy...
me: "It keeps telling me I'm using the wrong password"
tech guy: "Did you use a capital 'B'?"
me: ~pause~ "Er, no. It's supposed to be a capital 'B'?"
tech guy: "Yeah."
me"
"Er, oh."
tech guy: "Try it, it should work"
me: "OK. Yup, it works. Thanks a million."
tech guy: "No problem."
me: "Sorry I was such an idiot"
tech guy: "No problem." *hangs up*
me:
Well, I don't work with the public - THANK GOODNESS!!! But, I am the public, and this is my story.....
I've had cable internet service for quite a while now. The tech guy from the cable company came out, ran the cable, plugged me in and proceeded to set up my machine. He was very thorough, making sure I had what I wanted for an email user name and password.
About a year ago, my email program bit the dust, and while I waited for the new disc, I was using the internet mail server program - Mail2Web or something like that. Keep in mind, I haven't had to type my user name or password in over five years.
I got to the web site, put in my user name and my password - I thought. Many frustrating tries later, I broke down and called the cable tech guy...
me: "It keeps telling me I'm using the wrong password"
tech guy: "Did you use a capital 'B'?"
me: ~pause~ "Er, no. It's supposed to be a capital 'B'?"
tech guy: "Yeah."
me"
"Er, oh."tech guy: "Try it, it should work"
me:
"OK. Yup, it works. Thanks a million." tech guy: "No problem."
me:
"Sorry I was such an idiot" tech guy: "No problem." *hangs up*
me:
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
So what ended up happening with the engines?
IMO, it would have probably been better to check out the faulty engine first before ordering a new one. Especially since this guy is local and would be easier to do than eating up $200 in Freight.
So what ended up happening with the engines?
IMO, it would have probably been better to check out the faulty engine first before ordering a new one. Especially since this guy is local and would be easier to do than eating up $200 in Freight.
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
Once upon a time, I used to work at a Bath & Body Works store. One Saturday morning, a completely reasonable-looking woman came in and told me that she wanted to buy a bubble bath for her grandma. She played around with a few lotion testers and immediately picked out a fragrance that she liked, so I grabbed the matching bubble bath off the shelf. It looked like she'd be in and out within ten minutes with her gift.
Except that's when she looked at the bottle and said, "Oh, this is Warm Vanilla Sugar? Oh dear, I'm not sure if this will work. Grandma is a diabetic."
I laughed and said something about how Grandma should be find as long as she doesn't drink the bubble bath.
The woman didn't get it at all. "But if it's Warm Vanilla Sugar, it might make Grandma sick. Oh no, now I have to find something else for Grandma."
She spent 40 minutes trying on every lotion in the store, but couldn't find another bubble bath that she wanted to give grandma because she was completely hung up the vanilla fragrance with the unfortunate name. Finally, her husband came in, all fed up because he had been waiting outside for nearly an hour. She explained the diabetic grandma problem, and he just rolled his eyes, took the first bubble bath that he saw, paid and dragged her out of the store.
Once upon a time, I used to work at a Bath & Body Works store. One Saturday morning, a completely reasonable-looking woman came in and told me that she wanted to buy a bubble bath for her grandma. She played around with a few lotion testers and immediately picked out a fragrance that she liked, so I grabbed the matching bubble bath off the shelf. It looked like she'd be in and out within ten minutes with her gift.
Except that's when she looked at the bottle and said, "Oh, this is Warm Vanilla Sugar? Oh dear, I'm not sure if this will work. Grandma is a diabetic."
I laughed and said something about how Grandma should be find as long as she doesn't drink the bubble bath.
The woman didn't get it at all. "But if it's Warm Vanilla Sugar, it might make Grandma sick. Oh no, now I have to find something else for Grandma."
She spent 40 minutes trying on every lotion in the store, but couldn't find another bubble bath that she wanted to give grandma because she was completely hung up the vanilla fragrance with the unfortunate name. Finally, her husband came in, all fed up because he had been waiting outside for nearly an hour. She explained the diabetic grandma problem, and he just rolled his eyes, took the first bubble bath that he saw, paid and dragged her out of the store.
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
Consider about a 72 sq foot section of sugar free ice cream. Or she could have been looking for sugar free pies. Or sugar free meals. Or sugar free coffee sweetner. Or sugar free bread. Or a million other types of sugar free products.
Imagine if your child had said, "I want" and didn't point at something. Are you psychic enough to just know what exactly you child wanted?
So is it a big deal? No. Just frustrating.
No, she expected me to use my amazing telepathic powers that I have gained during my grocery career to magically divine what sugar free item she was looking for.
Consider about a 72 sq foot section of sugar free ice cream. Or she could have been looking for sugar free pies. Or sugar free meals. Or sugar free coffee sweetner. Or sugar free bread. Or a million other types of sugar free products.
Imagine if your child had said, "I want" and didn't point at something. Are you psychic enough to just know what exactly you child wanted?
So is it a big deal? No. Just frustrating.
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
We still have a number of national chain (Kroger, Safeway) supermarkets in affluent sections of the city that do not have public restrooms. A few of them have even been remodeled in the last few years without public restrooms.
I can say that any supermarket in the area that has an original construction date within the last twenty years does have public restrooms.
Even though he still occasionally posts here, I still miss him.
We still have a number of national chain (Kroger, Safeway) supermarkets in affluent sections of the city that do not have public restrooms. A few of them have even been remodeled in the last few years without public restrooms.
I can say that any supermarket in the area that has an original construction date within the last twenty years does have public restrooms.
When I fist posted this, Jethro Elvis came in further down the thread and said, "That was you?"
Ah, fond memories of my early days with this BBS.
Even though he still occasionally posts here, I still miss him.
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
I guess she came home without what she needed. If she didnt manage to respond to the question "What kind of sugarfree item are you looking for?"
I guess she came home without what she needed. If she didnt manage to respond to the question "What kind of sugarfree item are you looking for?"
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
You don't understand why her just saying "sugar free" is a problem? She might as well have just said "ice cream" and given him just as much infromation on what she wanted.
If you want someone in a store to help you it helps to give them as much information as possible. Just saying "sugar free" is not helping me help you.
You don't understand why her just saying "sugar free" is a problem? She might as well have just said "ice cream" and given him just as much infromation on what she wanted.
If you want someone in a store to help you it helps to give them as much information as possible. Just saying "sugar free" is not helping me help you.
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
This is more than a little ridiculous.
Shop assistants aren't robots or computers requiring precise instructions to operate correctly. You're able to talk to a customer to define the issue.
Since when did requiring a conversation with a potential customer become a problem? So what if she said "sugar-free" rather than the precise "sugar-free ice cream"? The solution is only a simple follow-up question away and it hardly marks her out as being as being stupid. Rather she was in a supermarket (hardly an intellectually inspiring environment at the best of times) & probably tired and distracted.
It's part of the job of being an assistant to assist her by asking her what kind of sugar-free item she wants and then directing her appropriately. That's the job, isn't it? I'm with Aurian - I just don't see why it's a problem or an indicator of customer stupidity to need have a brief conversation with a customer to help define exactly what she's after.
The same goes for the comments about getting "a steak" or whatever and being huffy that the customer hasn't defined exactly what type of steak they want. Probably, the customer hasn't even thought about it before going up to the counter - they saw the counter and impulse-thought "hey, I fancy a steak" - it's your job to assist them in choosing something that meets their needs. That's what assistants are for.
Same as if you went into a clothes store and asked for a suit. Would you expect the assistant to think you're an idiot for not specifying very severely that you wanted a wool-cashmere blend, double-breasted, double-vented solid navy flannel with 6x2 buttoning, forward-pleated trousers and a generally Milanese silhouette? Of course not - some customers might have a very precise idea of what they want; others will need conversation & guidance. Neither is stupid. Sales assistants should be able to help both groups of customer.
This is more than a little ridiculous.
Shop assistants aren't robots or computers requiring precise instructions to operate correctly. You're able to talk to a customer to define the issue.
Since when did requiring a conversation with a potential customer become a problem? So what if she said "sugar-free" rather than the precise "sugar-free ice cream"? The solution is only a simple follow-up question away and it hardly marks her out as being as being stupid. Rather she was in a supermarket (hardly an intellectually inspiring environment at the best of times) & probably tired and distracted.
It's part of the job of being an assistant to assist her by asking her what kind of sugar-free item she wants and then directing her appropriately. That's the job, isn't it? I'm with Aurian - I just don't see why it's a problem or an indicator of customer stupidity to need have a brief conversation with a customer to help define exactly what she's after.
The same goes for the comments about getting "a steak" or whatever and being huffy that the customer hasn't defined exactly what type of steak they want. Probably, the customer hasn't even thought about it before going up to the counter - they saw the counter and impulse-thought "hey, I fancy a steak" - it's your job to assist them in choosing something that meets their needs. That's what assistants are for.
Same as if you went into a clothes store and asked for a suit. Would you expect the assistant to think you're an idiot for not specifying very severely that you wanted a wool-cashmere blend, double-breasted, double-vented solid navy flannel with 6x2 buttoning, forward-pleated trousers and a generally Milanese silhouette? Of course not - some customers might have a very precise idea of what they want; others will need conversation & guidance. Neither is stupid. Sales assistants should be able to help both groups of customer.
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
Not saying we don't do that, it's just frustrating that someone gives you the basest of information and seemingly expects from that for you be able to help them. Why not streamline the process and begin the interaction with thelling the CSR *exactly* what you're looking for.
"I'm looking for sugar-free."
"Ok, ma'am what kind of sugar-free item are you looking for."
"I'm looking for sugar-free vanilla ice cream."
"Ok, ma'am. Any paticular brand?"
"Yes, Edy's."
"Ok, well that's right over here."
That's probably a few minute long conversation, and close to one I have nearly every single damn day. The customer seems to know *exactly* what they want we just need to go through a long conversation to get there.
Why not streamline the process and simply ask to find exactly what you're looking for right off the bat? Your suit analogy isn't a good one because looking for a suit is something completely different than buying a "sugar-free" item (which, can range far beyond ice-cream) because buying a suit is a lot like buying a car. You've got countless options to go through to find the right one for the person and situation.
But if someone knows they're looking for sugar-free ice cream pops, or a 16oz T-Bone steak why should I need to fight through a 5-minute long conversation to get to that? It's one thing if the customer actually doesn't know what they want and needs, actual, real help to find it. It's a whole other to just say "sugar free" which tells us absolutely nothing about what you need.
It's just frustrating. I've got things to do, other people to help, paperwork to do, orders to make, cases to fill, trucks and backstock to run, ads to prepare, etc. etc. etc. I don't have time to stand there and and play Q&A with people because they can't simply tell me *what they want!*
Again, if they really don't know that's something else. But someone just asking for "sugar free" it's a case of a little more than her not knowing what she is looking for or knowing exactly what she wants. It's a case of her giving the clerk the basest and scantest of information and expecting help from it.
Like I said, if she was looking for sugar-free vanilla ice-cream why not just say that from the begining? Why drage people through a painful Q&A process?
----
Here's another one I had today. Like I said the bathrooms are being remodeled, again signs all over the place saying this by them and directing people to the employee bathrooms. One customer today asks me if the bathrooms are "really unusable or just dirty."
Apparently the construction signs, sheets of drywall, and workpermits/blueprints didn't clue him.
Then, later, I'm sitting in the breakroom, on my break, reading the paper when a customer comes in through the door. Looks around for a moment, confused, walks past the two bathroom doors (with the mens/womens signs on them) and towards the door in the back of the room leading to the office and walks in. I get up, walk back there and ask if she needs help. She tells me she's looking for the restrooms and then I direct her back to the doors she just WALKED RIGHT BY. Some people just have their heads up their ass.
One more day and I'm done in that store and I've an actual office -all to myself- I can be in for most of the day doing work and I don't have to deal with customers as much anymore. Sigh. Just vendors.
Not saying we don't do that, it's just frustrating that someone gives you the basest of information and seemingly expects from that for you be able to help them. Why not streamline the process and begin the interaction with thelling the CSR *exactly* what you're looking for.
"I'm looking for sugar-free."
"Ok, ma'am what kind of sugar-free item are you looking for."
"I'm looking for sugar-free vanilla ice cream."
"Ok, ma'am. Any paticular brand?"
"Yes, Edy's."
"Ok, well that's right over here."
That's probably a few minute long conversation, and close to one I have nearly every single damn day. The customer seems to know *exactly* what they want we just need to go through a long conversation to get there.
Why not streamline the process and simply ask to find exactly what you're looking for right off the bat? Your suit analogy isn't a good one because looking for a suit is something completely different than buying a "sugar-free" item (which, can range far beyond ice-cream) because buying a suit is a lot like buying a car. You've got countless options to go through to find the right one for the person and situation.
But if someone knows they're looking for sugar-free ice cream pops, or a 16oz T-Bone steak why should I need to fight through a 5-minute long conversation to get to that? It's one thing if the customer actually doesn't know what they want and needs, actual, real help to find it. It's a whole other to just say "sugar free" which tells us absolutely nothing about what you need.
It's just frustrating. I've got things to do, other people to help, paperwork to do, orders to make, cases to fill, trucks and backstock to run, ads to prepare, etc. etc. etc. I don't have time to stand there and and play Q&A with people because they can't simply tell me *what they want!*
Again, if they really don't know that's something else. But someone just asking for "sugar free" it's a case of a little more than her not knowing what she is looking for or knowing exactly what she wants. It's a case of her giving the clerk the basest and scantest of information and expecting help from it.
Like I said, if she was looking for sugar-free vanilla ice-cream why not just say that from the begining? Why drage people through a painful Q&A process?
----
Here's another one I had today. Like I said the bathrooms are being remodeled, again signs all over the place saying this by them and directing people to the employee bathrooms. One customer today asks me if the bathrooms are "really unusable or just dirty."
Apparently the construction signs, sheets of drywall, and workpermits/blueprints didn't clue him.
Then, later, I'm sitting in the breakroom, on my break, reading the paper when a customer comes in through the door. Looks around for a moment, confused, walks past the two bathroom doors (with the mens/womens signs on them) and towards the door in the back of the room leading to the office and walks in. I get up, walk back there and ask if she needs help. She tells me she's looking for the restrooms and then I direct her back to the doors she just WALKED RIGHT BY. Some people just have their heads up their ass.
One more day and I'm done in that store and I've an actual office -all to myself- I can be in for most of the day doing work and I don't have to deal with customers as much anymore. Sigh. Just vendors.
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
Because we're not there to work. We're not in an business frame of mind - to us a supermarket isn't a workplace - and so it's unreasonable to expect customers to behave in a businesslike, efficient fashion. The "Q&A session" focuses our minds enough to tell you what we want, before we return to the trance-like state that normally accompanies pushing a cart round a supermarket.
That's the problem with quite a few of the scenarios in this thread really - to you, you're working. To us, we're just shopping.
Because we're not there to work. We're not in an business frame of mind - to us a supermarket isn't a workplace - and so it's unreasonable to expect customers to behave in a businesslike, efficient fashion. The "Q&A session" focuses our minds enough to tell you what we want, before we return to the trance-like state that normally accompanies pushing a cart round a supermarket.
That's the problem with quite a few of the scenarios in this thread really - to you, you're working. To us, we're just shopping.
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
It's "work" for someone to know what it is they're looking for and to relay that to a clerk?
It's "work" for someone to know what it is they're looking for and to relay that to a clerk?
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
Here's a questions I get asked constantly, and I've never understood it.
"Do you work here?"
I've been awfully tempted to reply with "No ma'am/sir, I'm just a really big fan of this store and in my free time I like to head over here wearing a polo with their logo on it and a name tag, with a radio and an access card with the store's logo on it clipped to my belt" Its at its most ridiculous level when I am actually performing a task. For example the last time I was asked, I had a large metal shelf in my arms and was positioning it on an aisle. Dude comes around the corner and asked me if I work there.
I could see if I worked at a department store where there is no uniform but only name tags, and someone didn't see the name tag...but I don't...
Here's a questions I get asked constantly, and I've never understood it.
"Do you work here?"
I've been awfully tempted to reply with "No ma'am/sir, I'm just a really big fan of this store and in my free time I like to head over here wearing a polo with their logo on it and a name tag, with a radio and an access card with the store's logo on it clipped to my belt" Its at its most ridiculous level when I am actually performing a task. For example the last time I was asked, I had a large metal shelf in my arms and was positioning it on an aisle. Dude comes around the corner and asked me if I work there.
I could see if I worked at a department store where there is no uniform but only name tags, and someone didn't see the name tag...but I don't...
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
In the precise & complete manner you're asking for, yes.
In the manner they actually do ask you, no.
I sometimes get asked for advice when I'm clothes-shopping given I'm better dressed than most of the other shoppers and some of the staff too. I usually help them out.
In the precise & complete manner you're asking for, yes.
In the manner they actually do ask you, no.
Here's a questions I get asked constantly, and I've never understood it.
"Do you work here?"
I've been awfully tempted to reply with "No ma'am/sir, I'm just a really big fan of this store and in my free time I like to head over here wearing a polo with their logo on it and a name tag, with a radio and an access card with the store's logo on it clipped to my belt" Its at its most ridiculous level when I am actually performing a task. For example the last time I was asked, I had a large metal shelf in my arms and was positioning it on an aisle. Dude comes around the corner and asked me if I work there.
I sometimes get asked for advice when I'm clothes-shopping given I'm better dressed than most of the other shoppers and some of the staff too. I usually help them out.
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
What is funny is that when I shop in other stores while wearing my uniform shirt, I have never once been asked if I work there. People have simply launched into their question about something and I've had to stop them and tell them that I don't work there.
In the precise & complete manner you're asking for, yes.
In the manner they actually do ask you, no.
Here's a questions I get asked constantly, and I've never understood it.
"Do you work here?"
I've been awfully tempted to reply with "No ma'am/sir, I'm just a really big fan of this store and in my free time I like to head over here wearing a polo with their logo on it and a name tag, with a radio and an access card with the store's logo on it clipped to my belt" Its at its most ridiculous level when I am actually performing a task. For example the last time I was asked, I had a large metal shelf in my arms and was positioning it on an aisle. Dude comes around the corner and asked me if I work there.
I sometimes get asked for advice when I'm clothes-shopping given I'm better dressed than most of the other shoppers and some of the staff too. I usually help them out.
What is funny is that when I shop in other stores while wearing my uniform shirt, I have never once been asked if I work there. People have simply launched into their question about something and I've had to stop them and tell them that I don't work there.
Re: Your "I Won't Say Anything, but this Customer Needs a Brain" Momen
I don't have a problem with that. But when the customer only says sugar free, then yeah, my job gets difficult. And in this situation, even after repeated questioning, all she said she wanted was sugar free. I finally got out of her that she was wanting sugar free icecream. Still, I have quite the selection of sugarfree icecream.
I can't help my customers unless they supply me with some sort of information. As I stated earlier, I did try asking her what type of sugar free ice cream she wanted, whether it be novelties, popscicles, fudge bars, or a tub of ice cream. It seemed as if all she could say to my questioning was sugar free.
I don't have a problem with that. But when the customer only says sugar free, then yeah, my job gets difficult. And in this situation, even after repeated questioning, all she said she wanted was sugar free. I finally got out of her that she was wanting sugar free icecream. Still, I have quite the selection of sugarfree icecream.
I can't help my customers unless they supply me with some sort of information. As I stated earlier, I did try asking her what type of sugar free ice cream she wanted, whether it be novelties, popscicles, fudge bars, or a tub of ice cream. It seemed as if all she could say to my questioning was sugar free.
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