It's not my fault that you're an idiot.

[OdoWanKenobi]

So, let me set this up:

The grocery store that I work at ran a 24 hour sale yesterday. The ad clearly stated that it was for Thursday, August 27th. Below the very large letter stating Thursday, August 27th there was smaller print stating that the sale began at midnight on the 27th. So what happens today? I have at least five people coming up to me expecting to get yesterday's sale prices becuase they thought that the sale started at midnight last night. Seriously, how stupid do you have to be? The ad clearly stated that it was for the 27th, not the 28th. Yet all of them were in a huff when I told them that the ad was over, that they had mis-read it. But the worst part of it all? One of them went to the store manager, and he told me to honor the price. I mean come on. The store essentially just rewarded people for being morons. It makes me so mad having to suffer so many fools, and them getting what they want despite being total idiots that can't read a freaking ad correctly.

 

[T J]

Folks in retail have a unique perspective on how stupid the masses can be. I know, I used to work in retail. Never again.

 

[KiraDax]

While there are many things in the retail business that might be interpreted differently by an employee and a customer , printed ad dates shouldn't be one of them.

Still, every sale, it happens.

People bring in old ads and demand to know why prices don't match. People bring in special ads (3 day, 1 day, etc) on off days and wonder why the sale is over. People even bring in ads from entirely different chains and demand to know why the prices/items don't match ('But it's for this week, see?!'), and stand there and argue with you for fifteen minutes over it before taking your advice and reading the company slogan on the paper. (Then 'Oh! Heh. I feel silly now.' Yes. You should. Amongst other things.)

I'll never understand.

The ad dates have to be on the paper somewhere. I promise, if you aren't finding them, you aren't looking hard enough.

And if you miss the company slogan, well, you're just an idiot all around.

 

[Lookingglassman]

I used to work at a cookie company in the mall and I had all kinds of morons come up to me. We only had certain kinds of cookies, but these idiots would ask for stuff we obviously didnt have and then get mad when we couldnt make it.

 

[captcalhoun]

shoulda took your sale POS down after midnight when it ended

 

[Kestra]

But the worst part of it all? One of them went to the store manager, and he told me to honor the price. I mean come on. The store essentially just rewarded people for being morons. It makes me so mad having to suffer so many fools, and them getting what they want despite being total idiots that can't read a freaking ad correctly.

I was having a conversation with my father-in-law last night over this general topic. He worked in retail his whole life and worked his way up, through regional manager of a major chain and so on. He's retired now.

He was telling me that he would spend time on the phone with an upset customer, trying to figure out what would make them happy. And sometimes even though the customer was wrong, he just gave them a discount or what they wanted. He hated having to tell store managers to "give in" but that there was a point where it was just more cost-efficient for the company.

 

[SeerSGB]

I dealt with this shit all the time when I worked at Blockbuster ~gag, vomit, puke, kick the desk~

People would bring back videos from Hollywood Video or Move Station and bitch cause we'd tell them they had to return them from where they rented them. Usually it was "Well they're the same company, what's the problem."

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Folks in retail have a unique perspective on how stupid the masses can be. I know, I used to work in retail. Never again.

I worked for Wal-Mart for ten years. I'm currently working on a book about my experiences. It's going to be fucking hilarious, and I don't care if I get sued.
Here's a sampling of some of the bizarre shit I've witnessed:

Two dead, frozen sheep in the parking lot, their intestines scattered all over the pavement.

A guy who'd come in every day and jack off into the children's shoes.

A crazy old preacher with several wives who stopped by on a fairly regular basis to chastise other "hellbound" customers. He always spoke in rhyme.

A particularly stupid manager who called a meeting and accused us all of embezzlement because someone had eaten some of his fudgesickles.

An ex-employee who was discovered living in the sewer underneath the store. He had it all decorated up like some kind of one-room apartment.

It just goes on and on...

 

[sidious618]

A guy who'd come in every day and jack off into the children's shoes.

WTF? What'd you guys do to him?

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

A guy who'd come in every day and jack off into the children's shoes.

WTF? What'd you guys do to him?

Well, when he was finally caught in the act, he was told to get the hell out of the store. Up to that point we hadn't witnessed him doing it. We'd see him leaving the department and find the "evidence" afterwards. Had it happened on my shift, I would have detained him and called the cops. Which, by the way, is exactly what happened when another guy was discovered fondling children in the toy dept. They came and searched his van, which was contained several laundry baskets full of kiddie porn. See what I mean? These stories need to be told!

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Oh man. I would so buy this book.

 

[sidious618]

You gotta tell us whenever you publish this book.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

You gotta tell us whenever you publish this book.

I'm going to do my best to get it published. I've got a few chapters partially done right now, but I'm trying to find a way to give it all a sense of cohesiveness.
Each chapter will touch on a different aspect of the Wal-Mart experience. Stupid customers, stupid managers, stupid employees, stupid policies, propaganda, discrimination, my own opinions on various issues, etc.
I'm keeping in mind that potential readers will not have the same frame of reference as say, my co-workers, and I'm trying to make it an entertaining read for the uninitiated, something that everyone can relate to in some capacity.
My ultimate goal is to really piss off wal-mart. If they issue some kind of press release about it like they did for that "High Cost of Low Prices" documentary, I'll be thoroughly pleased with myself.
There's a ton of wal-mart bashing books out there, but none of them that I've ever heard of have been written by people who actually know what they're talking about. I plan to change that.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I'll definitely buy two copies!

 

[Shatmandu]

But the worst part of it all? One of them went to the store manager, and he told me to honor the price. I mean come on. The store essentially just rewarded people for being morons. It makes me so mad having to suffer so many fools, and them getting what they want despite being total idiots that can't read a freaking ad correctly.

You have to think past your own part in the transaction.

Your manager just gained the store the goodwill of a customer (an idiot or not; who cares, as long as he has money?) who will return and spend money over and over.

And all it cost your manager was the sale price on a few items. Giving pennies will gain him dollars.

He wins. You wipe the conveyor.

Joe, reading the 100 sex tips magazines while he waits

 

[eastman23]

Folks in retail have a unique perspective on how stupid the masses can be. I know, I used to work in retail. Never again.

I worked for Wal-Mart for ten years. I'm currently working on a book about my experiences. It's going to be fucking hilarious, and I don't care if I get sued.
Here's a sampling of some of the bizarre shit I've witnessed:

Two dead, frozen sheep in the parking lot, their intestines scattered all over the pavement.

A guy who'd come in every day and jack off into the children's shoes.

A crazy old preacher with several wives who stopped by on a fairly regular basis to chastise other "hellbound" customers. He always spoke in rhyme.

A particularly stupid manager who called a meeting and accused us all of embezzlement because someone had eaten some of his fudgesickles.

An ex-employee who was discovered living in the sewer underneath the store. He had it all decorated up like some kind of one-room apartment.

It just goes on and on...

Well, those beat my stories... all we had was a guy that urinated on a shelf of books (thankfully not on my shift) and a condom wrapped around a small pack of pencils (unfortunately found by me ).

 

[Danoz]

But the worst part of it all? One of them went to the store manager, and he told me to honor the price. I mean come on. The store essentially just rewarded people for being morons. It makes me so mad having to suffer so many fools, and them getting what they want despite being total idiots that can't read a freaking ad correctly.

You have to think past your own part in the transaction.

Your manager just gained the store the goodwill of a customer (an idiot or not; who cares, as long as he has money?) who will return and spend money over and over.

And all it cost your manager was the sale price on a few items. Giving pennies will gain him dollars.

He wins. You wipe the conveyor.

Joe, reading the 100 sex tips magazines while he waits

Exactly right. Plus, I've seen very smart people ask for the manager and insist on deals where none exist (particular the kind where only a short time has expired). When Office Depot did a bait and switch on a nice computer chair, my father took it to the manager of the store and by time it was over they had sold him a better chair than the one on sale at less than the sale cost.

You need to think more like a Ferengi

 

[kustirider2]

Nerdius Maximus, I want this book sooooo bad

I don't work in retail but I do hate it when someone in front of me in a queue is complaining about, basically, their own stupidness.

I simply can't wait to do my work experience in Argos

 

[SeerSGB]

A guy who'd come in every day and jack off into the children's shoes.

WTF? What'd you guys do to him?

Well, when he was finally caught in the act, he was told to get the hell out of the store. Up to that point we hadn't witnessed him doing it. We'd see him leaving the department and find the "evidence" afterwards. Had it happened on my shift, I would have detained him and called the cops. Which, by the way, is exactly what happened when another guy was discovered fondling children in the toy dept. They came and searched his van, which was contained several laundry baskets full of kiddie porn. See what I mean? These stories need to be told!

He must be kin to the asshole we booted from the theater once for whacking off to Spy Kids 3-D. Oh, and he wasn't into the female lead if you take my drift.

 

[Kirk's_Tights]

Folks in retail have a unique perspective on how stupid the masses can be. I know, I used to work in retail. Never again.

Same here.


Working with the public really makes you open your eyes at how many stupid people you share the planet with.