No, actually I don't work here

[Goji]

But apparently I look like I do.

It used to happen infrequently, but these days, pretty much every time I'm in a book, CD or video related store, at least one person will mistake me for a salesperson and start asking me to help them. I'm not really sure why.

I don't dress in a way that screams "salesperson". In fact what I wear when I go to a store is far more casual than I'd wear to work. It used to be mainly older people mistaking me for an employee, so for a while I thought that to them young person = employee, but today I was in Borders and someone only one or two years older than me asked for help opening the DVD Boxed Sets display case. So, um, I'm at a loss to explain how frequently this happens.

But I do know my way around the stores in my area, so I help people out when they ask me questions I can answer. People are usually pretty thankful for this, but it has backfired on me once or twice. After I told one lady where to find the classical CDs, she came back five minutes later and wanted me to ring her up. When I explained that I didn't actually work here, I just knew where to find where she was working for, she got kinda pissed at me and walked away, as if I should apologize for not being a Borders employee. Oh well.

Does this happen to anyone else or just me? It was really just today that I realized how frequently this happens to me, and I've been thinking about it since. Maybe destiny is trying to tell me that this is my true calling.

But I'm kinda hoping not, actually. That would suck.

 

[tharpdevenport]

It's happened to me once or twice. Looking back on it now, I should have said "Yes" and then gave them directions to the condom isle.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Sorry, it's happened to me once or twice. Both of the times I was able to help them. Not as often as you, so I guess you're special.

I've had people ask me if I work at a place that I did work and I was tempted to tell them no, though.

 

[nevermore]

You should stop wearing your name tag around. Save it for special occassions.

 

[Amaris]

But apparently I look like I do.

It used to happen infrequently, but these days, pretty much every time I'm in a book, CD or video related store, at least one person will mistake me for a salesperson and start asking me to help them. I'm not really sure why.

I don't dress in a way that screams "salesperson". In fact what I wear when I go to a store is far more casual than I'd wear to work. It used to be mainly older people mistaking me for an employee, so for a while I thought that to them young person = employee, but today I was in Borders and someone only one or two years older than me asked for help opening the DVD Boxed Sets display case. So, um, I'm at a loss to explain how frequently this happens.

But I do know my way around the stores in my area, so I help people out when they ask me questions I can answer. People are usually pretty thankful for this, but it has backfired on me once or twice. After I told one lady where to find the classical CDs, she came back five minutes later and wanted me to ring her up. When I explained that I didn't actually work here, I just knew where to find where she was working for, she got kinda pissed at me and walked away, as if I should apologize for not being a Borders employee. Oh well.

Does this happen to anyone else or just me? It was really just today that I realized how frequently this happens to me, and I've been thinking about it since. Maybe destiny is trying to tell me that this is my true calling.

But I'm kinda hoping not, actually. That would suck.

It happens to me all the time. You probably look like you know what you're doing. That's what gets me.

J.

 

[Mr Light]

It happens to me a lot, even though I'm just wearing a t-shirt and shorts. In bookstores and especially at the grocery store.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Remember kids: Never wear a red shirt while shopping at Target.

 

[AstroSmurf]

I used to get this all the time. But I would let them know I didn't work at the store in question and directed them to someone who could. I was always polite. The only time I ever found it annoying was that time some woman got mad at me because I didn't know where the hair products were at the local Walmart. I was standing there with my nephews (they were in the trolly) in a brown sweater, hat and jeans. But she insisted that I was lying and demanded that I take her to the appropriate aisle. I smiled at her and said in the most sarcastic tone that I had obviously forgotten to wear my blue vest and I couldn't take her anywhere since I was taking the children back to the orphan department for restocking. She huffed at me and told me I was a jack ass, turned and stomped off. (I then spent the next hour explaining to a six year old what an orphan was.) Instead of shampoo she might have been better off in seeing the resident discount eye doctor.

 

[RandyS]

It's never happened to me, but I am guilty of mistaking somebody for a salesman in a shoe store once. In my defense, they guy was wearing the same blue vest that the store's other employees had on, and he was wearing a name tag. Okay, so I missed the fact that the tag said "Walmart" on it. I didn't see that til he turned around.

 

[Aragorn]

It happened to me once when I was wearing a polo shirt and slacks at a store, but my outfit looked nothing like the other employees there.

 

[SeerSGB]

Happened once or twice. Actually had a woman go and get a shift-super and complain on me She still believe him that I didn't work there.

 

[Small White Car]

AWKWARD!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nPeTfeFALk

 

[eastman23]

I've had people ask me if I worked at the store while I was wearing a vest with the store's name on the front and back. With a nametag too.

 

[sidious618]

Yeah, it's happened to me a few times but I do try and help if I know the answer to what they're asking.

 

[Jack Bauer]

It's happened to me a few times in a bookstore. Maybe because I wear glasses?

 

[Aurian]

Yeah it has happened to me too. During the renovation of the grocerystore close to where I work, some woman who I know works in another grocerystore close to where i live, had seen me help out an old woman to find the cheese section... and assumed she must know me from working in this store..

She chewed me out for the horrible state of the store and told me that i should run along to the back of the store and get me whatever item she was missing.
The shame on her when I told her off and where I knew HER from.

Really.. why would someone that works in a grocery store have the gaull to yell at me even if i had been working in that store. It would STILL not have been my fault that the shop was renovating.

(Incase I am unclear, I was shopping during my lunchbreak, I work in an office outside the mall)

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

That never happens to me, weirdly? Perhaps because I'm usually in a rush when I'm at any store.

 

[Kelthaz]

I've had people ask me if I worked at the store while I was wearing a vest with the store's name on the front and back. With a nametag too.

I've had that happen to me a few times too. It came across to me that the person asking knew I worked there, but was using the question as a way to start a conversation.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

It happens to me a lot, even though I'm just wearing a t-shirt and shorts. In bookstores and especially at the grocery store.

Right after the Wal-Mart in our area was remodeled, I got it twice on the same day from elderly ladies who couldn't find what they were looking for. I was about as clueless as they were, but managed to find their stuff anyway.

 

[Neeka Keet]

People always think I work at Borders for some reason, now that they've started wearing black t-shirts as uniforms that hasn't helped matters since most of my tees are black.