Etiquette on Asking Questions

Working retail, especially in a clothing department, I get asked a lot of questions. A lot of my friends don’t like asking an employee for help, but as a retail worker, I never understood why. Being there to answer customer questions and help them get to the product they are looking for is a big part of my job. I have never laughed at someone’s question except once. The customer and I were standing in the women’s clothing department and this customer came up to me in her electric cart, with a dead serious face, and asked me where the women’s department was. I had to calmly explain that she was already there. I could tell she was a little disappointed (I’m not sure why) as she went on her way.

As mentioned before, a lot of people I know will not ask a question when they are out shopping. Either they think they will be able to find what they are looking for on their own, they just don’t want to, or they get too nervous to ask. I used to get nervous before “bothering” an employee with my question, but now that I have experience from the employee’s perspective, it really is not a big deal. I work in a pet friendly store and when customers with dogs come and ask me for assistance, it’s extra exciting.

When asking an employee a question it is important to remember to stay calm if you don’t get the answer you were hoping for. The answer you get usually is out of our control and a lot of the time it is not our fault, so when the customer deflects their anger or frustration on the employee, it usually just makes the situation worse for both parties. Usually when I have to give a customer a disappointing answer, it is because we are out of whatever the customer is looking for. So next time you are shopping, bring your dog (if you have one) because you will attract employees eager to help you and your furry companion get what you need.

Etiquette on Black Friday Shopping

It’s that time of year again. No matter how early a holiday shopper you are, odds are you go out on Black Friday for the great sales. We have all heard the terrifying Walmart stories of people getting hospitalized or seriously injured from a Black Friday outing. I can’t imagine being an employee in such an intense atmosphere. In my experience, I have not had to deal with that kind of environment. Generally, customers are pretty understanding.

My family tradition used to be to get up at five’o’clock in the morning, stop for coffee (how else would one survive getting up that early?) and be among the first to get shopping. Thanksgiving night everybody goes through countless advertisements and makes Christmas lists. Once everyone is done, the lists are gone through, then the stores are prioritized as to what items would go first. This tradition has kind of died off since I was younger but this is because it is harder to coordinate schedules and it is harder to wake up that early in the morning. Another reason this tradition has died down is because of online shopping. Although online shopping is very popular, many people still carry out tradition of going out on Black Friday.

Working on Black Friday can be chaotic. Employees have to balance filling the shelves and directing customers in the right direction to the items they are looking for. As long as everyone stays calm, it makes things a lot easier.

Etiquette on Store Organization

Whether we are prepared for it or not, the holiday season is upon us. For retail employees, however, we have been feeling the pressure of it for almost two months now. With the holiday season, a lot more freight comes in than usual. This means the pressure is on to get freight sorted and put on the sales floor. Since there is so much more freight, there just isn’t enough time or manpower to keep the department up to our own standards. One thing that really helps us out is when customers put in a little more effort when they are returning their items.

This little effort goes a long way especially in the clothing departments. It takes a lot of time to get freight out of the boxes and onto the sales floor, especially in fourth quarter, so the time we have to spend straightening goes way down. There just isn’t enough time in the day to do freight, straighten the department (or departments), and help customers all day. I have been working retail for over two and a half years now, as a cashier and sales associate, I have come to appreciate those customers who try to pick up after themselves.

I’ve been on both sides of the fence, customer and sales associate, so I keep this in mind when I go shopping. Saying ‘they get paid to pick it up’ after misplacing an item is very disrespectful and inconsiderate. Yes, we do get paid to straighten, work on freight, etc., but time becomes very valuable in the fourth quarter. That’s not to say you shouldn’t ask questions, I am always happy to help. It just goes a long way when customers put items back or try to fold clothing.

Etiquette on Pricing Issues

Imagine this; you’re standing in the checkout line, the cashier is scanning your items while you are watching the prices to make sure they are correct. It’s always great when something scans cheaper than you expected, but what do you do when the price is higher than you thought? Do you keep your cool and calmly address the issue? As a cashier I always appreciated those customers who were nice and understanding, but there was always one person who was not.

Let’s say you are trying to buy a pair of boots. The price on the shelf says they are $49.99, but they scanned at $59.99. You know they are on sale because you saw them in the ad, and the price on the shelf had a sale sign on it. The average customer would politely stop the cashier and inquire about this issue. As a cashier, the protocol was to call the bookkeeping office to check if it truly was on sale, or to call the department itself. Occasionally, mistakes happen and expired sales are left up. If that’s the case, you would get the expired sale price. If the boots happened to be in the wrong place, you might still get the listed price, but it really depends on management.

With these pricing issues, it really helps all parties involved if the customer remains calm and avoids getting angry or hostile. As a cashier and fellow customer I completely understand if the customer gets frustrated. If it escalates, more parties need to get involved and it becomes a bigger deal than it needs to be. In the end, no matter how the customer reacts, all establishments try their best to provide the best service possible. Your experience while shopping depends on how you decide to interact with other customers and sales associates.

Etiquette on Fitting Rooms

Whether you like it or not, we have all gone shopping for clothes. No matter what store you go to, it is not unlikely that you will come across a cluttered fitting room – especially if it’s the weekend. As an employee in the clothing department, weekends are the most stressful. At my job, freight comes in on Saturdays, so it can be a challenge trying to help customers, keep the department clean, and get freight out of the warehouse.

You don’t know how many clothes people really try on until you work in the clothing department and have to clean out the fitting rooms. The amount of jeans I get to refold and shirts I get to rehang on hangers is insane. Most days I walk in to clean out the fitting rooms and find that the customers have at least attempted to refold and compile their misfitting clothes, but there’s always a day or two once in awhile where people seem to be less considerate. On these days, clothes will be inside out and folded as many times as physically possible. I always appreciate those customers who at least attempt to fold the clothes they don’t end up buying. That little effort goes a long way, especially during the more difficult days.

Another thing I have run into when putting new freight onto the sales floor is customers who come and go through the merchandise on my cart before I have a chance to put it on the fixtures. If you tend to be one of those customers, do your best to refrain from doing this until the merchandise is on the fixtures. We can’t put it on the fixtures if you are constantly looking through it. I will admit, sometimes the racks will sit there for a bit either because we got distracted while we were putting it out or we got pulled away to help another customer. All in all, fitting room and department neatness is a two way street. Common courtesy goes a long way and is very much appreciated.

About

Hello,

My name is Kim, and I work in retail. I am also a college student. I have held the same job for almost three years now, and I like to think I’ve come across just about every situation there can be during a shopping experience. Through this blog I will talk about these experiences and the do’s and don’ts as a customer – which are preferred but not required.