Everyone should experience what it is like to work retail at least once in their life. You would not believe the different types of people you will encounter in only a 4-hour shift. Some customers are angels and make you feel accomplished in your work. On the other hand, there’s customers who make you question your life choices and ask yourself if you should smack them. Here’s some of the best and worst types of customers that one faces in retail.
Worst: People who get mad at you for doing your job. There are certain things as an employee that you have to do, like ask if you need help or want to sign up for the store’s program to save money, etc. A lot of times, we feel awkward and really don’t want to bother customers, but we have to as part of our jobs. Some act as though we have no right to talk to them and then start being rude for no reason.
Best: People who help you do your job. There are little things that customers do sometimes that majorly help out the employees. This could be taking off the hangers before you bring clothes to be checked out, refolding clothes on tables that you went through or even just listening to what an employee may have to say. I once had to ask a lady if she wanted to enroll for our store’s loyalty program and she said only if it’s something that you get rewarded for doing so.
Worst: Creepy men who call you by your name. There are some men who are just ew. There is nothing more awkward than a middle-aged man calling you by your name in a flirty way while you are just trying to ring him up. Not only does that admit he was staring at your chest, but it makes them feel like they have the right to objectify you cause they know a sliver of information about you.
Best: People who compliment your name. I have a somewhat unique name so a lot of times people will comment saying that it is really pretty and a cool name to have. These people are actually genuine and just trying to be nice rather than trying to get in my pants. It makes you feel good about yourself.
Worst: People who talk on the phones while checking out. First off, being on your phone while in a store is already a no go. When you are checking out the cashier usually needs to speak, so being on the phone is making the job harder and tends to cause problems. Just turn it off for the minute it takes to get rung up and pay.
Best: Customers who tell other customers to knock their shit off. There is no better feeling when a customer stands up for you against another customer. People know there are some things an employee is not allowed to say or do, so having a random stranger call out an asshole is amazing. Once a lady called another lady a bitch for the way she was treating me and I was so touched.
Worst: People with crying and ill-behaved children. Teach your kids how to properly behave in a public setting or don’t bring them. No one wants to hear the screams of a child while shopping or have a kid run into their leg cause they were running around. I joke with my co-workers everytime we hear a child cry that I can feel my eggs die inside me. I was even tempted to clothesline a kid because he was doing a Naurto run up and down the aisles bothering people.
Best: People with adorable, well-behaved kids. Sometimes there are kids who can behave themselves and just overwhelm you with baby fever. I love making faces at babies and then have them giggle. It makes your heart melt.
Worst: Karens. You know who they are.
Just remember to be nice to retail employees. They may be talking about you in the back room or be willing to bend the rules for you.