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What Retail Workers Want You to Know

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TCNJ chapter.

 

1)    We are here to help.

Don’t be scared to come up to us. In fact, many retail workers make commission or have their shifts affected by the amount of people who they have helped- so please ask! Just make sure that when someone asks who helped at the checkout, you at least try to describe us.

2)    Dressing/fitting rooms are not your walk in closet.

Please, for all that is holy and happy this shopping season, respect the fitting rooms. It is incredibly frustrating for any retail employee to enter each one and find the same scene: inside out clothes on the floor, scattered everywhere. Customers have to use them after you, employees have to clean them periodically during the day, and our jobs are a lot harder when we spend a half hour cleaning up fitting rooms. Respect the clothes, especially if you’re not going to buy them.

3)    99.9% of clothing looks the same no matter size you’re looking at.

You do not need to dig out your size just to unfold it, look at it, decide you don’t want it, and toss it back on top of the pile you just toppled over. You can pick up whatever size is on top to decide if you like it or not. Additionally, if there’s an employee right next to you folding piles, ask for help getting your size, or if we ask- say yes. It saves the time/aggravation/and embarrassment on your part of messing up a pile someone just folded.

4)    We want to make the sale and will work with you to do so.

Are you looking at a pair of jeans that’s buy one get one but you can only find one pair you like? Are the shirts buy one get two but you can only find two in your size? Is something ringing up as more than the sign said? Talk to us; more often than not we can price adjust for you!

5)    Please just give us your email.

The worst that happens is you get a bunch of coupons for great deals in our store that half the people in our line ask us for. If you don’t want them, you unsubscribe later. Many stores have a company policy to get as many emails as possible. When I ask you for your email three different ways/times it’s because I have to not because I enjoy your attitude. Just save us some time and energy and put it in the system.

6)    Please do not walk in 10 minutes before we close the store.

If we’re reminding you every 30 seconds how long you have before we close, please leave. Many stores require closing employees to stay until the store is clean, not until their shift is over. When you walk in right before close and expect to shop for an hour, it prolongs the night further. Besides that, we are going to be very cranky helping you, as we’re thinking about the prospects of being there until 2 a.m. cleaning everything that you’re picking up and putting down as you meander through the store.

7)    Respect your surroundings.

This isn’t limited to retail but seems to be necessary to mention. Respect employees. Respect other customers. Respect the merchandise. Respect the store. R.E.S.P.E.C.T.