Nobody really chooses to work in retail.. it just happens when you limited options in life
I would imagine there limited options are as a result of being miserable.
They get what they deserve if they are in a job they don't like. Cant follow the logic of "some people were rude to me, so I'm going to be miserable to ever customer.".
I say "cheer up or F* off".
At least in my job, if someone talks down to me or is rude, I can tell them in not prepared to be spoken to like that. Having to listen to people being rude or shouting at you should never, ever be a part of anyone's job. Why retail workers are expected to put up with it is beyond me. But then there are some stupid and nasty people out there who look down on shop workers. Usually middle class housewives who have never worked a day in their lives:mad:
At least in my job, if someone talks down to me or is rude, I can tell them in not prepared to be spoken to like that. Having to listen to people being rude or shouting at you should never, ever be a part of anyone's job. Why retail workers are expected to put up with it is beyond me. But then there are some stupid and nasty people out there who look down on shop workers. Usually middle class housewives who have never worked a day in their lives:mad:
I never used to put up with it. If people were rude to me, I was rude back. I wasn't standing for it on the pittance I used to earn pre-min wage.
To answer the question, I imagine some shop workers are miserable because retail is a boring, badly paid job where you have to deal with the general public being idiots at you for anything up to 10 hours a day.
Christmas time especially seems to bring out the arsehole in customers.
Basically because hundreds of horrid animals with a sense of entitlement, clinging desperatly to "The customer is always right" will enter their store.
When the day is done the aforementioned animals will have left the place in a right mess like they've never heard of a bin/
Hook, line, sinker, and copy of the angling times.;-)
Basically because hundreds of horrid animals with a sense of entitlement, clinging desperatly to "The customer is always right" will enter their store.
When the day is done the aforementioned animals will have left the place in a right mess like they've never heard of a bin/
Both my sons worked in retail whilst doing their A' Levels and while the younger one was at Uni - it was long hours with not much time off for Christmas. My older son even got called in on Christmas day to help out when there was a power cut and the freezers had gone down (with hindsight he was probably one of few people to answer the phone to the boss on Christmas day!)
They were grateful to have jobs and earn their own money but the customers were often rude - the worst thing that happened to my older son was a customer handing him a carrier bag and asking him to dispose of it - her child had been sick in it
I believe it could be something to do with flexible part-time contracts which means lower wages for longer working hours. Also this brings insecurity and unhappiness for the shop staff over their working hours/rostering being used as means of control by senior staff management.
There have been cases like above which resulted in unfair dismissals being reported in the media and in most cases, it turns out that the store involved is usually in the wrong.
At least in my job, if someone talks down to me or is rude, I can tell them in not prepared to be spoken to like that. Having to listen to people being rude or shouting at you should never, ever be a part of anyone's job. Why retail workers are expected to put up with it is beyond me.
Because it makes the company look bad and shatters the rose tinted window of shop staff being mindless sheeple and inflexible robots who're just programmed to mindlesslu obey every whim of the customer without question and just stand there and take it if we answer back.
We can only 'be professional' for so long...
I'd like to give Mary Portas a supermarket shelf stacker/till operator's uniform and put her on the shop floor for a while and see how she'd cope. I can guarantee she'd rethink about customer service.
Today in town most of the staff in the shops I was in were fine. They seemed happy, & joyful. Apart from Poundland where the staff only manage to grumble at you anyway.
It's more the customers you should watch out for. In the car park a man walked between 2 cars that had their mirrors out & his bag got caught on one which had a woman in the passenger side. I then saw her hitting the window & growling at the man, saying that if she sees him again she would rip his co*k off & eat it. There were kids around aswell who heard that halfway across the car park, & she was IN the car. Some people I tell you.
The stores should do something about it. It spoils the shopping experience for the rest of us, especially if it makes some staff miserable. I would like the big supermarkets to start banning obnoxious people, like those who use their mobiles at the checkout or swear.
I haven't been shopping but will be doing the main shop on Boxing day due to the bargains you can get. Hopefully the miserable staff will be happier being on triple time (or whatever).
In the case of Tesco, I'm sure there's an added worry of what might happen to their jobs in the longer term. I'm sure the stores will be busy enough in the few days before Christmas, but on the odd occasion I've been in one in the last couple of months it has been eerily quiet - rather pleasant from a customer point of view but I'll bet there are some difficult times ahead for the business.
I think there is a lot of truth in what you say.
I was in a Tesco Extra today. I expected bedlam, but I found it very quiet for the last Saturday before Xmas. No problems parking, no queues at the check out and everything I wanted was in stock.
Because it makes the company look bad and shatters the rose tinted window of shop staff being mindless sheeple and inflexible robots who're just programmed to mindlesslu obey every whim of the customer without question and just stand there and take it if we answer back.
We can only 'be professional' for so long...
Please, PLEASE, get another job. You are so clearly unhappy in the one you have, and appear to think it is beneath you!
I've worked in retail, albeit many years ago now - in FineFare (remember them?), in Littlewoods (remember them?) and in various bars,
I've generally found that if you are civil to others, customers included, then they will be civil back.
Please, PLEASE, get another job. You are so clearly unhappy in the one you have, and appear to think it is beneath you!
I've worked in retail, albeit many years ago now - in FineFare (remember them?), in Littlewoods (remember them?) and in various bars,
I've generally found that if you are civil to others, customers included, then they will be civil back.
Gosh, there's a shop I've not heard of since the 1980's.......
I think times have changed a bit since the days of FineFare, including more chavs aggressively shouting at their kids and the fact that shop assistants are reminded on a daily basis how valued they are because they only get the minimum wage and are now on part-time contracts only, with management 'encouraging' them to do as much overtime as possible but getting away with only paying the contracted hours during their holiday entitlement.
Also when you work in retail these days, you're reminded of how commercialised Xmas has become, which does take the gloss off Xmas a little bit.
And yes about the same Xmas tape playing over and over and over..
Easier said than done. Where would they go instead? What if they can't find another job?
Exactly.
What if they quit and end up getting a job/working somewhere they hate? They can#t tell the dole staff they resigned bevause they hated there can they?
Some people're in a Catch 22 situation, damned if they leave, damned if they don't,
I walked out of Currys/PC World yesterday without the things I wanted as for some reason they didn't have anyone on the tills , it may seem a strange concept to some in retail but if they want my money they should at least make some effort
It's often the same at my Curry's... they are out on the shop floor trying to get sales, meantime those of us who knew what we wanted and just went and got it are waiting to pay at the till. Very odd indeed!
I can guess most shop staff are not getting time off for Christmas/New Year and thats why they look miserable I know I would be if I was in their shoes. Yesterday there was a nice lady in Debenhams behind the til who seemed happy enough and I said have a good Christmas to her and she said the same thing back and that made me smile
I admit I've had nothing but courteous and pleasant staff in every shop I've been in.
I would imagine there limited options are as a result of being miserable.
They get what they deserve if they are in a job they don't like. Cant follow the logic of "some people were rude to me, so I'm going to be miserable to ever customer.".
I say "cheer up or F* off".
Again, not a policy this government would like people to start adhering to, and many of those miserable staff are there without being paid a wage (workfare).
Me neither, was in both Lidl and ASDA and the checkout staff were chatty and pleasant.
Same here.
A particular thanks goes out to the very helpful staff member in Asda yesterday who remained charming, smiling and friendly during my whole fiasco with the men's Tena Pants situation... you know who you are I have e-mailed Asda to pass on my extra thanks.
Exactly.
What if they quit and end up getting a job/working somewhere they hate? They can#t tell the dole staff they resigned bevause they hated there can they?
Some people're in a Catch 22 situation, damned if they leave, damned if they don't,
The retail companies prey on this very fact and know they can exploit their staff and run them into the ground because they won't dare leave. The companies can hold their employees hostage, really.
Depends what shops you go in. For eg the perfume counters in John Lewis are full of smiles.
John Lewis have a good reputation for treating their staff well.
I work in retail at a discount shop and yes it has been busy but the hours aren't so bad only 4-5 hour shifts it's not much money, but it is a fast paced job which I like. Downside is the repetitive Christmas music CD with knock off versions of popular songs...
I think the main reasons have already been mentioned, rude/inconsiderate customers, the idiots who think it's somehow acceptable to eat stuff in the store before paying for it (if I ran a store I'd have a sign warning that anyone found doing that would be banned), the fact that at this time of year they're likely heavily overworked/have little time to relax at all.
And what would be the main one for me.
The back end of 4-12 weeks of the same Christmas themed music, on a loop.
I'm sort of surprised that there aren't more retail staff who go postal this time of year, I suspect I'd go nuts from it.
I was in a supermarket the other day, I was a bit desperate to blow my nose as I have a cold, so I took a box of balsam ones from the shelf and opened them, pulled on or several out and blew my nose.
I told the till person what I had done and she scanned the box as normal.
Comments
They get what they deserve if they are in a job they don't like. Cant follow the logic of "some people were rude to me, so I'm going to be miserable to ever customer.".
I say "cheer up or F* off".
I never used to put up with it. If people were rude to me, I was rude back. I wasn't standing for it on the pittance I used to earn pre-min wage.
To answer the question, I imagine some shop workers are miserable because retail is a boring, badly paid job where you have to deal with the general public being idiots at you for anything up to 10 hours a day.
Christmas time especially seems to bring out the arsehole in customers.
This x 3. With big spiky knobs
Yeah and also hearing the same 5 christmas songs on a loop is enough to drive everyone up the wall
They were grateful to have jobs and earn their own money but the customers were often rude - the worst thing that happened to my older son was a customer handing him a carrier bag and asking him to dispose of it - her child had been sick in it
There have been cases like above which resulted in unfair dismissals being reported in the media and in most cases, it turns out that the store involved is usually in the wrong.
Because it makes the company look bad and shatters the rose tinted window of shop staff being mindless sheeple and inflexible robots who're just programmed to mindlesslu obey every whim of the customer without question and just stand there and take it if we answer back.
We can only 'be professional' for so long...
It's more the customers you should watch out for. In the car park a man walked between 2 cars that had their mirrors out & his bag got caught on one which had a woman in the passenger side. I then saw her hitting the window & growling at the man, saying that if she sees him again she would rip his co*k off & eat it. There were kids around aswell who heard that halfway across the car park, & she was IN the car. Some people I tell you.
Triple time? Yeah right.
Me neither, was in both Lidl and ASDA and the checkout staff were chatty and pleasant.
I think there is a lot of truth in what you say.
I was in a Tesco Extra today. I expected bedlam, but I found it very quiet for the last Saturday before Xmas. No problems parking, no queues at the check out and everything I wanted was in stock.
The staff were all happy enough.
Merry Christmas.
Salads often have added homemade mayonnaise.
Please, PLEASE, get another job. You are so clearly unhappy in the one you have, and appear to think it is beneath you!
I've worked in retail, albeit many years ago now - in FineFare (remember them?), in Littlewoods (remember them?) and in various bars,
I've generally found that if you are civil to others, customers included, then they will be civil back.
Gosh, there's a shop I've not heard of since the 1980's.......
I think times have changed a bit since the days of FineFare, including more chavs aggressively shouting at their kids and the fact that shop assistants are reminded on a daily basis how valued they are because they only get the minimum wage and are now on part-time contracts only, with management 'encouraging' them to do as much overtime as possible but getting away with only paying the contracted hours during their holiday entitlement.
Also when you work in retail these days, you're reminded of how commercialised Xmas has become, which does take the gloss off Xmas a little bit.
And yes about the same Xmas tape playing over and over and over..
Easier said than done. Where would they go instead? What if they can't find another job?
Exactly.
What if they quit and end up getting a job/working somewhere they hate? They can#t tell the dole staff they resigned bevause they hated there can they?
Some people're in a Catch 22 situation, damned if they leave, damned if they don't,
I'm sure Iain Duncan-Smith would never agree with that statement, people must work whether they enjoy the job or not. Keeps them off the dole.
I admit I've had nothing but courteous and pleasant staff in every shop I've been in.
Again, not a policy this government would like people to start adhering to, and many of those miserable staff are there without being paid a wage (workfare).
Same here.
A particular thanks goes out to the very helpful staff member in Asda yesterday who remained charming, smiling and friendly during my whole fiasco with the men's Tena Pants situation... you know who you are
The retail companies prey on this very fact and know they can exploit their staff and run them into the ground because they won't dare leave. The companies can hold their employees hostage, really.
John Lewis have a good reputation for treating their staff well.
I work in retail at a discount shop and yes it has been busy but the hours aren't so bad only 4-5 hour shifts it's not much money, but it is a fast paced job which I like. Downside is the repetitive Christmas music CD with knock off versions of popular songs...
I told the till person what I had done and she scanned the box as normal.
I don't get why it would be a problem?