Nobody knows sheer annoyance quite like the people who work in retail. If you’ve never had a job in a shop, you might not understand this simple fact. Dealing with polite and friendly customers all day long would be no problem. Sadly, though, many people seem to forget their manners when they walk into a shop. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top ten things that are certain to irritate any retail staff member. You’ve been warned!
1. Returning items without a receipt
It should go without saying – if you’re hoping to get a refund for an unwanted item, you’re going to need to bring your receipt. Turning up with the product and saying that you bought it in the store is not proof of purchase. Sorry. Oh, and you should also bring the credit or debit card that you used to pay so that you can get your money back quickly.
2. Moving things around the shop
Picture the scene. You’re in your favourite shop, simply browsing. You pick up a jumper that looks cute and continue to walk around the shop. A minute or so later, you decide the jumper won’t match anything you own, and so you leave it on a rack. What’s wrong with this scenario? Ding, ding, ding! Someone else is going to have to clean up your mess!
3. Moaning about the cost of things
Spoiler: The sales staff don’t usually make the prices! Complaining about the price of your items is a useless waste of everybody’s time. There’s nothing that the staff can do about it and, frankly, if there were, moaning would get you nowhere fast. You know the price of something when you pick it up, there’s no need to make a scene here.
4. Texting while you’re paying
It’s 2019 and we’re all addicted to our smartphones. It’s a sorry state of affairs, but that does not make it okay. When you reach the front of the queue, have some courtesy and slip your phone in your pocket or bag. Let’s be honest here, it’s so disrespectful to stare at your smartphone when you’re buying things. Don’t do it.
5. Saying ‘I’m just browsing!’
Sure, nobody likes it when a retail worker comes up to them and says “Do you want any help?” However, before you bite their head off with a sharp “I’m just browsing!”, take a breath. The chances are that the staff have no choice here. They have been told to ask customers this infuriating question. Smile and be polite. You can still tell them that you’re fine but do it in a way that doesn’t feel like you’ve hammered it home.
6. Holding up the line for no reason
If the shop is busy, make sure that you’re paying attention to what’s happening. As you reach the front of the queue, prepare yourself to pay and get moving. Holding up the line because your purse is right at the bottom of your bag is irritating for everybody around you. Not only will you manage to annoy the staff but you will also annoy the people behind you. Sure, you might be in your own little world, but that is absolutely no excuse.
7. Putting cash on the counter
Retail workers deserve respect. I shouldn’t even have to write that… but some people out there seem to have forgotten that baseline fact. We’re all people and we should all show each other a level of human decency. Shoving your cash on the counter is seriously rude. You shouldn’t expect them to scoop the money up off the countertop. Treat them like a human being and place the money in their palm. Simple.
8. Saying ‘So, is it free?’
We’ve all been there. The staff member is racking up your items and then there’s one that simply won’t scan. They try it a few times. Sigh. And then, they start typing in that long number on the label. Your gut may tell you to utter the words ‘So, is it free?’ but hold on a minute. You are not the first person to make this joke. Not by a long shot. Right now, the staff member is stressed out and frustrated. Try not to make things any worse.
9. Lingering for too long in the shop
Are you good at taking a hint? When the staff start to close down the shop, you need to make like a banana and split. “Staying in the shop when it’s clear the store is ready to close (music stopped, some lights off, one door locked and people being stopped from entering),” says YorkshireRiffer on Reddit. “Whether it’s they can’t get the hint, or they know and are staying to prove a point or be spiteful, they need to GTFO.”
10. Coming in right before closing time
In a rush? Running into a shop five minutes before it’s about to close may seem like no big deal. However, by this point, the chances are that the staff members have already cleaned down the aisles and are ready to go home. Your last-minute shopping trip is bound to annoy them. They might have to clean things again or even re-open the counters. Do them a favour and wait until tomorrow to drop by.
