Episode 49 - Pushy Employees
My spidey-sense tell me that this one is gonna get me in some hot water.... but f*ck it; I'm doin' it anyway.
Y'know what really grinds my gears? When employees in retail stores get too pushy and intrusive with their questions. I hate it when they ask questions that try to trap you into a complex response: "What brought you in today? What are you looking for?" Buzz off, will you? And the worst is when they hover outside of a fitting room and ask you if the clothes fit right and how they feel. Are you my mother? I'm not a child. Get the f*ck away from me. I'll decide if the clothes fit on my own. I'm not telling you jack sh*t about how they fit. Leave me alone.
Okay, okay, I admit--I have more of a problem with this than most. I have really bad social anxiety. I know that the employees are just trying to be nice and helpful (which is why I'm not rude to their faces), but I really think that anyone who works in retail should heed the following advice: refrain from asking customers questions unless they ask for help first. Don't ask them what brought them in or what they're looking for. And for Celestia's sake, never ask them about the fit of clothes. Don't ask them questions that require more than a one word answer. Basically, all that employees should ever say up front is "Welcome. Let us know if you need help." That's it. Just make yourself readily available for customers. Make sure they know that you're there if they need you, and then back off. It's okay to ask, "do you need any help," or "do you have any questions," or "are you finding everything okay," because those are one word answers. Don't ask them questions that pry into their business unless they ask for help first. I know that the employees are just doing their jobs, and managers probably instruct them to say this stuff, but believe me--not every customer is comfortable explaining why they came in, or what they're looking for, or how the clothes fit. Some customers just want to be left alone.
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