Pet Peeves in a mall

[Sandiercy]

I manage a game store in a mall, here are a couple of my pet peeves.

1. I AM NOT INFORMATION CENTRAL!!!

The sheer number of people who come in and expect me to know everything and everyone in the mall is staggering. Every single day I have to answer questions like, Where is the washroom, are you security, what time does the store upstairs close, where is the nearest ATM, can I park my bike here while I shop somewhere else, where is such and such a store (20 ft to the right, use your eyes) yes we get this one a LOT.

2. We have a VERY large sign that proudly states "Internet Cafe", the amount of people that come in asking if we are an internet cafe makes me want to shoot myself.

3. Our back exit is closed and has a nice big sign on it that says No Exit. This stops about 50% of the people that want to go through it. Most of the people who go through it are not customers of the store.

4. The mall closes before the theater upstairs so we get a lot of people come by after 10pm asking if they can exit through our store. The thing is, there is a nice door right across the hallway that says "EXIT" but no one ever uses that.

5. I dont care how down on your luck you are, do not come into my store and beg my customers for money. And please do not use puppy dog eyes when I tell you to go stuff it where the sun dont shine.

6. We are NOT a babysitting service. To the grandfather who left his grandchild here for 6 hrs while he went to the Casino, your descendant cant survive on the $5 that you gave him for McDonalds (the kid was about 15-16 so could handle himself so we did not call CPS) and please shop at our store.

[EvilEmpryss]

So, are you an internet cafe or not?

Sorry! *runs away*

[EricKei]

3. Our back exit is closed and has a nice big sign on it that says No Exit. This stops about 50% of the people that want to go through it. Most of the people who go through it are not customers of the store.

Perhaps a custom alarm klaxon would be in order if possible ...?

"ALERT! FUGITIVE SIGHTED LEAVING GAMESTORE VIA REAR EXIT! SECURITY AND ANY POLICE IN RANGE PLEASE RESPOND! ALERT! ...."

[fireheart]

1. I AM NOT INFORMATION CENTRAL!!!

Of the ones you mentioned, I used to work in a supermarket in a mall and I got similar questions. While I was happy to point people in the right direction of the toilets or concierge, I got the following questions repeatedly:

-Where particular stores are (depending on the store, I was happy to point them in the right direction of those stores, or at least give them a vague idea (i.e. it's upstairs, heading towards the cinema, somewhere near the Mister Minit kiosk))
-Do we take mall gift cards/do you know how to check the balance on them? (concierge right around the corner. Use your eyes.) *at the time I worked there, they didn't. Since I've left, they now do, but you STILL cannot check the balance on a mall gift card anywhere else but the CONCIERGE DESK*

-Does mall still provide <service?> (CONCIERGE AROUND THE FUCKING CORNER)

-What time does <shop> close? (apart from some of the big stores, all the stores closed around the same time )

-Can you tell me if <event that mall is running> is on today? (CONCIERGE AROUND THE GODDAMIT MOTHERFUCKING CORNER!!!!)

-Can you tell me if <store> has a special on? ()

3. Our back exit is closed and has a nice big sign on it that says No Exit. This stops about 50% of the people that want to go through it. Most of the people who go through it are not customers of the store.

I used to get this with our parcel pickup area. The ONLY time we allow a customer in there is if they are helping us move a parcel pickup or an extremely large order we have placed in there. The number of people I used to have to tell off for trying to exit via the parcel pickup area was mind-boggling.

6. We are NOT a babysitting service. To the grandfather who left his grandchild here for 6 hrs while he went to the Casino, your descendant cant survive on the $5 that you gave him for McDonalds (the kid was about 15-16 so could handle himself so we did not call CPS) and please shop at our store.

While I didn't get this, it still makes me go <stabbity>

[dragon_wings]

Perhaps a custom alarm klaxon would be in order if possible ...?

"ALERT! FUGITIVE SIGHTED LEAVING GAMESTORE VIA REAR EXIT! SECURITY AND ANY POLICE IN RANGE PLEASE RESPOND! ALERT! ...."

I love this. You are an evil genius.

[rose_metal_nz]

Perhaps a custom alarm klaxon would be in order if possible ...?

"ALERT! FUGITIVE SIGHTED LEAVING GAMESTORE VIA REAR EXIT! SECURITY AND ANY POLICE IN RANGE PLEASE RESPOND! ALERT! ...."

Oh, please, please, please tell me there is a real-world variation of this... /sighs wistfully.

[Syriilord]

With regards to asking where the nearest ATM is:

"I'm sorry, I can only answer that if you sign this legally binding agreement stating you will spend at least 50% of the money withdrawn in this store"

[EricKei]

I love this. You are an evil genius.

Thank you ^_^ Do ya mind if I borrow-....

Wait, right, evil genius.

I'm stealing that for my sig file.

[dragon_wings]

Thank you ^_^ Do ya mind if I borrow-....

Wait, right, evil genius.

I'm stealing that for my sig file.

^_^ I'd be honored if you stole it.

[NateTheChops]

I manage a game store in a mall, here are a couple of my pet peeves.

1. I AM NOT INFORMATION CENTRAL!!!

The sheer number of people who come in and expect me to know everything and everyone in the mall is staggering.

If I ever felt another's pain, it is now. Working as a cart jockey in a store that's attached to the mall, I get so many questions that have nothing to do with my store.

I have no problem pointing people in the direction of the DMV because it's close by. I do in fact know where most of the stores in our mall are, but there is a special condition you have to follow if you want an answer from me that isn't "I don't know." Mainly, don't stop your car along side me when I have a long row of carts and I'm trying to get them out of the way of a shopper who wants to pull out.

The one that gets under my skin the most is when people ask me when the other stores are closed. Like... is there anything about the red shopping carts with the very obvious logo on them that tells you that I know when the Yellow Price Tag is open?

[Lovecats]

I have people asking me all the time when the other stores either open or close. Most of them are understanding when I say that I don't know. I also work at the store with the red carts with the very obvious logo on them. And there is a Yellow Price Tag nearby. However, my store is in a different state.

[Merriweather]

The one that gets under my skin the most is when people ask me when the other stores are closed.

Yeah, I don't get that one either, going up to an employee in one store to ask them about another store. I mean a. why would they know? and b. just seems a rude and tacky thing to do. An indirect insult, you're here, but I don't want you, I want the other one. Like going up to guy in a bar and asking if his friend is single, what type of girls does his friend like, etc.

[downforit2008]

I am so glad I don't work in a mall! Oh, wait...my store is just as BIG as a mall, so it might as well be one anyway! I take no pride in working in a mall-sized store which never closes and where people drive by and ask me for directions to some nearby building in town. I live 5 miles away in the next town and have no idea what and where the place is where they want to go to! I only commute there for work, so what do I know?

Too bad we don't have "mall security." But sometimes, people mistake me for being one.

[EricKei]

Back at DaddyJim's Pizzas, we would get people asking for numbers for other local DaddyJim's stores...which was reasonable -- we kept a list for this purpose. It was when people asked us for out *competitors'* numbers that worried me.

[TopEndDave]

3. Our back exit is closed and has a nice big sign on it that says No Exit. This stops about 50% of the people that want to go through it. Most of the people who go through it are not customers of the store.

When I worked at Hardly Normal's customers would open the fire door looking for the toilets. There was a large sign on the door that stated that it was a fire door and connected to the alarms. Customers would still open it and be surprised when the alarms went off (and all available staff rushed to the area of the security breach). It only stopped when we put up another sign "This is not the toilet".