In all the time I have worked in retail (about 11 years in total) this has never happened to me, and now it has happened twice in one week!
The first time was a few days ago, a customer came in wanting to look at something in the window. Our windows are pretty crammed at this time of year so I said I would go outside with him so he could show me where it was. I walked outside first and stopped in front of the window and as he came behind me (bear in mind the street was empty, there was nobody around, no crowds etc, nice big wide open street) he put his hands on my waist and almost pressed himself up against me to get past me, kind of like you do if you're in a crowded bar and need to get through but a lot more creepy! I grabbed his wrists and shoved them back towards him and gave him a look but I was utterly speechless, I didn't know what to say! As it happens he bought the £200 necklace that he was looking at but still, it's not my business so makes no difference to me.
The second one was today. I'm working in a different store and I'm working alone (which I absolutely hate). A guy comes in looking for earrings for his wife. He picks a pair out of the cabinet so I get them out and take him to the counter and hand one to him so he can get a proper look at them. So he proceeds to sweep my hair back behind my ear and hold the earring up against my ear to see what it looks like! Then he huffed at me because I darted out of his way! Don't get me wrong, we often have men ask if we can try on a necklace or hold up earrings to our own ears for them to see what they look like on, but they will always ask us to do it ourselves, not just feel it acceptable to do it themselves!
Maybe it is me just being a little over sensitive, but that is not acceptable behaviour in my book.
The first time was a few days ago, a customer came in wanting to look at something in the window. Our windows are pretty crammed at this time of year so I said I would go outside with him so he could show me where it was. I walked outside first and stopped in front of the window and as he came behind me (bear in mind the street was empty, there was nobody around, no crowds etc, nice big wide open street) he put his hands on my waist and almost pressed himself up against me to get past me, kind of like you do if you're in a crowded bar and need to get through but a lot more creepy! I grabbed his wrists and shoved them back towards him and gave him a look but I was utterly speechless, I didn't know what to say! As it happens he bought the £200 necklace that he was looking at but still, it's not my business so makes no difference to me.
The second one was today. I'm working in a different store and I'm working alone (which I absolutely hate). A guy comes in looking for earrings for his wife. He picks a pair out of the cabinet so I get them out and take him to the counter and hand one to him so he can get a proper look at them. So he proceeds to sweep my hair back behind my ear and hold the earring up against my ear to see what it looks like! Then he huffed at me because I darted out of his way! Don't get me wrong, we often have men ask if we can try on a necklace or hold up earrings to our own ears for them to see what they look like on, but they will always ask us to do it ourselves, not just feel it acceptable to do it themselves!
Maybe it is me just being a little over sensitive, but that is not acceptable behaviour in my book.
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