But I don't know how to do it?

[prjkt]

So part of my shop is a photo lab. With SELF SERVICE kiosks' that are quite a simple affair, read what's on the screen and tap the relevant option.

Every day we get the a customer expecting us to do the work because, "I don't know how to do it"

My ideal response would be, "Can you read? Then you can do it"

Now we will give help where possible, but if it's busy we're not going to stand there and hand hold people through the process (if they're really struggling we come back to them as soon as possible)

For those who'd claim FTSTS, it's not just the elderly, it's teenagers, upper class housewives, people who don't want to think for themselves really.

Often while guiding someone through the basic steps, they'll press a button onscreen and instantly turn around looking up at me as if to say, "What next?" Without reading the screen or even voicing the question. Bonus points when they do voice the question, and the answer is to press the "Next" button....

TL;DR: People need to learn to think before attempting to interact with the public

[SimonF12009]

We have those, and I hate having to walk the length of the shop just to explain to a SC why they have to pay by card, and not cash

[otakuneko]

The ability to read is often the biggest difference between someone who is "good with computers" and someone who isn't.

Incidentally it is also often the biggest difference between a regular customer and a sucktomer. Funny that.

[AnaKhouri]

I would much rather do my photos myself. Why do people seem OK with employees browsing through their photos? I guess they see them when they come out of the machine but those pictures are the ones I chose, not the unflattering ones with redeye and my eyes closed!

[cashierbex]

I deal with this hourly.

Luckily, some people don't mind me seeing their pics. My favorite ones are the people who come in with pictures to scan. Some from the 1900s on. And then theres a couple that are just so happy to see me. I get fantastic praise.

But then there is the not so sucky ones just time wasters. I have spent countless hrs doing their projects for them. Christmas time was awful for that.

And then the suck. Typically once a day I get some angry old bat who is so impatient. I fumble way too much around them.


I am also now the only photo tech at my store (managers a slightly trained). It is going to be fun getting my ex coworkers regulars and explaining them why he's not there anymore without giving too much info. And of course they sympathize with him (he was fired due to some loss prevention issues. Shockingly the lab has looked so much better since he was gone). It has been a long week.

Oh and lets not forget I am the break person, too. 3 people. Me, front and our liquor department. Thats 2-3 hrs out of my time.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Often while guiding someone through the basic steps, they'll press a button onscreen and instantly turn around looking up at me as if to say, "What next?" Without reading the screen or even voicing the question. Bonus points when they do voice the question, and the answer is to press the "Next" button....

TL;DR: People need to learn to think before attempting to interact with the public

I see similar at work on occasion with people trying to use the Coinstar machine. What I can't figure out still is how do some of the folks find their way out of the house without help?

[XCashier]

The ability willingness to read is often the biggest difference between someone who is "good with computers" and someone who isn't.

FTFY. Aliteracy is the problem, not illiteracy. These folks can read, they just don't want to have to. And that's a big problem in many aspects.

[MoonCat]

God, I get this with a co-worker! "Look what my computer's doing! How do I fix it??"

"What does the message say?"

CW reads it out loud...."Oh." Click. Fixed.

Stop freaking out and just READ the damn screen for once.

[prjkt]

Another gripe is customers expecting photos to look exactly like they do on their digital devices, which will never happen. Apple devices especially over saturate images, and due to the backlight (light from behind the image, rather than reflection like a print) it'll never have the same dynamic range/gradient (dark areas are ALWAYS darker on prints)

Most recent was a customer complaint that the photos were all taken by other people with "good" cameras. Having used several different "good" cameras in he same lighting condition over the course of my own photography I could tell that the photo was under exposed, and the photographer(s) had just kept the camera in auto (bad when there are shiny white dresses and reflective surfaces in the background).

I look at the photos in question on our kiosks, and yep, severely under exposed by 1-2 stops. Cue, "But it looks great on my Mac!" Which she then brings up. Screen is blindingly bright, and washes out perfectly exposed photos (another issue, her decent photos weren't "bright" enough).

After several minutes of basically repeating myself she finally understood that her laptop's knit or was sh*t for accurately viewing photos, her friends win "good" cameras can't use them, and she needs to check our (semi)calibrated kiosks more carefully when printing...

[Teefies2]

Bex I'm there with ya!

These people can operate computers, obviously, so what is sooooo hard about following the instructions on the kiosk screen?? Is it in English? Yes. Then you can follow along!!!

And the covering breaks thing ...... I work 2-10. Corporate mostly doesn't allow a photo person in the morning, so that means that as soon as I walk in, I have to give the front cashier their break. Then, since I'm there in the evening too, I have to give the night cashier their break as well. That's one 30 minute lunch/dinner for each of them, plus my dinner, plus a 15 minute break each. So, 2 hours and 15 minutes just for breaks/lunch/dinner. Not to mention checking the dates on milk, etc. And THEN, I get to do my assigned duties - which also include cleaning the bathrooms (fun times there!). So basically in a 8 hour shift, I spend anywhere from 2.15 to 3.30 hours just covering breaks and cleaning bathrooms. Which leaves me about 4 hours to get my dang JOB done!

And let's not forget any resets, unloading truck and other "must be done right NOW!" jobs for the day.

[MelindaJoy77]

Sadly, I see way too many people react to the card reader at the register in this same way...it's like they've never gone shopping. Ever.

[Geek King]

FTFY. Aliteracy is the problem, not illiteracy. These folks can read, they just don't want to have to. And that's a big problem in many aspects.

“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”

― Mark Twain

A personal favorite from the guy who's recent move needed three trips of just boxes of books.

[Argabarga]

Forget written instructions, people these days are even losing the ability to follow verbal instructions, acting like windup clockwork soldiers that will march off the end of the kitchen counter if not constantly corralled and sent the "right" way by others.

When you pay for your impounded car at work, you are told to exit the building, turn to your left, and go "around back" where the fence is and wait at the "green metal gate" for someone to open it.

As many as 1 in 10 people, walk out the door turn left, stop at the first roll-up garage door (brown) in the side of the building (with no fence around it, just open parking lot) and pound on it, wanting to know why nobody is letting them in....... to the bodyshop's paint booth.....

And under 25-year olds are the worst, failing at the rate of maybe 3 or 4 in 10.

We're doomed, but their will be some nice pretty explosions to watch as we go down as a society, I'll tell ya that right now.

[cashierbex]

Another gripe is customers expecting photos to look exactly like they do on their digital devices

I get this with scanning photos. The light is reflecting off of it. I will get it close, but its not gonna be the same.

[greek_jester]

Forget written instructions, people these days are even losing the ability to follow verbal instructions, acting like windup clockwork soldiers that will march off the end of the kitchen counter if not constantly corralled and sent the "right" way by others.

*raises hand* In my defence, I'm partially deaf and my memory has tested as being sight-reliant (I remember images better than sound/touch/taste/smell). If I'm getting directions that are longer than "turn left, then right, then left again" I need either a map or someone patient enough for me to write it all down.