Will I Like This Color??

[RetailActress]

Talk about your unanswerable questions. <eye roll>

Let me explain. Our women's retail apparel store is spun off from our company's catalog, which offers about 60% more than our stores have in stock.

We have some customers who study the catalog intensely, then come into our store and are disappointed that we don't have EVERYTHING in the catalog, including extended ranges of sizes and colors for some garments. Truth is, we just don't have the physical square footage for all of that.

So, for instance, here in the store, we have a certain garment in two colors: cadet blue and nut brown. But in the catalog, it's offered in an additional color: bayberry green, and there's a little sample block of that color next to the garment description.

A customer peers at this. "What's this green??" she demands. It's a subtle grayed-down green, we answer, like the actual color of bayberries - that's why it's named "bayberry green." "Will I like it?" she lamely asks.

Things I want to say:

1. "No, I bet you'll hate it, so just get out."

2. "You don't know what the hell you want, so just get out."

3. "I guarantee you will just love it and you'll get lots of compliments on it! OK! On your VISA? ..... sign here ... thank you. Now, JUST GET OUT!!"

R. A.

[thehippie777]

I hate weird questions like that... This should be a question that if you ask it, instant sterility.

[Imogene]

I hate weird questions like that... This should be a question that if you ask it, instant sterility.

You'll need a portable F ray...
"Ow, my sperm!"
"Let's try that again..."
"Hmmm... didn't hurt that time."

[AirHostess]

How are you meant to know?

[Slytovhand]

One of my co-workers many years ago had something like that.

We were on course information, and she got one kid with those sort of stupid questions, including...

"My mother reckons I can cook ok. Do you think I should become a chef?"

[Catwoman2965]

My store does the SAME thing! our catalog has some stuff, some of which is actually in the store, some of which is not. And we might have colors a, b and c, while in the catalog, they have a, b, d, e and f! I HATE it when they come in clutching the new or sale catalog, as I KNOW I will be interrogated as to WHY we don't carry all colors!

And then the dreaded question, "does this come in any other colors???" if its a basic item, say a turtleneck or sweater, yes, i KNOW it comes in many colors, but we don't have them all here. So I'll do a search, but our colors are coded by a two digit number, so i can only tell them, a shade of blue, or green, or red or pink, unless they actually have the catalog with them! Also, contrary to what they may think, we DO NOT know which item was in whcih catalog...i can certainly look, but please don't act as if I'm an idiot for not knowing IMMEDIATELY when you ask me!

[BookstoreEscapee]

Can you recommend a book for a my 12-year-old nephew?

Well, what does he like to read?

I don't know. But he's 12.

Uh...no.

[Crow The Robot]

Can you recommend a book for a my 12-year-old nephew?

Well, what does he like to read?

I don't know. But he's 12.

Uh...no.

The Kama Sutra
Not that I's say that, I'd direct them to the kids/teen section, but I'm feeling evil today.

[Catwoman2965]

Can you recommend a book for a my 12-year-old nephew?

Well, what does he like to read?

I don't know. But he's 12.

Uh...no.

Yes, that's like "I need an outfit to wear to a wedding" - well, let me see, is it fancy or casual? Do you want a dress, pants, or skirt and top? Do you like/dislike any particular colors, fabrics, styles, and so on. I AM NOT A MIND READER!!! SOME idea of what you want is helpful....

Then again, I have customers who have no idea what size they wear...um, what do you have on? and if you have lost/gained weight, what were you before? Give me SOMETHING to work with, and I can generally figure out a ballpark, but come in and say you have no idea what size you wear? You're on your own.