For those that work in large stores

[Mr Hero]

Today I was shopping I couldn't find an item I was looking for. Since I was unable to find an employee, I called the store from inside the store to ask what aisle I needed. The lady I spoke to, while pleasant, found it kinda funny that I was calling from within the store. She told me what aisle I needed, I thanked her, hung up, and was on my way.

1. Do you guys have this happen often?
2. Was this sucky, or a common pet peeve?

[Nurian]

When I worked at the Elitest Mal-Wort, I had it happen once or twice. I didn't mind and I usually called someone over there to help in that department.

[raudf]

*sigh* It didn't used to happen so much when I worked in a Mart of Wal, but as time progresses, they apparently keep cutting payroll to make the CEOs paycheck. I seriously don't see too many people on the floor during the day.. and next to none at night!

So, if I need someone, I'll track them down via going to one of the outlying registers and asking them to page someone. If that doesn't work, I'll ask them to page a manager. If that doesn't work, I leave, contact corporate about how stupid corporate is to keep cutting hours.. because they lost a large sale (TV) due to no one being in electronics and apparently, no managers either.

[Pixilated]

I don't think it was sucky at all; I think it was quite creative!

[Food Lady]

It has happened once at least at my store, and it was funny, actually. I mean, it was sucky she couldn't find anyone, but it did make me giggle. I think all big stores are cutting payroll. At least I'm on the list of people who actually get semi-decent hours.

[Spork4pedro]

No you weren't sucky in this case. The one time that it happened to me the customer was a jackass about it. Our store isn't huge but there are still some parts where I can't see from a register. We were short staffed and a man came up and asked me to show him where something was. Since all staff were on register with lines I gave him directions to the product or if he could wait just a moment I would walk him over to it. He got all huffy and stomped away. Not a minute later I see him on his phone and the store line rings. He looks at me with a smug look on his face. I answer and he goes on about the rude employee and asks me (yes, even though he is looking at me he does not realise it is the same girl he is staring down) where the product is. I say "oh yes I know her. Well the product is in the same place as I told you a moment ago or if you'd like I am now finished ringing up here and can walk you to it." And walk over to stand in front of him with the phone still on my ear. He hung up quickly and stomped away again. I'm still not really sure what he hoped to do since I had told him that all employees are literally up front ringing.

[Dreamstalker]

It happened at least once in my store; the gentleman I was helping knew that I didn't work in the meat department and at the time I didn't know if there was anybody back there (there was), so he called the store on his cell. Everyone was amused when the meat guy came out and it was a CW we had passed by a few minutes earlier; I didn't recognize him because he had his back to us, and the customer didn't think he worked in meat because he didn't have a 'lab coat' on.

When I'm running self-scan I'm not supposed to leave that area, yet I get corralled by customers all the time to lead them to item X (which if I don't I get complained at, but if I do we lose the only set of eyes on those registers for a bit).

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

This happens very seldom at the swamp, and probably won't for the foreseeable future now that we have functioning call boxes again.

[Mr Hero]

Liar! It's not a functional call box until it makes a few adjustments. Get back to me when they're painted blue and are bigger on the inside.

[blondescales]

Imagine standing at the register in an IHOP to pay for your meal and calling the place to get someone to come take your money. Several people could have walked out that night without paying because no one was watching.