More Dimwits in Distribution

[XCashier]

At both jobs, I'm required to wear a name tag, so no need to introduce myself, as such.

We wear name tags too, but we're still supposed to verbally introduce ourselves. Not that the name tag really matters; for some ridiculous reason a lot of my customers address me by the store name!

[Teskeria]

"Hello. My Name is cashier. Corporate requires me to ask your name. May I have your Name. Hope you are having a great day."
All run together quickly in a happy happy tone. (yes literally cashier). The customers with a sense of humor will reply with something like 'my name is customer' and everyone except corporate idiots will be happy

[notalwaysright]

For a long time I wore a blank nametag. No one noticed for ages, I can't even remember when I got one with my name on it.

We haven't been told to introduce ourselves and ask the customer's name, yet. I think our store has worse issues to deal with first. I can say that it a disaster waiting to happen. Why would anyone think this would work? The way to make customers happy is to have more employees to help them, educating the employees so they can actually answer questions, and having a better selection of products. Oh wait. I see it. Those things all cost money, and telling employees to ask a customer's name is free!

[mjr]

we have a metric shit-ton (I think that's the scientific measurement)

If it's not, it should be.

I'm wondering...how many places ask for customers' names. I know {day job} does, for handing out orders. Starbucks, too.

Honestly, I could see this making customers uncomfortable. They may not want to give their names.

Or maybe they give a fake one. There was a story on this very site about a woman who did that at Starbucks, but wasn't paying attention. She used a pseudonym when she ordered her drink. When it came, she never picked it up, because her name wasn't called.

Then, when she went to ask about it, she's like, "Oh, I just didn't want to use my real name."

[Becks]

Or maybe they give a fake one.

When customers ask why I need their name, I tell them the reason, then tell them they can give me any name they damn well please, as long as they remember what it is and that it's not obscene.
I even have a regular customer that I give a different name to every day, and I let him know what it is. We did it in front of the DM yesterday.

[Seanette]

Honestly, I could see this making customers uncomfortable. They may not want to give their names.

Or maybe they give a fake one. There was a story on this very site about a woman who did that at Starbucks, but wasn't paying attention. She used a pseudonym when she ordered her drink. When it came, she never picked it up, because her name wasn't called.

Then, when she went to ask about it, she's like, "Oh, I just didn't want to use my real name."

I've been known to use my cat's name when getting takeout, since hers is easier to spell than mine (I use my real first name here). Since my cat has a name that could easily belong to a female human anyway, if I didn't mention the matter, no one would even notice.

[notalwaysright]

My mom always just gives the first letter of her name, but that's a real name (Kay) so it works out. People always pronounce her name wrong, or get confused, so this is just easier all around. My name is easy, so that's not a problem. I've known guys who will give a plain name (John, Mike, etc) because their names aren't common in this country. It's not like it really matters. It's not like the barista or hostess are going to become your best friend. That's the problem with corporate trying to make things super personal. It's just not going to happen in a 30 second transaction.

There are a few regulars at work who I've learned their names. But that didn't happen the first second or even fifth time I helped them. And there are people I've helped just as many times that I don't know, because it's not my job to become everyone's friend. If they just want us to memorize names to fake a personal relationship then oh crap. I know Green Mermaid really wants their employees to do that, and I'll admit that when I was a more frequent customer it was kinda neat that the barista knew my drink. But I don't kid myself that it was because I was special.

[BPFH]

If it's not, it should be.

If that doesn't work, you can always use the metric ass-load (or its Imperial counterpart, the arse-load).

[Nunavut Pants]

I've known guys who will give a plain name (John, Mike, etc)...

My friend Dirk used to put his name in as "Bob". You might not think that "Dirk" would be that hard for people, but... Sometimes he used "Bob" as a collective name as well. "No, I'm Dirk. But all of us together are Bob."

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Probably. I am envisioning Manglement's response to a complain about it now...

M> "Well, that's not my problem! Just get that stock out on the floor!"

XC> "Sir, we don't have ROOM for it on the floor because so much excess was ordered; we've already filled up the tops of the racks..."

M> "Just Figure it out!"

XC>

Sounds like SOP at the Litter Box as well.

Of course, there are delivery screw ups that happen on rare occasion. Such as getting half a pallet (or skid) or dairy items that were labeled for another store. Somehow this wasn't caught until the truck was unloaded at OUR store, and half a pallet (or skid) of products that was marked for OUR store was stacked ON TOP of the half pallet for the other store. Those drugs they were smoking must have been some good shit . . .the two store numbers (ours and the destination store's) weren't even remotely close.

Coach Smith (our dairy guy, who sadly will be leaving us this coming week) had to keep the half pallet sitting in his cooler until another truck could be dispatched for the DC (which is about 1 hr. 45 minutes away from us near the Corporate Office, which is a good half hour from Charlotte.) And that truck showed up after lunchtime the same day.

All because somebody couldn't be bothered to double check before the pallet left, it took several hours and several manhours (not to mention trucker hours) to correct.

[Dreamstalker]

Today, we somehow wound up with a few bundles of bags that were branded for Shop-Rite. No idea how that happened; J wouldn't let me start using them to see if anyone noticed

[Argabarga]

"My Name is not pronounceable by your under evolved human tongues"

[MoonCat]

"My Name is not pronounceable by your under evolved human tongues"

No one gets my name right anyway. Apparently over the phone it sounds like lots of other names. I used to keep a list of all the names (actual female names, not curses!) that customers used RIGHT AFTER hearing me tell them my name. I gave up after it reached something like 35 names...

As for cashiers introducing themselves and asking my name---that's dumb as well as creepy.

[KuariKaydrith]

I will never forget the day I gave my real name over the phone and the caller then proceeded to call me 'Batman' throughout the call. How they got that out of my real name is beyond me. The only thing they have in common is the first letter.

[Nunavut Pants]

OMG, you're Bruce Wayne????