Mistaken identity - Or why I got to stop wearing polo shirts to retail outlets

[SarcasticJerk]

I'm at a loss for words. You, sir, are full of win. I feel unworthy of being allowed to post in your thread.

Might I also add how jealous I am? I dream of an awesome set-up like this.

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

See? We can see exactly where a rant is appropriate, and when it kind of isn't. That woman sounded like she really needed to be told what's what, and maybe nobody else has been brave enough to tell her. Turning on a bully generally is successful, because they've always been able to bully people into cowering. When confronted, they show their true colors.

While I don't think saying "do you work here?" is cause for anger, no one is obligated to help anyone in a store when they don't work there. In fact, they frown on it.

Reminds me of the time I was walking home from work, no badge, no uniform, towards Belltown from the Seattle Center. A couple asked me where Pike Place market was.

I gave them the address. I told them how many blocks, in what direction (south, ma'am). The woman says, "well, that's not helpful! How do we know what South is!" I pointed, told them the nearest street to go down.

"YOU'RE NOT BEING HELPFUL!" She yelled. Her husband apologized.

I pointed to the monorail track and said, "You could both take the monorail straight there for a couple of dollars," I said.

WHERE'S THAT?

I pointed in the direction of the "Fun Forest" where the monorail station was.

WHERE?

I pointed up to the monorail track. "At the other end of this track," I said.

"BLARGLE BLARGLE! UNHELPFUL!"

The hisband apologized again and they continued towards the Space Needle.

Later I realized I was in Customer Service mode, and I had no reason to bend over backwards to help this woman. I got madder as I headed towards my destination, thinking, "what? Does she believe that every citizen of Seattle is her personal tour guide? Whose she gonna complain to, the Mayor? Now she's gonna go home and tell everyone how "rude people in Seattle are!"

[Terinka]

thats awesome!!!!

[Rapscallion]

More of a sighting.

Rapscallion

[Becks]

I don't know if I should give this Becks Seal of Approval™ or call it a -a-thon...

[BethB]

Most awesome!!!
I have had the opposite. I'm helping a customer with digital photo kiosk and another customer comes walking by looking . Before I could ask if he needed help, he asks my customer where an item is. i pipe in and give him directions. my photo customer is confused herself and I flat out told her "never wear khakis in Wal-mart"

[jedimaster91]

I made the mistake of walking into a Kroger wearing SCRUBS. I was on a mission to acquire a fruit tray for our pinning ceremony and was scanning the wall for signs to direct me to the produce section when a rather portly gentleman bellows the dreaded "Do you work here?!one!!!eleventy!"

I responded with a crisp "No" and completed my mission. Honestly, dude. I'm wearing SCRUBS. Since when do Kroger employees wear SCRUBS?

[XCashier]

Since when do Kroger employees wear SCRUBS?

Heck, I've been asked to find stuff when I've been wearing a tie-dye T-shirt, jeans, carrying my purse and accompanied by my kid! People just do not observe the world around them.

However, if they respond to my, "I don't work here," with an "Oh! Sorry to bother you," or something similar, I have no problem with it. Fortunately, most of the people I've met have been of the polite variety.

Though if anyone treats me like they did the OP, I have no problem with going into Mommy-mode and giving them a scolding that'll scald their ears!

[ADoyle90815]

That was awesome! That happens to me sometimes at Target, even if I'm not wearing a red shirt. So far, people have been polite when I said that I don't work there.

[Kogarashi]

So far people have been polite to me too when told I'm not an employee at a given establishment.

I've answered other customers' queries before, mostly because I can tell when they think I'm an employee and when they just think I might know where something is, and I've yet to run into someone who's thrown a fit when I don't know exact locations or don't actually escort them to the product. I like to think it's because they actually notice the toddler and heap of groceries in my shopping cart. But I must just give off that "Knows what she's doing" vibe to other customers, because it's a frequent occurrence.