Dear Abby??

[bainsidhe]

Huzzah! I was wondering when someone on this forum would bring up Dear Abby. I read her article today and, like the rest of us here, was dismayed and upset at her response. With any social interaction, there's a time and a place for certain human behavior. I don't see people walking up to strangers on the street and touching them while asking when the next bus will arrive. Abby's take on the matter was way out of date and in need of a reality check.

I've noticed that Abby has recently had a bout of retail and/or customer service-related topics. Anyone else notice this? Can't say I always agree with her views, but today's article annoyed the heck out of me.

[Kiwi]

this isnt the first time she has said something like this

im fairly sure the last time this clearly sucky customer wrote in saying a waitress outright called her Fat..... abbey didnt even consider that perhaps it was a misunderstanding or that the customer was exaggerating.

before that it was a clerk asking how to politely deal with a customer on the phone.... abby's answer was "wait"

[flybye023]

I think it's her daughter, Pauline Phillips that's writing it now.

I saw that today too and it really pissed me off. As a sales associate the customer can expect me to be polite, to help them find product, to direct them to where they need to go. None of that requires me to touch them or for them to touch me. I usually like Abby but I think this answer was really off the wall. Does this mean I can touch the customer? Can I grab their arm when they are headed to a restricted area? Can I put my hand on their shoulder and be all chummy?

I have to say, I have over 4 years in retail and I have NEVER been touched by a customer unless it's a tap on the shoulder to get my attention.

[marasbaras]

Retail workers do have fewer priveleges than the customers ... since they are employees of the store and the customers are, well, customers. A customer can say "this product is horrible" ... and, the retail worker should refrain from doing so.

Still, there are lines one should not cross. And, touching is most definitely one of them.

I think that Abby (or whoever is writing for her now) is trying to point out that this will unavoidable. In a perfect world, nobody should touch you if you don't want it. As we all painfully know, this world is far from perfect.

[Forensic Waitress]

Clearly Dear Abby has never worked in retail. Customers who do not respect your personal space are usually the ones that also have outrageouse demands and expect to be given stuff for free. Those are the ones worth losing.

[myswtghst]

I tend to agree. That kind of feels like Dear Abby is crossing a line into retail workers being less than customers, as far as their rights go. Everyone has the right not to be touched by strangers if they don't want to be, thank you.

[AdminAssistant]

When I read this, I actually got pretty upset. SC's are bad enough without encouragement:

DEAR ABBY: I work in retail, and I'm having a problem I am not sure how to handle. Customers almost constantly touch my hands and shoulders. I feel it is an intentional invasion of my personal space.
Many customers have grabbed me by the arm to pull me with them to find where certain items are located. I have a friendly face, and I'm willing to help people, but I do not like being touched. What can I say to make it clear to customers that this is not OK? -- NICKI IN MARYLAND

DEAR NICKI: Discuss this with your supervisor, and ask if your employer has a policy in place regarding touching. One way to solve the problem would be to make sure to stay out of arm's reach. Another might be to see if there is something else you can do in the store that would give you less contact with customers.
If that's not possible, consider looking for a job in something other than retail. But to tell someone that a touch on the hand, arm or shoulder is unwelcome could lose you -- and the store -- a customer, and I don't recommend it.

Umm, What? A retail worker is a person like any other person (a person's a person no matter how small, right?). If somebody's doing something that's making me uncomfortable, I have the right to tell them to stop it. But suggesting that someone should find another job because they don't want to be groped by strangers? Bad play, Abby, Bad play.

That, combined with a recent news article that announced that chain retailers were now going to allow 'haggling' or 'price negotiation' makes me weep for the future of retail. And renews the desire to get that doctorate.