"I Don't Work Here" megathread

[RogueOne]

I still get this sometimes and I haven't been in retail in YEARS.


"Lemme see, Jose Cuervo t-shirt and ripped jeans=sure I work at Best Buy"

[traylk]

I HATE this! I swear if you work in any kind of a service field this happens to you. It's almost like we give off a scent or something that causes SC's to run to us for help. Reguardless of the fact we are in our sweats with bed head. I have gotten this at almost every shop I frequent.

[Misanthropical]

My husband does not work retail, but he wears business casual to work. I can not tell you guys how many times I have been pushed out of the way, had someone walk in front of me, or interupt me speaking to him to ask him where something is in a store.

I had one woman try to get me fired for refusing to help her, in a store I have never worked in. The clues that I didn't work there should have been that I was wearing a floppy hat, a Hershey kiss t-shirt, jean shorts and flip flops, but it took the manager telling her that he couldn't fire me since I don't work there and never have.

[staticradio]

wow...step back for a second...

I got that while shopping at a competitor wearing my work shirt ..."Hi, where are your..." (turns and points at company name)...and she still was confused. Like you don't grasp the names of places you shop at all the time? damn...here's your HI, I'M NEW TO ALL OF THIS wave of approval ...

[Rapscallion]

Damn - if I hadn't had that cough when I was over...

You could have taught me how to do that.

Rapscallion

[Retail's Bitch]

Do they expect to pay you extra for your flexibility?

Rapscallion

And well considering that I can put my ankles in behind my head... You'd think they would!!! LOL


Mind.... in gutter... where it belongs...

[Rapscallion]

Do they ever help you when you're overly busy?

Do they expect to pay you extra for your flexibility?

Thought not.

Rapscallion

[RecoveringKinkoid]

If you rent from the store, then you are essentially a type of customer, I would think. Point this out to them, and then ask why they are singling you out from all the other customers. Why aren't they recruiting other customers to run the tills? Why you?

Geez, even the other employees are sucky. Suckiness is epidemic. They KNOW you dont' work there, yet are harassing you during your lunch to work there anyway? Tell them "I don't work here. Your store does not pay me to come in here. I pay them to come in here. I don't run your tills or help your customers. Why are you hassling me?"

[Retail's Bitch]

Here's a question...

Should I be able to say to my host store customers that I don't work there? I work in the portrait studio. I don't have anything to do with the host store. I don't get paid by them, I don't get trained by them. I only rent essentially a square of carpet in the far corner of the store to put a camera on to shoot portraits.

Yet when I go and flyer the store (hand out flyers) I get stopped constantly by people asking questions about products and policies that i know nothing about.

I was harassed in the lunch room a few weeks back by other host store employees - whining about how they were so short on cashiers. And I got cornered by about 3 of them. While I'm trying to peacefully eat my lunch and read my book.

"Are you cash trained?!"

"What?"

"Are you cash trained? Why don't you go and help the One Hour Photo when it's busy?"

"Umm... Well I'm not cash trained."

"But you work your till don't you?"

"I take portraits and ring them into the till yes."

"Then you're cash trained. Why aren't you helping out the One Hour Photo when they're busy!?"

"Because I don't know how to run your tills. I wasn't trained on your tills. I don't work for your store."

"Oh. Well I still think you should help them when they're not busy!"

*head desk*

[draftermatt]

I've only been asked twice. Sitting in the waiting area of the shop where my friend works. We had been hanging out since it was slow and some people came in. He got up to help them, I sat around. Lady came up to me and told me I should be helping out too. "Ma'am I don't work here"

At my Grandmother's 80th birthday party, at a banquet hall I'm in black dress pants, white shirt, black tie. Guy comes in and asks me where the manager is. I kinda point towards the kitchen and go "back there I assume" he looks at me and says "You don't work here?"

[Pagan]

Thanks, norrina! I'll have to get one of those. Told one of the guys at work what it said and he almost fell over laughing!

[JustAGirl]

a simple google search for 'improv everywhere':

http://www.improveverywhere.com/

[Lace Neil Singer]

Anyone still got that Improv Everywhere link?

[CritterGirl]

I've had this happen at least 2 times I can currently recall.

I worked at a smallish, but corporately-owned theater for a while. Had it's own building, just kind of in the middle of a shopping center. I had walked over to a Taco Bell for my meal break, and was actually sitting down eating my dinner when some customer came up to complain to me about something. I gave her the seriously confused look and told her I didn't work there...

I'm still not sure how my shirt may have appeared to say "Taco Bell" on it somewhere when instead it really had a character of a bag of popcorn.

Most recently, I walked into Target on my way home from the petstore. I was still in my khaki pants and blue polo. I got asked TWICE within 5 minutes if I knew where something was. I dunno... for as long as *I* can remember, Target people have always worn red shirts. Oh yeah, and that's the easiest way to get taken for a Target employee... just walk in wearing a red shirt.

[norrina]

T-shirts for Pagan

Might I ask where you got it? I would love to have one!

Try this website: http://paizo.com/store/apparel/tShir.../v5748btpy7rom

Although the product appears to be backordered.

There is also an "abridged" version here: http://www.cafepress.com/52tease.67291981