"I Don't Work Here" megathread

[Ree]

I don't mean to call you out directly, but it seems to me that you are being a little indignant.

It's a moot point now, though, since the person to whom your comment is addressed is no longer a member here.

[squall]

If he wants an apology, that's for him to decide. It seems to me that if we can dish it out, we should be able to take it.

I don't mean to call you out directly, but it seems to me that you are being a little indignant. Confuzed-Monkey didn't sound frazzled to me, it didn't sound like he intended to play games with the lady. An apology beforehand is more sincere than being prompted for one.

[zeoquean]

One day I was in the casino about an hour and a half out of town with my boyfriend, and I was walking by myself to play some slots (we tend to split up in the places that we know like this place). I was wearing my blue "Save the Manatee Club" shirt and ratty jeans and sandals. Someone came up to me and asked me if I could fill their machine because the hopper was empty. I had to tell them that I didn't work there, and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to open any machine because I didn't have any keys. I know that the people that work there have blue shirts on, and BLACK pants, but geez...my blue shirt wasn't even close to that color blue, or even the same sort of style...(their blue shirts don't have "Save the Manataee Club" on them, for one). I thought it was humorous. Then I considered getting a job there, lol.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I agree. In fact, I got from the story that Confused Monkey wasn't offended or rude at all. I even went back and re-read it and I am a little taken aback that anyone would read that into it.

What part of that story led you to think he could dish it out but not take it? He seemed pretty good natured about the whole encounter to me.

[kibbles]

I agree, I don't think Confuzed-Monkey threw a fit of any kind. He only mentioned to the SC that this was the clothes he liked wearing because the SC said that he shouldn't be wearing those clothes.

I'm sure Confuzed-Monkey never woke up that day, thinking of what clothes would confuse the most customers. He also seemed to be pretty civil to a person who was basically trying to tell him what he should be wearing

JMO,

Kibbles

[Tanizaki]

There was a nicer way to word that, Tanizaki.

I agree that it seems odd to be amused that a customer mistook Confuzed-Monkey for an employee when he was wearing clothes similar to the uniform and helping out, but there was no need to be so sarcastic.

Confuzed-Monley was not throwing a hissy fit or even complaining. He just found it amusing.
I think you owe him an apology.

If he wants an apology, that's for him to decide. It seems to me that if we can dish it out, we should be able to take it.

[Ree]

There was a nicer way to word that, Tanizaki.

I agree that it seems odd to be amused that a customer mistook Confuzed-Monkey for an employee when he was wearing clothes similar to the uniform and helping out, but there was no need to be so sarcastic.

Confuzed-Monkey was not throwing a hissy fit or even complaining. He just found it amusing.
I think you owe him an apology.

[Tanizaki]

This is my story.

My dad is a store manager for Eckerd Drug Store.

I would go to visit him often since our work schedules usually didn't allow for us to get together. Their uniform at the time was a navy blue polo style shirt and khaki pants. I never worked for them, but I was at his store a lot so I did help him while I was there. This day I was wearing a light blue polo shirt and khakis.

Well this day was my day. My dad was busy staightening the magazine rack that was down the aisle in the store. I was kinda half-helping him while reading a few of them. He got called to the front. The whole time he was there, there was a lady standing about 10 feet away. Now she comes up, Of Course.

SC-Stupid Stuckup Customer
ME- me

[snip]

Good little afternoon chuckle.

CM

Forgive me, but you are in a store wearing clothes easily mistaken for the store's uniform and were engaging in work. Why do you feign offense and surprise when you are mistaken for an employee?

Next week, maybe you can throw on your Cubs uniform, head out to Wrigley Field, and start warming up your pitches in the bullpen during the 5th inning. Then, when you get asked to close the game, you can throw a hissy fit, "I DON'T WORK HERE! I JUST LIKE TO WEAR THESE CLOTHES!"

[CaroPhoenix]

I actually had a near-miss last night at the local Best Buy.

Hubby, daughter & I went to Best Buy last night to buy some cable cords, an HDMI thingee and a new DVD player (bought a few other items too now that I think about it, but anyways.)

I was pushing said daughter in the shopping buggy & I was talking to her when I looked up and saw some woman eyeing me, giving me this really confused look and looked like she wanted to ask me a question, I smiled, looked down at daughter and said: "Is this scrunchie bluuuuuue? Noooooo!" And the woman walked right past me.

BTW, I was wearing a turquoise, pull-over t-shirt and peddle pusher pants!

I don't konw if it counts 'cos she didn't actually *ask* if I were an employee, but she had that glazed look that most SCs have.

[Mixed Bag]

Great mitzvah for a day off--you'll get yours! Good thing she wasn't being helped by someone with bad advice or you'd be faced with an SE for stepping in.

Nonemployees helping...the first step in victory over control freaks!

[WHShit]

Ok, I was in Boots again and looking at makeup AGAIN (hey, they have all the good stuff like Max Factor on sale down to £2!). I have my purse and a drink in my hand.

This old lady comes up to me with a lipstick (a cheapo stay-on lipstick) and says "do these really work"? I said "sorry, I don't work here". She said sorry and went on her way. I felt bad, cause she was a sweet old lady, so I went up to her and told her that I use the stay-on stuff alot and that the one she had did not work, but I went through the ones that did and she was so nice and grateful! She ended up buying a Lipfinity by Max Factor....even though it was bright pink! It made me feel good to help her, even though I was not a worker and on my break.

I saw her in front of WHShit while I was smoking and she waved at me! It was ok...she was a nice SC! LOL

[LostMyMind]

I'm almost tempted to start dressing up to look similar to an employee of a few different stores just to see if I can get a rude person to go off on me so I can put them in their place, but that wouldn't be ethical, would it?

Go ahead, as long as you buy something when you leave those stores. You were there to shop. It was pure chance that another "customer" harassed you

[crewboy]

A lot of you are getting a lot of rude, though, to hear you tell it. Don't miss your big chance here. I don't mean your big chance to be rude back. I mean your big chance to maybe make a clueless person give a little more thought to what they are doing and how they are treating people.

I am wondering at some of the continuence to be polite and subservient sounding to obviously rude people I'm seeing here. I certainly don't blame or condemn anyone for trying to be polite, but it might be working against you in some of these cases. Maybe you should be taking a firmer tact. After all, most rude people are only rude because they thing nobody's going to call them out on it.

<<snip>>

These people desperately need a wakeup call. Give them one.

I agree completely. I've been in so many situations over the years in retail where I had no choice but to bite my tongue--just stand there and take it when they are being ignorant and obnoxious, or just totally unreasonable. I have not yet been in a situation where someone was rude or nasty to me when they mistook me for being an employee of the store I was shopping in. I have, however, had many different instances where they did ask me something thinking that I work there. They will usually just walk away or else apologize

I'm almost tempted to start dressing up to look similar to an employee of a few different stores just to see if I can get a rude person to go off on me so I can put them in their place, but that wouldn't be ethical, would it?

[rdp78]

This is my favorite thread.

It really makes me wonder how some people just can't pay attention to what people are wearing and just think that anyone who is in a store works there. I mean I understand if they are wearing a similar color shirt that employees are wearing or are in business causal but really if they are wearing like a tube top like WSHit was then that SC is must be really stupid. Well, I have say I only had a couple times where I was asked if I knew where something was and I showed where that item was because I knew where it was anyway (they weren't being SCs). Now one time when I was in a used bookstore I was asked if I worked there and of course, I said no. I guess I'm kind of lucky in way but if I ever in a situation where another customer really think I work there even through I'm another customer I know what to do but I still don't mind helping them if I can and they are nice about it (if they are an SC then well, I ain't gonna help them).

[WHShit]

Had it happen AGAIN today! I was in Boot's (a drug store) looking at make-up on my break and 2 peole stopped me. One woman was nice when I said I did not work there. But one walks up to me and says "what is the difference between these two"? She was holding lipstick. Never even said "excuse me" or "do you work here" she just assumed I did. So I say "sorry, I don't work here" and she says "well, you are wearing all black".

WTF? The people in Boots wear WHITE coats, not black...WHITE! And lots of people wear black. It does not mean they work in a shop!

Granted, I had on dressy pants and a long sleeved dressy shirt (management dressy), but PLEASE! She actually looked pissed off when I told her I was not an emplyee! Errrrgggghh!

When I got back to work I was telling a co-worker about the lady and my co-worker had a story. She went into a supermarket wearing her work clothes (lavender shirt) and had a lady come up to her and ask where the milk was. When she said that she did not work there the lady said "are you sure"?

OMG!!! Why ask that? "Um...let me think, no I am not sure...come to think of it, I DO work here and the milk is on aisle 3".

The people at this particular supermarket wear dark blue shirts, not lavender.

WHAT is wrong with these people?