New Piece.

This I must say I am as guilty as any customers out there but not too extreme. You go out, get into a store of your liking, try on some clothes, decided on a couple, speak to the nearest sale representative near you and ask the million dollar question: “Um excuse me, do you happened to have a new piece for this?”. 

Now, this is what customers or consumers assumed. A new piece of a top may not be “fresh” as they thought it would be. They do forget that the tops either way have had been use by some other customers. But it is the thought in they’re mind that if anything that has been taken out from the store room is considered “new”. News flash-It is not!

i do get customers asking me if there is any “new piece” and when I informed them that we ran out of it. Here is what you can picture: First, pouting. Followed by the same question but in state of desperation. Then, asking to check in other outlets. But alas, same thing-ran out. Then gets really mad at sales rep-this is what i mean by, it is not in my hands. Lastly, to the brink of insanity- telling the sales rep to go back in the store room to check it out once more. I mentally asked myself this,”Should I start sewing one for the poor desperate customer?”.

Oh please understand that when we have check it out everywhere, down to the warehouse and still there isn´t any- are you,customers,suggesting we start sewing one for you?. Or fly to the main source to deliver it right to your doorstep?.

Ridiculous Questions Asked.

I had many conversation with my fellow colleagues about ridiculous questions asked by customers. Most of it is too extremely funny. Our company will have bi yearly Golf Fair and it always is a hit with golfers, of course. And really busy to the point there was no time to eat. 

One of my colleague is in-charge of the socks section which was going really cheap! On the wagon lies a couple of sample of socks so customers can see those, touch and feel. Along came a customer, looking at the socks sample. Here comes the extremely funny part-he asked her,”What is this?”. LOL! My colleague looked at him with not knowing whether to give a ridiculous answer back or just ignore him! Of course, she told him it is socks. Duh.-okay, she didn´t say that to him.

She told the others what happened and one of them told her she should have said that those were condoms or a hand puppet! LOL! I laughed my behind off hearing about the incident! There is another customer asking a colleague this,”How many shoes can you put in this shoe bag?”. She wanted to say,”You can put at least ten shoes-baby shoes that is!” LOL! Oh man, the ridiculous questions customers can come up with! 

When I was working with the boxing brand which was one of the division of my company. The store was covered with mainly boxing theme, posters of Muhammad Ali, boxing gloves, punching bags were hung at the window display and so on. But each day, we get customers coming in asking,”Do you sell swimming goggles?”, “Excuse me, do you guys sell swimming trunks?”.*smacking my forehead with my palm* LOL!

Note to customers: Do ask questions that actually make sense.

The Credit Card Thrower.

I had experience this twice or more by idiotic customers whom I sometimes wonder if they do the same back where they come from. Is it a way of life there? Throwing their money and credit cards at the cashier counter. Or does it give them so much joy in doing so? Or simply, was not taught any courtesy by their parents when they were young. Oh, I dare say that the youngsters nowdays are following the rude grown up ways.

I have a baseball glove which was given for my birthday by a mate. I should bring it to work next time. Then I can play catch with these bunch of idiots. Can I throw it back at them and see what they feel? Isn´t that a fair thing to do? 

To the point where the card they throw would fall to the floor. Then I have to pick it up. How low can a human being with a mind given by god and not using it at all! It is absolutely rude! Won´t it be nice to have a two way pleasant shopping experience? 

The trouble always occurs by customers. To look for an argument, to ask questions that does not make any sense, to ask for discounts on top of discounts, to transfer an item to their residence and the list goes on. We do most of the time do Goodwill but when it is taken advantage of, I don´t see the point in being nice anymore.

How To Be A Great Customer 101.

The reason why I have decided to write about customers is simply because the way they have been treating retailers or the person who serves them at a local deli, a shoe shop and so on with no respect what so ever. 

A couple of years ago, I had brainstormed an idea of writing a book about bad customers. You get tons of books about giving excellent customer service but here´s the twist. I write about customers. The good, the bad and the disgusting. And to teach them basic courtesy.

In all my eight years in retail, from a mere sale assistance to head supervisor of three boxing stores and supervisor of a popular surf brand here in singapore. I have come to experience the worse kind of customers. Being yelled at something you have no power of has come to be a daily routine.

Here´s an example, a fellow huge shoulder customer walked into the store with a mate of his asking for a tank top to which I showed him the men´s range but he didn´t really liked it. My senses kicked in when I saw him telling off his mate about letting him choose and not to rush him. His mate backed off. The customer then walked to the ladies tank top section. I told him it´s for ladies-no, he wants to try it.(OMG) I couldn´t argue of course-customer-is-always-right motto these customer has been planted in their head. 

He tried the largest size for ladies tank top and came out of the dressing room looking all proud of his very “workout” shoulders plus he just expanded the tank top like crazy. Then, he wanted to tried the same top but different color! This time, I had to say no because by then all my tank tops are gonna be stretched!

Here comes the fun part, he yelled at the top of his lungs telling me off. I tried to calm him down that there is of no need to get mad. Plus, I told him the reason why I can´t let him wear the rest. Protecting my right to decline. My colleague was already afraid that the customer was gonna hit me. Of course, if he did. I can sue him. He wanted to complain to my office, I gave him the name card and he went on yelling standing outside the shop. Now, is this insane or what? The people we have to endure and paste a smile on our faces each day is tiring. They should come up pills for this!

I will post up short videos of basic courtesy here so customers could apply in their daily shopping routine.