5 Reasons You’re a Sucky Shopper

Okay, shoppers. Take a seat and listen up. This is important: you’re annoying. Yea, I went there. You annoy me. You annoy me and just about every other single person who works in retail because you have zero respect for what goes on behind the scenes. None. A little while ago Jennifer wrote about how you all suck as human beings when it comes to treating your cocktail waitress with respect. So we’re going to have another good talk, but this time about how to be a respectful shopper. It’ll be fun. Promise.

1.) An immaculately folded pile of graphic tees should remain immaculately folded. Do you know how long it takes to fold those shirts? A long fucking time. Do you know why? Because there are certain standards we have to adhere to while folding (with a really fun folding board might I add) so the pile can be immaculate enough to lure you to it. You mess it up, you make it worse not only for the people working there who have to stay until 1:30 in the morning cleaning up your mess (yea, happened last night … feel bad about it), but also for your fellow shopping peers. No one wants to try something on or even look at an item that comes from a pig sty. You ruined another shopper’s opportunity to admire a really great and comfortable striped shirt. You’re a mean person, that’s what you are. So here’s what you do. When going through the immaculately folded piles of clothing to find your size, you gracefully search for the tags that are sewn to it by the collar. When you find what you’re looking for, carefully remove the shirts on top of it, keeping them folded, take your selection and then return the folded shirts to its pile. You’ll annoy me less.

2.) Bring everything out of the fitting room that you brought in to the fitting room associate. There is a long line of people waiting for your fitting room and when you leave your shit in there, it takes even longer for us to clean it out, recount it and then let someone else back in. And then do you know what happens? We’re rushing to get everyone in and out of the fitting rooms and the piles of clothes that we have to sort, fold, re-hang and put back in the store in their proper places gets larger and larger and messier and messier and we have to stay until 2 a.m. cleaning up the mess. If only you had brought out all your clothes in the first place, everything would be a bit more organized.

3.) Decide you don’t want to keep something that you’re currently holding as you’re shopping in the store? Put it back where you found it. It’s polite. And it keeps the store looking nice. It’s really easy. If you forget where you found it, just bring it to someone who works there. They’ll hate you for the first five seconds but in the long run, trust me. You’ll be appreciated.

4.) Get to know what time the store closes. Lady who decided to sit on a bench and read in the store until 9 p.m. when we were supposed to close at 8 last night, I hope you’re reading this. We couldn’t close the registers until you left. We couldn’t start the majority of our closing routine until you left. Don’t you have a bed and a reading light at home? It’s 9 p.m. on a Sunday. What the hell are you still doing “shopping”? GO HOME. Yes, of course we don’t want to rush your shopping experience because we’re nice like that and essentially we want your business. But we’ve been on our feet all day and will be for at least three more hours after you leave, so respect our closing times and get yourself home.

5.) In a hurry? We don’t care. So many times, people get impatient when the alarm goes off because a sensor is still attached to their jeans. “UGHHH I’m in a rush. I can’t believe this.” I don’t care, dude. You’re rude. We’re just trying to run a business here and you’re going to have to come back anyway to get the sensor removed. And we don’t trust you. So if you put up a fuss, we’ll probably start to think you’re trying to steal something. So relax. We’ll take care of the situation as efficiently as possible because you annoy us and we want you out of the store ASAP too.

Do these things again and I’ll really hurt you. With words.

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Beth

YES! After working retail for many years (not anymore, thank god) I agree with everything. May I add another point though? 6. Don’t come up to a closed store and bang on the door/window and beg us to let you in because you “just wanna grab one thing!! OHHHH I can’t live without that really cool pair of fuzzy slippers and trashy pair of $3.00 panties, let me innnn!” I will yell at you. I will NEVER let you in. I once made the mistake of letting someone in early on in my retail career and they tried on half the store, left it all in the fitting room and didn’t buy anything. Not cool. Shopping isn’t that important, you don’t need to go into anymore debt buying crap you don’t need. Go away.
nolalola27

Let me preface this with the statement that I have worked my ass off in both retail AND the service industry so I am speaking from the trenches.

I agree with you on everything but the T-shirt pile. They need to BAN the T-shirt pile. It’s stupid, because it basically begs people to come over and open the shirt up to see if that size M means it will fit or if they should admit defeat & buy the L. Display the shirts in another way, (I went into a store once where they had hung up one each of the sizes for you to touch, and when you made your decision, you could walk over to a member of staff and ask for what you wanted) so you don’t HAVE to fold or refold the shirts.
Emily

As addition to Beth’s #6: Do not beg to be let in to buy some children’s tylenol because your baby has a fever, then browse for 20 minutes.
Shae

Look, I don’t screw up a pile of folded t-shirts on purpose, but guess what — I don’t get paid to stock your store. If you can’t display things in a way that’s easy for shoppers to go through and/or put back, then perhaps you should revisit your display practices.

Sometimes we shoppers can’t put things back either because we don’t know how to do your little folding tricks or because other shoppers have flung everything around enough as to make it difficult.

The mess is the drawback of your (or your management’s) decision to display things in a way that’s “alluring” instead of practical. I have no desire to learn the intricacies of running a retail store just because I need a poorly-labeled t-shirt at the bottom of a fancy stack.
- Jessica
  
  Huh. You seem to think it’s the employees’ idea to display the product in a way that you find inconvenient. Employees have no say, and taking out your frustrations on an employee that gets paid next to nothing to deal with you GETS NOTHING DONE. No one is going to rearrange the store to your liking. Sure it might make you feel better to mess up someone’s day, but in the end you’re just another shitty customer.
- Shae
  
  “You seem to think it’s the employees’ idea to display the product in a way that you find inconvenient.”
  
  No, but your beef should be with your management or franchise, not me. They have decided that the money brought in by displaying things in a way that’s “alluring” is worth the extra money they pay you to clean up piles now and then. Time to either suck it up and do what they pay you to do, or decide that your management is unfair and move on. Your choice.
  
  “taking out your frustrations on an employee…”
  
  The fact that I don’t clean up your piles for you is not indicative of frustration. You’re the one who finds the piles frustrating, not me.
- Eileen
  
  It’s not management; it’s corporate. When I worked retail for a large national brand, we received each month a chart of what the floor set was supposed to look like. It even included what color order the sweaters should be placed. I had no control. Neither did my store manager. Neither did the regional manager, for that matter. I refolded sweaters many times because that was my job, and I fielded complaints about the return policies (“It’s written right on the receipt, ma’am.” “I’m sorry, but we can’t take these pants back; you bought them a year ago and we no longer carry this item.”) that I had no control over because listening to and being polite to customers was part of my job, too. And I finger-spaced every rack, and explained at least five times that I was sorry, but I didn’t speak Spanish, and you should go talk to my manager over there who does, and by the way we closed half an hour ago, and you know what? I even entertained the kids, which definitely WASN’T my job, because they needed it and I wasn’t too busy and everyone cares about customer relations.
  
  But that doesn’t make the customers who were rude to me any less rude. They were entitled to be rude, and I was paid (pretty badly) to put up with their rudeness. Nevertheless, despite being a teenaged girl with a part-time job at the mall, I was still a human being who deserved at least the inherent respect that we all deserve. Not to go all Kumbaya on everyone, but we’re all sharing in the same human experience; why make someone else’s life a little bit harder just because you can?
- Shae
  
  Eileen, you seem to be yelling at someone else besides me, despite the placement of your comment. I’m never rude, and I don’t condone anyone who is. Customers who yell, harass, flirt, belittle, or call you honey are way out of line.
  
  However, customers who go about their shopping without bending over backwards to help the salespeople clean up the store are another matter. I’m simply not going to fold the t-shirt pile until I get training and a paycheck. And if the pile and the folding procedure is fussy and hard to figure out, it’s little wonder that shoppers don’t bother. For the company to ask the salesperson to do it is hardly a civil rights violation, and in any case, it’s up to you and your manager/company to negotiate what you’ll do and for how much money. All retail jobs involve a certain amount of cleaning and menial, boring work.
- Eileen
  
  Yeah, you’re right; it’s poor placement. I don’t agree with all of the policies of the store at which I used to work, certainly, and while my comment still stands, it should have been directed at others. I suppose you fell on the cutting block because your comment happened to be the one at the top of the “recent comments” list, and I’m sorry about that.
- Rebecca
  
  The writer here is exaggerating for effect. Please shop. Please go through the piles as you need. The real point she should have made is, don’t knock shit on the floor, turn over EVERY stack on the table, unfolding 90% of the shirts as you go. THAT’s who this is / should be aimed at. And the only reason you thought it was about you, was probably because you can’t imagine being only 1 person making that much of a mess. But it happens.
Eileen

Don’t touch a rack just to touch it. If you want to look at the shirt, that’s fine, but I’ve literally seen customers ruin the rack I’ve just spent fifteen minutes sizing and finger-spacing without actually looking at anything. This is not acceptable after age 4.

Along those lines, I am (or rather, was) a sales associate. I happen to be a great babysitter, but that is not my job. If your kid wanders into the window display, and I tell him to get out because I don’t want him to hurt himself, and he doesn’t, I am going to expect you to get him out yourself. If you respond, “Oh, he won’t listen to me” and continue shopping, I will conclude that you are a really awful parent who furthermore needs to leave the store now. I realize that suddenly you are not the only adult in the room, but don’t expect me to take care of your kid. Hire a babysitter.

Finally, please: a fitting room is not a changing room. And even if it were, it is not appropriate to leave a dirty diaper on the floor when you’re done. Also, please leave the store with all the lingerie you wore in on your person. I don’t want to have to deal with your bra when I’m cleaning up.

I accept the ruined piles, though. Par for the course. I mean, yeah, it’s more work for me, but even if the person carefully removes the shirt it’s more work for me because the pile is no longer perfectly balanced.
Stephanie

This brings back my retail horrors from working at DEB at Forever 21 (two worst stores ever, right?!) during college. We had t-shirt piles and jean piles, both of which were always a complete mess at the end of the night. I don’t understand jean piles. I’m looking at you, Uniqlo. They just bring frustration to everyone.
Christine

I’m feeling argumentative, don’t hate me.
I like the advice of giving clothes back to the sale associate when I decide not to buy it. I will definitely start doing that. And i promise to bring all my clothes out of the dressing room all the time, and I’m always somewhat aware of when the store closes so I’ll do my best to hurry up. But…. I will still mess up the shirt piles a little bit because I have do the whole hold this up to see what size I should be wearing gig. Unless retail stores find some sort of agreement on what size a Small, Medium and Large is then that will have to be the case. Or, you could find a way to display the shirt more accurately without doing that sneaky little clip/pin in the back of the shirt to alter the way it fits the mannequin. And the sensor tags should never be on the clothes when I’m heading toward the door after paying them…right?
Kat

People in general suck. I work at a DQ after school and people like to arrive ten minutes before we close after we’ve cleaned the machines, restocked everything, swept, mopped and a whole bunch of other things. We have to do it ALL OVER AGAIN a process that takes 30 to 50 minutes.
- Tiredofsnideclerks
  
  The customers about whom you are bitching arrived “ten minutes *before* we close”. Duh. They’re not doing anything wrong; they get to make their purchases up to–wait for it–CLOSING TIME. Get it?
- Kym
  
  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to a fast food place 30 minutes to an HOUR before closing and am told I can’t have a milkshake or ice cream because they’ve already cleaned the machine. I’ve worked retail, and I understand that the reason for this is that they want you out the door right at closing time so they don’t have to pay overtime, but seriously? No ice cream for the last hour?
SmittenKitten

I work in customer service as well and totally understand how frustrating and stupid people can be…BUT (I feel bad being a jerk, but really) it’s your JOB. I mean, that’s what you DO in a clothing store, help people out, clean up, etc. It’s not brain surgery even if it is extremely annoying!
Jasmine

Yes, im a “sucky” shopper, and you know what? I don’t care! Yes, i may mess up a few shirts when looking for my size, if you don’t like it, then organize shirts better! and you know what else? You get PAID to actually WORK, so why don’t you try it and stop bugging me to buy some more jeans! So what if you have to fold a few extra shirts? You know how many people don’t even have jobs and would give anything just to do what your complaining about now? Suck it up, and do your job -__-
- Jen
  
  Funny that you think people would do anything to have a job when I get maybe one good application out of ten. And when people do get hired, they complain about hours yet don’t work when we have extra. You as a shopper will get much better attention and benefits if you’re simply respectful to the staff and realize that working retail is a tough job.
Caitlyn

I hate it when people do the “stop whining, it’s your job and you’re paid for it” thing.

That doesn’t change the existence of respect and courtesy.

It’s the people who say things like that that used to make a mess at another job of mine just to see someone else clean it up.

Actually there’s something I’d add to this- people think they’re being really nice when they bring stuff out of the changing room and put it back where it came from. I appreciate the thought, but don’t do it. You don’t know the right way to hang/fold it, and I just have to clean up after you. Just give the clothes to one of the staff.
- Tamara
  
  This article didn’t have one ounce of respect or courtesy in mind when they wanted to bitch about customers, so why should the customers respect you? Infact, it wasn’t written with any tact at all. Perhaps if had been written with that in mind, instead of sounding like a whiney bitch, then maybe people would be more inclined to hear out her situation.
Erika

My pet peeve with customers is when they hang around in the store after closing or walk in the store a minute before we close and begin to shop. Once we are closed, you cannot continue to shop — we have to close our registers and fix our product and a dozen other things. We have clearly stated hours you CAN shop. I work in fine jewelry at a large department store and because I’m not allowed to leave the counter unattended when there are still shoppers in the store, I usually end up waiting up to fifteen minutes after closing to begin my closing routine, and this makes me the last associate to leave and forces my managers to wait for me. If you’ve been shopping for a while and you are being rung up as the store is closing, I understand, but when you continue to shop for so long after we’re closed, I really don’t appreciate it.
porkchop

I say, go ahead and trash the dressing room, that’s you’re right. I would prefer it if you didn’t then give me a smug chuckle and tell me you’re providing me with “job security.”

I understand your need to express your anger over our infuriating returns policy, but once you recognize that I don’t have the power to help you, you should stop yelling at me.

If you want to bring your 18 month old in the store at 10:30 pm, I’m not going to judge. You could be a single mom and this is an emergency trip to my store to buy an interview blouse for tomorrow. However, it’s depressing for me to watch you paw every item on the clearance rack while your child’s sanity slowly erodes under the harsh flourescents.
- Rebecca
  
  This is it exactly. Be respectful, people! We are here to help you, but that doesn’t make us non-human. I’m a person first, and employee second. And so are you when you’re at work. So no overt smugness or yelling, ever. Or you will be asked to leave my store.
nolalola27

Also, regarding the sensor tags? It is the responsibility of the cashier to take the damn things off before you send the shopper on her/his way. If it goes off, it’s because YOU were in a hurry, not the shopper.
?

Wow . Bitter much? Haha. I work retail. You should see my city, you think you have it bad. Try working black Friday in a city where NO one bothers putting shit back.
- Rebecca
  
  Black Friday? That’s the easiest day of the year (unless you’re somewhere totally nuts like WalMart). Customers understand ahead of time that you’re gonna be a busy, chaotic pig sty and will be running out of merchandise. It’s the other sales during the year when most people turn into whiny bitches.
non

i didn’t get any farther than something about don’t touch folded t-shirts. if you work in retail and you fold t-shirts … and a customer comes in and sorts through them. IT’S YOUR JOB TO RE-FOLD THEM. stop b*tch*ng O.o
B.

so this person does not want to do their job for which they are paid to do?
- G
  
  Worse. #5 shows not only does she not want to do the job she is paid to do, but is actually incapable of doing.
  I did work retail. And I don’t have a story about annoying customers last night. Why? Because I chose to become something that irritated me less.
  Looks like someone picked the wrong life to be in retail.
I_hate_pretentious_dickheads

You definitely need to incorporate the friendly,but firm “Can I help you? we are closed” method If you tell them the registers close in 5 minutes, they will normally leave.

This part goes out to every dickhead “who says its just part of your job shut-up”
Imagine the one thing at your job you dislike doing, it is not hard but it is tedious. Now imagine one person coming by every 3-5 minutes and making you do that one task over and over and over taking you away from other tasks that need to be be finished. Now imagine you have an 8 hour shift. Getting the picture?
- maybe_retail_isnt_for_you
  
  yes i get the picture that you dont want to fold tshirts for 8 hours. then dont get a job that might involve you folding tshirts for 8 hours.
- Rebecca
  
  And if it’s forbidden to tell them you are closed? Yeah. In my store (and probably the writer’s too,) it is. I’ve gotten written up for it. The best we can do is shut off our in-store music, and hope they notice.
1Michelle1

To all those people that say, “Get over it–this is what you get paid to do,” I bet you have never worked retail. Yes, it’s the person’s job to fold things, clear out dressing rooms, etc., but there is such a thing as common courtesy, which a lot of people lack these days. I used to love the mall and shopping, so I thought working at a store would be great. It slowly became my personal Hell. People treat employees at stores really rudely, they paw through things they have no intention of buying, they let their kids run around and make messes too, etc. And if you have ever worked at a restaurant or a store (I have done both), you also realize how important it is to leave/not go in when they’re closing in 10 to 20 minutes. This is precious time when people are trying to clean so they can get out of there at a decent time. People shrug, though, and say, “Well, your store doesn’t close until 9.” Um, well, I work at 9 to 5 job now, and if every day–yes, EVERY DAY–my boss came in with an assignment 10 minutes until 5, which kept me at work until 6, I would be ticked off. That’s not okay, right? That would drive us all crazy, right? So why do we think it’s okay to do that to people in retail? Especially when they get paid peanuts and have been on their feet all day long. C’mon–treat people in retail like you would want to be treated.

The sensor point, though, is silly. It is your job to take off that sensor, and sometimes it doesn’t get noticed until I get all the way home. NOT cool.
- tungstencoil
  
  I, too, have worked retail and as a bartender, for a number of years (see my main-topic comment). I wanted to respond to your “don’t visit when they’re closing in 10 or 20 minutes”.
  
  If a place doesn’t want a customer after 8:45, they should post a closing time of 8:45, not 9:00. If you post a time of 9:00, please should be able to come in AND SHOP at 8:59.59. Period.
  
  It isn’t disrespectful; if you’re used to starting closing duties a little early to facilitate getting out of there, that’s cool. But you’re open until the time posted.
  
  Yes, I adhered to that as a retail and restaurant worker. Yes, it pissed a lot of my co-workers off. Yes, I often scooped up lots of customers (in the restaurant) and a lot of tips that way, and a lot of commissions/sales in retail, because other folks couldn’t be bothered.
  
  Again, if you want customers to stop coming in at 8:45, post that as your closing time.
- Pfft
  
  If a store is open until 5, you must expect to serve until 5. After that you can ask people to leave. I work in retail and customers come in 5 mins before close all the time and we just make sure we tell them they’ve got 5 mins until the registers are closed up and they won’t be able to make a purchase.
  
  Can you imagine if other businesses closed up shop earlier than the time stated because the staff wanted to get out early? The business is there to make money during the allotted hours… as a staff member you should respect the fact that you are paid to do your job as specified. If you were my employee and actively tried to stop customers coming in prior to the close of business I would do my best to get rid of you. What has happened to work ethics these days?
Doubts

I work in retail, and have worked in clothing retail.
the spoiled little girl who wrote this rant is a clueless idiot.
of course you have to unfold a shirt to decide you want to buy it. Folding clothes is a part of the job. While she is correct that we would rather have you bring the items out of the dressing room it takes about 4.5 seconds to grab clothes from the room and a large portion of your time when working the changing rooms is idle, fold and resort then.
#3 you will hate me for the 5 seconds that i see you but i should just accept that because you will appreciate me after i am gone. after I am gone i don’t care if you get hit by a bus, much less what you appreciate.
#4 is slightly valid. if they are actually shopping that is one thing, someone reading in the store needs to leave. of course a 1/2 way competent manager would have asked her to leave.
#5. don’t be a clueless moron and actually check the clothes for security tags before you bag them
tungstencoil

Three words: suck it up.

Disclaimer: I’ve worked retail (both front line and management), as well as bartender, waiter, and telephone customer service. Yes, things like this are annoying. Yes, it’s your job to deal with it.

All jobs have annoying things. Unless someone is intentionally doing it to be a jerk, too bad.
Threatened

The amount of arrogance this bitch exudes must mean she works at Barney’s. They pay well for attitude like that. I’d hate to think someone this cunty works at the Fashion Bug or Lane Bryant…
- Alex
  
  You sound fat.
MechaGorgonzola

I’ve worked retail before and I’ve experienced these frustrations. That being said, this is just a rant and nothing to take serious. Customers are there to buy stuff. If they can’t mess up your piles or try on and discards possible purchases easily, they’re not going to buy anything and you’ll be out of a job.

Your gripe is with your corporate management. They say you have to have immaculate piles. They say you have to clean out dressing rooms. The customers don’t give a damn about that.

If you’re upset about customers staying past closing, either you or your manager needs to grow a pair and let the customer know ahead of time that the store will be closing soon. If you let them stay after closing, it’s your fault.

Do your job. It is your job to remove all security tags. Customers don’t leave the cashwrap until you do, so if their purchase is finished and you’ve missed one, you’re not doing your job.

Beyond all that, retail sucks and you should get out immediately. Find a nice customer service job on the phone. They pay better and you don’t have to fold clothes or deal with obnoxious customers face-to-face.
Lionsgate

I *am* one of those people who say “get over it”! Oh boo-hoo, so you have to do your job. Don’t like it? Go to college and get a professional job then.

But guess what? It’s no better in the professional world. Did you know I hate you when you come into my ER and barf all over the stretcher? Or when you come in a 6:45 (and I’m off at 7) with a headache you’ve had for a week? How about when you bleed all over my scrubs?

GET OVER IT! My job description doesn’t say ANYTHING about getting beat up by you when you come in stoned out of your gourd on god-knows-what and I try to start an IV on you so you won’t die. But I’ll betcha YOUR job description does say you’ll fold up that stack of t-shirts to keep the shelves looking nice.
- Alex
  
  I’m pretty sure if you’re working in the ER, it is definitely in your job description to deal with barf and blood and keeping people from dying.
  Maybe you should try a gig in retail if you feel so angry about the fact that working in an Emergency Room is a bit difficult…never woulda guessed that one.
- Rebecca
  
  Go to college? Like it’s *always* an option? Sometimes retail is the only option… at least for a time. My time has been a decade. And I would love to be in school. BUT bills need to be paid, and I do NOT want you paying my way so I can take welfare. Is that what you want?
  
  Also, I would love to have a job where society views me as valueable and skilled. You work in an ER? Surely you do good everyday to help someone when they are at their lowest. Me? I’m folding those shirts for the 8th time and absorbing your shit aditude toward me, the lower class.
  
  So your scrubs get bled on, or you have to clean up vomit — Get over it. You’re in an ER. It’s gonna happen.
  
  Who knew that elderly gentleman was going to take a shit in my dressing room the other day? And I had no proper cleaning supplies. Windex and paper towels anyone?
  
  Watch yourself, you’re sounding like an elitest a-hole, and not the kind loving person you are capable of being.
Stefanie

I’m one of those “shut up and do your job people” and I have worked in retail before. The lady who stayed in the store until 9 is the only legit complaint and even then why didn’t they ask her to leave? Every store I’ve ever been in including the one I worked at asked people to leave at closing time. As for the other things I’m sorry my business is such an inconvenience to you, perhaps i should shop elsewhere. If I need a shirt that isn’t XXS I’m going to have to mess up your precious pile. If I’m in a rush yeah, I might be annoyed that you didn’t perform your job properly a remove a security tag from my clothing, how is this being rude? Get over yourself really. Being annoyed at things customers do that are actually rude and uncalled for is one thing but this list is stupid. Shoppers unfortunately need to mess up the store a bit in order to shop, the displays aren’t going to remain perfect when someone wants to take out a M shirt, or a L pair of jeans. Sorry, I didn’t realize your boss wanted to pay you to stand around and do nothing after you organized the merchandise once.
Jamie

Maybe I should write a list of why you’re a sucky employee. The list would be about 100 times as long as this. Stop whining and do your fucking job. At least you have one.
CobraShark

I manage a retail business and it’s our job to provide service, maintain the store, and prevent theft among other things. It is not our job to babysit kids or adults who act like kids. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect people to not destroy my shelves and displays, or talk to me like a damn human being. I fully agree that people who’ve never had service jobs are on the whole more inconsiderate than those who have. If I went into your office and thrashed your desk and files because I was looking for something, you’d be pissed. Don’t do it to my store. And don’t walk in 2 minutes before close and want something that will take ten minutes. Ass.
- hallohallo
  
  Your comparison to offices does not work here. Offices usually aren’t spaces where patrons filter in and out of looking for things to buy.
- Rebecca
  
  @hallohallo
  
  The comparison does work. It is our workplace. You have clients that come in to your office either frequently or on occasion, no? And your company gets money from you serving them, right? So why not let them re-arrange your paperwork.
  
  A store IS a workplace. Employees are people first, peons second. Act accordingly.
Jonathan

To all the retail complainers… please quit. There are tens of thousands of people out of work who would love the opportunity to be bothered by ‘sucky shoppers’.
I HATE SHOPPING

if you could put the tags on the outside and not tuck them in the shirt, most people would not have to disturb your pristine piles of over priced clothing. I think the point is that if you did your job right in the first place, people would not have to disturb your piles as much and you could work less and text your friends more and ignore your customers even more! Cant wait to got ruffle up some shirt pile on black friday!!!
ILOVEYOU

if you could put the tags on the outside and not tuck them in the shirt, most people would not have to disturb your pristine piles of over priced clothing. I think the point is that if you did your job right in the first place, people would not have to disturb your piles as much and you could work less and text your friends more and ignore your customers even more! Cant wait to got ruffle up some shirt pile on black friday!!!
JMac

1) This is just whining. As previous commenters have said, direct this at your employer for displaying things this way. As you make very clear, it’s a pain in the ass to maintain the piles; don’t expect customers to do it.
2) Check.
3) Check.
4) Check.
5) Customers shouldn’t be rude about it, but they have a right to be annoyed by your mistake of failing to remove the tags. Security is nothing but a hassle to customers, and when it becomes intrusive, it’s easy to be upset about it. It’s more justifiable than some of the things in this very list. It’s actually a little insulting for honest shoppers to set off the security alarm.
Diane

Hon, you’re a whiny brat, thus I don’t care if I annoy you. “In a hurry? We don’t care.” Try working somewhere with no T-shirts. You know, somewhere requiring more than a high-school education. As for hurting anyone with words, see above, and good luck with that.
sleze

Waaaa!!! You work in retail – get over it. Most people (including me) have worked retail at some point in their lives (retail clerk is the most common job in the US) and we have all had to deal with bad/stupid customers.

Whine to each other in the back room. The internet will offer no comfort to you.
Drew

I can not want to go to my local mall this weekend and throw clothing all over the place.
Mold

Hmmm…when did taking a job require one to tug at their forelock in deference to their ‘betters’? Why is retail where so many ‘customers’ feel entitled to being jerkholes?
I liked the post where the author indicated mutual courtesy and respect works wonders. I will also smirk at the jerkholes who stamped they widdle feets and huffed and hissied…and after they got a whole 2% markdown…I received a 75% discount by treating the clerk as a person just doing their job. SMIRK!
Former Retail Slave

Waaaaah. Boo hoo hoo.
Ashley

I’m confused. It sounds like I shouldn’t leave things in the dressing room, but I shouldn’t try to hang them back up or fold them because I’ll just “do it wrong” so does that mean that if I hand out a bunch of hangers and a handful of unfolded, rumpled clothing you’ll thank me and cheerfully go about your job? I kind of doubt that. If I am trying on clothes, and I decide I need a different size of a shirt, I will hang the shirt back up, and when I am getting the new size, I’ll put the other one back. I thought that was courteous. The sensor thing is ridiculous – my friend and I once went shopping out of town specifically to shop at a store we didn’t have in our hometown, and they left a sensor on and we didn’t realize it until we got home. We then had to make an extra trip to our mall, walk into random stores, and try to prove that we hadn’t stolen the shirt from somewhere until someone would remove it. Take an extra 30 seconds and deal with it.

And I feel I can safely say all of this, because I worked in retail and lived through it.
kate

I’ll leave the pile all nice and neat when merchants make it easier to find the damn sizes. Some place long stickers with S, M, L, XL running along the bottom fold, then I don’t have to dig deep into the pile to figure it out.

And yes, it’s your job to fold the clothes. How horrid for you.
kate

Well said, Shae. I’m polite to sales reps, smile, thank them, try to keep stacks neat, pick up fallen clothes, etc. I even “finger” the hanging racks, or whatever you call it. But I’m not about to pull out a board and fold stuff properly. That’s what clerks are supposed to do.
Joshua

You really should have mentioned where you work, so that I might avoid shopping at that store altogether. That way I won’t mess up your pretty store and hurt your feelings. i’m sure your competitors won’t mind if I take my business there.
Kitty

1. I think a lot of people are misunderstanding this one. I’ve seen people walk into stores, yank a shirt out from in the middle of the pile of folded shirts, and not bother straightening it up. The entire pile has just been ruined because that person was too lazy to carefully remove the shirt they wanted. I always try to refold things after I pick them up. It may not look quite as nice, but at least it’s not horrible.

2. Totally agree. This is not only a pain to the employees, but to the customer. I hate when I go into a dressing room and there’s hangers and whatnot left over. It’s not hard people–take it with you when you go.

3. This one is super easy because in EVERY store I’ve been in, if you take it with you to the cash register and tell the cashier you changed your mind, they’ll put it aside to be put away later. It doesn’t require any other effort on your part and they don’t have to hunt it down later.

4. I worked as a cashier. It pissed me off when people wouldn’t leave. I’m like, “I can’t go ’till you go, so GET!” Especially if they’re not buying anything.

5. This one…It’s the cashier’s job to get take off the sensor. If they forget, that’s their fault. It’s not only annoying if the customer is in a rush, but it’s scary as hell when you walk through the door and get beeped at. The customer’s annoyance here is justified.

I’ve always felt that customers should just use common courtesy and common sense. It’s not hard. But I seriously hate when I get rude employees. They are getting paid to be there assist customers. Part of customer service is being polite and pleasant when you seriously want to bash in a skull. I have met a few rude or aloof employees and it’s frustrating. I even walked out on one of my favourite stores because the woman working that day was beyond rude for no reason (she actually told me that if I didn’t like her attitude, I could leave. So I did). Customers, be nice and don’t be an ass. Employees, remember your job is to be patient and pleasant.
Sam

Let me get this straight: I’m a PAYING CUSTOMER whose potential purchase (along with that of other paying customers) keeps the shop’s doors open, and by extension, provides you, the RETAIL EMPLOYEE, employed, and because I don’t fold a T-shirt back to the standards set forth by your employer, I’m the a-hole? I’m invited by your employer to browse the inventory and through this enticed to make a purchase. If you have issues with the fact that I don’t fold the T-shirt (which is your F#KING JOB!!!!) then develop and hone marketable skills so that you DON’T HAVE TO WORK RETAIL! The reality is that everyone, not just you, gets paid to do things the employer does not want to do or doesn’t have the time to do. The generations before us built highways, dams, skyscrapers and lived through wars and financial ruin. And you bitch about folding T-shirts? Grow up!
Michael C.

Ah, another in MY long list of reasons to shop online and not in stores. Whiny, entitled, fucktards like the author of this article should shut up and do their jobs while they still have them. I suddenly have the desire to walk through the mall this weekend an “mess up” every pile of clothes I come across. Wish I knew where this lazy twat worked…
maybe_you_should_reconsider_working_retail

I worked my way through undergrad and medical school working retail. I worked retail because the hourly rate was worth the work they wanted. Folding clothes and putting away fitting room slough was a lot easier than landscaping and waiting tables.

If you don’t like re-folding clothes talk to your employer about having a different display set-up. If you want clothes brought out of the fitting room, put a rack outside onto which I can deposit the clothes I don’t want. And quit bitching about people not putting items back where they found them. If your store wasn’t so damn disorganized and your employer didn’t intentionally make finding things difficult (in order to increase the time spent browsing) then it would be easy to do so. As it stands blame your employer’s marketing and/or get another job.
jennk

i can not believe the ammount of self absorbed asshats in the comment section, as well as the author of this stupid, waste of space article. I have worked retail, it sucks in a major way. i can certainly see both sides of the coin, as a shopper and a retail worker. What a horrible attitude to have towards customers. Not all of them are rude slobs that throw clothing All over the place. Your job is to stock, reface, clean and number one priority CUSTOMER SERVICE!! if i was your boss i would fire you. How horrible that you can be bothered to fold shirts and clean out the dressing rooms. And the bit about the security tags?? you know where they are, take them off at the register like you are supposed to, instead of holding up the customer. get off your god damned cell phone and DO WORK!. and please, this does not mean that you have a right, as a customer, to be a friggin slob. yes, look at the shirt, unfold it, try it on. but atleast try to make it look neat when you place it back, dont just crumple it up. it may be someones job to refold it, but its good manners to leave things as you found them. ( im sure your mommas all taught you that!) shop the hours that are posted, clean up your garbage and plcae things where you found them. not saying you have to be exact or pristene, but just try to act like its your home. to the author of this article, you should be ashamed of yourself. That is all.
- Rebecca
  
  Exactly. The writer went way overboard in her attempt to make a point. Now no one will see it her way, because she is an abrasive bitchmonster.
Tansey

I’ve worked retail before also and I have to agree with the poster who said you sound like a brat. Don’t want people messing up that pristine shirt pile? Find some way to display them that won’t mess them up, because God forbid you have to actually do your job. Withought those customers (whom you hate oh so much) you wouldn’t be getting that crappy $300 a week paycheck.

I bet some of those customers read articles like this online and think “well if retail employees hate us so much then why should I show them any respect and make their job easier?” I would’ve LOVED an easy job like working in a clothing store when I was a teenager, but unfortunately the closest mall to my house was 15 miles away so I was stuck working at the local movie theater. THAT job was pure hell. I would’ve given anything to fold shirts and ring up customers all day instead of cleaning up food and garbage, being called a “stupid bitch” for kicking out movie hoppers, and having fat ass women scream at me for not letting them bring in a large god damned pizza from Pizza Hut.

In closing, suck it up and be grateful you even HAVE a job in this current economy.
Tom Davidson

The easiest solution: don’t work retail. Let me say that again, so it sinks in: don’t work retail. Ever. There is no situation so dire that it can be improved by working retail. It is better to beg on a streetcorner than work at, say, Lane Bryant.

Don’t work retail. Make this your personal motto if you have to. Tattoo it on your forehead, thus guaranteeing that you will never be able to work retail again. Whatever it takes, do it: don’t work retail.
ED

On #5: you expect me to not be annoyed because you’re incompetent? I understand that mistakes get made, but of course I’ll be annoyed if you don’t do your job and take the sensor off the clothes. I’ll be too polite to say anything, but I will hate YOU. It should probably be routine, and I don’t see why I should waste my time.

I worked long hours at a boring, minimum-wage job in order to pay for those jeans, so don’t whine to me about your crappy job. I’m just glad I have one.
Seriously

The author sounds like a drama-queen to me. I can only imagine what get habits on the road are like. I think she needs to take a deep breath and realize that although it sucks to deal with mean people, her job is by no means in a ‘high-stress’ occupation.

I’ve worked plenty of retail. I think a big part if the problem is that there is so much idle time in retail that when it comes time to actually do something it sucks. Not because something needs to be done but because of the transition from nothing to something and back to nothing again. It is like stop and go traffic. Driving one continuous speed is so much easier on people psychologically than stopping, waiting, going, and repeating- regardless of which is actually covering more distance.

Sounds to me like the store is poorly managed and under-staffed. Get customers out if they are not doing after close. Keep the store tidy during business hours. Hire help if need. And, above all, fire those that do not respect and realize where the money from their paycheck is actually coming from.

And seriously, don’t expect ME to stop because your store has a faulty security protocol. If you leave tags on clothing, that is your problem, not mine. Call the cops if you want. If you try to detainee me and I have not tried to steal anything, then it is your name that will be in a blog post. Scream ‘i thought they were stealing’ all you want- in this country you are STILL innocent until proven guilty.
Kevin

My struggles with the stupidity and lack of courtesy from customers led me to create a blog dedicated to these people that have tormented my life for over a decade.

It’s called Retail Ramblings. I don’t want people to think I’m just a spammer so I won’t post the link here. If you want to read more stories about the absolutely crazy things customers do, just go to google and search Retail Ramblings. It’s the first page that comes up.
Roger

I don’t disagree with two through five but, as for the first one, tough. I will do my best to refold everything I look at but I don’t have your board and I’m sure it won’t be as good. Until clothes are consistent in their sizes, stacked correctly by style, color and size and there is a guarantee that there are no flaws in manufacturing and storage (you wouldn’t believe how many on-the-shelf clothes have holes, pulls, etc.), then I will be taking as many items as I need to to make my selection.
Minnie

I worked retail for many (mostly in juniors and trendy men’s department at a major department store). It sounds like the author of this article works at a big box store like Old Navy (lines of customers, stacks of graphic tees, an angsty salesperson who obviously doesn’t work on commission–or if she does, she’s doin’ it wrong.) I worked at an upscale department store where wanted shopping to be a relaxing afternoon, where customers rarely had to wait to be ushered to a fitting room, and where I acted as a fashion consultant, not just a cashier.

If you happen to be shopping at an upscale department store, do the opposite of everything this girl said. For example…

(1) As a commissioned salesperson, I WANT you to touch the clothing display. Customers are more likely to buy an item once they touch it. If, as a shopper, you are genuinely interested in my beautifully folded display and want to touch, feel, and examine the clothes, (a) that’s a compliment to me and my mad presentations skills and (b) I will refold everything in between customers. (Besides, it’s to my benefit to look busy when the next customer approaches.)

(2) When exiting the fitting room, please don’t worry about bringing your pile of clothes to me. If you want to be helpful, put the clothes back on their hangers, then leave them behind–maybe say “thank you!” as you walk past me–that signals to me that you’re done and it’s okay for me to put the clothes away as soon as possible.

(3) You do not need to memorize where you found an item in the store and put it back there for me. Leave the item on the counter or hand it to me.

(4) You don’t have to memorize the store’s schedule, but do pay attention to intercom announcements. As closing time approaches, we’ll make several polite announcements. If I saw a woman reading a book in my store after closing time, I would probably politely get her attention and let her know that we’re closing soon. (And I would ask her what book she’s reading, because it’s obviously captivating! Ha!)

(5) In a hurry? Tell me and I will be in a hurry too, for your sake. The department store I worked for NEVER used security tags (we trust our customers), so the situation the author describes never happened to me, but I had similar screw-ups (forgetting to return customer’s credit card, or forgetting to bag a purchased item). Accidents happen–a salesperson should never ridicule the customer for HER mistake.

For many people, shopping is a form of recreation. If they can afford it, why not treat them graciously? That’s what you’re paid to do. If you don’t enjoy making the shopping experience as positive as possible for the customer, you need to get a new job (or a new attitude) ASAP.
Ponce

Add up all the time required to needlessly refold T-shirts. Now if everyone was nice and kept them folded so you don’t have to refold them, then your employer would need that much less hours of employees working. An employer is not going to pay to have someone sitting around not doing anything.

So yes, we as shoppers should be careful handling the shirts, so the employer has less overhead to sell the item to us and passes some of that savings back to us in lower prices, not because a precious snowflake is bitching about having to work.
NaviGangsta

Most of you need to learn to appreciate what you have and quit complaining about your job. Or maybe go out and get a real job so you know how easy retail piss-ant jobs are.
Lms

Why are they too lazy to take the sensor off the jeans in the first place so the alarm doesn’t go off???
anti jillian

Jillian – get over yourself, you work in a fucking retail store. I am tired of anal retentive people like you and baristas because a customer does not do things your way. If I ever stepped in your store I would make sure and disrupt every shirt on the table and take extra crap in the fitting room just to piss you off.
Allycia

I work retail, and have been working at various retail stores for 7 years now.
Though I hate when people mess up the racks, I’m still with the “it’s your job” view. You applied at that store, right? Nobody forced you to! So suck it up or get a job that doesn’t involve clothes piles!
Don’t start too much of a closing routine until 10 maybe 15 minutes before close. You’re never going to stop those last minute shoppers.
It takes only a few minutes to clean out the dressing rooms, and straighten all the hangers on racks. Don’t freak out when people don’t return all their shirts. Those stores that hand out numbers check the amount you come out with, so that helps deter theft and those lazy people.
Maybe a better display of folded shirts should just be a stack of 5 small/medium/large, with more on hand nearby, that way if someone needs more, they can find you and you can grab them the right size. You can restock the small pile as needed, and there will be 25 shirts MAX to re-fold. Shrug, just a thought.
I could go on for hours with how I feel about retail, and the workers in retail. We go through a lot, but hey, that’s our own fault! Like I said, if it’s too much for you, you can always work somewhere with less people-contact.
Ian

Get over it.

I worked at KB Toys for 5 years. As far as people browsing and not buying, or people making a mess, toy stores are pretty much tops. Parents would leave kids there for hours or unstack and entire display of Furbess to get the green one.

However, I also did landscaping for 2 summers. I would stack toys or t-shirts or just about anything over spending 9 hours a day sweating bullets while digging holes and mowing lawns.

Also, if you’re up until 2am folding clothes on a regular basis, you need to pick up the pace a bit. Granted, there were a few 2am nights near Christmas, when the store closed at Midnight, but that was the exception.

Take a deep breath and look at other jobs for your experience range. Would rather stay up until 2am cleaning grease traps? Want to work your butt off in 90+ degree heat? Overall, retail was the easiest job I’ve ever worked. No job is perfect; have some perspective.
BYC

2 Reasons You’re a Sucky Retail Worker:
1. You whine about people messing up your t-shirt piles: Yes, no one should purposely mess up a pile just to mess it up, but does the customer not have a right to look at how the shirt looks unfolded, find their correct size, and try the shirt on?
2. You whine about people being annoyed when the security tag is left on their clothes: Is it not your job to take the tag off? Why are you whining about people whining about your failure to do your own job?

#2 and #3 seem trivial and probably included in part of the job description: Did you think your job was going to be just sitting there and not doing anything?
#4 is a customer acting ridiculous, but should be fixable by politely asking them to leave.
- Steve
  
  Politely asking a customer to leave? Is that a damn joke. “Sir, you a causing a commotion, would you please leave the store.” “Oh, im sorry I was demonstrating such rude behavior, I realize I am acting like a child so I will honor your wishes and leave.” Thats probably how you envision that conversation. Jackass.
oh please!

If you don’t like your job get another one! What? You never thought you’d have to fold clothes in a clothing store? oh please!
Alex

You need to add to your list:
- Read the fucking coupon. If the expiration date is in bright yellow text, do not be pissed at me when my computer is incapable of taking it.
-Read the fucking sign. If the sign says “Tank Tops -$5″ and on the next stand is a rack of jeans, do not tell me that your jeans were meant to be $5.
-Just open your eyes and READ! The return policy and store hours are clearly printed all over the store. If you want to shop in my store, then you are agreeing to adhere to the policies of my store. If you don’t like the generous 90 days you have to return something with a receipt, don’t shop here.
-It’s just a goddamn pair of pants. It is not your constitutional right to have the exact pair of pants right this instant. If we don’t have your size, or the color or cut or whatever you want, too fucking bad. It’s pants. It’s not a life-altering kind of thing, it’s pants. Just because our culture has given you the horrid impression that you are entitled to anything you want the instant you want it doesn’t mean that’s true. ITS JUST PANTS, PEOPLE.
- erica
  
  Is Alex unable to respond to this post without dropping the F bomb. Seriously? Learn how to express yourself appropriately.
Rebecca

Wow, you are a whiny bitch. I’ve been working retail for 10 years, and let me tell you, your rant is doing more harm than good. You aren’t changing any minds with your shit attitude. However, I agree with two of your points.

Point #1 about folded merch… yeah, it really sucks. But calling the reader “a mean person”, Yeah, that’s gonna win them over. Point #4… Some lucky stores are allowed to tell customers when they close. But not us! Yes, you are HIGHLY validated here.

As for the others: #2 only applies to certain stores. Telling the world as a whole that this is how it should be done shoots me in the foot. At my store we WANT the customer to leave the clothes in the room. Because when they drag all their shit out (and we allow as much as they want in there) it creates a huge mess at our wrap desk, because our store does not have ‘put back’ racks. We’re “sophisticated” like that.

#3 Put it back where you found it?! You believe that the customer can find that spot?! I’ve got some ocean view property to sell you in Nevada. Yeah, they have a white shirt… guess what Sherlock we’ve got 12 different styles of white shirt. They’re just gonna put it with the nearest one where I’ll have to play hide-and-seek when the next customer wanted that shirt in the now missing size. I’ll put it back, thanks!!!!!

#5 Yeah your ass had better be in a hurry, ’cause I as a customer sure as shit didn’t have the responsibility of removing alarm sensors at checkout. That was on you. SO NOW, I have to wait for your ass AGAIN. And you’re probably not even going to apologize for YOUR mistake.

GET THE HELL OUT OF RETAIL. YOU ARE MAKING IT WORSE FOR THE REST OF US.
Joe

I pay $25 or more for a flimsy t-shirt and you’re gonna complain about the fact that I want to look at it, feel it, check it out in a mirror?
Screw off!
And gods forbid I want to look at one of the $60 hoodies.
I’m sorry you’re a minimum wage warrior. Take your licks, start at the bottom, and aspire to something greater.
Tamara

I have worked retail for 12 years, and am currently a retail manager of a store. Quite frankily, if you can’t handle folding after a consumer buys something, then perhaps you need to find another place of employment. They pay your wages. So seriously, shut the hell up.
- tammy
  
  I think you missed the point Tamara. Bet your store is a dump and your employees hate you.
Tim

1) Get rid of the t-shirt pile. They are a waste of space and time. Put up one t-shirt to show what it looks like and sort them by sizes in bins. I hate digging through the piles to find what I need.

2) Okay, I agree with this one.

3) Open up more check out lines. My time IS important. If you only have one register open with seven people in line then not only do I have more time to think about the purchases I’m making (and change my mind), I am going to be more unwilling to give up my place in line.

4) Announce overhead that the store is closing, or remind someone who is just sitting there that the store is closing. Communicate with your customers with out being a pretentious d-bag and you’d be surprised at the results.

5) If your cashiers knew how to do their jobs, this wouldn’t be a problem. Take the damn tag off at the register and you wouldn’t be wasting MY time. Yes I will act rude when YOUR incompetence wastes MY time.

Quit your bitching. If you want a better job, get an education. When you work minimum wage jobs, you put up with this. Get over it.
Whitney

Why do you work in retail if you hate it so much? I worked in retail and then realized that I don’t like having to clean up stores, so I got a different job. And guess what? I’m one of those shoppers that try on half the store. Guess why? I’m not being paid to care how many items I take into the dressing room.

They call it work for a reason.
- steve
  
  Hence why we consider you shit.
JB

I work in retail and I’m more worried about people who switch signs around to save money, customers who greet me at the registers with a “do you have a coupon I can use today?” The worst is when a customer asks me about a specific shirt so I go and grab a random one to hold up and ask them what they think about it. and they say “oh no, that’s not my size.” Yes, I realize this. I’m just trying to show you what the shirt looks like! Happens every time.
But I don’t worry about the things you mentioned.
Cat

I’m late to the party, but…damn. This is what you complain about? People unfolding shirts? Look, I used to work in the underwear section of a low-end department store, and I would watch women pull bras off the racks, look at them, then drop them on the floor and walk away. Then other women would come along to look at the bras, and if we hadn’t picked up the dropped ones fast enough, they would just get stepped on. Or whining about clothes left hanging in the fitting room – we had people tearing open sealed packs of underpants (!), bringing them into the fitting room (!! – and yes, I know the people who manned the fitting room shouldn’t have let them in, ye gods), and then leaving them in soiled piles on the fitting room floors (!!!). You’ve got it easy. If the mere fact of shoppers – gasp! – SHOPPING and lightly mussing your flawless racks and stacks is such a source of stress and anger, I have to agree with the others that you need to get another job, for your own sake. I did.