Never a Dull Moment in Customer Service.

I recently took a job at a local Crate and Barrel. Love the store and most of the people that I work with. But boy some of the customers make you want to reach across the counter and slap them into next month.

Like the one customer who came in on Christmas Eve to return a Salt and Pepper shaker that she had purchased over a year before. She bragged about being done with her Christmas shopping in November, which leaves me to believe that her sole purpose for coming in the store that day, was so she could deliberately annoy the already stressed out sales associates.

Oh and then there are the customers that you get who are on their cell phones while trying to conduct a transaction. We should put up signs like they do at the DMV saying that if you are on your cell phone, you will receive no service. It is extremely rude, especially when the person is trying to return ten things, exchange one and purchase 20 other items.

But the thing that gets under my skin the most are the people who look down on the people who work in retail. Don’t assume that because you see me standing behind the counter that I have nothing better to do than be your beck and call girl. Don’t assume that I have no education. The average sales associate has at least one degree and is usually working on a second. Sales associates are also excellent multi-taskers, actors (you thought that smile was real), and amazing networkers. And over time, they can build a knowledge database that rivals your best online resource.

So the next time you enter a Crate and Barrel, or any other retail establishment, if you don’t want to end up the topic of a blog post discussing how rude, idiotic, or just plain ridiculous you may be as a customer, mind your manners and put away your cell phone.

Thank you and have a nice day.