The "I hate working in retail at Christmas" thread

[J pold]

Now you know how I feel when people start complaining about “real fans”

[604flames]

Originally Posted by flylock shox

Oh, and office supply stores are good for digital picture frames. I just got one at Staples after some jacktard at Future Shop said "we're all out, good luck finding one in this city buddy." Friggin' Staples was just one block down.

You must have come at the right time 'cause my Staples can't keep those bloody things on the shelf!

For the record though, back to school week >>> Christmas (at least at my work; even though I work in a mall we are pretty quiet) in terms of agony. Picture every family in West Van (or their personal shoppers) shoving a school list and a basket in your face and telling you to escort them to each product.

[Ironhorse]

I find that if I get little to no customer service in the store, and the staff don't seem to give a crap (Sunridge BestBuy & Futureshop being prime examples), things rapidly start deteriorating on my end ....

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by jammies

Do you work at the Sunridge location? Cause I'm thinkin' of going up to the NE and just hitting all the stores and harassing salespeople, and I'd hate to leave you out. I'm not interested in BUYING anything, I just want to annoy.

"Excuse me, I realize you're busy, but I'm not sure what kind of film I need for my digital camera."

"Hey buddy, you look like an expert, so I'll ask - can I use this computer to illegally download porn movies I can't get at the video store?"

"Do you have any new video games that'll work on a Windows 95 machine with 16 megs of RAM? No? How about Colecovision, they still make games for that?"

this is exactly what i was thinking when i opened this thread, "hmmm i have nothing to do this evening - i'm gonna go out with the intention of pissing off people working in retail with inane or obvious questions"

[Got Miikka?]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

So instead o getting pissed off. Do your job.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't get pissed off - what's that going to solve? Having fun at other people's expense... different altogether.

It's not like these people went home empty-handed; either I'd direct them to that dusty VHS copy of 'Ishtar' or else I'd sell them on the virtues of the Sega Dreamcast. BBV's slogan at the time was "Go Home Happy." On my watch, everyone always did.

[simmer2]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Excellent customer service. Why do people that work in this industry get so pissed off when someone asks for a Wii or PS3 or whatever the case is. Most likely you dont have it in but you never know. You may have just got a shipment in. So instead o getting pissed off. Do your job.

I'm in agreement with you. I feel bad asking the question because I know the employee will have answered it 1000 times that day already, but really that's what they are paid for. And I'm asking it for a valid reason, not just to be a complete a-hole. If I was working there, I'd realize it comes with the territory.

You work in retail, expect people to come up and ask, even if it is the 20th of December.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

That's been my experience as well. I don't know if I prefer it to the Future Shop dweebs that you can't walk five feet without getting asked if you need help. The only help I need from those losers is that they get out of my freaking way!

I find the opposite at Future Shop. I have to ask for help there as well. The one time a guy was extremely helpfull and had the sale. He coudn't stop pushing the extended warranty on the 50" TV I was buying. So I left and went to Visions.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by blankall

I can't believe noone has mentioned the music yet? Yes christmas music may be great for some in the small dose they get in the store. Try listening to the same CD over and over and over for 2 months (yes our Christmas music started on nov 1st). When I used to work at a Telus corporate store, we were not allowed to change the music and it was this weird kind of edgy new age christmas music..... i still hear it everytime I close my eyes

Well don't worry. The rest of us are haunted by that goddamn @#%*$%^&#$@#$ commercial that Telus plays 58,000x per sportsnet broadcast. We're also haunted by Toyota Tundra.

[RW99]

Laughed when I saw this thread title. I've done Christmas at Zellers and Radioshack, both not fun. Zellers wasn't too bad, just ring in stuff like crazy and 8 hours fly by. But gone are those days. Now I just get calls from people asking for a ski vacation over the Christmas break and everything is sold out already.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

I find the opposite at Future Shop. I have to ask for help there as well. The one time a guy was extremely helpfull and had the sale. He coudn't stop pushing the overpriced Monster Cables and extended warranty on the 50" TV I was buying. So I left and went to Visions.

Fixed

[J pold]

You made the decision to work there live with it

[Got Miikka?]

Originally Posted by J pold

You made the decision to work there live with it

Actually when I worked at Blockbuster I had no choice in the matter. It was work release for - you guessed it - beating up a Future Shop employee when he got mad at me for asking if there were any PS2's in stock.

(and the reason why we had none in stock at BBV - you guessed it - because I stole them all)

[FireFly]

Oh yeah, well today I got a call from a guy who wanted to reserve playoff tickets, but didn't have season tickets or a game pack and wondered if he could get them for the rest of the season in order to secure his playoff tickets... WTF?

[albertGQ]

Originally Posted by alltherage

Wow... so I work at Best Buy and my Lord, if I hear someone else ask if we have Wii's I'm literally going to slice my neck open in hopes of drowning them in my blood. The same applies to digital picture frames. IT'S DECEMBER 19TH DAMNIT!!! It's your own damn fault for waiting this long!!!!

As I walk around trying to just complete simple tasks for 1 customer at a time, I have about 18 people per foot asking me for help. I have product in my hand. I'm walking fast. I'm obviously headed in this direction for a reason. I wouldn't IGNORE you if I had 1 second to help. Be PATIENT when you shop at this time. It's not MY fault YOU left it until the last minute!

I can't describe how creepy/annoying it is when you walk around and literally every time you glance in the direction of someone's face they are trying ridiculously hard to make eye contact with you. It's to the point where I have to stare at one spot on a wall just above people's heads and just walk towards it like a tank- keep my legs straight while I walk, turning my torso to squeeze through people, while also keeping my head straight.

Don't you even DARE to complain about the crowds. YOU ARE the crowd.

Well since you guys don't have any "You're the best EVER!" left, do you have any of the "It's what I've always wanted!!!" in stock still? If not, I'll settle with the "You're my favourite brother in the whole wide world!"

Thanks

[Locke]

Originally Posted by habernac

alltherage, you haven't experienced Christmas mayhem until you've worked at Greyhound package express through the holiday season. You've never seen a more miserable bunch of people in your life.

One Christmas Eve, we're working our asses off, trying to get everyone's stuff out to them. It clearly is stated that we close at 5pm. People are hammering on the door, demanding to be let in. Hey, we want to get home to our families as well. Don't blame me if you didn't get here on time. That job ruined Christmas for me for a very long time.

Dude. You havent experienced Christmas hell until you've been one of the Greyhound dock loaders downstairs packing all that crap into the buses and trucks.

Getting enough seniority to get into the Christmas depot (before they shut 'er down) was the only way to maintain sanity. That whole building is the ninth circle of hell for 2 weeks.

Horrible, horrible job.

[habernac]

I did it for 7 years, Locke. Everything from loading the busses to door to door delivery. 12-16 hour days for most of December. Yuck.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by habernac

I did it for 7 years, Locke. Everything from loading the busses to door to door delivery. 12-16 hour days for most of December. Yuck.

Wow. I only did it for 2, thats harsh. It is the worst.

[Phaneuf3]

christmas at my work has been hell too - its been so quiet in our office i just sit and read or play NHL 08 on a 60" plasma tv. oh and i get extra holidays for coming in.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by fredr123

Fixed

Add the Line Conditioner as well. What the hell is that thing even suppossed to be?

[4X4]

I feel sorry for you retail people and anyone that has to work harder during xmas. Everything slows right down for me around this time of year, hence my post count practically doubling in the last week.

We need a good argument around here. Damn cops need to tase someone.