Customer Service

It doesn't really matter to me which side of the coin you're talking about, I hate it all. Whether it's terrible service from a company representative, or you're talking about the customer from hell, I've learned a couple of things about the customer service (retail) industry:

• Retail companies do not pay people enough to endure the sea of angry customers on Black Friday.
• The Retail industry sucks ass (with skid marks, and little shit balls on the ass hairs), big time! Don't do it if you can avoid it!
  
• I've grown to have much respect for those who deal with bad customers on a daily basis.
• In general, people ignore, or outright disrespect those who are in the business of serving them, especially in the food industry.
  

And Finally...

• That I never, ever want to do it again...ever!

One side of the Coin

I used to do be in retail and I can't even begin to tell you how many dumbasses I came across in my 7 years at office depot. This one time, I had a woman ask me "where's your white-out?"; it wouldn't have been so bad, had we not been standing directly...in front of...the white-out! I dealt with people from the planet dumbass on more than one occasion during my stay at Office Depot. She wasn't the first, and she sure as hell wasn't the last...

Exhibit A:



This is an example of what I had to deal with that day. Note the far-away look in her eyes, and general expression of idiocy on her face.

This one time, this one guy came in, appearing to need help in computers, but when I asked them, they ignored me, then acted all arrogant and indignant to me, so I stopped and left him alone there. Later when I was helping another (nicer, more pleasant) customer, the guy broke right in the middle of our conversation, and flagged me down for the help I originally asked him if he needed. I tell him I'm helping someone and will be with him in a moment; he promptly went to find someone else to bother.

Exhibit B:



This is an artist's rendition of what these customers looked like...

And now, a little word about the retail industry:

You see in retail, your managers always tell you to ask people almost automatically if they need help, the minute they walk in the store, because they may be mystery shoppers. So if you ever go into a store, and you feel like people are all over your nuts (or bra straps if you're a woman), that's why. We don't want to do it; we just don't have a better job to be at and we're not trying to get fired from this one. I now return you to the rest of this blog, already in progress...

Ok, so another time, another man with a baseball bat-sized stick up his ass (not literally) came in, demanding that somebody that knows something about binders get out here now! So, I was called in, and the guy was just totally nasty to me so I just stopped trying to help his ass, and was like "don't ask me for help until you learn to talk to me." So to all those writhing in aggravation in retail hell, I'm with ya; don't feel like you're in it alone.

The Other Side of the Coin

I've been places where I'll see the employees not giving a shit if you get what you need. If you're lost and looking for a department, they treat you like you shot his or her mother. I'm like "damn, my bad. I wont ask you anything again" and promptly ask to see a manager.

My Final Thought

I personally don't subscribe to the idea of "the customer is always right", but I do believe that you reap exactly what you sow, so if you're one of these asinine people who always has to go somewhere like a restaurant and make a stink about your food not being exactly to your liking, you would do well not to start bitching at the waiter (who just brought you the food; he/she didn't make it), or generally harassing every person working there, nor should you demand for someone to take your food back, that is unless you like your new food with extra fixings...