Secrets of a Service Clerk Tip 1: Be nice!

<span lang="EN"> <p><img height="300" alt="" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/phugc/rbiOKiTz4hsk/photos/287ff1dc869e9a5caf1e53bbf8b56ec0/ori_a6113c95f0a737.jpg?ug_____D76AOS4k2" width="254" align="left">This started as a little vent, but I’ve decided to make it more productive. My store’s dirty, little secrets will be available for your eyes only. Not only that, I will share how to save money and have a pleasant shopping experience. These tips may surprise, may annoy, but ultimately being a thrifty gal and everyone talking about money, I’m going to give you an honest look from the inside out. <br></p> <p>Thanksgiving may be a few days away, but that hasn&#39;t stopped retailers from having Christmas sales already. Christmas bargains offered by retailers for me don&#39;t mean getting a jump on shopping, they mean sore feet, cranky and confused customers and lots of hard work.</p> <p>Over the weekend, I put up hundreds of sale tags (Black Friday is coming!). By the time I went to bed on Saturday night, I was dreaming of red and white signs announcing &quot;2 for 20!!&quot; and &quot;50% off&quot;. And Sunday morning, I rolled into work tired, hungry and in a daze ready to face customers who don&#39;t take the time to read those little signs and let their psychological effects pry their hard earned cash from their wallets. Along with those customers are the &quot;never passed math&quot; customers, I find myself explaining the simplest concepts to in order to validate that, yes, they did in fact get the sale price on those items. <br><br>I will also mention that 90% of the customers believe that little ol&#39; me has the power to cheat them, more over, that I get off on cheating them. This is incredibly untrue as I am the first person who will tell you how to save money in our store by leading you to inexpensive, but quality products or provide simple on-hand alternatives to your needs. (which doesn&#39;t make a good salesperson, by the way)<br><br><span lang="EN"></p> <p><strong>(Tip #1a- Store employees can be amazingly useful, so ask us for help)</strong><br><br><strong>For instance, I happen to know where all the beauty clearance items are located.</strong> If you are looking for cheap nail polish, for instance, I may show you those first. And when you ask what&#39;s wrong with it that its so cheap, I&#39;ll tell you the truth: Our company is wasteful and our store is smaller than other locations. When we reset our aisles (setting up the shelves differently), some products get removed and put on clearance for quick sale. When we have too much overstock or simply are sent inventory that doesn&#39;t have a place on our shelves, we put it on clearance. <br><br>If you come to me looking for a product to soak your sore muscles in, I&#39;ll skip right past the expensive bubble baths and soaks to lead you to the first aid department. I&#39;ll point out the Epsom salt, for a dollar, and tell you that its a natural cure for throbbing body parts. Want to spruce it up? Add some milk, some tea bags or some fresh herbs for a more pampered feel. Simple, cheap and effective. <br><br><em>Yeah, so I&#39;m the thrifty sales girl accused of being a retail con-artist at the register.</em> <br><br><strong>(Tip #1b- Be nice to staff)<br><br>Listen up, shoppers, we clerks do not have that power to cheat you, nor do the store managers (though its flattering you think we are some sort of all powerful, all knowing, retail deities). </strong>Why do I keep saying this whenever I write about work? Because people just don&#39;t get it. What we do have the power to do is help you make the best our collective experience (shopper and employee), unless you&#39;re mean to us. We remember you and are less likely to go the extra mile for you(giving you the lo-down on great steals and deals and the best products for your money) if you are rude. (because we should always be courteous, we find sneaky&nbsp;ways to tell rude people they are jerks)</p> <p>When you want to return an item, but don’t have a receipt, most managers will let you slide. Here’s the catch: You get the lowest sale price refunded, but whether to give you store credit or a cash/credit refund is at the manager’s discretion. Chances are if you are anything but friendly, courteous and understanding, you’ll get store credit, which comes with a variety of stipulations. </p> <p>Remember the expression “you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar”? It applies when you are shopping. Sure, there are some employees that are just plain bad at their job, but fighting rudeness with rudeness never works. Unless the employee does something heinous, when you walk away, managers will be understanding towards the employee. </p> <p>Why? Because customers in general treat the staff poorly. Yet, if you are very polite and the staff is not, you have leverage to change the situation and get what you want once a manager steps in. (and we always hope that you ask to speak to a manager if a clerk can’t solve your problem) Frankly, I’d jump in front of a bus for my nice customers because they make work bearable, while others I’d be happy to push in front of that bus…</p></span></span>