Recently, my boyfriend and I was shopping along Santana Row, and while in the stores, we were greeted with a welcoming "Hello" and notified about all the sales going on. The same thing happened at the following stores we went to and some even suggested other items to go with the items we already purchased. It was like they wanted us to buy more of their products- who would have thought! Later, at a restaurant while my boyfriend and I were in the middle of eating the waitress serving us asked if we wanted any desserts. We politely said "No". After she left I remembered that earlier right before we even began to look at the menu, she asked us if we wanted to know about the specials for the day.
Now, does any of this ring a bell or at least sound familiar?
We'll for me it does because I use to do the same exact thing. At my summer job, I was told to greet everyone with a friendly "Hello" within the first ten seconds of them walking into the store. I would always have to tell the customer about our new this or our new that, and if they would also like this to go with that. Basically, it was a lot of trying to make our customers think they might need something else to go along with their purchase, similar to what Eric Schlosser said in his excerpt Behind the Counter. Schlosser wrote that "Workers ... are told to increase the size of an order by recommending special promotions ..." (53) and other suggested items that can be added to their order.
At this point, it is obvious that all employees don't mean to keep pushing all this information or sales to the customers, but as employees we don't do it on purpose. We are just trying to do our job so we don't get in trouble with our managers or jeopardize our own jobs. So the next time, someone comes up to you asking if you are interested in their new sale or products, don't get annoyed or ignore them, just say "No thank you" because after all, we are just doing our job.
Hi Lisa, I totally agree with you! I am a waitress and I hate having to offer or interrupt my customers while they are enjoying their meal but I have to do my job. I feel that a lot more people would understand if they knew the feeling of being in our shoes as we work. We don’t want to but he have to so we shouldn’t get the rude attitudes for doing our job. I really enjoyed how you built up to your point on why we should politely refuse. I would like you to think about if your summer job allowed you to feel this way and would you have felt the same if you wouldn’t of worked doing that? It’s great that you are understanding but I feel that I became more understanding after I got my waitress job.
ReplyDeleteI have has the same experience myself Lisa! I worked in retail for the first time this past summer. I remember during my interview they asked me if there was anything I felt that I would like least about the job and I told them that it would probably be that I would have to be on customers backs more often than not about what to buy and what else they can add on to their purchase to not only "better" their shopping experience but also to help me look good in numbers in comparison to my co-workers. I must say I became pretty good at this surprisingly, but it is just crazy to be on the other side of the spectrum and to finally understand as to how retail actually works.
ReplyDeleteMany times I feel as though customs are ignorant to the fact that we are just doing our jobs.In retail and or in the food industry, more often than not workers are required to have the customers getting more than what they bargained for, it is just they way we are trained. Companies and industries have the consumers all figured out and the consumer is just to ignorant to realize it. It honestly is crazy they way most of society thinks ans acts, and this just goes to show one of them.
I have has the same experience myself Lisa! I worked in retail for the first time this past summer. I remember during my interview they asked me if there was anything I felt that I would like least about the job and I told them that it would probably be that I would have to be on customers backs more often than not about what to buy and what else they can add on to their purchase to not only "better" their shopping experience but also to help me look good in numbers in comparison to my co-workers. I must say I became pretty good at this surprisingly, but it is just crazy to be on the other side of the spectrum and to finally understand as to how retail actually works.
ReplyDeleteMany times I feel as though customs are ignorant to the fact that we are just doing our jobs.In retail and or in the food industry, more often than not workers are required to have the customers getting more than what they bargained for, it is just they way we are trained. Companies and industries have the consumers all figured out and the consumer is just to ignorant to realize it. It honestly is crazy they way most of society thinks ans acts, and this just goes to show one of them.
Lisa, I loves your take on Behind the counter, you are right I really dont like when they are so busy it makes me feel pressured and then I feel bad saying no. But I always have to keep in mind that it is their job and I can’t be mad at that. Even at my job since it is in food we are always asked to make it a combo, or to add a milkshake. Its crazy that we have to do it in order to get them more money. But its always hard because people just think that you are annoying and just want to sell them more, they don't understand that you have to do it.
ReplyDelete