11 Types of Retail Customers That All Retail Workers Know | The Odyssey Online
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Lifestyle

11 Types Of Customers You've Definitely Dealt With If Your Summer Job Was In Retail

I'll give you a hint: they're all annoying AF.

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woman holding shopping bags
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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Anyone who has worked in retail or has shopped in any retail establishment has dealt with at least one of these 11 types of customers.

1. The "I'm just browsing" person.

Unsplash / Becca McHaffie

These people usually say they're "just looking" immediately upon entering a store. At least let the employee greet you and offer his or her assistance before you completely blow them off!

2. The person who simply ignores you.

The only thing worse than being interrupted when you try to greet someone as part of your job is to be flat out ignored.

3. The person who just says "no" before you even finish your sentence.

Unsplash / Isaiah Rustad

When you work in retail sales, you are expected to sell things. It is OK to politely decline these items once the sales associate gets a chance to actually explain what is being offered to you. But let the associate get what they have to say out first before you flat our reject their services!

4. The person who just ​doesn't​ get what you're saying. 

No matter how much you try to explain something to this person, even by showing them visuals, they somehow still don't seem to understand what you are trying to say. Sometimes it's simply a result of them not paying enough attention.

5. The person who argues with you about something you cannot control.

Pexels / Craig Adderley

When it comes to working for a corporation, there are policies in place that have to be followed. Some policies can be bent a little bit here and there, depending on the situation. However, things like prices cannot be controlled by a store employee like me — sorry!

6. The person who comes in five minutes before closing to browse.

If you come in just before closing to find a specific item and leave, that is cool. However, if you come in just before closing to kill time and only look around even after a store is closed for the evening, that is a whole other thing.

7. The person who thinks they are your best customer.

Pexels / Bruce Mars

These are guests who try to say they spend a lot of money (which is not often the case) when you try to inform them that you are unable to give them exactly what they want.

8. The person who provides so much unnecessary information.

There are just some things that retail employees do not need to know. Small talk is cool, but just keep it at that.

9. The person who does not know how a line works.

Busy NYC Restaurant

Unsplash / Roman Arkhipov

Sometimes, if there's only one employee working at a store or if it happens to be busy, there will be a line. Nothing gives someone the right to try and cut it!

10. The person who does not understand that a store is not open.

Stores will lock their doors outside of business hours. Locked gates and doors, as well as turned off lights, are strong indicators that a store is not open. However, sometimes people will still try to pull on locked doors even when it is obvious that the store is closed.

11. The person who asks stupid questions only to be funny.

Unsplash / BBH Singapore

It is one thing to ask a question about something one genuinely does not understand, but asking questions to try to be funny is not funny at all.

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