So, it's that time of year again. The shops are packed and busy, open longer and considerably less pleasant places to be, no matter which side of the till you're standing.
We all know how stressful Christmas shopping can be, but for many shopkeepers its nothing short of hellish. A long, grinding event that sucks away any trace of festive cheer and goodwill.
So I say spare a thought for the guy behind the till this year. The guy who's had it shoved down his throat since the start of november. The guy who's had to listen to those irritating Christmas songs at least nine hours a day, every day for the past month.
I say give him or her a gift. A small gift, that doesn't cost you a penny. This year, don't bitch and complain because he doesn't have what you want, or because you've been in a queue for a long time. Just give him or her a nice smile, a please and a thank you, and be about your business nice and quickly. Don't waste time nitpicking over details you know don't matter, especially when the shop is busy. Just leave him be. Remember that you'll be home and comfortable in an hour or two, but he's still got the rest of the day, then all day tomorrow, and the day after. He'll probably be working Christmas Eve, or Boxing Day, or both. Take some pity and be nice, even if it's just for the rest of the year. Make a shopkeeper's life a bit easier, even if it's only for a couple of minutes.
This isn't a personal request. Yes, I hate Christmas in shops too, but frankly my place isn't where you'd really go to buy gifts. But I have been there before, and know the pain of those poor souls trapped in those busy Christmas hellholes.
Remember, just a smile, good manners and an absence of time wasting. Make someone's Christmas a little happier for a few seconds.
Tuesday 11 December 2007
The Expectant Silence.
First of all, yes i have been incredibly lazy and not updated for nearly a month. I can't whinge at you people all the time. Well, alright I could. I just don't want to.
Today I'm going to cover a phenomenon that i have encountered ever since I started working retail, no matter where or for what company. The expectant silence. The pregnant pause, if you will. Or perhaps more of a pause expecting to be impregnated. Although not literally. Obviously.
This occurs when, shock horror, you are not able to help someone. Allow me to elaborate. A conversation may run thus:
Customer: Do you sell flourescent lighting tubes?
Me: No, i'm afraid we don't.
*Insert long silence here*
The customer is clearly expecting something more. Perhaps they are hoping that staring at you for long enough will change the laws of physics and reality as we know it, thus changing the result of their enquiry to something that suits them better.
It's fair to guess that perhaps they're hoping for a little more help, like where they can actually find what they're looking for. Like that's my problem. However, nice and kind as I am, if I can help them, I will. This does, admittedly, seem to make them go away.
Except sometimes I really can't help their either. Sometimes I'm faced with something I either can't identify, or just simply don't know where you could buy one. I mean let's face it, if you don't know, it's entirely possible that I don't either. I am only human after all. So I will apologise, and simply tell the truth.
The silence continues, coupled with that strange half-expectant, half-vacant stare (although to be fair, that's Standard Customer Face #1). At this point I'm simply at a loss for how to terminate the conversation in a polite, professional manner. I'll try apologising and reaffirming my inability to help again. Nope, they're still here. I can't quite figure out what else they want from me.
Sometimes they'll go as far as to get angry at me. Which is a little unfair. I'm almost certain it isn't my fault. However this does give me the excuse to avoid the whole 'polite, professional' bit. If you're mean to me, I feel qualified to completely ignore you. Swear at me on the phone, for example, and i will simply hang up. Sometimes I prefer it when people are rude. It makes it easier to be rude back.
However we're still stuck with this customer, who still seems to want something, all the while staring at you in a way that reminds you of a cow that isn't sure why you're in its field. You know the look I mean. Go find a cow, then you'll understand.
So how do I get out of the situation? To be honest, I still haven't figured it out. It usually ends in an awkward communication breakdown, and me finding an excuse to move away.
I want to get this straight though. This isn't a rare occurance. I'll generally be faced with at least one every day, generally though I could encounter anything from one to ten over the course of a shift. It happens on the phone too, only without the staring. Or at least you can't see it.
I'd like to finish on a closing thought, but I don't appear to have one.
Today I'm going to cover a phenomenon that i have encountered ever since I started working retail, no matter where or for what company. The expectant silence. The pregnant pause, if you will. Or perhaps more of a pause expecting to be impregnated. Although not literally. Obviously.
This occurs when, shock horror, you are not able to help someone. Allow me to elaborate. A conversation may run thus:
Customer: Do you sell flourescent lighting tubes?
Me: No, i'm afraid we don't.
*Insert long silence here*
The customer is clearly expecting something more. Perhaps they are hoping that staring at you for long enough will change the laws of physics and reality as we know it, thus changing the result of their enquiry to something that suits them better.
It's fair to guess that perhaps they're hoping for a little more help, like where they can actually find what they're looking for. Like that's my problem. However, nice and kind as I am, if I can help them, I will. This does, admittedly, seem to make them go away.
Except sometimes I really can't help their either. Sometimes I'm faced with something I either can't identify, or just simply don't know where you could buy one. I mean let's face it, if you don't know, it's entirely possible that I don't either. I am only human after all. So I will apologise, and simply tell the truth.
The silence continues, coupled with that strange half-expectant, half-vacant stare (although to be fair, that's Standard Customer Face #1). At this point I'm simply at a loss for how to terminate the conversation in a polite, professional manner. I'll try apologising and reaffirming my inability to help again. Nope, they're still here. I can't quite figure out what else they want from me.
Sometimes they'll go as far as to get angry at me. Which is a little unfair. I'm almost certain it isn't my fault. However this does give me the excuse to avoid the whole 'polite, professional' bit. If you're mean to me, I feel qualified to completely ignore you. Swear at me on the phone, for example, and i will simply hang up. Sometimes I prefer it when people are rude. It makes it easier to be rude back.
However we're still stuck with this customer, who still seems to want something, all the while staring at you in a way that reminds you of a cow that isn't sure why you're in its field. You know the look I mean. Go find a cow, then you'll understand.
So how do I get out of the situation? To be honest, I still haven't figured it out. It usually ends in an awkward communication breakdown, and me finding an excuse to move away.
I want to get this straight though. This isn't a rare occurance. I'll generally be faced with at least one every day, generally though I could encounter anything from one to ten over the course of a shift. It happens on the phone too, only without the staring. Or at least you can't see it.
I'd like to finish on a closing thought, but I don't appear to have one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)