okay it’s 3:55 AM and I am way over my usual frustration of dealing with customers but I figured this is a good time to vent about how downright RUDE customers can be.

I’m not going to name my workplace because…well you know the drill. You can get in trouble. I work at a retail store that sells designer clothes for less, basically anything irregular, or left over from the department stores.

I have been working there for a year and somehow I don’t know how I’ve survived. I have a lot more patience than I ever though possible.

Here are just some of the issues I’ve had to deal with.

• Returns/returns without receipt/return policy.

 I don’t know about you, but I think it’s pretty common knowledge that ALL stored have at the very least a 30 day return policy. the way my store works is, whether you have a receipt or not if your return is past 30 days it’s automatically store credit. Yet I still have grown adults twice my age throw a hissy fit because they want their money back. the usual excuses are “I was on vacation” “I didn’t have time” “It didn’t say so on the receipt.” Whatever. That’s not my concern. and the fact that I have to bother my manager to tell you the same exact thing I just said is really annoying. Like do people do this at other “higher status” stores? Also if there is a return without a receipt I need your license and you are not getting the money back in cash. DO people realise that anyone can just hand in clothes from their house and claim they bought it at the store when they actually didnt? ugh! and not to mention how angry they are when the item can’t be identified or has since been marked down and costs less than what they originally paid for. That’s all in the store policy and giving me attitude just makes you look dumb.

• Discounts for missing/damaged goods

Maybe it’s because I grew up shopping in these stores but to people not wonder why the same item that’s in a store at suggested retail is sold cheaper in here? You get what you pay for. So i really don’t understand why people ask for discount for the stupidest things! extra thread sticking out, missing straps, stains oh and wait for it…..DIRTY BOTTOM ON SHOES!!!! no there’s no discount for display shoes and don’t act so disgusted by dirt at the bottom of a shoe. These are the same people who wear shoes around the whole store and then just leave them lying around because they don’t want them. Does this work at Macys? or Bloomingdales? I sure as hell would like to give this a try. Or asking for a discount for something that’s ALREADY on clearance.

• Snooty/snobby customers

The area of my store has a lot of customers driving in Lexus,BMWs, Audis, and so on. You would think these people earn enough to go to actual stores like Nordstrom and pay the suggested retail of name brand things. I mean you earn enough money for luxury cars right? that’s the problem though. These people are only a little better well off than me. However, they’re so busy faking a life they cannot afford. If you had as much money as you want to appear to have, you wouldn’t be shopping at my store bitching about the little things wrong with bag you’re getting for 40 bucks. You’re rich, go buy it at Macys if it’s bothering you that much. I also hate that they treat me like a servant, they don’t want to even swipe their own card or even lift the suitcase up so I can scan it. And check inside the bag they’re buying? they get offended and sarcastically say “What you think I’m stealing?” stop acting like you’re so much better than me. I’m an employee, not your servant. it’s so often customers talk about respect yet they give the employees none.

So many times I say “Hello” and most are busy chatting on their phone or just plain ignore you.

• Customer “Suggestions” or complaints

this is just a suggestion. stop telling cashiers about how hot the store is or how dirty the bathroom is. I’m not a janitor, I am not the repairman and I am certainly not the manager. I am a lowly cashier I can do nothing to change any of those things. This is what talking to the manager should be. Not asking them to override things I refuse to do because it’s against store policy (like the returns situation).

the same thing goes for the speed at checkout. I do my best to get the customer out. It is not my fault when they misplace their card, have a card declined, have returns with no receipt or tags, waiting for someone…most of the time check out delays are caused by customers themselves. There’s only so much I can do. So complaining or making snarky comments are rude and unnecessary

I am happy to be employed don’t get me wrong. But the lack of respect for employees makes me despise retail so hard. It actually motivates me to stay in college and make a career. I don’t want to slave away for minimum wage and deal with rude people for the rest of my life. If there’s anything you can take away from this rant, is to be respectful of retail employees. It takes a lot to make your experience as pleasant as possible and at the end of the day we are people too. remember that