Customers expect us to know if other shops in the area sell certain items

There’s life beyond shops you know Auburngal, you sure do talk about them a lot.

And by the way I'm not just talking about people who are maybe older and have become physically disabled .I .m talking about younger people also have become more disabled more disabled doesn't mean someone who is visibly in a wheelchair .

I'm genuinely surprised people haven't complained about you with your awful attitude to your customers.
If you spoke to me like you appear to speak to every customer who expects you to do your job, I certainly would.
Do you not receive any kind of staff training on how to speak to people? You certainly need some.

And how in the name of fuck does a customer asking you a question make them responsible for you breaking 80 eggs?

Seriously is no wonder you have customers "flipping" on you if thats how you answer them ( whatever "flipping" means as you seem to be ignoring that question )

Would it not be better and say, "they are in aisle number blah blah, same aisle as the cheese crackers " in a cheery voice? You are still pointing out that they have already been down that aisle without being rude about it

It's grim isn't it?

Imagine working in a shop and getting pissed off because a customer has the audacity to ask you for help, lol.

It really isn't lazy and entitled to ask a shop assistant for help.

Yes, if I was looking for a specific item I would of course ask for help.

And as someone who worked retail for 10 years, it was absolutely normal for customers to come in and ask if we had X or Y instead of wasting their time wandering around for ages and then ending up having to ask anyway.

Another day, another annoying customer at work eh @Auburngal

Rishi should have suggested that all youths spend a year in retail or hospitality rather than military service, and that I could get behind!

Bugger ever becoming newly disabled in this country 🙄.They'll have your guts for garters in this country .

Fine if only a couple of customers ask where an item is but what if many do and you only have a certain amount of time to do your work?

It's just part of working retail. The shelves can be stacked on the next shift or the following day.

Just to step into a shop and immediately ask? That is definitely lazy and entitled. Why the hell would you do that?

It's normal to go into a shop and look for an item you want. If you can't find it then ask.

There are some very weird entitled people. Maybe they think they should have servants!

Pretty sure shop assistants have more things to do then show lazy people where everything is

Fine if only a couple of customers ask where an item is but what if many do and you only have a certain amount of time to do your work? As I said, I was a shelf filler so was meant to get all my stock out in the time I was working but that was often not possible because of interruptions from customers.

On the very rare occasion I have asked where an item is I am quite happy to be given an aisle number as I can read numbers and don't believe in taking up an assistant's time.

I wouldn't be rude if they didn't know, but I might presume that they could have some knowledge, yes. Maybe not in a discount store like B&M, but in any slightly higher end store I would hope to get a little help and not just someone shrugging their shoulders. I honestly don't know why people work retail at all if they are so unhelpful to customers.

I really don't think it's lazy or entitled to go into a shop and ask where something is

No it's not unreasonable for a customer to ask where something is but you would expect them to try looking for it first and not take 2 steps into a shop and ask.

As I said before, I look for items and only if I can't find them do I ask a member of staff. Staff have other jobs to do not keep escorting customers to different parts of the shop. When did people become so lazy and entitled?

Also when you have a number of customers asking where things are and the shop is large so the time taking them to the relevant section and then getting back to shelf filling adds up it's annoying plus you get a bollocking at the end of the evening because you haven't had the time to get all your stock out

@Auburngal , so many of us have asked what do you mean by "Flipped", are you going to enlighten us?

I mean today ,where my husband works, a young lad let his pup of the lead and the pup ran to greet a complete stranger, and dirtied the mans shirt. Now that man did "flip" as in f'ing and blinding and using the C word threatening to put the young lads lights out, my DH had to intervene. Is that what you mean by "flip"?

But do you think if you asked a staff member in b&m which toaster was best, they would know anything about said toasters?

Currys is an electricals store so yes of course they should know what they're selling. Same if you worked in say a health food shop, you'd be trained on what the different supplements were but otherwise, no.

I do get quite annoyed at the google thing as it's quite clear the whole world hasn't gone over to google yet . So stop trying to make it true , there is the age thing , the disability thing there are probably many reasons people have not gone over yet and it's not for any of us to say why and to make people's already hard lives harder ! Leave them be !

In retail, like everything else, it all depends how people treat you. I've googled shop directions and closing times for elderly people who don't use the Internet. I've even phoned another shop to ask if they stock something we don't sell to help someone out. Most people i deal with are lovely and appreciate any help you can give.
But as a pp said, unfortunately its the arseholes who shout at staff that stick in your mind. They end up showing themselves up more than anything, but its the fact you can't shout FUCK OFF back at them that really gets my goat.

@Auburngal I completely understood your OP and completely understand your frustration. You're not rude, or "shouldn't be working in retail".

A lot of the time someone can go into a shop and say do you stock x and the person working there might say no, we don't but try this place or that place. This is fine, imo. What's not fine is expecting the store associate to google if that place does in fact stock that thing.

I feel like that's what the OP was getting at?

That's fair. I walk with people unless I'm on a timer picking home shopping orders. I actually prefer to take customers to the product - to check if it's there and to see if a plan B is needed.
I can only imagine how difficult it is for customers to locate something in our store when staff with 20 years on the shop floor can barely keep up. They're not bad at their jobs (as others have implied), it's just the way that the shop life is.

I think it depends on how big your area is, a town with only a few shopping streets, then sure, but a city with multiple shopping areas no. Of course if you're in a chain brand and only asking if another store in that chain stocks it then definitely yes.

I frequently get asked what time does the shop next door open, no they can't Google it, his hours vary and he's not on Google, as he's not got a website or social media. Not every store has an online presence, especially independent shops. Unfortunately I do also get asked where the nearest public toilets are and they're not well maintained, but I do give directions.