Do people really look down on retail staff?

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Aibu to think more people than I realised secretly look down on people who work in retail.

I work in retail, in quiet a nice store. I earn quiet a bit more than minimum wage and get some nice perks. While it's certainly not the most taxing/complicated work I am required to use my brain more than appears to be perceived.

I've noticed on threads on here people usually will defend retail staff and seem to understand how trying dealing with the public can be. However while posters admit to having previously worked in retail no-one seems to admit to currently doing so. I've also noticed defensive comments about having worked in retail, that it was only done to support a degree etc. That's fair enough but on a recent thread a poster made reference in front of a customer (who was been nasty about her job) about having made sure she let the woman hear she was doing her degree and wasn't stupid. Sounds daft but up until then I hadn't considered that we would be considered stupid because we work retail.

Thinking back I've often seen similar comments before but not quiet as blatant. It was only then I realised that I've never seen anyone here else "own" up to working in retail.

I'm not going to explain/justify why I'm currently working this role other than it suits me to do so now and on the whole I like it. But I am going to say I don't think my job or anyone else's defines me. I am not better or worse than anyone else and don't look down on or up to anyone else because of what their profession is.

Okay, more in depth response here now.

Judging by the people who speak to me, honestly, MOST people are fine, or at least indifferent. We even get a few lovely ones. But there's always those who feel the need to remind us, either verbally or non verbally, that we're staff and as such, what we think and feel doesn't matter.

Everyone who's come on this thread saying they don't look down on retail staff, I salute you! But all you've proven is that you can type you don't look down on retail staff lol. In my experience, the proof is in the pudding.

Things like... do you come in five minutes before closing and expect our best service? Do you keep us late, and expect us to be happy about it? Because MOST people who do that either don't work retail/think they're too good for retail... but the worst one I ever had was a retail worker who had a chip on her shoulder about being kept late by customers so often herself, she couldn't WAIT to pull it on someone else. Because pay it forward, right?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not slamming you guys at all (I really hope people read this part). I'm saying, you can't split people into "worked in retail/treats us well" and "never worked in retail/looks down on us" because it's not an even divide. There's overlap.

People also need to consider things like, do you flirt with us, give us your number/ask for our number, ask us on dates etc? Because there's a power dynamic there and you think you're being charming and lovely, but some people forget we don't really feel like we can tell you to jog on without getting a complaint from you. We're smiling and nodding as part of customer service, and it too often get misconstrued as flirting on our part when that couldn't be further from the truth!

Do you swear in the store and tell the shop assistant "I don't mind if you swear"? Because that's nice for you, but my manager will mind, and likely so will Deirdre behind you.

Do you tell us "ah, just shove it in the bag, I don't mind"? Because that's nice for you, but my manager will pitch a fit.

Do you expect us to "do you a favor" and circumvent a policy? Because what is a momentary inconvenience for you could lead to us doing our jobs.

Ultimately my point is, I'm genuinely grateful and glad for every person who doesn't look down on me, but the reality is, there's a lot people do that they don't realize IS tantamount to looking down on us, and then come on threads like this looking for their cookie.

"she did say she spoke about her degree to show she wasn't stupid. Hence she believes people working in retail as a long term job are stupid."

It's quite likely that what she meant was that others might think 'career' retail workers are stupid, not that she does.

"do you come in five minutes before closing and expect our best service? "

Sorry, but I don't think doing that shows a lack of respect for retail workers. Your employer should pay you for every minute you work and customers should be able to go into the shop until it's closed. The issue there is with your employer, not the customer.

I've found I've been looked down on depending on what shop I worked in. For example I've worked in Brown Thomas in the handbag department and was always (except on sale days) treated mostly with respect. I've also worked in Dunnes on the grocery tills and been treated like I'm stupid. People can be snobs

"what are you on?!"

Who's that meant for and what does it mean?

was to whattodo going off on one at me.

I wasn't "going off on one" at you

I was simply pointing out that if you lump a group of people together and treat them as if they're all the same, then yes, rightly so they will be annoyed by that and take it personally.

A job is a job. I could never look down on someone who is working, regardless of the job title/description.

I am jealous of staff working in B&M! I love that shop! I agree with the PP about shelf stackers and Macdonalds, the stigma these jobs have is if you don't have any qualifications/study hard etc you will end up doing those jobs.
It's the same for bar staff, a lot of disrespect in that job too.

GardenGeek I'm only going off information you have provided.

You specifically said you had a moan about retail staff on another thread, which implies you moaned about retail staff as a group, rather than the one woman which you later go on to say annoyed you.

Hence my pointing out that people will take things personally (since you told them not to) if they are lumped together as a group and treated as if they are all the same.

And no, you have not "riled me" on another thread; I very rarely look at usernames.

I definitely don't look down on retail staff. I work in the hospitality sector as a Deputy Manager and the way customers speak to staff is horrific, so I can honestly say even though people won't admit it, I think a lot of people are in the closet about their opinion being low of retail staff.

I don't think anyone's worked up; I was simply explaining my point.

So if I'm boring you, why are you still replying to me?

"do you come in five minutes before closing and expect our best service? "

Sorry, but I don't think doing that shows a lack of respect for retail workers. Your employer should pay you for every minute you work and customers should be able to go into the shop until it's closed. The issue there is with your employer, not the customer.

Depends how you do it.

Five minutes to go, run in, grab the thing you need, run out, minimal fuss? Fine, and not disrespectful.
Five minutes to go, saunter in, browse for ten minutes and expect the cashier to serve you without gritted teeth? Unreasonable, and disrespectful. Because we have homes to go to as well.

Everyone wants to say "oh, well, that's the company's fault for not paying you after close" but we wouldn't have to be paid after close if customers would respect closing hours. And saying "the company should pay you more" is saying "My desire to shop is more important than your right to leave on time". Because it would kill you to come in five minutes earlier, right?

There was a thread about this a few weeks ago, and I am still angry about it. The general consensus was that customers felt like they should be able to come in when they felt like it and shop as long as they liked, closing hours be damned and devil take the hindmost.

And before anyone says "well, your job is to be nice to customers", rest assured, I am. I have to be, or I wouldn't be employed. That doesn't mean I want to stay twenty minutes after close because you don't give a toss about me. That doesn't mean I don't have a home to go to, a bus to catch, a baby waiting for me. You say customers should be able to shop when they like, I agree. When the store is open. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to be allowed to leave when my contracted shift is over.

It's even more egregious on your part if you KNOW that our companies don't pay us after closing and you still pull this stuff. Because you're then basically saying "I know my actions are causing you to end up working for no pay, but I don't care, I'm the customer and I have a right to shop." Saying "the company should pay you more, your issue is with them, not me" is saying "I know you're being inconvenienced, but I'd rather blame the faceless corporate bigwigs than examine the fact that my actions are directly causing another person to have to work without pay."

That doesn't sound respectful to me. That sounds like you do look down on us.

I've certainly run in just before close - only when no other option, grabbed the item, apologised profusely/thanked them/hoofed it out pronto etc.

You treat all staff exactly the same way you treat everyone you meet transiently and casually- with respect and politeness and not too much familiarity (I used to get asked for my number too - hideous.) if it's a shop you frequent often you might get to the idle chitchat stage but this should never stop the staff members doing their job or be too familiar to make them uncomfortable,

I did 9 years with HMV, both shop floor and head office, and it was fabulous, mostly because nearly everyone working there was really into music, film or games (or all three). I was a classical music specialist, where we tended to get nicer customers, so only one ever made me cry, and I got some fantastic perks, like free tickets to see Cecilia Bartoli at the Wigmore Hall and the Hilliard Ensemble and Jan Garbarek at King's College in Cambridge, both performances I'll never forget.

I've worked in retail and waitressing and now care. Looked down on in every single job. I will stay working in care because I'm fortunate enough to love it and be passionate about what I do. It was awful in my previous jobs being spoken to the way I was, even being assaulted. However it probably affects me more being looked down on for being a carer because my heart is really in it. Especially when family members (usually the ones who very very rarely visit) speak to us like we're stupid or they're above us. It's sad that they don't appreciate that we give so much of ourselves to the residents because we genuinely care, often staying (unpaid) longer or not taking breaks on our 12 hour shifts due to being short staffed and not wanting to see anyone get less than excellent care.
I'm sure retail workers feel the same when they are doing a brilliant job every day, going above and beyond for their customers because they care about what they do, only to be spoken to like some sort of lower level human being.
Unfortunately many people within our society seem to have wierd superiority complex's and could do with being knocked down a peg or two.

That's shit, penny

Fwiw I think carers are pretty bloody amazing. And underpaid.

We recently had an elderly relative kept in her own home until late 90s by a team of fantastic carers - it's a hard job, and incredibly valuable socially.

Some people can just only feel good about themselves in relation to others. That often manifests as the other person must be put down to elevate them. Secure people do not do this.

Anatidae that's how I try and look at it too. I mean how insecure do you have to be to specifically look to try and put people down? It bothered me when I was younger but I have a much thicker skin now which also serves me well in other parts of my life!
And thank you for recognising carers! I know there are some bad homes (I'd never work anywhere I didn't think was excellent), but there are loads of real gems in care. I have truly found my closest friends there too.