"I don't work here"

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This is light-hearted. I am just curious if this happens to other people too.

I worked in retail and hospitality for well over a decade so I have permanent smile on my face even when I am angry, can orient myself in any shop immediately and I guess I have something else too, because "Sorry, I don't work here" is a sentence I end up saying quite often!

The best example. Went to John Lewis to look for some inspiration in a home department. I was switching cushions on one sofa, where my DH sat, to see which colours and patterns work best together. I had to pop into a nearby aisle few times to get different cushions (I put them all back after, I am not a dick).
3 separate people asked me "Excuse me! Where is x?" They all "Oh! I thought...", apologised and thanked me (all very polite) when I said I don't work there, but it's x aisles down. All in a span of 15 min.

I had no uniform, clothes didn't resemble JL in any way. It happened in other shops too! Once I ended up helping lady in Debenhams chosing a colour of a coat she wanted. She was lovely though.

Is that it? Is the retail and hospitality worker in me forever and so strong that people just can tell?
You know, like in a movies where people can easily identify cops or former cops?

I am retraining to a non retail/hospitality management position.

Firstly, AIBU to worry they will all just think I am a lost shop assistant who accidentally entered their offices?😂 It obviously "shines" from me.

Secondly, AIBU to be curious if this happens to other people from other professions too?

This is a bit outing but it is a good story:

I wear a high viz jacket and often have my keys around my neck on a work lanyard.

One day as I walking my kids to school the school bus driver handed me a bunch of bus kids to accompany into the school as he thought I was the school hand due to my attire.

I get asked for help and directions when I am wearing plain things. If I am wearing the colourful end of my wardrobe I get nothing. I don't think they think I work there I think they are thinking I look fairly average or, when put off, too unpredictable.

I used to work for Sainsburys, on the way home from work I popped into my local Sainsburys store (still in uniform, but put a cardy on) I obviously got asked constantly where such and such was. I had to help them because I couldn't face the strange looks I would have got trying to explain 'I dont work here'

Funny story....
Where I work we wear a blue shirt and navy trousers. One day my male colleague went to Card Factory in his break. He was browsing the shop when a rude customer said something like “Oi where are you 50th birthday cards?” He said she was aggressive and rude.
He realised he obviously looked like he worked there so replied “The fuck do I know?”
She flounced off looking for a manager whilst my colleague paid and left

My friend from Scotland moved to London and I went to visit her. We were walking along and she was telling me how weird it was that people kept asking her for directions - and we were interrupted by someone asking her for directions.

I never get this, I think I give good “fuck off” vibes.

I'm not often asked in shops, but am always being asked for directions, and luckily I swallowed an atlas and compass at birth so I can make a good guess as to where the place they're looking for might be, eg in a strange town if looking for nearby town name road it'll be off to the nearby town side of the town you are in. Place names ending Street, Lane, Passage and Road tend to be toward the centre of a place with the Roads being the ones radiating out, modern road names like Avenue (often a 1930s -60s estate), or Boulevard are on new modern estates, Landing, Wharf etc are near water and usually new buildings.
I am always asked directions within 10 minutes of stepping off a train or parking my car in a new place, so I have to say I don't live here and I don't know the area but suggest head that way and ask again.

Comes up often on notalwaysright . Usually with customers who refuse to believe you don't work here.

This is more of an 'I don't work there...'

I work in a very small local shop in a very rural area where most things are shut on a Sunday (apart from us...) and we have a LOT of tourists.

People come in on a Sunday asking for tourist advice ('where's good for kids, where can I go for lunch, which way to X') or where the best place is to get X (often some form of medicine we don' sell or stuff for animals). So we end up giving tourist board worthy advice, directions, car, medical and vet advice.

This summer I sorted out a family with dog advice, directions to their holiday cottage and a way to ease a medical problem until the chemist shop opened on Monday. So maybe we just have an aura of capability?

and I've also torn the first receipt off, taken my card out, printed the merchant receipt and handed the cashier my card and receipt

I do that😂 Though I got better now and I actually stop myself and hand back machine and merchant's receipt.

Havanananana great short film!

Before I worked in retail I used to get loads of people approach me asking for directions or advice in random stores I didn't work in.

Now I work in retail, and deal with customer services, ie bat shit crazy complaints, I get it less. I think its because, as my manager hinted, I've developed resting bitch face which fends off the crazy before it approaches.

I once asked a smartly dressed young man in a suit for assistance. His very haughty reply, “Do I look like I work in Poundland”.

I expect you have a confident air. People pick up on body language and non verbal cues.

I ALWAYS get asked for directions, particularly when I'm wrangling my toddler. I have a friendly/approachable demeanour, people see that.

Unluckily for them I have no spatial awareness and am shit at directions.

@FLOrenze Why did you ask him then, as he clearly didn't work in Poundland? Obviously, rudeness isn't ok but I can understand that someone might be irked by the assumption.

Happens to me all the time. Once in Wilkos I told a woman that I didn't work there and she huffed off complaining. When I was in the queue to pay she was stood berating the manager about the poor attitude of the staff who wouldn't help her. She wouldn't listen to the fact that I was a customer and didn't know where the lightbulbs are.

You ought to take a look at NotAlwaysWorking. Sometimes people assume if you're wearing a uniform that you work there; even if it bears not the slightest resemblance to the shop uniform.

Happens to me all the time. I often wear all black though, so assumed that was the reason.

A man asked me where the toilets were at a National Trust place couple of weeks ago, and got really pissed off when I said I didn't know I then pointed out I didn't work there and he grunted and walked off. Not like the NT staff were all wearing bright red t-shirts... (I was not)

I did used to work in retail, though not for over 10 years, so maybe I still have an air of it?

This happens to me quite often too!

I work in a supermarket so naturally know where things are or have the ability to look them up, however i always seem to either get stopped when I'm on break (coat and bag on, carrying food etc) or shopping, both times are when i would love 10 mins without being asked a question

I get this quite often and I have never worked in retail

Me too! And it's almost always in John Lewis. Specifically the home furnishings or haberdashery. And I'm definitely not making eye contact, last week I was crouched down comparing the backs of two products and I got asked! I mean, I'm wearing a coat ffs...

I did the same in John Lewis I was so embarrassed. I was once asked what wine I would recommend at a vineyard in Canada once so I was talking to the lady for ages asking her what flavours she liked etc, then she asked me another question that I had no idea about so said oh I'm not sure but someone who works here will (or something like that) I had no idea she thought I worked there I was just making conversation 😂 she brought the wine I recommended after trying it and even came to find me later to give me a bottle for helping!

Yes, three times! Once I was staying in the Hilton (Xmas present from my ex) and I was asked while wearing a band t-shirt and looking like I was about to go to a metal gig (cos I was.) I was younger and more polite otherwise I'd have been more sarcastic in my answer. I just assume I looked too poor to actually be staying there.
Once in WHSmith (while wearing the uniform for the shop I actually work in) and once in Savers (ditto.) That time I was snarky, I was on my lunch break and not in the mood to entertain idiots. I've also been asked for help on my days off, which annoys the hell out of me, especially when I've got my headphones on and RBF.

If you were looking busy that may be why. I don't mean this meanly but most people wouldn't be playing with the cushions in this way in a shop. Also did U have a coat on? If coat was off I can see why they might assume a member of staff was rushing around with cushions

This happens to me every time I shop in Tesco, and nowhere else. Maybe I missed my calling

I couldn't work in retail though. People are so rude. Last time a woman barked at me "Where are the brioche?" I didn't have a clue but I helped her look and when I finally found them she tutted at me and walked off. How dare I waste her time by not instantly knowing where everything was! I couldn't cope with that on a daily basis.

I think that we do pick up a personality suiting a long term job, we were once going into a store in the days of spray silly string. Some kids were spraying it, lots of people walked by and tutted, I said 'Stop that and clean it off', which they did! A passer by said 'You must be a teacher in real life!'