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

[Auburngal]

When at work, when a customer asks where is x or do we sell x. If we know that we don’t sell x either from experience or looking at the shelves where you expect to find the product.

If we don’t sell the item in question, customer asks “do you know if (name of shop in the area) sells it?” When we say we don’t know, a few customers have flipped. We don’t know the inventory of each shop. Unless we buy the product or seen it in that shop, we haven’t got a clue.

So why do customers presume that we know what other shops in the area sell?

The one I had yesterday was something pet related. I don’t have pets so I don’t go down the pet aisle of section

The thing is, with retail, people in general are annoyed as so many stores have closed, stores lots of us used a lot and had loyalty too. Debenhams, BHS, Watt Bros, M&S have all closed near where i work. And specialist sports shops, wool shops, and hardware shops that sold everything. They are all shut. So people come into my shop asking where they can buy things they previously found easy to get. But they don't realise i can't buy it either and i miss them too. So getting angry and short with me is pointless and getting more annoying as time goes on.

Exactly. I also find that many people even enjoy being helpful. I certainly like it if someone asks me directions and I can show them the way or if I can help someone I see in my work at the NHS on an unconnected matter. People are not all petty and selfish.

Petty and selfish

I went to Oxford Street today. I had several friendly interactions with shopkeepers and one café owner. They are too dull to detail here but it was little comments about the weather or the ordering system in the café or the different price of the same products in different parts of the country. All friendly chat appreciated by both parties I think.

I do believe that there are horrible and rude customers around. But as a proportion of the number of people going to shops, I imagine it is not huge. It is just easier to remember the dickhead customers for obvious reasons.

I worked for a while shelf filling in Wilkinsons. It was a large store and I filled the toiletries shelves right by the door. Two evenings a week the store was open until late so I would be working while it was still open. So many customers would walk through the door and immediately ask "where are the saucepans/tights/aspiring/dog food et etc etc. I would take them to the relevant aisle, often with no thanks for doing so, and then quite often be expected to help them look for a specific item or choose between items.

Retail bosses do seem to insist their staff accompany people to where they asked about even if they don't want that. I have at times told staff to not stop what they are doing, I just need to know.

It is not unreasonable for customers to ask a member of staff where something is.

I love helping random people I’m like a LN excited puppy when they ask 😂 I also get asked a lot as apparently I have an approachable face, DH dreads days out with me as inevitably I’ll end up taking a quarter mile walk to a jewellery shop just to show someone where it is 🤣 doesn’t help we live in a very touristy area

It is just easier to remember the dickhead customers for obvious reasons.

That is so true. It has been 25 years since I worked in retail, yet I can still remember the biggest three or four dickish customers. The worst thing was when the browsing half hour came in on a Sunday, people got very annoyed that we wouldn't serve them (I think we weren't even allowed to help them find something etc)

I know imagine being asked to do your job 🙄 I hate it when I ask for help and I’m given an aisle number rather than shown, I do insist they take me and point it out (and I do say thank you, always!)

You post endless threads moaning about your customers, @Auburngal. Maybe it really is time to get a different job.

Us customers are just never happy. 😛

I’ve worked in retail/food service as a student and I do remember awful customers but I feel that so many service staff are super unhelpful and I’m experiencing more and more getting huffy over simple requests. I’m polite and a kind and just wanna be shown where the peanut sauce is there’s no need to treat me like I’ve kicked their dog.

Or at least tell us where you work so we can avoid it lest we have a moany thread made about us

Yeah this used to annoy me. I worked in a shop in a different town to where I lived so I didn’t really know much about the other shops. And people seemed offended by that. Sorry I guess?

The posters saying: you should know exactly where everything is in your shop... I work in a large superstore and there is no way of knowing that. The locations of items, prices and stock levels change daily or even by the minute.
I might send someone to isle 16 to get their custard creams but they don't find any because:
a) shelf stocker has misplaced them
b) they have been relocated the previous night
c) they sold out in the last hour
d) we have been short staffed and no one has had a chance to restock for the last 24h
e) even if I might locate some out the back - they are under 200 boxes of Easter eggs and I can't reshuffle the whole warehouse to dig out a packet of custard creams.

Most customers are lovely and polite and I do try to help but it's really not that straight-forward with the locations of things.

But if you know a custard cream is a biscuit it must be in the biscuit aisle, some people struggle to see and helping them makes a significant difference, why wouldn’t you?

The above still applies. Universally.

And I don't know who is the unhelpful one cause it ain't me... 🤷

Yes, but if you work in B&Q, would you know whether the requested item can be found in Homebase?

What I mean @YaMuvva, is that it's difficult enough keeping live track of items in our own shop, bar knowing what another shop is likely to stock.

Like today - two shoppers asked for wooden scewers, I explained with confidence exactly where to find them. Alas, it turns out we have a new "Summer BBQ" isle and they have been relocated to that one. I basically sent the customers on a wild goose chase...

Oh I don’t expect you to know what other ships stock but so many people struggle to shop without help and I think not taking someone who’s asked to be taken a biscuit aisle is, sorry, a bit mean.

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.

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.

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?

Yes that’s right.

We expect to know opening hours of certain shops, do they take cards, when their 20% off week on hair care ends etc.

Either Google or visit the shop instead, not a different shop.

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

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.