Comments on: Five Ways Employees Should Act

By: ciel8538

ciel8538 — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:07:30 +0000

I liked the part about the too friendly cashier. I have the same thought about this. For example when I have a favorite cafe and I go there every now and then,I do not feel comfortable, when they start to be too friendly with me. I would go there any ways sometimes, but I do not like if they want to make me feel like that,that I am obliged to get my coffee there,because I am “their customer” and I “cheat” if I take my coffee also from other places sometimes. Same with small clothes shops, I do not like when the shopkeepers run there every 5 minutes to ask if they can help..If I need help, I will ask for it:).

By: Kevin Vellacott-Ford

Kevin Vellacott-Ford — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:35:09 +0000

bailey,
Troll much?

By: David G. Mitchell

David G. Mitchell — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:08:48 +0000

Wondering ~ Thanks for your query. As a customer, you won’t necessarily save anything by reading my article but if you are an employee somewhere, you just may save your job or advance your career.

Cheers!

By: bailey

bailey — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 01:35:57 +0000

ha ha ha trust me if the store was the store within 100 miles, you would buy from a filthy goat. just get your stuff and go, so what..who cares, i do not need most employees at every business, just one, “RING IT UP”. Taking this stupidness personally is a very interesting tell-all into your extreme lack of confidence and obvious loneliness. I dont care who says hi, i dont care who looks, “PUT IT IN A BAG, BYE”.

By: Wondering...

Wondering... — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:46:49 +0000

Although I couldn’t agree more with this article, I fail to see what it has to do with Saving Advice.

By: Jaime

Jaime — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:38:34 +0000

One thing to remember also is to give people the benefit of the doubt – customers and employees. The employees or merchandising reps may not have heard you say hello, they may not have been ignoring you. Or, the grunter might have recently come from the dentist and not been able to respond with more than a grunt but still be able to do the physical part of his job.

Certainly don’t go overboard and forgive bad behaviour, but for something so minor there can be a host of reasons why you got an unsatisfactory response that doesn’t mean the employee is rude.

Other than that, I agree. Having worked retail and currently in customer service, it’s easy enough to be pleasant. I am both more and less understanding depending on the situation, since I’ve often been in their shoes.

By: Bben

Bben — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 11:53:06 +0000

I don’t work in retail, but in an industrial service company. My boss requires us to be friendly at work, not just to customers we meet with during our work, but with any competitors we run into. He says you never know when you may need a favor. We also have a live receptionist to answer the phone. And if she is not there someone else answers so anyone who calls will first talk to a live human who sounds like they really want their business – It works. Customers are not an imposition, they pay our salary.

By: Cara (aka Temberton)

Cara (aka Temberton) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:54:48 +0000

Great post! I agree! Loved your comment about employees not being “ornaments”. I hate it when employees act like they are doing me a favor just for doing their job (and poorly at that). I’ve worked as a secret shopper in the past and you would not believe how hard it is sometimes to fulfill my requirements for the assignment because of employees who act like I’m NOT THERE! Too bad it is a no-no to write in a report: “Apparently, the employeed was blind, deaf, mute, and grumpy!”

On the other hand, DH and I ran into a cashier at Walmart that was absolutely wonderful. (I know – REMARKABLE!). I don’t recall ever meeting her before, but DH said he remembers her from the entire time we’ve lived here (6 years) and she is always like that. She was nice, friendly, funny, and an excellent bagger. She took EXTRA care with our groceries. Wow!

There’s one particular store here that I love to go to because the employees are friendly and always say “Merry Christmas” during the holidays and “Have a blessed day!” any other time of year. That may not be everyone’s thing, but *I* do appreciate it.

By: Ann

Ann — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 23:18:15 +0000

Annie semi-mentioned one point that turns me off — being too helpful/in-your-face.

When I was a teen, I worked in a clothing store during the summer. I’d been there about 6 weeks, when someone came in from corporate to “observe” us. Two things about this job and my behavior — we received a slight commission and I would say hello and tell anyone that, if they had a question or needed my help, just let me know and would be in their sight but not their face until they indicated they wanted me.

This lady from corporate told me that I needed to constantly be at my customers’ sides suggesting and pushing. I told her to look at the commission records — I earned twice as much commission as the other two full-time people… who had been trained by corporate.

I’ll walk out of a store, if a sales person is constantly bugging me or suggesting something to me, when I’ve indicated I’m just browsing.

By: Annie Jones

Annie Jones — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:33:37 +0000

All your points are valid, but it’s the second one that hits home with me. A sales clerk or waiter/waitress who is too chatty is a big turn-off for me.

Also, an employee, shop-owner or even someone holding a garage sale who tries too hard to push merchandise and/or up-sell will cause me to turn around and leave.