Just say "I don't know"

[gooddecisions]

Since there have been a few customer service threads lately, I thought I'd post my own gripe. Twice in the past week at two different stores- Target & Babies R Us, I've stopped a clerk to ask if they sold something and the response was "no, we don't sell those". Once was a mobile and the other time was bottle labels.

Both times, I've happened upon the item in the store myself and went on to purchase it. But these aren't small stores, so if I was in a rush- I would have turned around and left the store immediately.

Why can't clerks just say "oh, I don't know if we have that, let me check with someone else" instead of saying "no, we don't have it". This past trip, the one girl happened to walk by me again and I couldn't resist telling her- this is the item I asked you about. Her response, "I didn't know when you asked about bottle labels you meant those". I stopped myself from saying that the box is clearly labeled "bottle labels".

The is exactly why online shopping is better.

[swamp]

If I was being paid $8.50 an hour, I probably couldn't be bothered to go find the answer either.

[gooddecisions]

I guess, but if you're stuck at work anyway- there are worse tasks than helping a pleasant customer find something. Providing the wrong answer is just not acceptable. I worked my fair share of minimum wage jobs, but it was in food- so way worse.

[swamp]

Jan 12, 2012 10:31:11 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

I guess, but if you're stuck at work anyway- there are worse tasks than helping a pleasant customer find something. Providing the wrong answer is just not acceptable. I worked my fair share of minimum wage jobs, but it was in food- so way worse.

I've done plenty of minimum wage schticks too, and I never want to go back.

I also tried to help the customer because it's the right thing to do, and I knew that I wouldn't be working that type of job forever, and you never know who you'll run into later when you are looking for a "real" job.

however, I also recognize that not everyone shares my mindset, and you get what you get for $8.50 an hour.

[achelois]

If you agree to take a job, you should do the best job you can, whatever the pay. If you (generic you)dont want to do a good job for the pay you agreed to, find a different job Saying that would be like my saying " oh, if I were making only $40/hr, I wouldnt bother either."

What is a high enough wage where people should be expected to do a good job.

[Deleted]

It looks to me like they have terrible work ethics.

I was promoted to Assistant Manager of a Rite Aid when I was 23 because I was one of the few people that worked there who actually did work. For an additional quarter per hour I got to either open or close the store, make bank deposits and the added joy of trying to get people 10-20 years older than me to comply with my requests.

I learned how to be assertive and it looked good on a resume, so it was a great learning experience (even if I was in over my head at the time).

[Deleted]

Jan 12, 2012 10:35:06 GMT -5 achelois said:

If you agree to take a job, you should do the best job you can, whatever the pay.

That is what my parents taught me.

[swamp]

Message deleted by swamp.

[Deleted]

Jan 12, 2012 10:38:32 GMT -5 @beerwench said:

Jan 12, 2012 10:35:06 GMT -5 achelois said:

If you agree to take a job, you should do the best job you can, whatever the pay.

That is what my parents taught me.

mine too.

[ugga81]

If $8.50 an hour isn't enough for them to do their job, then perhaps they shouldn't be doing the job. If they accept the job, then they accept the taks that go along with pay.

I'd love to tell my boss "You don't pay me enough to do XYZ". Since XYZ is part of my job description I'm guessing he'd have an issue with that.

I can understand if they're new and don't really know, but then a simple "I don't know" would suffice. I'd be a little irked if they don't offer to help me find out further but at least it's honest.

The apathy in customer service today is abhorable. (And that comment makes me look and feel much older than my 30 years... )

[swamp]

Jan 12, 2012 10:35:06 GMT -5 achelois said:

If you agree to take a job, you should do the best job you can, whatever the pay. If you (generic you)dont want to do a good job for the pay you agreed to, find a different job Saying that would be like my saying " oh, if I were making only $40/hr, I wouldnt bother either."

What is a high enough wage where people should be expected to do a good job.

I don't know. I don't set the rules.

Some people will do a fantastic job no matter what you pay them. Some people just suck. It just seems like lots of the low paid workers I deal with just dont care.........

[swamp]

Jan 12, 2012 10:39:31 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

Jan 12, 2012 10:38:32 GMT -5 @beerwench said:

That is what my parents taught me.

mine too.

Mine too, but my parents were mean.

[gooddecisions]

"It just seems like lots of the low paid workers I deal with just dont care......... "

I don't think it's necessarily the pay. A lazy person will likely be lazy no matter what they are being paid.

[taz157]

Jan 12, 2012 10:38:32 GMT -5 @beerwench said:

Jan 12, 2012 10:35:06 GMT -5 achelois said:

If you agree to take a job, you should do the best job you can, whatever the pay.

That is what my parents taught me.

and DH and I will teach my DD that too.

PS - I used to work at Walmart in college, making less than $8.50/hour and I would have helped you if I could. If I didn't know, I would tell the customer that and find someone who could.

[thyme4change]

I remember working customer service, and even though I tried to answer the questions, I was wrong more than once. I really thought the person did order a cheeseburger - I could swear they said cheeseburger. I mean, I only helped 20 people in 12 minutes - but I got every other order absolutely perfect. Clearly, I was lazy, stupid and would never amount to anything. But it is okay, I'm sure that person never made a mistake in their life, and always had the right answer. I'm sure that person never got distracted by anything, and had perfect hearing. I'm sure that person knew every single detailed minutia about their job and never, ever answer a question wrong.

[gooddecisions]

"If I didn't know, I would tell the customer that and find someone who could."

That's all I expect. Saying "no", just sends customers out there door or ticked if they happen to stick around and find it. There is no search field option in a physical store so those of us who are still patronizing brick and mortar stores have no choice but to ask a clerk or be content to browse aisles for a long time.

[thyme4change]

But maybe they really thought they knew. If you asked them if they sold porn, and they don't would you want them to answer "Ummm, hold on, let me ask" when they know damn well they don't sell it. I suspect they really thought they didn't sell what you were asking for. There is a likelihood that they believed they were giving you the right answer.

[gooddecisions]

I agree, fast food is way harder and usually much more fast pace than retail. I worked fast food, full service and everything in between.

BRU was not busy, while I was there I noticed 3 cashiers, 2 clerks at the customer service desk, and at least 4 clerks walking the floor. There were no lines at the register and maybe 3 other customers there. Agreed, bad workers do mean bad management.

[thyme4change]

You know everything - their work load, their personal life, and what they actually did and did not know. You are very unforgiving.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

What is a bottle label?

[gooddecisions]

Jan 12, 2012 11:03:36 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

What is a bottle label?

You use them on your baby bottles for daycare to distinguish them from other babies' bottles. Or I guess a sharpie might also do, which would have been my only option had I not found them in the store.

[thyme4change]

Toughtimes - you are fired - lazy, stupid person. Thinking a "bottle lable" was one thing, that your store doesn't carry, when really it was another thing that your store does carry. Clearly CLEARLY you are a worthless piece of shit and should be taken behind the barn and beat until your customer service improves.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Hmm. . I just used a sharpie.

I wouldn't expect a cleark at either store to know off the top of their head that they carried "bottle labels" specfically labels for baby bottles at a place like Target.

[swamp]

Jan 12, 2012 11:08:39 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

Jan 12, 2012 11:03:36 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

What is a bottle label?

You use them on your baby bottles for daycare to distinguish them from other babies' bottles. Or I guess a sharpie might also do, which would have been my only option had I not found them in the store.

I've never heard of such things. I just used a Sharpie. I think I'm a bad mom.

[gooddecisions]

Close, but this was more what I was going for: www.amazon.com/Whoozems-Baby-Bottle-Labels-Self-laminating/dp/B0048SOBGO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326117160&sr=8-1&fb_source=message.

Babies R Us didn't have that kind, but did have this kind: www.amazon.com/Label-Itz-Bandette-Bottle-Animals/dp/B002R12PP8/ref=pd_cp_ba_2

[gooddecisions]

"I've never heard of such things. I just used a Sharpie. I think I'm a bad mom."

No, just more experienced. I have no clue what I need and don't need/what works and doesn't work- and she starts daycare next week.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Honestly I wouldn't know that is what you were talking about if I was a clerk at either store. That is not what pops into my head when you say "bottle label". That's one tiny product out of thousands.

Did you give them a specific brand name or did you just ask for "bottle labels"?

[thyme4change]

Wow - new Moms will buy anything. LOL

Sharpies are like 50 cents.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I don't think Swamp is more experienced, I think she is too cheap to give her baby the best.

[swamp]

Jan 12, 2012 11:15:13 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I don't think Swamp is more experienced, I think she is too cheap to give her baby the best.