a lesson.

this is a lesson in etiquette. retail etiquette. a form of etiquette which i believe is much less commonly known. now it's more than possible that i've already written about this subject on the blog before, but i am going to go into much greater detail. because ladies and gents...

YOU'RE ALL PIGS!

seriously though... i've worked in retail for a few years, and regardless of the store, customers are always pigs. ALWAYS! so, i'm out to fix the problem. here are a few lessons in retail etiquette, that apply to all, if not most retail businesses (though i can't think of one company who wouldn't deal with these problems, i don't wanna go to the extremes and be a liar ya know)

so. here we go.

this makes me happy.

this. does not.

Shoes. i work with a company that has their shoes hung from twelve inch hooks on the wall, color ordered and sized accordingly. but for some reason, once a wave of customers comes through, the color order is messed up, the size marked hangers are wrong, and shoes are strewn across the floor.... not ok.
-when you try on a pair of shoes and they aren't what you're looking for, hang them back up where you found them. it's not that hard. i understand if you're in a hurry and just don't have time to hang them up where they go, but really. just try. ok? takes five extra seconds of your life that i'm sure you'll do just fine without. the same goes for accessories and stuff. put it back where you got it.

this. makes me so unbelievably happy.

but this is a little more reasonable.

Pants. and more specifically jeans. in more big chain retail stores, jeans are kept folded in racks on the wall, nice and organized by size, style, and wash. to make life easier for YOU. so. when you take out a pair of jeans, put it back where you found it. try to fold it like the ones on the shelf. i understand that every company fold s theirs differently, but trust me, if you even just try, it will make a difference for whoever has been assigned to re-organize the jean wall that day (because let me tell you, it needs to be re-organized every day.... jeans are the worst)

OH LOOK!!!!!!!

Folded items. ie. shirts, sweaters, sweat pants, tank tops, leggings. if you are looking for a size and you can't find it because the pile looks like poop, this is why. every store that has clothes folded on the table organizes their piles with largest size on the bottom and smallest size on the top (because of proportions and making sure a pile stays standing. so. if everyone just followed these easy steps, things would work out fine, and you would never have an issue finding your size again (unless of course they just don't have it. in that case i'm sorry)
-ok, take the first item on the top of the pile and figure out where the tag is, cuz they should probably be easily accessed when folded. (most companies tuck them in so the piles look nicer, but just tug it out, that's an easier fix than refolding a pile)
-once you locate the tag, determine where your size might be in the pile. if you're looking for an extra small, it should be on the very top. if it's an extra large it should be on the very bottom. now here's the trick. if you want to get to the bottom of a pile, don't throw all the other nicely folded items around till you get there, carefully flip the pile over, sort of like you would a pancake (one hand under, one hand over, flip) and take the one off the bottom, that should now be on the top. then flip it back. done.
-if you need to get into the middle, then just flip halfway through, instead of from the very bottom. simple, right? ... nah. apparently not :/

aaaaaaahhh. yes.

NO.... NO NO NO NO!!!!!!

hangers.... if you want to look at something that is hung on a hanger, dont just pull it out on one side and just leave it poking out like that. please no. take it off the rack and look at it. and if you cant manage to stick it back in between the other shirts, hang it in the front, that's ok, also a much easier fix than going through and readjusting hangers that are probably snagged on collars of shirts around it. also, if something falls off the hanger because you pulled it out, please do try to put it back on. nobody likes to look through a rack of clothes that is only half put together.

please.. why...

change rooms. ok. now if the clerk doesn't ask you to bring all the items back out with you, please do anyways. and if there is no clerk, don't just leave your clothes and hangers all over the floor.. please!!! hang them up and be neat and grown up about it. there is nothing that bothers me more than someone who doesn't even put in the effort to be kind to retail workers when it comes to refolding and hanging clothes. please.

yup. that's me.

i have been a witness to customers looking me right in the eye, picking at item up off the rack, and then just dropping it... WHHAAAAAATTTT?!?!?!
are you five????????? did your parents never teach you to clean up after yourselves??? WHAT possesses you to chuck stuff on the floor and think it's acceptable?? please tell me because i have no clue. oh, perhaps the whole "oh, somebody else will clean it for me. it's somebody else's job anyways isn't it??"
no. it is not our job to be your maid. it is however our job to help make the store a clean and shoppable environment. which can get hard when every customer is oblivious to the fact that they are creating the problem they hate so much.
and don't tell me that a messy store doesn't make you uncomfortable and unable to shop. because that is at least a little bit of a lie. when i walk into a messy store, i don't want to shop. i feel like if the store associates can't keep the store clean how could they manage to sell me good products right?? wrong. it's your problem, not theirs.
and if you are one of the few who already know these simple rules, and follow them at least just a little. i thank you on behalf of everybody who has ever worked in retail. because trust me, it makes a difference.

so that's my rant. thank you for bearing with me :) and i hope you learnt something. :) later gators