Posts About the Annoying Customers Retail Workers Have to Deal With

Customer service really isn’t a whole lot of fun…

Well, at least my job experiences weren’t. I worked in grocery stores and restaurants for a long time and, if you’ve had similar gigs, you know that the general public can be a real handful.

And they can get on your nerves in a major way.

Take a look at these things that customer service workers really don’t like and be sure not to do any of them next time you go into a store, okay?

1. I don’t think that belongs there.

This drives workers insane.

This sure looks right to me… from Target

2. Also, never, ever do this to a retail worker.

If you do, you’ll be cursed for life.

Especially in appliances from Target

3. Out of my way!

Move it, move it!

Old but gold from Target

4. Please don’t do that.

How rude can you get?

Dear customers, this is what happens when you reach around the shields to help yourself. Please stop. from starbucks

5. Just go ahead and put that anywhere.

This is a big NO-NO.

My biggest pet peeve from retailmemes

6. Ummm, what about me?

People really blow my mind sometimes.

7. Uh oh, now you have to think.

And nobody wants that!

Brain.exe has stopped working. from retailhell

8. Let’s not even go there, okay?

Math is not my strong suit.

9. YOU. You’re why I’m here.

Any other questions?

10. I’m not sure how this helps me.

People, you’re really blowing it.

11. Never heard that one before.

I guess you just have to fake the big laugh.

12. No, I’m just in here hanging out.

Is that weird to spend time in stores I don’t work in?

How about you?

Have you ever had any interesting experiences with customers?

We want the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Tell us all about it in the comments!

The post Posts About the Annoying Customers Retail Workers Have to Deal With appeared first on UberFacts.

New Study Finds That Having to Fake-Smile at Customers Makes Workers Drink More

In a bit of news that was absolutely no surprise whatsoever to anyone who has ever worked in retail/customer service, a new study has linked forcing a smile for customers with increased consumption of booze.

Researchers from Penn State University and the University of Buffalo recently discovered that faking smiles to please customers can be bad for the health of workers. The data from the research showed that people who work with the public (food service, retail, teachers, nurses, etc.) and who both regularly fake positive emotions (like smiling when they don’t mean it) and repress negative emotions (like the urge to roll their eyes) drink more alcohol after they get off work than people who don’t work directly with the public.

Penn State professor of psychology Alicia Grandey said about the results of the study,

“Faking and suppressing emotions with customers was related to drinking beyond the stress of the job or feeling negatively. It wasn’t just feeling badly that makes them reach for a drink. Instead, the more they have to control negative emotions at work, the less they are able to control their alcohol intake after work.”

And if you work in the service industry or know people who do, you know (and I know) that a lot of them do like to drink more than just a couple when their shift ends. Grandey hypothesizes that by faking or suppressing emotions, service industry workers may be using too much self-control, what she calls “surface acting.” And when they’re not at work, they don’t exercise self-control to regulate their alcohol intake.

Grandey said,

“Smiling as part of your job sounds like a really positive thing, but doing it all day can be draining. In these jobs, there’s also often money tied to showing positive emotions and holding back negative feelings. Money gives you a motivation to override your natural tendencies, but doing it all day can be wearing.”

The researchers analyzed data from 1,592 workers in the United States to draw their conclusions. Grandey also said that workers who have one-time interactions with customers, such as restaurants or call centers, tend to drink more than those who see the same people regularly, like teachers or health care professionals.

Grandey explained,

‘”Nurses, for example, may amplify or fake their emotions for clear reasons. They’re trying to comfort a patient or build a strong relationship. But someone who is faking emotions for a customer they may never see again, that may not be as rewarding, and may ultimately be more draining or demanding.”

What do you think? Share your reactions in the comments!

The post New Study Finds That Having to Fake-Smile at Customers Makes Workers Drink More appeared first on UberFacts.