Am I Wearing a Nametag?
You would think, after three years, numerous life events (nearly misspelled as live events, as if I were illiterate or discussing the various concerts I've been to) and countless great stories lost to the graveyard of time, I would come back with something better. However, you are most certainly wrong.
One thing I have always hated is people who don't know the difference between an employee and a customer in the retail setting. I know that the years of making employees wear nametags and smocks, combined with years of experience at looking at people shopping, holding baskets, removing items from shelves, engaged with themselves and not their job has always made it difficult for me to separated employee from customer, but despite this handicap, I have always succeeded.
Unfortunately, people often mistake me for the help. I especially enjoy this in the winter, where customers, wearing jackets or coats due to the cold weather, cannot easily be mistaken for the help. Yet, the clueless and unfortunate still have time handling these social cues.
The other day, I was in RiteAid, a store where everyone wears blue smocks or vests along with a name, if they are working in the store. It's a visual aid to assist people in finding assistance within the store. I was in one of the aisles looking for drops or some salve used to placate illness, wearing a bright red soccer jersey with no name tag. I was actually taking the item needed off the shelf to purchase it, engaging in the second most distinctive customer behavior behind waiting in line. All this time, this "gentleman", lacking the years of experience that day to day life offers, starts going "Sir, do you work here?"
Now, I assume he must be talking to someone else, since I am engaged in shopping and clearly off color with the employees. Were this the case, you would not be reading this story. Three more times, moving closer and closer, as if perhaps they engaged a deaf mute in the position of floor service, he yelled louder as you get closer would get results. So, as he is now within two feet, I turn to him, full of anger at my shopping experience being ruined by this "person", and in a loud and unfriendly tone, ask "Am I wearing a nametag?"
He recoiled, shocked by the fact that a shopper would not want an unpleasant intrusion while shopping. After stepping back, he moved forward, in a somewhat aggressive posture. I may or may not have impolitely shown him what I thought of his movement and got in line. Waiting in line, he peaked around the corner, half afraid, half spoiling for a fight to prove his "manhood". He then slunk around the line and stopped even with the cashier to "stare me down". Of course, I stared him back, which led him to leaving, looking angry and defeated that he could not get help in the RiteAid, nor could he get his vengeance against me.
After making my purchase, I walked out into the parking lot, looked left and right, saw he left and I drove off into the sunset. The moral of the story is, as always, I am a self-righteous prick who cares not for people or their "feelings".
One thing I have always hated is people who don't know the difference between an employee and a customer in the retail setting. I know that the years of making employees wear nametags and smocks, combined with years of experience at looking at people shopping, holding baskets, removing items from shelves, engaged with themselves and not their job has always made it difficult for me to separated employee from customer, but despite this handicap, I have always succeeded.
Unfortunately, people often mistake me for the help. I especially enjoy this in the winter, where customers, wearing jackets or coats due to the cold weather, cannot easily be mistaken for the help. Yet, the clueless and unfortunate still have time handling these social cues.
The other day, I was in RiteAid, a store where everyone wears blue smocks or vests along with a name, if they are working in the store. It's a visual aid to assist people in finding assistance within the store. I was in one of the aisles looking for drops or some salve used to placate illness, wearing a bright red soccer jersey with no name tag. I was actually taking the item needed off the shelf to purchase it, engaging in the second most distinctive customer behavior behind waiting in line. All this time, this "gentleman", lacking the years of experience that day to day life offers, starts going "Sir, do you work here?"
Now, I assume he must be talking to someone else, since I am engaged in shopping and clearly off color with the employees. Were this the case, you would not be reading this story. Three more times, moving closer and closer, as if perhaps they engaged a deaf mute in the position of floor service, he yelled louder as you get closer would get results. So, as he is now within two feet, I turn to him, full of anger at my shopping experience being ruined by this "person", and in a loud and unfriendly tone, ask "Am I wearing a nametag?"
He recoiled, shocked by the fact that a shopper would not want an unpleasant intrusion while shopping. After stepping back, he moved forward, in a somewhat aggressive posture. I may or may not have impolitely shown him what I thought of his movement and got in line. Waiting in line, he peaked around the corner, half afraid, half spoiling for a fight to prove his "manhood". He then slunk around the line and stopped even with the cashier to "stare me down". Of course, I stared him back, which led him to leaving, looking angry and defeated that he could not get help in the RiteAid, nor could he get his vengeance against me.
After making my purchase, I walked out into the parking lot, looked left and right, saw he left and I drove off into the sunset. The moral of the story is, as always, I am a self-righteous prick who cares not for people or their "feelings".