read and learn please
So kate sent me this link from a friends xanga and we decided to follow suite for our lovely job. This is the list she and i compiled of things people should know before they come into LNT. enjoy!
20 Things Every "Guest" at Linens'n'Things Should Be Required to Know:
1. We are not, in any way, affiliated with Bed Bath and Beyond. It's true, they carry similar products. You may also have noticed that we honor Bed Bath and Beyond coupons. That is because we are competitors: in order to compete with them, we offer you whatever deal they are offering you. But if you are trying to buy something off of a BBandB bridal registry, you are out of luck. We can't look it up for you or deduct your purchases from the list. If you bring the list in, we can do our best to help you find what you are looking for, but there is no guarantee we carry it, that it's something that we keep in stock, or even that we know what it is. Also please do not get mad at me when the department you are looking for has "moved". It really hasn't. It's just not in the same place in our store as it is in BB&B.
2. We take customer service very seriously. That's why we call you a "guest" and not a customer. While you may think the name is silly, and its hard to disagree, please keep in mind that I work very hard to offer you the best service I can. In fact, my review is primarily based upon how well my "guests" feel they've been helped. So when, as you are checking out, you are asked if anyone has offered you assistance, they're talking about me. I don't work on commission, you don't have to remember my name, just please say "yes". Otherwise I get in trouble. Also, its very frustrating to be forgotten.
3. When I offer you assistance, please keep in mind I am not doing this to pad my ego or to ruin your day. 'No, I'm just looking' is a perfectly suitable response. I'm asking to be helpful and nice. If you roll your eyes, ignore me, or just glare and shake your head, you're being rude. I may be wearing a silly red apron, but I have feelings too.
4. The flip side of that coin: if you yell "Hey, miss, can I get some help over here?" from halfway down the store, that drains my helpfullness level pretty severely. You and I both know that you've already been offered assistance, and perhaps been rude when you declined it. Of course I'm still available and happy to help you, but I am not your slave, or your dog. If I've already asked you if you needed help, I'm now leaving it up to you to approach me. Yelling at me, snapping your fingers, or wondering loudly where all the people who work here are will most likely result in you getting sub-par service.
5. Making comments about how BB&B has a better selection, lower prices, fuller shelves, or more helpful staff will get you a response of "Well perhaps you'd do better to shop there" in varying degrees of (im)politeness. Similarly, complaining about how long you had to wait in line, how you couldn't find anything that you wanted, or that its too cold in the store even in your parka and gloves (i'm in a long sleeve tshirt, believe me, i KNOW how cold it is) will get you nowhere. None of those things are under my control.
6. don't steal shit. seriously. i can understand that, in certain situations, a person might be desperate enough to steal. i imagine something like food, perhaps, or a warm coat. stealing $150 dollar sheets doesnt qualify. taking a $150 electric toothbrush out of its box and packing it instead with who knows what doesn't qualify either - when you get up to the register, you've still got to pay $150. Same goes for $18 bottles of shampoo, and $300 comforters. this makes me crazy.
7. don't take that out of the package - yeah, i mean you. do i understand that before you spend $200 on a 1000 thread count sheets that you are going to want to know that they are soft? i do. that's why we have that pillowcase on display for you to touch. do i understand that you're going to want to see just how big an oversized towel is? yes. do i understand why you need to compare the sizes of every color of the same style of towel to one another? i do not. they are the same. they are just different colors. they are the same!! no, it's not ok for you to take that king sized comforter out of the vacuum sealed package so you can "see how big it is". it's king sized! and if that isn't enough of a clue, we have the dimensions right there on the bag. and if you ask me 'is it ok if i take this out of the bag' and i say, 'no', please dont just wait until i've walked away and then do it anyhow. this is as good as stealing - once its out of its original packaging, no one wants that sheet set, and we lose all that money. so really, please don't.
8. In a similar vein - we sell area rugs. They come in pretty standard sizes - 5x8, 3x5, runner, and 1.5x2. As with the towels, once you've opened one, you might as well have opened them all. That means that you don't need to open every single other rug in the room, put it down on the floor, walk around it, step on, and then leave it there. In fact, under no circumstances should you ever put something on the floor and walk away. A pile of rugs, towels, shower caddies, sheets, or comforters you've unfolded... please, at least try to clean up after yourself. We have very exacting standards for towel folding, and no one expects a guest to be able to refold a towel perfectly. but putting it back on the shelf, making an effort to fold it however haphazardly, and not leaving it on the floor is much appreciated. your version might not be LNT standard, but its closer by being on the shelf than it is by being on the floor. put it this way: if your kid ran through the store, grabbed all the merchandise on the shelf, stomped on it (think rugs), left it on the floor and ran away, you'd punish him or her. you'd explain "that's not a nice thing to do. now someone else is going to have to come and pick up after you and remove all of the merchandise that you've damaged so badly they can't continue to try to sell it. why don't you apologize and maybe save up to pay the store back for what you broke?".
9. We love children! We do. And we're glad that yours has come shopping. However, we are not babysitters, and it is not OK for your child to wander around the store alone. Not only might they be snapped up by another shopper (refer to Julie's xanga for the it-only-takes-one-creep-and-we-have-too-many-to-count theory) but they also might hurt themselves. There are plenty of sharp corners, plastic bags, and breakable glass items that could do serious harm to a careless child. Also you may have noticed that your kid puts our merchandise in their mouth. This not only exposes your kid to lots of germs (think how many hands have already touched that soapdish) but also gets the stuff we have even germier.
10. We sell linens - you might have noticed them on the display bed. It is a pretty display bed - that canopy, the pretty curtains, the gorgeous comforter and that soft warm blanket. the piles of pillows look especially inviting. But wait, what's that plastic thing with the sharp edges? It looks like it says - "bed is a display only, please keep off". And then it lists the prices of the items on the bed. Are they for sale? Yes, that bed is inviting - but it isn't yours. or your child's.
11. At the register the cashier is going to ask you for your phone number, and explain that we need it in order to put you on the mailing list for coupons. If you aren't interested in that, you do not have to give it. Please do not take this as an opportunity to lecture me about junk mail, spam, or the people who call your house at dinnertime. We only send you what you want, and we don't call you. So please enough with the high horse - you can get the coupons or not. Up to you.
12. If I ask you if there is anything I can help you find, please don't say "my wife". That joke is still not funny.
13. Aren't those IJoy massage chairs comfortable? They *are*. I love them too! And please, those displays are for trying out. Get comfortable and enjoy them. But do not make sex noises. You're still essentially in the aisle. Please. No more.
14. Don't, under any circumstances, ask me to look things up in the computer. I work here. I know how the system works, and I also am familar with the stock in my section. If I think the computer might offer us answers, I'm all for it. If you ask for X and I know we don't have it and we don't know when we're getting it in, I'll tell you that, and I'll mean it. The computer won't tell me anything I haven't already told you. If you insist, I'll go over and punch some numbers in, and we'll just waste time while the computer tells you exactly what I just did. Let's not pursue this exercise in futility.
15. Don't make out in the Seasonal room. I mean, don't make out in any of the rooms, but especially not Seasonal. It's wrapping paper and fake christmas tree storage bags. if you were turned on by looking at the whispersilk sheets (they're hot, i agree!), looking at yourself in one of our mirrors, or even by the IJoy chairs, I would judge you less. But the Seasonal room? I promise: we laugh.
16. We don't sell our displays unless the item is discontinued. We just don't. It is company policy. We'd be happy to order you one or give you a call when we get our next shipment, but we don't under any circumstances sell an active display. Don't ask for our manager, don't lie about being with a charity, don't give us a hard time. this is just the way it works. thanks for playing.
17. speaking of asking our manager - if you think you've had particulary excellent service, please ask for a manager and tell them so. They get so excited about that sort of news! It's what we all work so hard for. We know we do a good job, but we usually only get negative feedback, so positive feedback is very much appreciated.
18. don't come into the store drunk. just don't. you're almost always rude, unreasonable, and belligerant. be nice. drink at home.
19. when we order something for you, it will be shipped to your house. this will cost you 2 extra dollars. not 14, not 10, but 2. no matter what you buy. you could buy $1000 worth of LNT loot and still pay only $2. do not whine about this. it is so obnoxious. think about the money you save on gas, time, and hassle.
20. as an employee, i am entitled to at least one break during my shift. I do not get paid during this break, so I clock out, take my apron off, and walk to the back room door. if my apron is in my hand - and not on me - please just let me walk by. of course i will stop to help you but this is now on *my* time. running after us after we've walked through the 'employees only' door is uncool, stalking us once we've come out in our jackets with our purses is uncool, and, as ever, wondering loudly where all the help is as we come walking out the backroom door is also seriously uncool. Also, you may be a devoted LNT shopper, but if we see each other in Target please ask someone else to help you. I don't work there.
there are days when I love my job and days when it bores me and days when I hate it. but at the end of each and every one of those days... it's only towels. there's no need to be stressed out. you aren't in need of emergency towels. no one will die, faint, or even stumble for lack of the perfect towel. Be polite... be thoughtful... be mellow. It's so much more fun for everyone!
20 Things Every "Guest" at Linens'n'Things Should Be Required to Know:
1. We are not, in any way, affiliated with Bed Bath and Beyond. It's true, they carry similar products. You may also have noticed that we honor Bed Bath and Beyond coupons. That is because we are competitors: in order to compete with them, we offer you whatever deal they are offering you. But if you are trying to buy something off of a BBandB bridal registry, you are out of luck. We can't look it up for you or deduct your purchases from the list. If you bring the list in, we can do our best to help you find what you are looking for, but there is no guarantee we carry it, that it's something that we keep in stock, or even that we know what it is. Also please do not get mad at me when the department you are looking for has "moved". It really hasn't. It's just not in the same place in our store as it is in BB&B.
2. We take customer service very seriously. That's why we call you a "guest" and not a customer. While you may think the name is silly, and its hard to disagree, please keep in mind that I work very hard to offer you the best service I can. In fact, my review is primarily based upon how well my "guests" feel they've been helped. So when, as you are checking out, you are asked if anyone has offered you assistance, they're talking about me. I don't work on commission, you don't have to remember my name, just please say "yes". Otherwise I get in trouble. Also, its very frustrating to be forgotten.
3. When I offer you assistance, please keep in mind I am not doing this to pad my ego or to ruin your day. 'No, I'm just looking' is a perfectly suitable response. I'm asking to be helpful and nice. If you roll your eyes, ignore me, or just glare and shake your head, you're being rude. I may be wearing a silly red apron, but I have feelings too.
4. The flip side of that coin: if you yell "Hey, miss, can I get some help over here?" from halfway down the store, that drains my helpfullness level pretty severely. You and I both know that you've already been offered assistance, and perhaps been rude when you declined it. Of course I'm still available and happy to help you, but I am not your slave, or your dog. If I've already asked you if you needed help, I'm now leaving it up to you to approach me. Yelling at me, snapping your fingers, or wondering loudly where all the people who work here are will most likely result in you getting sub-par service.
5. Making comments about how BB&B has a better selection, lower prices, fuller shelves, or more helpful staff will get you a response of "Well perhaps you'd do better to shop there" in varying degrees of (im)politeness. Similarly, complaining about how long you had to wait in line, how you couldn't find anything that you wanted, or that its too cold in the store even in your parka and gloves (i'm in a long sleeve tshirt, believe me, i KNOW how cold it is) will get you nowhere. None of those things are under my control.
6. don't steal shit. seriously. i can understand that, in certain situations, a person might be desperate enough to steal. i imagine something like food, perhaps, or a warm coat. stealing $150 dollar sheets doesnt qualify. taking a $150 electric toothbrush out of its box and packing it instead with who knows what doesn't qualify either - when you get up to the register, you've still got to pay $150. Same goes for $18 bottles of shampoo, and $300 comforters. this makes me crazy.
7. don't take that out of the package - yeah, i mean you. do i understand that before you spend $200 on a 1000 thread count sheets that you are going to want to know that they are soft? i do. that's why we have that pillowcase on display for you to touch. do i understand that you're going to want to see just how big an oversized towel is? yes. do i understand why you need to compare the sizes of every color of the same style of towel to one another? i do not. they are the same. they are just different colors. they are the same!! no, it's not ok for you to take that king sized comforter out of the vacuum sealed package so you can "see how big it is". it's king sized! and if that isn't enough of a clue, we have the dimensions right there on the bag. and if you ask me 'is it ok if i take this out of the bag' and i say, 'no', please dont just wait until i've walked away and then do it anyhow. this is as good as stealing - once its out of its original packaging, no one wants that sheet set, and we lose all that money. so really, please don't.
8. In a similar vein - we sell area rugs. They come in pretty standard sizes - 5x8, 3x5, runner, and 1.5x2. As with the towels, once you've opened one, you might as well have opened them all. That means that you don't need to open every single other rug in the room, put it down on the floor, walk around it, step on, and then leave it there. In fact, under no circumstances should you ever put something on the floor and walk away. A pile of rugs, towels, shower caddies, sheets, or comforters you've unfolded... please, at least try to clean up after yourself. We have very exacting standards for towel folding, and no one expects a guest to be able to refold a towel perfectly. but putting it back on the shelf, making an effort to fold it however haphazardly, and not leaving it on the floor is much appreciated. your version might not be LNT standard, but its closer by being on the shelf than it is by being on the floor. put it this way: if your kid ran through the store, grabbed all the merchandise on the shelf, stomped on it (think rugs), left it on the floor and ran away, you'd punish him or her. you'd explain "that's not a nice thing to do. now someone else is going to have to come and pick up after you and remove all of the merchandise that you've damaged so badly they can't continue to try to sell it. why don't you apologize and maybe save up to pay the store back for what you broke?".
9. We love children! We do. And we're glad that yours has come shopping. However, we are not babysitters, and it is not OK for your child to wander around the store alone. Not only might they be snapped up by another shopper (refer to Julie's xanga for the it-only-takes-one-creep-and-we-have-too-many-to-count theory) but they also might hurt themselves. There are plenty of sharp corners, plastic bags, and breakable glass items that could do serious harm to a careless child. Also you may have noticed that your kid puts our merchandise in their mouth. This not only exposes your kid to lots of germs (think how many hands have already touched that soapdish) but also gets the stuff we have even germier.
10. We sell linens - you might have noticed them on the display bed. It is a pretty display bed - that canopy, the pretty curtains, the gorgeous comforter and that soft warm blanket. the piles of pillows look especially inviting. But wait, what's that plastic thing with the sharp edges? It looks like it says - "bed is a display only, please keep off". And then it lists the prices of the items on the bed. Are they for sale? Yes, that bed is inviting - but it isn't yours. or your child's.
11. At the register the cashier is going to ask you for your phone number, and explain that we need it in order to put you on the mailing list for coupons. If you aren't interested in that, you do not have to give it. Please do not take this as an opportunity to lecture me about junk mail, spam, or the people who call your house at dinnertime. We only send you what you want, and we don't call you. So please enough with the high horse - you can get the coupons or not. Up to you.
12. If I ask you if there is anything I can help you find, please don't say "my wife". That joke is still not funny.
13. Aren't those IJoy massage chairs comfortable? They *are*. I love them too! And please, those displays are for trying out. Get comfortable and enjoy them. But do not make sex noises. You're still essentially in the aisle. Please. No more.
14. Don't, under any circumstances, ask me to look things up in the computer. I work here. I know how the system works, and I also am familar with the stock in my section. If I think the computer might offer us answers, I'm all for it. If you ask for X and I know we don't have it and we don't know when we're getting it in, I'll tell you that, and I'll mean it. The computer won't tell me anything I haven't already told you. If you insist, I'll go over and punch some numbers in, and we'll just waste time while the computer tells you exactly what I just did. Let's not pursue this exercise in futility.
15. Don't make out in the Seasonal room. I mean, don't make out in any of the rooms, but especially not Seasonal. It's wrapping paper and fake christmas tree storage bags. if you were turned on by looking at the whispersilk sheets (they're hot, i agree!), looking at yourself in one of our mirrors, or even by the IJoy chairs, I would judge you less. But the Seasonal room? I promise: we laugh.
16. We don't sell our displays unless the item is discontinued. We just don't. It is company policy. We'd be happy to order you one or give you a call when we get our next shipment, but we don't under any circumstances sell an active display. Don't ask for our manager, don't lie about being with a charity, don't give us a hard time. this is just the way it works. thanks for playing.
17. speaking of asking our manager - if you think you've had particulary excellent service, please ask for a manager and tell them so. They get so excited about that sort of news! It's what we all work so hard for. We know we do a good job, but we usually only get negative feedback, so positive feedback is very much appreciated.
18. don't come into the store drunk. just don't. you're almost always rude, unreasonable, and belligerant. be nice. drink at home.
19. when we order something for you, it will be shipped to your house. this will cost you 2 extra dollars. not 14, not 10, but 2. no matter what you buy. you could buy $1000 worth of LNT loot and still pay only $2. do not whine about this. it is so obnoxious. think about the money you save on gas, time, and hassle.
20. as an employee, i am entitled to at least one break during my shift. I do not get paid during this break, so I clock out, take my apron off, and walk to the back room door. if my apron is in my hand - and not on me - please just let me walk by. of course i will stop to help you but this is now on *my* time. running after us after we've walked through the 'employees only' door is uncool, stalking us once we've come out in our jackets with our purses is uncool, and, as ever, wondering loudly where all the help is as we come walking out the backroom door is also seriously uncool. Also, you may be a devoted LNT shopper, but if we see each other in Target please ask someone else to help you. I don't work there.
there are days when I love my job and days when it bores me and days when I hate it. but at the end of each and every one of those days... it's only towels. there's no need to be stressed out. you aren't in need of emergency towels. no one will die, faint, or even stumble for lack of the perfect towel. Be polite... be thoughtful... be mellow. It's so much more fun for everyone!