# Dumb store clerks



## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

Why do they stores hire ignorant clerks? This is beyond me. I went to a hobby shop and guess who's behind the counter? Some dumb ***** who wears fake eyelashes and fake nails. I bet 100% that they put here there just to be pretty and attract clients.

I came to her with a serious question about polyester, I presented three glue products in front of her and I asked her which one would be the best decision for my particular product that I wanted to fix. She had to read the descriptions and blankly stare and think for a while before she told me "uh, this one". I could immediately tell she didn't know jack **** about construction, about glue or about anything.

Bottom line, if you hire someone, at least make sure he has product knowledge!! There are better, more competent people out there who can actually help customers! I can't believe this.


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## LadyApathy (Dec 2, 2014)

There's like thousands of products at a store. So, a store clerk can't have product knowledge on every single thing. Honestly, store clerks are mainly used to keep the store neat. To keep all of the products properly organized and to run the cash register but that's about it. If store clerks had product knowledge about everything they wouldn't only be getting paid minimum wage, that's for sure.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## versikk (Nov 25, 2013)

Yes, a lot of people in service jobs are dumb, or rather, the ones who hired them are dumb.


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## Orbiter (Jul 8, 2015)

Did she behave rude towards you?


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## Mel0123 (Jun 9, 2015)

I always blame the corporation...they hire ppl that will accept the lowest pay and typically no insurance. They don't have loyalty to their staff so the staff has no loyalty to them. I only blame the ignorance of the staff that blindly protect the corporations status quo. But accept that they haven't control over most anything. I run into it all the time.


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## Meroko (Nov 7, 2014)

this is a strange phenomenon everywhere nowadays. The truth is management don't really care who is hired. If the person is outgoing they are typically deemed suitable for the position regardless of what knowledge they may or may not have.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

LadyApathy said:


> There's like thousands of products at a store. So, a store clerk can't have product knowledge on every single thing. Honestly, store clerks are mainly used to keep the store neat. To keep all of the products properly organized and to run the cash register but that's about it. If store clerks had product knowledge about everything they wouldn't only be getting paid minimum wage, that's for sure.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


That's the thing. I know a great store clerk who can tell me about every product in detail. That's being called professional; knowing your field. I also have several friends who could help me out with any hardware piece and/or question.


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## Farideh (Nov 13, 2011)

We live in a world where someone's looks matters and not their personality. It's pointless to stress over something you can't control. Unfortunately, the world we live in functions this way. It's a world full of superficiality, egotistical, selfish, people. Another word I usually use is "pricks". I understand your frustration because I experience this wrong idea about life almost every day and it's been happening for years. We don't have control over what other people do. The only thing we can accept in learning what to do is to live and let live.


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## thinkstoomuch101 (Jun 7, 2012)

You know what? if i don't know something about a product - i would immediately get on the store phone and ask for someone who should know.

It's bad enough:

that she had on fake nails,

then, fake eye lashes

And to top it all off she tried to use her "fake" brain..

Corporate does not care what they hire, and that's in basically every career i've worked in.

For example:

There was a time, you could go into the library - before they had computers, and ask the librarian where a certain book was?

That librarian knew exactly what book would suit your needs, and literally walk you over to the section. If all else failed, she had the handy dandy card-catalog - with real cards.

Not these days. These kids sit there behind the desk texting. If you need help, they will* point *to the computers. And gawd forbid if you ask them how to use them. :lol


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## SilentLyric (Aug 20, 2012)

yeah i asked about jeans once and she didn't know squat.


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## Shinobi1001 (Aug 28, 2012)

Lol, in America looks always outweigh anything else...actually that's how the whole world is.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

thinkstoomuch101 said:


> You know what? if i don't know something about a product - i would immediately get on the store phone and ask for someone who should know.
> 
> It's bad enough:
> 
> ...


Indeed, I have experienced that as well.


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## Grog (Sep 13, 2013)

s12345 said:


> That's the thing. I know a great store clerk who can tell me about every product in detail. That's being called professional; knowing your field. I also have several friends who could help me out with any hardware piece and/or question.


Maybe her field is in something else but she is unable to get a job in that field so is forced to take any minimum wage job she can . 
It is minimum wage after all . 
Maybe it was her first week and she was still learning . 
Maybe you are being a bit harsh .

Why didn't you one of your several knowledgeable friends and ask them . 
Sounds to me like she wasn't rude and tried to help you so you are just being a jerk .


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## regimes (Aug 24, 2011)

She's probably not getting paid enough to give a **** about your glue problems.

Like I work in a dollar store. I can tell you anything you want to know about art supplies or electronics, I don't know anything about car oil or which wine tastes best. Corporate doesn't waste the time to train people on individual products. They teach us how to run the store.


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## HannahG (Aug 31, 2010)

Meroko said:


> this is a strange phenomenon everywhere nowadays. The truth is management don't really care who is hired. If the person is outgoing they are typically deemed suitable for the position regardless of what knowledge they may or may not have.


Truth.

I do however try to keep an open mind with clerks especially this time of year because I know many of them could be new hires. And I know people working retail get a lot of s*** from customers so I try to be nice and polite to them.

However, it does drive me nuts when you ask a basic question and get that blank stare or a stupid response/reaction.

For example, I went into a craft store yesterday just to get some glitter glue (trying to make cool slime that my niece loves). I go to a worker who looked like she was doing nothing, I asked her if they still sell glitter glue (because they changed all the aisles and I couldn't find it). She said they did, I asked her what aisle it was. She then starts wandering around. Eventually we go down eight aisles and she shows me some glue. I was like "Fine, thanks" She walks off. Firstly, it was the crappiest glue but it did have glitter in it so I couldn't fault her for that.

However, since it wasn't the right kind, I kept wandering around and I found what I wanted in another aisle. Now, I was already annoyed because they apparently thought it was necessary to put 5 aisles in between the one kind of glue and the other kind, but why did the clerk have to wander around looking for it? And why not tell me there were different kinds? Obviously she knew nothing.

I hate it when you ask for something and the clerk wanders around looking for it - which ANYONE can do. Ugh! ...and I only ask clerks when I really need something and can't find it...it's so frustrating.


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## Blue Dino (Aug 17, 2013)

For small businesses such as those, unless they're are the owner, often times the employees they hire as just someone that is cheap and want to stand there to "man" the store. So often cases, they would be bored and unethusiastic high school teens. Sometimes, I would see owners of these niche businesses that know absolutely nothing about the niche products it is catering to. 

I remember once being in a guitar store, when I asked him a question, the store owner just shrugged and said "I dunno anything about guitars, I just own and run the store. Are you buying or not?" with an agitated tone.


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## CloudChaser (Nov 7, 2013)

Unless she had a big sign above her head that said 'ask me about your glue problems', she isn't obligated to tell you ****. Her job description likely has nothing to do with helping customers make purchases. Admittedly she should have tried to find someone who could help you but if neither of you knew the answer, then she is no more dumb than you are.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

HannahG said:


> I hate it when you ask for something and the clerk wanders around looking for it - which ANYONE can do. Ugh! ...and I only ask clerks when I really need something and can't find it...it's so frustrating.


I completely understand your situation because I run into those problems all the time.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

Blue Dino said:


> .
> I remember once being in a guitar store, when I asked him a question, the store owner just shrugged and said "I dunno anything about guitars, I just own and run the store. Are you buying or not?" with an agitated tone.


That is the dumbest quote I've ever heard from a store owner. Darn, it's really bad. :/


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

CloudChaser said:


> Unless she had a big sign above her head that said 'ask me about your glue problems', she isn't obligated to tell you ****. Her job description likely has nothing to do with helping customers make purchases. Admittedly she should have tried to find someone who could help you but if neither of you knew the answer, then she is no more dumb than you are.


the 'list'.


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## Blue Dino (Aug 17, 2013)

s12345 said:


> That is the dumbest quote I've ever heard from a store owner. Darn, it's really bad. :/


Yeah, if you gonna run a niche store like that, at least be familiar with that subject and have a passion for it. If not and you just wanna run a business, open a liquor store something.


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## rdrr (Dec 31, 2008)

Blue Dino said:


> Yeah, if you gonna run a niche store like that, at least be familiar with that subject and have a passion for it. If not and you just wanna run a business, open a liquor store something.


Sometimes it's just about making money. People take chances and invest in business opportunities. You aren't going to expect the COO of Mcdonalds to know what to do behind the grill and start cooking burgers.


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## Malek (Oct 4, 2012)

If they don't know about a product they should find someone else who does, managers are there for that, if that fails, oh well. They get paid pretty poorly and are just thrown in with little to no training whatsoever, they couldn't care less about the different types of glue, why should they? You have access to the internet, you'd probably get more useful information out of that than someone who just wants to get by doing the bare minimum. I hate it when customers assume just because I don't know anything and everything about a specific product, that I'm dumb and our entire store sucks, even if I'm telling the truth and we seriously don't have that product in yet but it's on it's way, they'll never believe me. Treat me with respect and I'll take time out of day to solve your lil first world problem, treat me with disrespect and I guess we're out of that stuff, forever, whoops! I work in a store that prides itself on premium customer service, sigh...


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## Blue Dino (Aug 17, 2013)

rdrr said:


> Sometimes it's just about making money. People take chances and invest in business opportunities. You aren't going to expect the COO of Mcdonalds to know what to do behind the grill and start cooking burgers.


This why he/she hires workers that know how to operate the grill and flip patties to do so. This particular guitar shop, I have never seen anyone besides that owner working there. It has been like this for years.


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## rdrr (Dec 31, 2008)

Blue Dino said:


> This why he/she hires workers that know how to operate the grill and flip patties to do so. This particular guitar shop, I have never seen anyone besides that owner working there. It has been like this for years.


Well they stay in business somehow!


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## NuthinSimple (Jul 5, 2015)

Hurry up and buy! 2 dolla you go home!


The sad part is I'm probably considered underqualified to sit behind a counter and bull**** for a living.


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## Blue Dino (Aug 17, 2013)

rdrr said:


> Well they stay in business somehow!


Yep. I rarely even see a single customer inside now and that it has been riddled with years of bad reviews complaining about how he knows nothing about guitars and is unfriendly and reluctant to help cusotmers. Yet somehow that store is able to remain opened all these years. Many locals are joking that it might be a front for something.


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## s12345 (Jul 11, 2011)

Malek said:


> You have access to the internet, you'd probably get more useful information out of that than someone who just wants to get by doing the bare minimum.


lolollolollolol


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## gisellemarx (Feb 1, 2010)

Well, nice jab at her appearance, because we always need to do that with women, don't we? Who gives a sh** if she has fake eyelashes.

And you can't expect a "clerk" working in a hobby shop to know absolutely everything there is to know about the products in the store. She probably makes minimum wage and has to put up with miserable people like you who constantly criticize them. They probably weren't even properly trained. I know when I worked at a bakery I wasn't a damn bread expert and no one expected me to me.

Give me a break. You're just arrogant and entitled. Get a customer service job and get back to me about that "dumb store clerk" comment.


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## lmoh (Nov 19, 2013)

s12345 said:


> Bottom line, if you hire someone, at least make sure he has product knowledge!! There are better, more competent people out there who can actually help customers! I can't believe this.


Well, what do you expect for someone who's most likely working minimum wage? It shouldn't come as a surprise then if the store clerk doesn't have the expertise to answer your specific questions. If she is trying her best to help you, then I don't think you have any reason to complain about it.


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## visualkeirockstar (Aug 5, 2012)

At least she tried. Why didn't you just research it yourself?


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## meandernorth (Nov 12, 2014)

lmoh said:


> Well, what do you expect for someone who's most likely working minimum wage? It shouldn't come as a surprise then if the store clerk doesn't have the expertise to answer your specific questions. If she is trying her best to help you, then I don't think you have any reason to complain about it.


^This.

It's low pay, the turnover is often significant, the hours can be horrible and unpredictable, and motivation is often to do the absolute minimum.

There is a warehouse-size store I know that's part of a large chain with that name. Back in the day, you could walk in and go to any given department for a detailed answer to your question. They'd tell you exactly how to do it and walk you to the aisle(s) to get what you needed. The knowledge absolutely drove sales for multiple reasons. Fast forward to now... If you haven't Google'd before going in, then you'll 'enjoy' the health benefits of wandering around 50 aisles aimlessly.


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## CoffeeGuy (Sep 23, 2013)

regimes said:


> She's probably not getting paid enough to give a **** about your glue problems.
> 
> Like I work in a dollar store. I can tell you anything you want to know about art supplies or electronics, I don't know anything about car oil or which wine tastes best. Corporate doesn't waste the time to train people on individual products. They teach us how to run the store.


Ha! Exactly.

I'm sorry, but if you walk into a big box retailer expecting a low level store employee to have detailed knowledge about any product in the store that you may have a question about then it's not the employee that's being ignorant. They may know the answer to your question so go ahead and ask, but you shouldn't expect them to know as part of the job they were hired to do.

Working big retail myself, the store doesn't train you on the products it sales, it trains you on how to run and maintain the day to day operations of the store. Any specific product information an employee has will generally come from personal knowledge they gained elsewhere or they took their own free time to learn it without pay.


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