OT: Things that annoy you in retail stores

Submitted by 1974 on
On the eve of MGoBlog football (or non-OT) season, I thought this might make an interesting topic. What behaviors do you find most annoying in retail stores?
 
I'll start with a couple:
 
- People right behind the person at the register who insist on standing at least several feet from that person. I'm all for "transaction bubbles," but I find them annoying when the end of the line extends into aisles where people are trying to maneuver shopping carts, etc.
 
- I don't see this very frequently nowadays, but occasionally someone will park an empty cart in a line and fill it piecemeal while others are waiting behind the cart. (Unless the person looks sociopathic and potentially dangerous, I usually push those carts out of the line or at least behind me.)
 

Yeoman

August 25th, 2017 at 9:37 AM ^

...if you shop in stores where the floor walkers get commission. The bigger the purchase and the less help you seem to need, the better the effective pay rate.

Microcenter's the worst for this. I'll have already researched my purchase at home, will walk into the store knowing exactly what I want and where it's shelved, but when I pull it off the shelf and head for the checkout counter I'll have multiple salespeople diving for me trying to get their sticker on my box so they'll get credit for the sale.

lbpeley

August 25th, 2017 at 10:18 AM ^

with those damn DirectTv dickbags hounding your ass if you pass withing 200 feet of them. What the fuck are those stores thinking? It's bad enough your own employees don't know jackshit and are mostly useless; now you gotta have these dumbasses from DirectTV bugging us too?

RDDGoblue

August 25th, 2017 at 10:44 AM ^

Man, I LOVE these people.  It is my excuse to be a jerk to someone.  They like to lead off with "can I ask you a question?".  "You just did" is a great way to shut them down.  

 

Another opener that these guys are coached to use is "who do you have for your TV service?".  I find "not you!" is a great shutdown there.

 

I turn interactions with these guys into a game, see if i can get a laugh from whoever I am with, and see if I can shut them down before they can get a second word in.

TIMMMAAY

August 25th, 2017 at 10:10 AM ^

I really get irritated when a salesman just doesn't take the hint that I want to consider things myself, without having to discuss my needs with them. It almost always triggers me to just leave, and shop elsewhere. I know they're just doing their jobs, but for fucks sake, take a hint. Or when I am very direct and say "I'm just thinking about what I want", and they persist. Selling aint talking, it's listening. 

Blue Ninja

August 25th, 2017 at 9:24 AM ^

I hate Walmart. I hate their parking lots. I hate their propensity to have way too few checkout lines open. I hate their desire to check anyone walking out with something not in a bag, "dude you literally saw me checking out not 10 feet from you!" (I will fit large things in bags just to avoid getting checked during my exit). I hate how their associates cannot possibly be bothered by you. 

One huge minus about living in the South....no Meijer. I really miss Meijer.

befuggled

August 25th, 2017 at 9:35 AM ^

In a small town where Walmart has driven everything else out of business. It's hell on Earth.

Not on purpose, mind you. I just really hate Walmart and never go there except when we're at the in-laws for Christmas when there is almost literally nowhere else to shop.

mgoblue0970

August 25th, 2017 at 12:59 PM ^

Walmart is the Freep to me.  I have not stepped foot in a Walmart in 10 years.  Even small mountain towns like Woodland Park or Salida where Walmart is the only store there... I. Will. Not. Go. In.

WhoopinStick

August 25th, 2017 at 9:33 AM ^

I don't like greeters as you walk in.   Some of them are OK but most of them seem bored and unenthusiastic.  I find it annoying and a little creepy to have someone who doesn't seem happy to be there giving me a half-assed greeting and watching me as I enter the store.     

JBDaddy

August 25th, 2017 at 9:27 AM ^

Grocery Stores:

People who drive mobility carts around the grocery store because they're enormous, but get up and can reach the Sugar Frosted Flakes on the top shelf, no problem; and expect me jump out of their way when they whir on down the aisle.

The guy in the 12 item lane who has 30 things.

The check out person who puts fruit in the shopping bag on top of bread.  I organize things on the belt and sometimes they still do it.

Other:

How expensive everything is at MDen.

Why do I have to show my receipt to get out of Sams Club?

Any asshat who parks so close I can't get my door open, or so crooked I have to crank the steering wheel just to back out of a parking space.

 

buttesnake

August 25th, 2017 at 9:29 AM ^

Receipt checkers.

 

Fuck them with a diseased toothbrush.  If I didn't sign an agreement like one does with Costco and the like then I'm under no obligation to show you shit.  If you think I stole something, call the police.

mgoblue0970

August 25th, 2017 at 12:56 PM ^

Here's what a fucking farce that is...

Photocopy your receipt; the yellow or orange highlighter doesn't show up.  Cut it in the shape of your receipt.

Show it on your next visit instead of the receipt you just received 30 seconds ago at checkout.

late night BTB

August 25th, 2017 at 9:30 AM ^

Besides a grocery store, haven't been to a retail store in ages.  There's a reason they're dying and online is the future!

Seriously why would customers put up with this business model?

- Customer drives to store.  Customer finds, loads, and transports items to checkout.  Oftentimes, customer then checks out items and bags items.  Customer loads items into vehicle.  Customer then unloads items from vehicle and transports items into home.  Customer then unpacks items and puts items into final storage space.

It's a great business model from a business's point of view, but terrible from a customer's.

Online:

-Customer finds item online. After a few clicks, item is ordered.  A couple days later, item arrives at home and customer unpacks and puts items in final storage space.

softshoes

August 25th, 2017 at 9:30 AM ^

Kids at the check-out.

Over attentive salespeople.

At least one can return machine being down.

To many to list. I'm becoming an Amazon shut-in.

 

LSBlue

August 25th, 2017 at 9:33 AM ^

Additional lane(s) opens and the cashier calls out for next in line and the person last in line swoops in. If you are courteous and offer the person who is next, chances are they'll say, "no, you go ahead."

M go Bru

August 25th, 2017 at 9:35 AM ^

These are some of the inconsiderate people I have encountered:

when people with full large carts use them and scan items in slow motion. Its faster if someone else scans them for you even if you have to wait in line! You are in the wrong line! 

someone talking on their cell phone while scanning nothing at the register ........... and have an extended conversation. Cell phones should not to run your life. Don't answer it and call them back!

 

mgoblue0970

August 25th, 2017 at 12:53 PM ^

Or they let their kid help out at 5:00 PM in the afternoon...

Listen, I get little Suzy is an awesome helper and she wants to show she's a big girl now, but when the line is snaked around an aisle because you're turning the self-checkout into a family outing, it's time to exercise some self-awareness and move it along for all the other people stacked up behind you!!!!

jabberwock

August 25th, 2017 at 1:53 PM ^

We have a fully stocked basement pantry, extra fridge, etc.

I line things up at meijer EXACTLY as i want them bagged (because I have to routinely haul 400lbs of food down to the basement)  It's all pre sorted, with srturdy bags neatly placed between each well-ordered pile.

Then the cashier/idiot proceeds to ignore all my careful loading and grab everything willy-nilly and ruin the obvious plan.

Now my kids are trained to to empty & repack 2 full shopping carts as fast as I can scan items.

Takes a bit longer, but my 5 year olds are smarter than most clerks.

Craptain Crunch

August 25th, 2017 at 9:36 AM ^

Like the ones that have that one bad wheel. Or when people leave their used kleenex in the carts. Can't wait for the "things that annoy you about online shopping" thread. 

jabberwock

August 25th, 2017 at 1:59 PM ^

One thing I've taught my wife is that you NEVER go to a hardware, or home improvement store after 2pm.

Only go in the morning when the A shift workers are present.  Store like this don't actually cater to the do-it-yourselfer, they cater to small contractors, & they expect you to get their shit right at 7:30am on the way to their jobsite.

 

jerseyblue

August 25th, 2017 at 9:43 AM ^

Asking for my email. I don't want to make a lifetime connection to your establishment. I'm buying a gift card for my sister. I've never been in here before and I will never be in here again. Let's make the transaction and go our separate ways forever.

1VaBlue1

August 25th, 2017 at 9:43 AM ^

When people just stand there as the checkout clerk is ringing things up.  They don't get the card out and prepped in the reader, they just stand there.  When it's all totaled, then they access the purse, look for the card (sometimes making a big deal out of either looking for it, or showing the neatly arranged pocket book filled with 47 different cards to anyone who will look), then putting it into the reader.  Gawd!  The whole process is slow enough, just have have it ready to go and get out of there, already!

m1817

August 25th, 2017 at 9:56 AM ^

Grocery stores that have been reconfigured to have long aisle that are half the length of the store - presumably to make you walk past lots of merchandise in hopes that you will see something that you will pick up on he spur of the moment.  Great for exercise but a big time waster if you know what you want and are in a hurry.

Also, I was standing in line behind someone who had a bag of cherries that he was eating and spitting the pits on the floor.