Archived "I'm sorry, I'm off the clock"

[dutifulTM]

I try to be polite, regardless of the situation.

But pardon me if I might get a bit irritated if, even when I'm wearing a sweater/jacket that is not red and covers my entire red shirt, and am shopping the store while on break or lunch that people STILL STOP ME and try asking me where everything is.

A co-worker of mine has some guests remember who she is and even when she's at Target on her day off (meaning no sign of uniform at all), she gets stopped by them and asked for help...

It's like, there's a point when the guest needs to realise that, hey, TMs might have lives outside of work. They (guests) probably don't like to be bothered by work things when they aren't working so when it's painfully obvious that, probably, a TM isn't on the clock... LEAVE THEM ALONE?

 

[Darikona]

I dunno, doesn't seem that hard to just say "Baby powder? It's over there." and walk away. Don't even have to smile now that I'm off the clock! 😀

I have had some irritating guests follow me though, asking me to take them to the areas. One even had a list asking me where everything was! Oh ho ho, Generally I just give my standard reply "I'm gonna miss my bus if I help you, so unless you intend to drive me home you need to head to guest services and ask for assistance. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to have a team member assist with your shopping needs." . Usually the slovenly beasts back off when I glare at them after they've overstepped their bounds on that issue. Then I go get a cookie to celebrate.

 

[Santee]

I found wearing a jacket or another shirt helped keep the guests away from me during my off hours.

But if I am still in my red and khakis, and its quick I will help. I have told the guests I am off the clock but I will find another TM to help real quick or I will use the phones to page a TM to the guest.

^This is what I do. But I guess they see khaki pants and automatically assume I'm working.

 

[3LetterDevil]

Here's an interesting scenario that happened last Wednesday....
I had to go in at 8:30 (we open at 9). A guest must've seen me walk in because she started BANGING on the gate about 2 minutes later, yelling "I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!!!" Here's the conversation that followed between her & the ETL-Rx through the pharmacy door:

E: Can I help you?
G: Yeah, I want my medicine.
E: I'm sorry, but we don't open until 9.
G: B-S! You're in there, you can give me my stuff!
E: I'm sorry ma'am, but the registers don't open until 9, you'll have to wait.
G: I don't have time to f-ing wait! You're f-ing in there! Just give me my f-ing medicine!
E: Ma'am, swearing at me isn't going to get you anywhere. I can't ring out your medicine until I open the gate and I'm not opening them until 9. You'll have to wait.
G: I WANT YOUR F-ING MANAGER! JUST GIVE ME MY F-ING MEDICINE!
E: I AM the manager and you're not getting your medicine until 9. (shuts door)
G: (starts banging on door)
E: (ignores her)...(grabs walkie and calls STL: there is an irate guest at the pharmacy insisting I give her her medication NOW)
STL (over walkie): I'm already on my way because we heard her from the huddle

The STL ended up getting her calmed down, but when she DID come back to get her meds, she got all hyped up again because it wasn't filled....her doctor denied her refill because it had only been 2 weeks since she had gotten the last fill and it was supposed to be a month's supply :girl_haha:

 

[pzychopopgroove]

Here's an interesting scenario that happened last Wednesday....
I had to go in at 8:30 (we open at 9). A guest must've seen me walk in because she started BANGING on the gate about 2 minutes later, yelling "I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!!!" Here's the conversation that followed between her & the ETL-Rx through the pharmacy door:

E: Can I help you?
G: Yeah, I want my medicine.
E: I'm sorry, but we don't open until 9.
G: B-S! You're in there, you can give me my stuff!
E: I'm sorry ma'am, but the registers don't open until 9, you'll have to wait.
G: I don't have time to f-ing wait! You're f-ing in there! Just give me my f-ing medicine!
E: Ma'am, swearing at me isn't going to get you anywhere. I can't ring out your medicine until I open the gate and I'm not opening them until 9. You'll have to wait.
G: I WANT YOUR F-ING MANAGER! JUST GIVE ME MY F-ING MEDICINE!
E: I AM the manager and you're not getting your medicine until 9. (shuts door)
G: (starts banging on door)
E: (ignores her)...(grabs walkie and calls STL: there is an irate guest at the pharmacy insisting I give her her medication NOW)
STL (over walkie): I'm already on my way because we heard her from the huddle

The STL ended up getting her calmed down, but when she DID come back to get her meds, she got all hyped up again because it wasn't filled....her doctor denied her refill because it had only been 2 weeks since she had gotten the last fill and it was supposed to be a month's supply :girl_haha:

Sounds like classic pill popper behavior to me.

 

[bikebryan]

Sounds like classic pill popper behavior to me.

No, not a pill popper...more like classic Seeker behavior. I've dealt with drug seekers non-stop while working with my state's Medicaid program. They would go crazy when they had limits placed on their drugs by the state.

 

[Stuckinsoftlines]

I walk around with my headphones in when I'm off the clock and I've had one guest rip them out and ask me what kinda of work ethic I had. I said excuse me I'm off the clock the person asked me for my name and I said Andrew and walked away...I'm a girl fyi

I've seen people speak in spanish and one tried to sign random stuff bu the guest new asl so that didn't work

There was one time I was shopping at random places tjmax Victoria's ect and at every store someone asked me for help i kept saying I don't work here I got a few crazies one was like oh sure you don't your just lazy and another woman walked up to me and started arguing that she should get the clearance price and I told her I really can't help you...before I could explain I didn't work there she freaked out saying I'll never shop here again you guys have the worst guest service! My mom actually yelled back she doesn't work here b🙂!

Go mom. Worst shopping trip ever

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Score one for your mom!

 

[FrontEndKnowItAll]

@Stuckinsoftlines... your mom sounds pretty cool!! Although it must be a depressing day when you can't even go to a different retail store with out being asked for help!!!

 

[redeye58]

'S whacha get for looking so "professional" 😉
Although, if someone ripped off MY earphones, they'd come away with a bloody stump.

 

[pzychopopgroove]

I walk around with my headphones in when I'm off the clock and I've had one guest rip them out and ask me what kinda of work ethic I had. I said excuse me I'm off the clock the person asked me for my name and I said Andrew and walked away...I'm a girl fyi

That's alot nicer of a reaction then I would have given. You tap me on my shoulders lightly, not rip my earbuds out. You just don't rip out my earbuds when I'm listening to Valium Era!!! LOL.

 

[pzychopopgroove]

'S whacha get for looking so "professional" 😉
Although, if someone ripped off MY earphones, they'd come away with a bloody stump.

I've gotten into fistfights over people doing that to me. That's like.. not messing with a mans car, or his woman. You don't mess with me and my music! LMAO

 

[Stuckinsoftlines]

Yeah my moms pretty cool very blunt that's why she's funny.
To be fair I was wearing cloths from that one store but I had my purse and phone in hand...people aren't observant

 

[mrknownothing]

people aren't observant

You can say that again.

 

[3LetterDevil]

Sounds like classic pill popper behavior to me.

Oh, she's a MAJOR one. The doctor even writes in her directions (so it's ON the label): must last "##" days. Her profile is flagged because she's tried to pass fake scripts in the past so we have to call and verify EVERY script she brings in, regardless of what it is and EVERYTHING is double counted because she's tried to say we "shorted" her on pills as well. EVERY pharmacy in our area knows about her and 2 refuse to deal with her any more because of her antics. It's not the first time our ETL-Rx has had a "run-in" with her and she keeps threatening that she's "never coming back"....we keep waiting for her to make good on that promise 😉

 

[commiecorvus]

Oh, she's a MAJOR one. The doctor even writes in her directions (so it's ON the label): must last "##" days. Her profile is flagged because she's tried to pass fake scripts in the past so we have to call and verify EVERY script she brings in, regardless of what it is and EVERYTHING is double counted because she's tried to say we "shorted" her on pills as well. EVERY pharmacy in our area knows about her and 2 refuse to deal with her any more because of her antics. It's not the first time our ETL-Rx has had a "run-in" with her and she keeps threatening that she's "never coming back"....we keep waiting for her to make good on that promise 😉

One of the things I really like about this site is that it gives me insight into other peoples jobs and this post makes it clear that your job is more complicated and personal then most people realize.
Thanks for that.

 

[3LetterDevil]

One of the things I really like about this site is that it gives me insight into other peoples jobs and this post makes it clear that your job is more complicated and personal then most people realize.
Thanks for that.

Yeah, it has its good days and bad....we have some customers that we go out of our way to help and some that we'd rather never see again :lol:

 

[DotWarner]

she keeps threatening that she's "never coming back"....we keep waiting for her to make good on that promise 😉

Isn't it funny how people say that and yet they still keep coming back? I've never had a guest say that to me, but when I hear stories about guests saying that, my first thought is oh they'll be back tomorrow.
I've had a couple of experiences with guests asking for help when I'm there shopping on a day off. I'm not sure how they knew who I was because I worked overnights. I pointed them in the right direction but still...I wasn't even wearing a red shirt.

 

[redeye58]

I've got a hefty list of guests I wish would "never shop here again"!

 

[pzychopopgroove]

I've got a hefty list of guests I wish would "never shop here again"!

Let's compile our lists and distribute them to every Target store, along with pictures and descriptions so they can be refused service? 😀

 

[Boydercam]

Im walking around with headphones in and on my phone and people ask me for help do you really think i work like that

 

[pzychopopgroove]

Im walking around with headphones in and on my phone and people ask me for help do you really think i work like that

That's the moment that i usually turn it up to full blast and to something like Slayer, just to make it more blatant.

 

[TM26 Earthquake]

I'm brand new at Target, currently a cashier, and a recurring problem I seem to have is guests lining up when nearing the end of my shift. When I have a small line of people and need to clock out, I turn my light off, but people keep lining up. Within reason, I'll usually help additional guests, but there comes a time where I need to draw the line; and, at that point, they invariably get angry at me.

The other day, for example, I alerted a couple as they were walking up that I couldn't help them, though I'd be happy to help them find another lane that can, but they just wasn't good enough for them. They asked if anyone was coming to take my place, and I told them I'd check. However, being unable to find a GSTL/GSA/anyone at all, at the time, I came back and told them that I wasn't sure if someone was coming or not, and once again offered to help them find another lane. They then asked: "OH, so you expect us to just drop this stuff, and buy it at Wal-Mart, instead? Is that it?"

I told them: "No, I expect you to find another lane, because I can't help you."

Was I in the wrong, here? I've always detected a hint of urgency in regards to getting people off of the clock, but after clocking out I was told by an ETL that, for future reference, I should stick around and "help that last guest or two, unless I'm nearing my fifth hour."

 

[FormerSpecialist]

a few months ago i snapped at a guest ... and scared myself into thinking she'd go complain, so i went to the lod and told them what happened..

went in at the butt crack of dawn do to ad set up... it was late late morning and i was starving to the point of having the shakes, i had raced over to the market area to grab something to eat when this lady stopped me and asked if i worked there.. i said yeah but, i'm off the clock, you can go to a red phone and ask for help. she asked if i could just answer a question..i just stared at her.. then she asked if i minded... and i said yes..yes, i do.

i hate when ppl stop me when i'm off the clock. even with your phone on your ear and food in your hands ppl still stop you grrrr!!! i can't even shop in my store in plain clothes without feeling anxious.

 

[eleuthreophile]

The other day, for example, I alerted a couple as they were walking up that I couldn't help them, though I'd be happy to help them find another lane that can, but they just wasn't good enough for them. They asked if anyone was coming to take my place, and I told them I'd check. However, being unable to find a GSTL/GSA/anyone at all, at the time, I came back and told them that I wasn't sure if someone was coming or not, and once again offered to help them find another lane. They then asked: "OH, so you expect us to just drop this stuff, and buy it at Wal-Mart, instead? Is that it?"

I told them: "No, I expect you to find another lane, because I can't help you."

Wow, really? All I ever have to say is, "I'm sorry, I'm closed," and I don't recall ever having a guest complain about that. What a b*tch. I don't think you were in the wrong at all. I usually try to not go more than ten minutes over and if it's getting close to that and I can't find the GSTL, I'll hit the additional cashiers button and tell whoever comes up that I need to punch out.