Who were some of your worst, rudest, and/or most ignorant customers?

[dsmolken]

Originally Posted by Ammanas

And the people start flapping and whirling their arms around like they're trying to fly away like a bird, and complain about it being too tight. You're not going to be doing cardio in your suit.
Haha, I always do that. I need to be able to wave my arms around in a suit, at least in certain directions.

I might buy a suit that I can't do that in anyway, if I like it and it fits well, but I'd buy it knowing I won't be able to get as much use out of it.

 

[hermes man]

more please this thread is too good

 

[SuitMyself]

Originally Posted by Macallan9

Most of the other ones i can get on board with, but this? Dude is obviously broke as ****...deserves some sympathy, I'd think.

Originally Posted by SuitMyself

That's okay.

That's just how I am. I tell it like it is.

But . . . let's look at this another way: Would it had been better if I hadn't told him the jacket didn't fit? What if he was planning to wear it to, say, his girlfriend's birthday dinner or perhaps to a job interview? I honestly think I did him a huge favour.


One thing's for sure: Buddy won't be bragging and posting pics of that jacket on "The official thrift/discount store bragging thread" anytime soon!

 

[literasyme]

Originally Posted by SuitMyself

How am I bragging?

What would you have done in that situation? What would you have told him or done for him?

You're confusing two things. What you told that guy, the tone you used, the advice you gave him, whatever -- that's one thing, and since I wasn't there, I can't judge it. I don't work in retail: I have no idea what I would have said or done.

But you are bragging about it HERE in telling the story in the way you chose to tell it. I somewhat suspect you don't speak in the highly crafted sentences you're reporting here, for one thing; I certainly hope you didn't convey to this poor guy that you thought he was a "stupid idiot."

To be clear: plenty of your anecdotes are hilarious. But you clearly don't see a difference in making fun of shysters or self-righteous ***** and in making fun of economically or mentally challenged people who're trying to dress well, even if they fail utterly and are useless at communicating their desires (and/or can't understand the advice they're given). I see that difference, I think it's an important one, and I do think it's a question of class, tact, or whatever tag you want to put on it whether that distinction matters to one or not.

 

[SuitMyself]

Originally Posted by literasyme

You're confusing two things. What you told that guy, the tone you used, the advice you gave him, whatever -- that's one thing, and since I wasn't there, I can't judge it. I don't work in retail: I have no idea what I would have said or done.

But you are bragging about it HERE in telling the story in the way you chose to tell it. I somewhat suspect you don't speak in the highly crafted sentences you're reporting here, for one thing; I certainly hope you didn't convey to this poor guy that you thought he was a "stupid idiot."

To be clear: plenty of your anecdotes are hilarious. But you clearly don't see a difference in making fun of shysters or self-righteous ***** and in making fun of economically or mentally challenged people who're trying to dress well, even if they fail utterly and are useless at communicating their desires (and/or can't understand the advice they're given). I see that difference, I think it's an important one, and I do think it's a question of class, tact, or whatever tag you want to put on it whether that distinction matters to one or not.

I do understand what you are saying. And yes, whether you choose to believe it or not, how I wrote my posts here is EXACTLY how I speak in real life.

When dealing with my customers, I always chose my words with care and, even though I know you do not believe me, I always employed tact.

Yes, I said tact.

BUT . . . and this is a huge BUT . . . I did NOT, do NOT, CANNOT, and COULD not stand bullshit or stupidity or people who just don't get it. I have very little patience for such things.

I can understand if you feel that way about me but that is truly how I am.

BTW, you still haven't answered my query: What would you have done in that situation? What would you have told him or done for him? I'd be VERY interested in hearing (or is it reading?) your thoughts on this matter.

 

[ginlimetonic]

Originally Posted by Kamapuaa

There were these customers who were asking for a better price at a music instrument store! Oh, and they were Chinese (not racist).

So I unzipped my fly and showed them *******!

Keep these stories coming!

coming from a chinese who is a 8th grade violinst and a person who plays an axe/electric guitar, if i saw you do that in front of me, my reaction would be to cut off your offending part with not my swiss panerai, but army knife..

 

[JamesX]

Originally Posted by SuitMyself

I do understand what you are saying. And yes, whether you choose to believe it or not, how I wrote my posts here is EXACTLY how I speak in real life. When dealing with my customers, I always chose my words with care and, even though I know you do not believe me, I always employed tact. Yes, I said tact. BUT . . . and this is a huge BUT . . . I did NOT, do NOT, CANNOT, and COULD not stand bullshit or stupidity or people who just don't get it. I have very little patience for such things. I can understand if you feel that way about me but that is truly how I am. BTW, you still haven't answered my query: What would you have done in that situation? What would you have told him or done for him? I'd be VERY interested in hearing (or is it reading?) your thoughts on this matter.
Having little patience doesn't entitle you to belittle others. You are no better than those stuck up customers you hate who belittle you because they have little patience tolerating someone they perceive as bullshitting or moronic. The other story is funny because the customers are usually rude or self-righteous. In the version of the story you told last, the man just came across as uneducated. He was not rude, nor defensive. He even took your advice that the suit will not be appropriate and said he will think about buying a new suit and left. Instead at the end you called him a Stupid Idiot. Idiot for seeking help from a sales representative such as yourself? or Idiot for not knowing the suit is too large? or Idiot for accepting that you know more about suits than he does (I assume), and decide that he will think about buying a new suit (of which he probably can't afford, and left)? You are practicing the exact attitude and behavior this thread is suppose to ridicule. Though maybe the story did not fully convey the man's mannerisms and thus I got a wrong mental image of what happened. Based on what I read and my understanding of what happened, I think you were the one who is in the wrong.

 

[SuitMyself]

12.) Even to this day, I still can't figure out why it's so difficult for people to remember the word tailor.

"Do you have a seamstress here to do hemming?"

"Do you have a sewing person here?"

"Do you have an alterationist?"

"Do you have a hemming person?"

"Do you have a pants hemmerer?"

"Do you have an altercationist?"

"Do you have an altercationer?"

"Do you have an altercation person or altercation service?"

Stupid schmucks.


13.) An early 20s guy walked into the store one day with one of our shirts. He told me the top button had fallen off and asked for a new shirt. His shirt had clearly been worn countless times and he hadn't bothered to wash it before bringing it in to the store. There was a repulsive dark ring around the collar.

"We can sew the button back on for you. It will take about two or three minutes."

Shock overtook his face.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"We can sew the button back on for you."

"The button can be sewed back on?"

"Yes, sir."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Wouldn't it be easier for me to exchange this shirt for a new one?"

"Why would we do that? Your shirt has been worn many times. We don't trade in old shirts for new ones."

He was shocked. It was like someone telling him the earth was round and not flat. He just couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"How do you do that?"

Now it was my turn to be shocked.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, you say you can sew the button back on. How do you do that?"

"What do you mean, how do we do that?"

"I mean, how do you sew a button back on? Do you have to send the shirt back to the factory for that to be done?"

OH. MY. *******. GOD.

I looked him dead in the eye. "I don't know about you, but we like to use a needle and thread. And we can do it RIGHT here for you RIGHT now."

"Whoa! You serious?"

I went into the back and brought out a needle and thread and I made it a point to attach the button on for him right in front of his eyes so he could witness this Miracle Of God.

"There. It's done."

"Holy **** . . . ! Wow! I never knew that could be done!"

Stupid idiot.

 

[deadly7]

I'm glad I've never met an employee that's as big of a dick as you. Get off your high horse just because you know clothes. Actually, keep doing it and wait for someone to beat the **** out of you. THEN we can call you [rightfully] a stupid idiot.

 

[SuitMyself]

Originally Posted by deadly7

I'm glad I've never met an employee that's as big of a dick as you. Get off your high horse just because you know clothes. Actually, keep doing it and wait for someone to beat the **** out of you. THEN we can call you [rightfully] a stupid idiot.

I'm not on any high horse.

I just tell it like it is. That is my opinion of those people. You are entitled to your opinion.

I make no apologies.

 

[bringusingoodale]

^ You do realize that he probably never expatiated on his experiences in retail until now, on a forum, without referring to names of either company or people. If anything he is much to0 kind.

 

[SuitMyself]

Originally Posted by deadly7

I'm glad I've never met an employee that's as big of a dick as you. Get off your high horse just because you know clothes. Actually, keep doing it and wait for someone to beat the **** out of you. THEN we can call you [rightfully] a stupid idiot.

deadly7, you have no idea what I had to put up with when I was working in menswear. I have no problem dealing with people who don't know things so long as they're willing to listen and learn. I love helping and educating and informing my customers about menswear.

But, needless to say, there will always be times when absolute moronic schmucks will walk in and they haven't even the ABSOLUTE SLIGHTEST SHRED OF COMMON SENSE OR INTELLIGENCE. These are the sort of people who prefer to remain ignorant and who don't want to listen. For me, it's not a matter of who's right and who's wrong.

No, it's not like that.

It's about informing them. The only problem is, though, they don't want to listen to us. They regard us as swindlers who are lying and saying anything just to get their money. It never occurs to them that we just might know someting about this business of menswear and that what we are telling them is the truth. The lady whose son wore a rope around his waist . . . did I force that suit on him? Did I let him buy it so that he'd look like a fool at his graduation? No, I didn't let him buy it. I WAS HONEST WITH HIM AND DID HIM A HUGE FAVOUR. If I didnt' care about what I did, then I'd have let him buy a frickin' size 50T for all I could have cared.

I have no patience or tolerance for people like that.

Of course, people like that are far and few in between. I can have hundreds of good and sensible and intelligent and REASONABLE people come in before I have to deal with a moronic imbecile who doesn't even know the difference between a button and a zipper.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

 

[HORNS]

I don't understand people's negative reaction to SuitMyself's anecdote of trying to tell Lennie Small that he shouldn't be wearing that jacket. If the story progressed in a way that good ol' Lennie found some nice, soft slacks to wear with this jacket and walked out of the store none the wiser, then you guys would come down hard on SuitMyself by saying that he took advantage of the man.

 

[bananananana]

Originally Posted by SuitMyself

deadly7, you have no idea what I had to put up with when I was working in menswear. I have no problem dealing with people who don't know things so long as they're willing to listen and learn. I love helping and educating and informing my customers about menswear.

But, needless to say, there will always be times when absolute moronic schmucks will walk in and they haven't even the ABSOLUTE SLIGHTEST SHRED OF COMMON SENSE OR INTELLIGENCE. These are the sort of people who prefer to remain ignorant and who don't want to listen. For me, it's not a matter of who's right and who's wrong.

No, it's not like that.

It's about informing them. The only problem is, though, they don't want to listen to us. They regard us as swindlers who are lying and saying anything just to get their money. It never occurs to them that we just might know someting about this business of menswear and that what we are telling them is the truth. The lady whose son wore a rope around his waist . . . did I force that suit on him? Did I let him buy it so that he'd look like a fool at his graduation? No, I didn't let him buy it. I WAS HONEST WITH HIM AND DID HIM A HUGE FAVOUR. If I didnt' care about what I do, then I'd have let him buy a frickin' size 50T for all I could have cared.

I have no patience or tolerance for people like that.

Of course, people like that are far and few in between. I can have hundreds of good and sensible and intelligent and REASONABLE people come in before I have to deal with a moronic imbecile who doesn't even know the difference between a button and a zipper.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

Couldn't it be that they don't want to listen to you? Either because they don't really care or they don't want to feel obligated to buying something because they spent your time. And given that your first two stories were about customers who did take a lot time and didn't buy anything, it seems like you do have a problem with that.

 

[SuitMyself]

Originally Posted by HORNS

I don't understand people's negative reaction to SuitMyself's anecdote of trying to tell Lennie Small that he shouldn't be wearing that jacket. If the story progressed in a way that good ol' Lennie found some nice, soft slacks to wear with this jacket and walked out of the store none the wiser, then you guys would come down hard on SuitMyself by saying that he took advantage of the man.

Thank you, HORNS.

I wasn't rude to him. I informed him about his jacket's fit in a polite and professional manner but I had to be direct. Why sugarcoat it? It wouldn't have done him any good if I did.

Yes, it was also obvious to me he din't have a lot of money, if any at all. But, as a sales associate AND A PERSON WHO DOES CARE ABOUT GIVING THE RIGHT ADVICE, I made an effort to tell him he should buy something new and, more importantly, something that FITS.

This is my open question to all those who think I was insensitive to Lennie Small about his Value Village sport jacket: What would you have done? What would you have said to him?