Ladies and Gentlemen, I've decided to make a list of how to shop for this holiday season, so everyone stays happy: Customers and Sales associates!!
- Be mindful of store hours. Yes a store may be open until 9pm or later due to the holiday shopping season, but that does not mean at 8:55 you should casually be walking in looking for an entire new wardrobe. Coming in at 8:55 to grab an item that you already know you want and going right to the cash register is acceptable. Coming in and destroying the store, spending 20 mins in the fitting room, and then leaving without buying a single thing...well let's just say it's unappreciated... Most of the time, the associates have already started to "close" the store, and though I'm sure they appreciate the business, they would like to leave on time
- Fitting Room Attendants/Associates are not your servants - Of course they want to help you, that's what they are there for, to assist the customer, but please do not demand things of them as if they are your lackey. There are nice ways to ask for things.
- Please bring the clothes you don't want out of your fitting room. Leaving clothes in the fitting room is cute at Neiman Marcus with a personal shopper, but when it's clear that clothes are on a rack at the front of the fitting room when you go in, more than likely bringing the clothes back out is the way to go, especially if another customer is trying to go right into your room once you vacate.
- Asking for clothes off the mannequin...and then not buying it. Yes you want that size 2, and the only one left in the store is on the mannequin, and of course most stores will get it down for you...but more than likely they expect you to buy it! It's not easy taking clothes on and off the mannequin, and redressing them, especially in the middle of a busy holiday season, with tons of customer to assist.
- Yanking Your Size out of the Stack of Folding Clothes - NO NO NO - Please if you are hunting for your size, and find it, lift the top of the pile up and pull out your size, there is no need to destroy a WHOLE PILE OF FOLDED CLOTHES for your size Large. That pile will take 20 minutes to refold at the end of the day after the store closes, and you probably took out some other piles at the same time
- Do not act offended when an associate asks to help you find your size. It is because of number 5 that they do this. It's not because they think you can't count up to your size 6 in a "stacked in numeric order" pile, but most of the time people devastate piles looking for their size. They know where it is, and they know how to pull it out quick and efficiently therefore saving everyone time.
- Unfolding clothes to pick a color - This one is crazy. If you tried on a red turtleneck, and then you are unsure if you want the blue, red, or purple one...there is no need to unfold the stack of blue and purple...why? Because it looks exactly the same as the red, just a different color?? And the color is the same whether the shirt is folded in a neat pile, or unfolded in your hand.
- Please remember your coupons. Do what I do, I leave my coupons in the glove compartment of my car. You never know when you may want to kill time at the mall, and that way you always have them. Do not yell and scream and cause a scene at the registers because you forgot your coupon and the store cannot apply your invisible coupon. But lucky for you, and the technology of this day and age, most coupons are emailed or texted to your phone, and most stores honor seeing the coupon via the phone.
- If you choose to try on items not in the fitting room, but right where they are located as in a coat, or cardigan, and you pull it out leaving a gap where you pulled it from...please be courteous and place it back where you pulled it from. There's no need to turn around and put the sweater cardigan with all the leopard tube dresses, when the rack of cardigans is right in front of you where you pulled it from...
- If you see an associate is clearly helping another customer, please wait your turn. They are only human, and interrupting just throws everyone off...
- Please watch your children...if possible leave them at home! Hahaha, kids get into everything, they open lipgloss, the pull on signs, they grap jewelry and everything off the floor. They look under fitting room doors and spy on other customers...If you cannot watch your kids while shopping, either bring someone else with you to watch the kids (because it's not in the sales associates' job description), or pick a day to shop kid free!! You'll be happy, and the store will be happy!
- Please do not bring your pets into the store. Yes your pomegranate - - -Pomeranian is well behaved and never barks and fits in your Coach handbag...but you have no idea how other people may react to that dog. There could be people in the store allergic, or just afraid of dogs in general.
- Do not be that crazy person on Black Friday comping an attitude because an item is out, or you are waiting in line...IT'S BLACK FRIDAY, and you already know what it's going to be like, so start the day telling yourself that things may not go as planned, but on this day, what does go as planned? If you can't handle Black Friday shopping, it's best you stay at home and shop online. Tons of stores from Best Buy, Macy's, Target, Wal-Mart, are starting sales on thanksgiving day online!! Beat the crowds and shop from home!
~Shasie
