commentary
Stop the Interrogations
When I start out my day I think of all the things I need to do and all of the places I need to visit. With three busy children I must plan my outings carefully to make sure to make the most of my time out.
Most of the questions about the days events are covered before we even leave the house. Where we are going?, how long will it take? and if there will be lunch involved. I even ask my own round of question. Does anyone need to go potty?, does everyone have their shoes?, and do you have everything you think you need before we leave?
What I’m not prepared for is the overwhelming amount of questions I get when I get to my first stop. Did we not cover all of this before we even left the house?
As I navigate my way through the store I’m hit with question after question from my kids again and from helpful store employees. Mom can I have that? do you have a quarter? (for that giant gum ball machine in the middle of the store with worthless items that become food for the Dyson.) Are you finding everything okay? Are we done yet? where are we going to eat? I’m starting to feel overwhelmed by all of these questions coming at me.
Then it happens…….the check out line. Do you ever fell overwhelmed by all the questions you have to answer during your transaction?
Did you find everything okay? Is that everything? Is that debit or credit? Do you want cash back? Do you want to save 10% and sign up for our store credit card? Do you want the receipt with you or in the bag? Make it stop!
When did it all start? Didn’t it used to be “paper or plastic”? When did, “do you want the receipt with you or in the bag” start? I have to admit I feel a bit overwhelmed when I hit the check out. It doesn’t matter if you are in a corner market in Darrington or a swanky boutique in downtown, the universal question is “do you want the receipt with you or in the bag?” How about in the bag unless other wise noted?
The barrage of questions makes me feel like I should be winning a prize if I answer them in a timely manner or Alex Tribeck is going to step out from behind the counter and give me a big fat check for answering all of the questions quick and correctly.
I did some pretty good shopping damage in China and not once did anyone ask me if I wanted the receipt with me or in the bag, it just went in the bag. And not one person asked me if I found everything okay. They are assuming if I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I would have asked. All of these questions at the checkout stand have not gone international.
Has customer service really gone downhill so much that retailers are giving cashiers a list of questions to ask the customer? In hopes to overwhelm us so much that we sign up for credit cards we don’t need, buy those impulse items at the check stand, and feel totally frazzled by the time we leave?
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I’ll let you in on a secret…they are handed a list of questions! Specifically Safeway Employees. I know. I was one of them when I was in college, and I can tell when I shop there that the rules are the same. Safeway employs “secret shoppers” Safeway employees are forced to make eye contact with everyone that comes into their work area. If there happens to be a secret shopper there that day and reports that they were not doing this, a write-up ensues. I was fired after three write ups. Sad tale. LET THE EMPLOYEES DO THEIR WORK! I say. And about the questions…am I the only one that gets irritated when I have to answer questions from my husband because the little ones have exhausted all my patience for them. Poor guy.
Ha ha! So true! Last night I found myself screaming, “I DON’T KNOW!!!!” to my husband and poor son. And you know what, I don’t even know what they asked. It’s called QOD… Question Overload Disorder. And the only remedy is a couch, The Office, and a tall glass of red wine.
QOD.
Glad to know I’m not going crazy.
You know what I like to do- I like to ask the same questions back. “I don’t know, if you were in MY shoes, would you want the receipt with you or in the bag?” So deep and profound a thought normally confuses them too and causes them to do whatever seems less awkward than being harrassed by a woman with huge eyes.
Try it sometime, it’ll at least make you laugh.