Rant

I stopped by Target today during my lunch break to pick up paper towels, conditioner, etc. because I've been out for a while and won't have time for errands before class tonight. You know how you get all discombobulated when you visit a different store location than the one you're used to, even if its the same store? I have my Vons, my Target, my 24 Hr. Fitness ... it frustrates me that the layout isn't the same. It's dumb, I know.

Anyway, today at the foreign Target near my work, this annoying employee kept following me around the paper towel isle asking me if I needed help finding anything. Usually I would have said "no, I'm just looking for the cheapest one so please leave me alone" but today I was going to search out flashlights as well (don't ask), so I asked her to point me in the right direction. You should have seen her face ... it was like no one had ever said 'yes' to her inquiry of 'can I help you find something' before. Her eyes got wide and she was at a loss for words. I instantly regretted asking for her assistance. Obviously, she didn't know where flashlights were so she had to go and call someone to ask. I should have just walked away and foraged the isles myself, I would have found it eventually, but I felt bad. She went to so much trouble and I might be the only customer she will ever get to find an item for.

So, like 7 minutes had already passed at this point and who knows how many more ticked by as I followed her up and down the isles ... she was looking for them like she was a customer herself. We eventually reached our destination and she literally stood there and watched me choose a flashlight. Should I have asked her what she thought about blue vs. green? Size preference? Battery life? I felt like I was picking out a naughty toy or something with how awkward I felt with her peering over my shoulder in silence. Not that I ever peruse racks of naughty toys ... but yeah, it was strange.

Which leads me to my rant about customer service. This girl was stationed in the household items section of the store and told to stand there and ask everyone that walked by if they needed help. Most of the time, people say no. Use this free time to learn where things are just in case, you know, you might need to help someone find something. When I worked retail back in the day, that's what I did! The fact that she was as lost in the store as I was shows that her offering of assistance is both forced and unnecessary ... which is the exact opposite of customer service.