The fact that there’s a popular support group called “Retail Hell” on Reddit should tell you all you need to know about the industry. Service workers have to contend with some of the rudest people all while keeping a smile on their faces. But it’s not just the belligerent and brash shoppers that make retail work hell. If you work somewhere long enough, even the most innocent behaviors begin to grind your gears. Target employees recently shared some of those “innocuous” but nevertheless annoying guest behaviors, offering consumers an inside look at what it’s like to work at the retailer.
Related: Walmart Employees Share Their Biggest ‘Pet Peeves’
Blocking the Aisles
Numerous Target employees complained about shoppers blocking the store’s aisles, with one Redditor drawing particular attention to families that take up entire walkways. Some shoppers have “a truly uncanny ability to stop right in the narrowest part” of an aisle, an employee writes.
Related: 22 Surprisingly Expensive Products at Target
Refusing to Ask for Help
Another common pet peeve? Customers who refuse to ask for help directly. These customers will walk slowly past workers, muttering things like “I don’t know if they have it” to get workers’ attention. Perhaps even worse, some guests will stand silently behind employees, waiting for them to notice their presence. If you need something, just ask politely.
Related: This Is Why Target Shoppers Steer Clear of Walmart
Littering
Target employees complain that they constantly find shoppers’ trash strewn around the store, with some shoppers even leaving frozen and refrigerated items out on the shelves. Workers don’t want to “touch your Starbucks cup with the dribble on the side,” as one employee puts it.
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Asking Silly Questions
Most Target employees don’t mind answering questions. But when customers fail to offer even a modicum of thought before bombarding a worker with questions, things tend to get annoying pretty quickly. Case in point: customers will point to a product that’s clearly listed as out-of-stock and ask where it is.
Yelling
Target employees don’t like it when customers yell at them (duh!), so think back to elementary school and remember to use your “inside voice.” This especially goes for men who will stand way too close to workers and raise their voices when they talk.
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Letting Kids Run Wild
Most people understand that kids can be a bit rambunctious. But that doesn’t mean you have to let them lay down flat underneath the cart and pretend like they’re flying (this really happens, according to one employee). Not only is it irksome, but it’s also dangerous.
Forgetting to Say Hello
Before you blurt out a question, say hello or excuse me. One Target worker writes that they ignore shoppers until custoemrs remember their manners and acknowledge them politely.
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