Customer Service Complaints: The Destruction of a Pile

I am anal retentive and think I probably have a mild case of OCD.

I like order, routine and structure (how boring). Nothing in retail makes me feel as comfortable, or as happy as folding a shirt or a fine knit, into crisp perfection. The buttons and seams all align, corners so sharp it should be deemed a health and safety risk and the fold so tight you could bounce a coin off it.

I really do love my folding.

I really do hate, however, when a customer walks into my section and proceeds to open out all my hard work and in under ten seconds, lead to the complete destruction of the pile.

I liken this moment to witnessing the rape of the physicality of your hard work. This may seem hyperbolic, but I can assure you that is the pain and anguish you feel.

I mean what is the point of going through an entire pile of beautifully folded garments when in reality you only need to open out one or two sizes, shouldn’t you? I understand that opening the piece at the top of the pile is instinct. You want to know what it is. That, fearful shoppers, I can forgive you for.

I cannot forgive you opening out each of the following garments in the pile. They are all the same, the style isn’t changing; the idea is to make the shopping experience simple for you, why would we mess with that? What a customer should do is look down the pile for their size and then open out that one to see if it looks right. I mean, what the hell is the point of opening out a medium jumper to see what it looks like when you wear an extra large? Where is the logic?

Now at this point, you could argue that you don’t know your size. If this is the case, you really shouldn’t be trusted to care for yourself. It is not difficult to know what size fits you. I understand that each brand fits differently and that a medium in one, is an extra small in another, but god, you should at least have a rough idea.

Anyway, using my shop-keep logic, we should have three ruined folds rather than eight or so; this is a level of destruction that I can both deal with and forgive. The biggest sin, in my eyes, is far worse than even destroying a whole pile; it is when I approach customers when they are looking at folded garments, as is my job, I offer them assistance finding a size or grabbing something out (to limit destruction) and they tell me they are just looking before proceeding to completely annihilate my hard work. I understand that they are “just looking” but I’m only offering to make it easier for them, and less painful for me.

I would equate this to the difference between wilfully murdering and committing manslaughter.

So next time you walk through a shop and you see something beautifully folded, tempting you to take a peek. Please stop. Think of me and be gentle. It is someone’s hard work and it isn’t difficult to a) only look at the appropriate size or b) ask a sales assistant for help…it is there job…and if like me, they will love you for respecting their folding prowess.