As mentioned in my initial blog entitled the same I am employed seasonal at a well known luxury department store. I am a web fulfiller; I hate the term “picker” because I am a person of color and well, I don’t like the connotation.
In any event I have to fulfill customers’ orders at this particular counter as well. The maker of these pieces owns a very expensive luxury jewelry line and when I fulfill there is a lengthy process that I have to go through that involves wrapping the package just so, but only if the order is over a certain amount and during and after this process I am not allowed to take the order off of the counter.
As stated, I am all about the customer, they are my main concern.
Enter Mean Girl #2
I go to the counter and ask her can she find a particular piece for me. (Let’s rewind) Before I needed her I ask her are there a lot of customers and she tells me yes and begins to explain that her customers hate coming to her due to the fact that she makes so much commission and she is spending all of their hard earned money (of course the customers are saying this in jest because they still come and I took it as such) But in the back of the mind I thought to myself how much she must be overly concerned about sales; back to the issue- the time is ticking for me to fulfill; the clock counts down and the piece that the customer is waiting for to add to their collection or their loved ones’ could go unfilled I was on 32 mins. I ask the mean girl to help me to find the piece. In the interim an employee who is on break walks up to purchase. She states that she will be with me in 2 mins and that she has a customer. I look at her and blatantly state “you have a customer (pause) that’s also an employee?” to which I tell her o.k. and walk off to come back. 23 mins left to fulfill for my customer that’s on the web.
I come back to get my item and there is another salesman there who is eager to help, while he’s getting my item together mean girl #2 expresses in front of the other salesman how rude she thinks I am. To which I reply and tell her that I think she was rude. She attempts to explain that although the person was an employee that they still are a customer. I replied o.k. (guilty conscience)? She should have had one, just because a customer is not standing next to me does not make them less of a customer. She continues the condescending speech in front of the other employee and reiterates that I can do it myself. I mentioned in the previous blog that I was thrown on the floor without procedural do’s and don’ts. 15 mins left to fulfill the order. I had no idea I could do it myself. Meanwhile the gentleman is wrapping the piece for me and I try to stop him because mean girl #2 is so adamant about me helping myself, however, he explains he is going to continue helping, so that the process can go smoother and in the process acknowledges my uncomfortable demeanor and assures me that if no one teaches me how am I to know. He is a grade A employee. Mean girl #2 is still talking.
At this point I am fed up with her tone and I look her dead in the face and remind her that she’s already stated twice that I was rude and how I could do it myself. I told her in a firm but confident manner that she didn’t have to repeat herself any longer. To which she concedes.
It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it, stop treating me like a “picker” and treat me like a web fulfiller an equal because that’s what I am.
Oh yes, I have a mean girl # 3.. although not as bad she’s a bit of a habitual liar. Stay tuned.
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Label Me Posh 