I Need to Dress More Like a Slob

[bjarvis]

I'm not exactly dressed up today. I have a comfortable polo shirt, decent blue jeans and running shoes. I didn't shave this morning so I'm looking a little scruffier than I normally would but still presentable to the public. I only mention this to demonstrate that I'm not wearing a suit, a tie, a white pressed shirt or even dressing up to what I would consider business casual.

So why do people think I work in whatever store in which I happen to be shopping at that moment?

I stopped by a Hallmark card shop to get a birthday card for my nephew. A newly arriving customer asked if I had such-and-such a thing in stock. Being a decent person, I took her over to one of the staffers, explained what the customer needed and asked if the staffer could help her.

I was in Staples to get packing materials to ship some RAM to my corporate overlords in California. Another customer asked where she could find a particular inkjet cartridge for her printer. As it happened, I knew where to find the Lexmark cartridges she wanted and was able to take her to the appropriate row and locate a suitable model.

Finally, I went to the post office to mail off the package to California. As I was applying the machine-printed label to my package, a young lady popped in and asked me where she could get a change-of-address form. Not finding any at the counter where I was stationed, I directed her to the customer service kiosks around the corner.

Seriously, have standards for retail front-line workers dropped so perilously far that I blend in now?

More importantly, if I dress up a little, could I pass for corporate management and award myself bloody huge bonuses wherever I go? That would be cool.

Comments

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

There's a line from "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" where a someone mistakes a towns person for a hooker ...

You look jes like ya might know

You must have that air of knowledge and competence, no matter your manner of dress ... :)

HUGS!

[pectopah.livejournal.com]

I know what you are talking about. It may be that folks just think you know and don't necessarily work at whereever. Or you seem more approachable than the actual staff. I was on a business trip once, at a restaurant, wearing my suit and tie and as I was passing to my table on my way back from walking a colleague out, a loud man at a table demanded that I get him some water. When I said I didn't work there, he was truly annoyed. I like to be helpful, but I have limits.

[pklexton.livejournal.com]

For better or worse, I suspect it's because you have that "he looks like he would know" look.

At least it's better than "boy does he ever look like a dumbass

[fuzzygruf.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing it's just the polo shirt. It's the standard uniform for most retail.

[allanh.livejournal.com]

It's the same reason that people approach me in stores, asking for help:

As I recall, both of us hate shopping. That means that we go into a store not to browse, but On A Mission For Something Specific. It's that air of "I know where I'm going and what I'm doing" that draws helpless customers to us.

(This does not apply to chocolate stores, of course, where one must browse before deciding upon the appropriate sweet morsel, but...)

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

"Polo Shirt"

Most store employees wear casual polo shirts nowadays. You probably looked like you were sorting stock on shelves intently; I can see you doing that.

But the key is that you helped each of the people find what they were looking for, rather than blowing them off.

[apparentparadox]

I bet they were all trying to flirt with you, but you didn't notice because they were women.