Are there things that people do at your work that make your work life h**l?

Question

An example is in retail people who touch every item on the shelf so when you are recovering the store you have to fix every item that they touched. What I am looking for is mainly the things that people do that they may not fully realize are rude. I am working on a book and would like to get some more ideas of what you should not do because it makes things harder on employees.

Answer 1

Funny you should mention retail.   Shelf recovery is kind of the nature of the business.  Think of it as job security.  If shoppers weren't such slobs they wouldn't need people like me to clean up after them.

What I generally don't like are people who just rip things open to examine them and then leave the trashed packaging in a condition that no one else would ever buy.  Shoplifters and their fun and games goes without saying.  

I sell electric lighting.  I find customers especially annoying who fuss and fidget over tiny problems and ask questions that are impossible to answer such as do you have this particular item in red and green stripes with one less light bulb with an international adapter included for 240 V systems?  These I find the most trying.  Instead of saying "No, goddamn it of course not" I end up having to go on a fools errand leafing through catalogs or promise to call a manufacturer or something.  

Others dither indistinctly over stuff and ask you vague questions or get nasty when you can't read their minds.  

Answer 2

Yes. Like not doing any work and talking on the phone. And you have to do their work for them so that you can get out of the office on time.

Answer 3

I do that on purpose - to make sure people have jobs at the grocery store.

Answer 4

If people can't touch items on shelves, how are they supposed to look them over before deciding to purchase?

Employees are called that for a reason: they get paid for the work they do. They aren't volunteers.