Jen08 Posted November 6, 2015 Posted November 6, 2015 (edited) I just wanted to start a thread to hear from those who have had to work at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc on BF. What interesting stories you may have or any tips you would like to give to us shoppers. I see all these topics about our BF stories as shoppers but would really like to hear from you that have had to work. As shoppers you have read about all of us that have complained about our BF experience with unorganized lines or pallets but would like to hear your complaints about us! LOL! I know that sounds crazy but I figure y'all should get to vent about us as well. I know that the not all of our bad experiences is the cashiers or floor associates fault so please don't think I am putting our bad experiences on you guys. In fact, I think most people are pretty nice (in my experience atleast) to the employees since y'all are the ones having to deal with the craziness of BF as well. Edited November 6, 2015 by Jen08
swamperjmb Posted November 7, 2015 Posted November 7, 2015 I work at Kohl's and actually enjoy Black Friday. People are generally happy and having fun. What I don't get is the people that come in later or the next day and get angry because we don't have the doorbuster they wanted or the king size comforter they wanted. The associates have no control over the quantity of merchandise. 3
jakesmommy403 Posted November 7, 2015 Posted November 7, 2015 I was working at The Children's Place at Tanger Outlets last year and worked 10-2 Thanksgiving Night and 11-6 Friday. It was a little tiring after hosting dinner at our house, but overall it was fun! It was all hands on deck, but we got to put in for that shifts we would prefer and then that got divided up as best they could. Everyone brought a dish and we had a buffet set up in the stockroom. It was fun to work with all the girls you typically didn't see. The customers were awesome, everyone was so nice! It was very festive! A couple people were like "aww I wish you didn't have to work tonight" but I'm thinking well if that was true you wouldn't be here shopping. Lol. The only bad thing I can think of is this woman who came in on Friday in the middle of the chaos and wanted to return her items for BF prices but didn't have her reciept OR the items with her! She caused a big stink, wouldn't move, wouldn't leave, went through the entire chain of management that was in the store, held up a register for a really long time causing commotion with the customers behind her in line, it was a mess. I don't even remember how it all worked out because I was ringing on a different register at the time and then went on break while they were still dealing with her. After she left, she called to complain about the service she received, but instead of calling corporate or anyone who mattered, she called our store. The very store she had just left. What a weirdo. And FYI, The Children's Place was running the same exact sale we had run for two weeks prior to BF, and then ran that same sale for two weeks after. We just changed the signs to the same wording but with Black Friday graphics. We did the signs Tuesday night. The $4.99 fleece doorbusters were still $4.99 a few weeks later. They eventually went to $2.99. Most of the outlet stores did that, just ran basically the same sales, maybe with a doorbuster or a coupon. Don't believe the outlets hype for BF. Lol 2
msomnipotent Posted November 8, 2015 Posted November 8, 2015 I don't work anymore, but I worked at a gas station, a restaurant, and a hospital on various Thanksgivings and BFs. My advice would be to expect crowds and be patient. You would be surprised how many people are shocked that other people are out and about when "they should be at home". It was unreal. I really wanted to ask people what they were doing out if everyone should be at home. Another great piece of advice is to not drink alcohol if you are going shopping. The ER fills up every holiday with alcohol related accidents and not all of them are car crashes. A lot, but not all. My sister and a friend work at Walmart. Their #1 piece of advice was already mentioned. Don't come late and expect doorbusters. You can't even expect them when you show up early. And they have noticed an uptick in customers that have clearly celebrated with one or more toxic substances. I'm wondering if it is because more stores are opening on Thanksgiving and people are coming straight from dinner instead of sleeping it off for a while.
Lusha121 Posted November 8, 2015 Posted November 8, 2015 A veteran of retail (and my dh just anniversaried on year23) and a few toy stores, and some seasonal/temp help... I worked the year of the furby. Sweet Lord that was a mess! first fight i ever saw over a toy!The year of the cabbage patch revival.. I had a lady, bless her heart, looking for a very specific cabbage patch doll. It had to be a boy, with brown hair, buck teeth and hazel eyes. OK cool. I get that she wanted THAT ONE. But no, lady I am not going to climb to the top of the racking in the middle of the store with 100 people pushing and shoving below me on a ladder because the one in your hands wasn't named Jeffery! She actually complained to my boss that I wasn't " being helpful". Thankfully my boss wasn't an idiot. My advice is this : #1 Don't push and fight over it. Bail costs more than your savings on the item. #2 Don't be a d*&k. Trust me, the employees want you to get your stuff and leave. #3 if it is a life or death item A) you should have ordered it weeks ago and it isn't life or death, its a holiday present. #4 be nice to the employees. You don't know who called in 'sick' and whose shift they are covering, or that they missed their break or lunch and have had to use the restroom for 3 hours but can't leave their station. Or have been talking to people for 3 hours but can't get a drink because you can't have a beverage on the sales floor. *I always have candy canes or something small in my pocket for anyone who helps me on BF.... its a small token, and i know that it might be all they get for the day. We couldn't be shopping if it wasn't for them working.... 7
estreeval Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 (edited) Walmart advicebecome friends with walmart employees, way before the sale lol. My fiance used to work there and on bf, he knew so many people and they all helped us out! They knew we had ten kids and wanted to make sure we got everything we needed! Edited November 11, 2015 by estreeval 1
tdanette Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 If you don't get what you want, hang out at customer service for a bit. We get carts of stuff from the registers pushed up there to sort through. Chances are you'll find what you want. 2
queenkishaa Posted November 12, 2015 Posted November 12, 2015 If you don't get what you want, hang out at customer service for a bit. We get carts of stuff from the registers pushed up there to sort through. Chances are you'll find what you want. that's how I shop sometimes lol
Bstar0306 Posted November 13, 2015 Posted November 13, 2015 that's how I shop sometimes lol Me2! We did this once! I was working at The Children's Place at Tanger Outlets last year and worked 10-2 Thanksgiving Night and 11-6 Friday. It was a little tiring after hosting dinner at our house, but overall it was fun! It was all hands on deck, but we got to put in for that shifts we would prefer and then that got divided up as best they could. Everyone brought a dish and we had a buffet set up in the stockroom. It was fun to work with all the girls you typically didn't see. The customers were awesome, everyone was so nice! It was very festive! A couple people were like "aww I wish you didn't have to work tonight" but I'm thinking well if that was true you wouldn't be here shopping. Lol. The only bad thing I can think of is this woman who came in on Friday in the middle of the chaos and wanted to return her items for BF prices but didn't have her reciept OR the items with her! She caused a big stink, wouldn't move, wouldn't leave, went through the entire chain of management that was in the store, held up a register for a really long time causing commotion with the customers behind her in line, it was a mess. I don't even remember how it all worked out because I was ringing on a different register at the time and then went on break while they were still dealing with her. After she left, she called to complain about the service she received, but instead of calling corporate or anyone who mattered, she called our store. The very store she had just left. What a weirdo. And FYI, The Children's Place was running the same exact sale we had run for two weeks prior to BF, and then ran that same sale for two weeks after. We just changed the signs to the same wording but with Black Friday graphics. We did the signs Tuesday night. The $4.99 fleece doorbusters were still $4.99 a few weeks later. They eventually went to $2.99. Most of the outlet stores did that, just ran basically the same sales, maybe with a doorbuster or a coupon. Don't believe the outlets hype for BF. Lol Wow that lady obviously wasn't thinking! I work in a restaurant and the other day this lady ate at the restaurant left and then called the restaurant wanting to complain about the bad service she received instead of doing it before she left. So weird.
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