As someone with years of customer service experience under her belt (they don't call me the Slushie Queen for nothin), I've come to appreciate this usually thankless sector of work more than most I see. Nothing irritates me more than a pushy customer, whether it be a slightly botched order at a coffee shop or someone asking a question that could be answered by reading the large-print sign directly behind the employee being asked the question, usually at a louder than necessary volume.
As I work towards the Skinny Bitches 2011 program, I was in dire need of new tennis shoes. (I refuse to call them sneakers. It's too 1986). So as I perused the outlet mall last weekend with some friends, my eyes perked up at my preferred pair marked down by $10, enough to get me in the door of Famous Footwear. I tried on the 9 and, discouragingly, walked up to the front counter to place a home order for a half-size bigger. I had scoured the rack and its adjoining area for the size but saw no victory in sight for that day, but figured the sale was enough to motivate me to order them. As the woman scanned the box, her eyes lit up: "We have one pair in the size you need, according to the computer. We're going to find it." Now in most retail encounters, this would not have been the outcome. 10 minutes before the store is closing is not when most employees are at their peak energy level, especially not to dig through boxes to find a misplaced pair of Nikes.
After 10 minutes of insisting the home order would be fine, the other sales associate walked confidently to the front and said "these babies? you're taking them home tonight" as she handed her partner in crime the requested size. I was beside myself. Years of experience have taught me that another size is NEVER in the back and asking usually just annoys everyone in the store, customer and employee alike. But these two women, without overdramatised fuss or sounds of exasperation, calmly and confidently went above the call of duty.
So thank you, sales associates No. 1 and 2 at the Arundel Mills Famous Footwear on May 13th. I didn't get a chance to look at your nametags and my receipt didn't identify you by name, either. But at least someone should know that you made this service sector alumna proud.
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