Why do so many people assume that shop workers are stupid?!?

Question

I worked as a part time shop assistant throughout my A-levels and my degree. I ended up becoming a full-time Store Manager to fund my PhD.

Many of my team members are students, but those who aren't very academic are extremely capable in a practical sense. Yet people frequently assume that anyone who workd in retail is a moron!! Why is this ridiculous prejudice still so common?

I do agree that rudeness/not giving a s*** is a problem in a lot of stores - I HATE it when customers don't get decent service. I make sure my team go out of the way to cater to the customer whenever possible, and expect the same in return when I am a customer.

Still, that doesn't mean they're stupid - just rude. Those sort of people shouldn't be in retail, in my opinion.

I appreciate what you're saying Kevin, and I do agree with your point about common sense. I realise there are plenty of dimwits in retail, but I don't think the generalisation that so many people make about this is correct.

As for career choice - I know so many people who have got decent degrees and ended up in retail.There are far more people going to uni now than in the past, aren't there? Therefore we have lots of graduates, for fewer jobs. Plenty of people go into retail after graduating to pay back their overdraft/save up/develop a career/use it as a 'stop gap'.

I wasn't mentioning my PhD to show off, although I am proud of it - in this case, I was just giving some background to my own experience.

Answer 1

Because we live in a society where so many people value and esteem others by their social status, the type of job that you have,your annual income,where you live,the type of car that you drive,and this is all so superficial. We all live diverse roles in our lives some of us are parents,students,husbands,and wives,ect. and our employment is just another role that factors into our lives.You know that it takes a composite of many things to make a whole so when others judge you by the type of job that you have they have already discredited so many other things that makes us a whole and complete human being. It's so sad that we live in such an educated society that acts so dumb. And beside no one should allow others to validate them,their completeness should come from themselves and who needs the judgment from an idiot anyway.

Answer 2

It's because there are so many people working in retail that ARE stupid, or at least come across that way. I often go into a shop and feel like the person serving me has either just had a complete lobotomy or is suffering with accute sleep deprivation. I was buying some clothes yesterday and I swear that the girl serving me actually dozed off halfway through the transaction. If people choose to work in retail then they need to show a degree of enthusiasm! Then, maybe we wouldn't think they were thick.

Answer 3

I think there is a lot of rudeness and arrogance around so many people treat those in the service industry with contempt and think its OK to do so. This applies to such as shop assistants, local government workers, health service workers, hotel staff etc.
On the other hand, I have come across a small number of shop workers who seem disinterested in their job and incapable of providing any assistance. I think the employer should make more effort to ensure these people are trained properly.

Answer 4

I've been helped by some wonderful shop workers who go out of their way to help and advise. However, I've been served by some awful ones who think that they are being paid to discuss last night at the pub, or what happened in Corrie last night, and view customers as an annoying interruption to their social lives. I'd much rather be served by a person who's actually willing to help, smiles and says thank you instead of throwing my change at me and turning away without an acknowledgement.

Saying that, some shops don't treat their employees very well, don't pay well, and don't offer their staff any encouragement to work there, and that's a sad situation.

Answer 5

I have been serving people for over 20 years and to be honest most people in general are very polite. Of course whatever you do wherever you go rude people will always be around just to brighten your day, I can honestly say the nice people far outweigh the bad ones. If ever I do get an awkward customer, I just keep on smiling.

Answer 6

O.k miss PhD. Consider the question again. Just because you are cleaver enough to be in the academic position you are does not indicate the ability to understand normal people. Common Sense is not taught in a classroom but some very inteligent people have no concept of what Common Sense really is.
People who have spent the time and money to become educated to Degree level generally don't become retail specialists unless of course they studied a useless subject in an obscure end of the BA scale. So peoples prejjudices are more real life experience senarios than percieved slights. In other words it is because they experience so many illiterate and low IQ people in the retail trade it is accepted by them to be the normal level of intelligence for that trade. Simple really when you think about it a little.

Answer 7

Because they are. I worked in several shops when I was at University but I can say that I had no common sense. The problem is that the people don't care as it's a temporary position and also they haven't developed any customer service aptitude as it's their first job.

Answer 8

Firstly Flixy is talking out of her backside.... I just asked around the office and the general feeling is not that they are stupid but 'in general' shop assistants in the UK seem to be unhelpful, have the personality of a dead slug and they just make you wonder why they are even working in the public sector.

Answer 9

I used to work in a shop and most of the customers are ok.Just a few that didn't treat us with respect but where would these people be if it wasn't for us serving them they'd have to starve.

Answer 10

It's a superiority thing, you'll get that in any service industry, even in the office. I work as a receptionist and people always feel we are "failed secretaries", I would not be anyone's PA for any amount of money, it's a choice that I sit here, not because I failed at anything else. Just grin and bear it, you can't change human nature.