This is kind of long, but somewhat-kinda entertaining.
I start my first quarter of nursing school on Monday. The last thing I needed to check off my list of school to-do's was to buy scrubs from the school bookstore. I am required to buy two sets from my school's bookstore per the program's instructions and nowhere else (they are sent to the school with the nursing student patches already on them).
Now, I have spent a few years working retail/customer service and have done a damn good job of it, so I get really offended when I'm the customer who is treated like crap from those in similar positions.
I enter the bookstore. I ask a lady where the scrubs were, which she showed me. The tops and pants are each individually wrapped. I look to my left and see just a few tops and pants hanging labeled as "samples." I quickly gathered that "Oh, they have samples here, this obviously means that I try these on to find my size." However, I wanted to see if they had some sort of fitting room or what have you, so I find a guy and ask about trying them on. He says, "Oh, you can't try those on. You can only hold them up to your body to see if they fit."
...okay. I get closer to the sample scrubs and quickly realize that that doesn't make much sense as they're dirty and appeared to have been tried on by God knows how many people. There is makeup all over the v-neck necklines. This kind off grosses me out and seems unsanitary to me (they could at least clean them regularly). I then ask a different guy, "Do you guys have some sort of sizing chart related to these scrubs I can look at?" He says, "Ummm...I don't think - well, I don't know. Let me ask."
He goes to ask who I recognized by her voice to be the lady that first showed me where the scrubs were. All of a sudden, I hear her from accross the store in the snottiest tone, "Um, that's why they're ON THE RACK." I hear her walk with him to find me. It is getting closer to closing time for them (2 PM on Saturdays) and I'm getting frustrated because I could have been over and done with the situation by now if things were handled better...
Her: They're on the rack, right in front of you.
Me: I know where they are. What I asked was if there was some sort of sizing chart.
Her: *laughs slightly* Uh, again, they're on the rack...we don't have a sizing chart.
Me: Well the first guy I talked to said I couldn't try them on, that I could only hold them up to me.
Her: *calls loudly to the guy somewhere in the store so he could hear* Did you hear that? She can try them on, either over her clothes or in the restroom so long as we hold her wallet. *looks back to me, talking in a snotty tone again* Except, we're closed. In fact, it's a little after closing, and we would all like to go home now, you know.
Then, the lady, both guys that helped me and another guy all looked at me together CHUCKLING before they just walk away from me. Like I have two ******* heads and am completely incompetent with no active brain waves. It just wasn't appropriate. It should not take an act of congress to find the right size scrubs!!! This is how they treat students? I'm new to this school. Nothing says "Welcome!" than this behavior. I just left empty handed. It was a wasted trip anyway. From just eyeballing it, it seems like the only size that will fit me is an extra small. Even the small appears huge. But of course, they don't have those sizes in and they have them on order...
I felt embarassed and humiliated. No customer should ever feel that way.
I'm really crossing my fingers and hoping that this is not a bad omen/a reflection if what is to come of my nursing program...
The girl was obviously just venting about something that happened at SCHOOL, and it bummed her out, so she posted it HERE. If I were new to a school and was treated that way, I'd be annoyed too. I get annoyed every time someone annoys me, it's pretty simple. It doesn't mean that I walk around all day upset about each and every little thing that happens - it's usually forgotten about pretty quickly. I don't see anything wrong with sharing an EXPERIENCE on this board. Don't be so quick to judge, people!
This is funny because I actually posted something similar to this in the pre-nursing section. Different senarios but about rude workers. Being unprofessional. Apparently here on AN only nurses are allowed to vent because anytime a student vents about something all hell breaks loose. Anytime we want to vent about something that is inappropriate in the workplace people feel like we wont make it as a nurse.. what? That's insane. Anyways, I understand. It's sad that people are like that but they are EVERYWHERE.[/quote'] Your title was your downfall. This person was upset by something that happened to her. You were too, but you turned it into a story about how much nurses in general hate their jobs. I'm not going to argue semantics (no you didn't say ALL, but by not saying "some nurses" or "a nurse" you generalized, intentionally or accidentally). If she would've posted this thread on allbookstoreworkers.com and titled it "Bookstore Clerks Really Hate Their Jobs," you'd better believe someone would've come along to set her straight.
You have every right to vent...unfortunately, no matter what you post about, someone is going to disagree with you. Don't worry about it.
I totally understand where you're coming from. It doesn't make sense to alienate your customers. From a business point of view, it's downright stupid.
You could try writing a letter to the powers that be. Maybe they will re-educate those workers and remind them that they're there to help sales, not hinder them.
Your title was your downfall. This person was upset by something that happened to her. You were too, but you turned it into a story about how much nurses in general hate their jobs. I'm not going to argue semantics (no you didn't say ALL, but by not saying "some nurses" or "a nurse" you generalized, intentionally or accidentally). If she would've posted this thread on allbookstoreworkers.com and titled it "Bookstore Clerks Really Hate Their Jobs," you'd better believe someone would've come along to set her straight.
You have every right to vent...unfortunately, no matter what you post about, someone is going to disagree with you. Don't worry about it.
I agree my title was my downfall but I later clarified myself, which still didn't help. People will take it how they want to regardless of how you put it so I feel what you're saying.
I wasn't trying to offend anyone with my post. You put something on a message board and I shared my opinion. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and you will learn quickly that when you post something on AN, people will respond. You aren't always going to like what people say but that is a risk that is taken when you post on an open forum.
You may nt have flown off the handle at the stood but you came here and were "enraged". My point is that there are people everywhere that will treat you like that. You did what you needed to do and left. My point is you can't get that upset every time something like this happens
Yep, I sure was enraged. And nope, not going to go back on that, either. I stand by my reaction. It enraged me because if I ever treated any customer like that in any retail environment that I had worked in previously, I would have been fired immediately. Their attitude suggests that this is their normal behavior. The fact that I felt belittled by a GROUP of staff members, not just one individual, enraged me.
Your last sentence is the kind of thing you would say to someone who repeatedly complains over any little thing, which I do not and have not done on AN. Therefore, your over-concern on me venting on this one occassion does not make sense to me.
I obviously know that I will encounter these conflicts in life. I know how to handle those situations, and I handled this one well and came here to express my frustration. Simple. No crime committed here, as they say.
Yep I sure was enraged. And nope, not going to go back on that, either. I stand by my reaction. It enraged me because if I ever treated any customer like that in any retail environment that I had worked in previously, I would have been fired immediately. Their attitude suggests that this is their normal behavior. The fact that I felt belittled by a GROUP of staff members, not just one individual, enraged me. Your last sentence is the kind of thing you would say to someone who repeatedly complains over any little thing, which I do not and have not done on AN. Therefore, your over-concern on me venting on this one occassion does not make sense to me. I obviously know that I will encounter these conflicts in life. I know how to handle those situations, and I handled this one well and came here to express my frustration. Simple. No crime committed here, as they say.[/quote']
I never said you complained about little things. But again, you can't come to an open forum and not expect people to share their opinion.
Geez, people! lighten up! I'd've been totally annoyed too, and I am the nurse who has dealt with "stuff" for more than 30 years.
OP: they were totally out of line, and should be reported to the bookstore manager. Leaving filthy scrubs on a rack is unacceptable. Venting here is good, as a way of letting go of it and moving on. Tell your level director (for the incoming nursing students) about the disrespect shown to the nursing program by handling the scrubs etc. so poorly, but don't do it as a whiny entitled person, be factual, and to the point.
However, don't paint the nursing faculty with the same brush as the bookstore staff. This wasn't the nursing program, this was as you pointed out retail. Unfortunately, it isn't true retail as they have a captive clientele who have few options about going elsewhere. Many employees are students on work programs, and the PTB will be reluctant if not prohibited from firing them. Your faculty should be professionals who know how to be good nurses. (Note the italics, the rest of you and don't turn this into a rant about lousy instructors , start your thread, lol).
As JBudd noted, this should be reported "up the chain" in a factual manner. The bookstore at the school where I teach often messes things up, leading to increased stress in our students. We all kept records and turned them in, and some staff members were fired from the bookstore and things improved. Venting can relieve stress, but reporting factually may lead to a positive change.
Yes, you will encounter rude people everywhere. You know this from retail. Assertively standing up for yourself is a key skill in nursing. I found my retail experience was useful many years ago whn I started as a nurse. It helped me draw boundaries in how I would and wouldn't be treated.
I thought venting was mandatory to being a nurse! Vent all you want. I'm a nurse and I vent all the time and guess what? So do my co-workers. It's a normal human reaction especially when you have been treated poorly. Venting keeps a person sane! ;-)
Specializes in Med/ Surg/ Telemetry, Public Health.
At my book store we can't try uniforms on because there is no fitting room. You can purchase uniforms and if you get home and it doesn't fit you can return them and get a smaller or bigger size. Did you ask them that?
It is too bad that they were rude to you. At our school, their is a specific company that we have to buy from, but they provide samples and measuring charts. They were unnecessarily rude and unhelpful. I wouldn't focus on them. The staff at my school bookstore is also hostile and angry for no reason!
, start your thread, lol).
PhillippaX50
65 Posts
The girl was obviously just venting about something that happened at SCHOOL, and it bummed her out, so she posted it HERE. If I were new to a school and was treated that way, I'd be annoyed too. I get annoyed every time someone annoys me, it's pretty simple. It doesn't mean that I walk around all day upset about each and every little thing that happens - it's usually forgotten about pretty quickly. I don't see anything wrong with sharing an EXPERIENCE on this board. Don't be so quick to judge, people!