Sure, I can help, but I don't work here!

[redhen]

Sometimes I get the opposite.  At Home Depot, I get "Can I help you find anything sir?" 

I wear beat up, faded, holey Carhatts.  Do I LOOK like I need help in a hardware store?  I could tell you what aisle I am on, by the smell! 

My kind of guy...

 

[Frosty]

So, where are guys like Nitrous when this ol' lady has to GET HER OWN LUMBER at Lowe's, or wherever? Sometimes one of the employees will help, but most of the time it's just me climbing up the racks to fiddle down the 2 x 4's, or wrestling 4 x 4's onto the cart. Sometimes, it just doesn't pay to look like you know what you're doing!

I don't WANT them to help me get lumber! They wouldn't want to stand there all day while I inspect each and every one trying to find some that are straight, not full of knots, and not splintered. I am picky about the lumber that I buy.

Not asked if I work there, but I went into Herbergers (not sure if it's a chain but it's owned by Bon Ton I guess?). I looked around and realized that I was about the only female in there with a jacket that didn't have big buttons on the front. I just went in because I heard they had pet heat mats on sale. I found the heat mats and picked up a few, then had to figure out where the cash registers were. I found one, and stood there in my Walmart jacket, beat up jeans, and beat up combat boots (that probably had chicken poop stuck in the tread) until it was my turn at the cash register. The lady asked in a snooty voice 'Did you want to use your Herbergers card today?' I just wanted to say 'Look at me... Do I LOOK like I would have a Herbergers card?!?'

 

[bakerjw]

I have a blue T shirt that I got from going to a storm spotting seminar. We call it my Menards shirt. Almost every time that I wore it into a Menards I'd get asked where things were at or if I could get something down. I had one person tell me to go get some wood down and I responded, "Excuse me?" He got obstinate until he realized that it wasn't a Menards shirt.

 

[chickened]

I am often mistaken for a teacher at school events.

 

[ChickenLeg]

I got mistaken as an employee at the phone-case-stand in the middle of our local mall. I ended up directing her elsewhere so she wouldnt get ripped off

The girl that worked at the stand told the customer I didnt work there, but the customer replied "well he should, he at least took the time to tell me what I needed to know"

 

[Northwind]

I got mistaken as an employee at the phone-case-stand in the middle of our local mall. I ended up directing her elsewhere so she wouldnt get ripped off 
The girl that worked at the stand told the customer I didnt work there, but the customer replied "well he should, he at least took the time to tell me what I needed to know" 

Good on you.

 

[Squawkbox]

LOL these stories are so hilarious!!

 

[airen]

I used to work at PetSmart. Once, I went to visit my mom after work, but realized I forgot to buy something I needed. So, I stopped at the once by her. I know I was asking for it, still wearing my shirt, but I spent and extra 2 hours helping people!! No joke!!

Meanwhile, the employees kept walking by, wondering who the in the h*ll I was. I love that not one of them came over. And the customer service in me just wouldn't let me say "I'm off the clock"... grrr...

 

[ambrosia]

...I once asked for help from a nice gentleman wearing a red polo and khaki's... at Target. And although he helped me, he confessed after helping that he didn't work there! I was mortified...

 

[dustyroad]

This has happened to me since I was in my teens. I figured it partly had to do with the fact that I always was alone. Of course the fact that I frequently would reorganize the shelves, so that the products were in the right place, might have contributed.