Dear Public Consumer:

The lowly associate comes to you again airing some grievances of the general population as a whole.

Now... you may not realize this, but I am a person.. just like you! (GASP!) As an associate of the establishment that you have just entered, I have no control of a few things. These include:

1. The price of the product. Yes, i realize that they are the same, but different colors. Honestly, I have no idea why they are different prices.

2. What we have in our store. The corporation is in control and they just ship what they think we need. I am not on a first name basis with the main dude in charge of the company. I cannot change policy. I am the lowest on the totem poll. I'm sure you have some great ideas about how to improve our store, however, talking to me would be like talking to the product in your hand... I'm not going to call corporate with your swell ideas.

Here's the deal. I am paid to sell you what we have in the store and help you have a good experience.. Mainly so you come back and spend more money. Let's get real. Thats what they're getting at. I am not, however, paid to be your servant. You like to leave your garbage all over the floor, which is remarkable considering the garbage cans sitting next to you and throughout the store.

The used nylon stockings that you've put your disgusting feet in greet me from the floor as I come down the aisle. I'm not even gonna tell you what they look like to me. Once again, I repeat, I am there to sell you shoes. I'm there to keep order. I am not there to pick up after you. I have to, because you're a slob and have to consideration for me and the other potential customers that come into the store.

Our establishment, unfortunately for you, does not have a public restroom. I wasn't in charge of the floor plan, and quite frankly I'm already picking up after you. I am not going to clean up after your bowels. Despite what we tell you, we do have a restroom in the back. To get there, you would have to go into our EMPLOYEE ONLY area. Now, the sign is small, however, it's there and means you can't go back there. We have products back there, our personal items, and it's the only place we can go to escape you for a moment while on the clock.

Example: One customer came in today and I found her in the back room taking her child to the bathroom. What a shock for her when I told her that she was not permitted back there and would have to fill out a form saying she was in our back room. This is for our protection and yours. Thankfully, there was a lovely New Yorker in the store that was more fed up with her and her family and would have been willing to confront her on the issue. She didn't, but it was refreshing that there was someone humane who understood in that moment.

Closing. We give you a 12 hour block of time where we are open and happy to help you. 9-9 Mon-Sat. Have your fun shopping, but I have a life to get back to. It's not much, but it's something. Clock strikes 9 and i turn into a pumpkin. Go home.

And yes, this is all a gross exaggeration of the whole human race.. I hope that not everyone acts this way, and really, sometimes we have some lovely people come into our store, it's just the crazies that seem to rule the world and my present state of mind.

Despite what you might think- the customer is not always right