Rant: The random phone calls to retail stores

By Ryan Keigher [Contributor]

Lately, I have been noticing an increase in phone calls regarding select items consumers are looking for.

Here’s the deal. I work for a running store. Sure we carry walking shoes, cross trainers, tennis and volleyball shoes, but that’s all common. However, the harassing phone calls have increased. Do not get mad at me because we do not carry what you are looking for. The internet can help you with your search.

We do not carry ice skates, roller blades, skis and snowboards, golf clubs, weights, laser pointers, basketball hoops, pool tables and cues, jewellry, trophies and plaques, suits and my all time favourite, rifles. If I had a rifle, I probably would have taken a shot at you as you walked in for getting mad at me for not carrying the items you are looking for; next time try Wal-Mart.

We are also not 411. Do not call me asking for directions to a completely unrelated location or where you can find daycare in the area. I will not give out others’ personal information, provide phone numbers or come to your house so that you can get your internet up and running so that you can do your shopping online.

I might know a thing or two about human kinetics and biomechanics, but I cannot solve or diagnose your problem over the phone. Nor can I see you point at something over the phone. With that being said, we are all runners at all the stores, it’s kind of a requirement to work there, so by you saying “oh, the runner there helped me” still doesn’t clarify who helped you.

I cannot expect you to pronounce all the brand names correctly because you may not have heard of them all, and that is okay because that is why you have us to do the shoe-selling for you. Please stop correcting me for pronouncing the brand names correctly. It is especially worse when you start adding letters to these brand news that you think you can correct me at pronouncing.

However, although it sounds like I am complaining a lot, from my over six years of providing service I still love helping customers get the right fit, the people I work with are great, customers are almost always friendly and I work in an active and healthy environment, so who can complain about that? Just stop harassing me over the phone about things completely unrelated to our store.