Have you ever been mistaken for an employee?

Have you ever been out shopping, at the mall, a grocery store, maybe Target, and some Yahoo comes up to you and asks, "Excuse me.  Can you tell me where I can find Peanut Butter?"

This happened to me the other day.  I was out and about seeing clients, and decided to stop at a Ralph's grocery store (Kroger to you folks in the East) to grab a bite to eat.  I was wearing suit pants, a light blue long sleeve collared shirt with a red tie.

"Excuse me," I hear from right behind me.  I only turn enough to look over my shoulder at her, not sure if she was talking to me.  "Is there anyone working in the seafood department?"

"I'm sorry Ma'am," I replied, "let me go get someone for you."

Okay, that's not how I responded.  "I'm sorry, but I don't work here," was my standard response.

I used to get this a lot.  When I worked at the bank, I would often stop by the mall after work still in shirt and tie.  I blended right in with the sales folks at J.C. Penney's, Robinson's-May, and Macy's.  The combination of attire and age had store employee written all over it.  I had some fun once in a while.  I would tell them that there's a great sale and to tell Jenny at the register that Jake said to make sure that she takes 40% off.  You should never say 50%, it's too obvious.

So, has this ever happened to you?  Or, have you ever done this to someone else?

Funny thing is, I can't remember if I have ever mistaken someone else for an employee when they are not.  I'm pretty aware of looking for things like a name tag, or knowing what the store attire is.  Khakis and a red polo at Target.  But look for the name tag.  My fiancee loves to wear khakis and a red polo.  Everytime, I tell her I'm going to take her to Target and leave her behind!  Haha!  That's mean.  I wouldn't do that.

By the way, I know I haven't posted much in a while.  Thanks to my regular readers who have noticed.  I thought I would throw out this softball post to get things started again.  Expect more housing bubble, stock market timing, technical analysis testing number crunching in future posts.  Either that or sappy "how do I throw the wedding of our dreams without sacrificing our financial futures?" posts.

Comments

[Chad Baldwin]

I came across this article and laughed the whole time I read it. I have had this happen to me however, I never did tell them there was a 40% discount. .ha ha

[Inchoate Random Abstractions]

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I just did this to some poor woman at the Bass Pro outlet store. It was my first visit ever to the store. And in my defense, the woman was young, wearing a blue polo shirt and khaki pants, and had a name tag. She seemed startled when I asked her where the bathroom was. And then after giving me this look, she politely told me that she didn't work there. At that point, I took a closer look at her shirt and realized that she worked at another big box store in the mall. Oh well.

[Cap]

ah yeah, happened quite a few times. I think I've only mistook someone for an employee once (due to their attire), but it did happen to me quite a few times..

Even though I'll tell them I don't work there, I'll proceed to help them anyway (if I can). It's usually just a "can you get that for me" or a "what do you think about this item?"

I really need to get a new wardrobe.

[Flexo]

A friend of mine posted a story about how he continually gets mistaken for a retail sales associate...

[lamoneyguy]

Flexo, that's a great post by your friend. I think he should start messing with people, like I mentioned in my post.

[CollegeGrad]

heheheh! Nope, never happens to me.

[Krstafer Pinkerton]

I have been mistaken as many type of employees. I am a computer and network analyst and my work takes me everywhere.

I was once mistaken for a police officer, the police called, it has led to three arrest is six months, a recieved a beeting and have posted many audio files and screen captures on my website that proves Kauai Police have conspired against me.

There is even a plea offer posted that says they will drop all the charges if I take down my website and sign a stack of release of liability agreements. Now I am being mistaken for a lawyer, an investigator, heck, I am just a PINKERTON, cant I be what I am and not what people think I look like?

[financial freedumb]

Did you ever see this about the Improv Everywhere? It's amusing...

[Brad]

Sure. The last time I was aked to help get an item off the top shelf. I just helped them out. After I helped, they asked if I worked there, and they said they were sorry to bother me.

Then I told them what I did, gave them my card, and not a month later they called to do business.

It wasn't anything to me to help, they remembered me, and I have them as a client. I'd say it worked out just fine.

[Kimber]

We love to travel and take a lot of cruises.

My salesman husband (young and Chinese-Guyanese)gets mistaken for staff at least once a cruise.

He plays along with it, taking bags to cabins for elderly passengers, happily accepting tips.

When he is asked if he speaks
English, he replies "I try." and then gives a tour of the ship, outlining the facilities as he shows them to their room.

He helps so many people that once we were eating in one of the dining rooms and the couple next to us said "isn't it nice that they allow staff to eat here?"

Gave us a good chuckle.

[kevin]

this has happens to me repeatedly, especially at target.

i've often wondered what people were thinking, but usually i'm very nice about it.

[Kay]

This happens to me a lot. I don't know if I tend to wear the same color shirts as store employees, or what. I think part of it is that when I go shopping, regardless of what the store, I go in with a specific goal (to buy something, not just shop around) so I look like I know what I'm doing and am not just wandering the aisles aimlessly. The question generally is "where can I find" such-and-such. Sometimes, though, I've even butted in when I've heard someone asking a store employee a question for which the worker didn't have an answer. So since I do that, I can't complain when someone asks!

[Andrew]

It has happened to me in various stores when I was in business attire. I am always mistaken for a manager but have no interest in taking that role. It is a bit disconcerting that people make the assumption. It could be worse.

[Jonathan]

Once. In J. Crew. I took off polo and burned it right in the store. They weren't too amused.

For a funny version of this, Google "Improv Everywhere" and the Best Buy experiment. Here's a preview: What if 100 people dress in blue polo shirts and khakis ran into one Best Buy and helped customers?

[Through a Glass Darkly]

I've had both happen--mistaken others for sales employees and been mistaken for one. I like Brad's response. A little human kindness never hurt anybody. And we're all lost and looking sometimes, right?