I assume I just have “the look”. Because it’s a semi-frequent situation for me to be standing in a store shopping and minding my own business, only to have someone assume I’m an employee and ask me a question like “Where do ya’ll keep the bathroom cleaner?” or “Can you check and see if they have any more Banana Creme Oikos Triple Zero in the back?”
Then came the rise of those in-store shoppers and personal shopper services, and now even having a cart full of my own groceries doesn’t guarantee I won’t be mistaken as being an employee and asked for assistance.
I mostly don’t mind, though and I do go out of my way to help short people reach items on the top shelf if I notice them struggling. Women and older people usually seem pretty happy about it, younger non-geriatric men seem to be less enthusiastic.
I assume I just have “the look”. Because it’s a semi-frequent situation for me to be standing in a store shopping and minding my own business, only to have someone assume I’m an employee and ask me a question like “Where do ya’ll keep the bathroom cleaner?” or “Can you check and see if they have any more Banana Creme Oikos Triple Zero in the back?”
Then came the rise of those in-store shoppers and personal shopper services, and now even having a cart full of my own groceries doesn’t guarantee I won’t be mistaken as being an employee and asked for assistance.
I mostly don’t mind, though and I do go out of my way to help short people reach items on the top shelf if I notice them struggling. Women and older people usually seem pretty happy about it, younger non-geriatric men seem to be less enthusiastic.