I could write a book about the trials of the world of retail. Who has worked in it that couldn't? And although there are many decent shoppers out there who treat retail workers with respect, there are also the rude and ignorant ones who make you want to quit.

In my mind, there is a special tier in hell for the people who repeatedly abuse retail workers. I picture these people being trapped in a horrible, low-paying retail job and being harassed themselves. The tables turned, now they have to put up with everything they dished out while they were alive. Justice would certainly be served if that were the case.

Let's look at some of the people who would certainly find themselves occupying this special place:

The shopper who returns everything

This shopper is the one who exchanges an item, appears to be content with it, and then comes back with more complaints. It doesn't stop there. They keep returning to the scene of the crime and making demands. Nothing is ever right for them, and they keep on complaining, over and over again. They are the shoppers that make you wish the store would explode so you wouldn't have to deal with them again.

The customer who stays for hours on end and never buys anything

This one has a very special place on the tier. In hell, they now have to wait on a person just like themselves. After having a shopper try on at least 25 pairs of shoes, they have to sadly watch them leave because they couldn't find anything they liked, or they were just having fun trying them on. They will suffer through eternity and be cursed with bad knees and flat feet to repent for their ways.

The customer who decides after a year that she wants to return an item

Don't laugh; retail workers see this every day. If you tell them you have a strict one week policy for returns, they get angry and ask for the telephone number of your district manager to report you. Since the customer is always right, you most likely will get no support from management. They'd rather lose you than a customer because you are expendable, or should we say a dime a dozen.

The shopper who breaks an expensive item and denies doing it

These types usually take no responsibility for mishandling the merchandise and get extremely huffy when they are told they have to pay for the breakage they caused. Even if you catch them red-handed breaking the merchandise, they will lie about it and refuse to pay. They don't even care if you tell them that it will come out of your pay.

The customer who purchases an expensive item on which you will receive a nice commission, only to call later the same day and cancel the order.

This one really hurts in the wallet. This is also a good illustration of not counting your chickens before they hatch. Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

As a retail sales associate, you probably recognize the above shoppers. If you do, I sympathize with what you have to put up with every day, but such are the trials of the world of retail.

If you are one of the shoppers described above, try to feel the sales associate's pain and promise to change your ways now, or you may find yourself on that special tier in hell when your time comes.

Learn more about this author, Linda Joyce.
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