Sunday, September 6, 2009
Yes, I Need Help
Why is it so hard to say those very words? Why is it so difficult for some people to stop and ask for help? Some people would rather go on and fall flat on their face then stop and just ask for help. Is it the essence of pride? Pride: A sense of one’s own proper dignity or value; self respect. I can understand in some situations how it is beyond difficult to swallow your pride. What I don’t understand is why some people are not able to do it in some of the simplest situations. Everyone has heard the cliché situation of a couple getting lost and the man doesn’t want to stop and ask for directions but the women keeps insisting that they should. WHY DOESN’T HE STOP ASK FOR HELP?! I don’t feel like in those types of situations it really jeopardizes a person’s pride or self respect. Some people will reject some one’s help just out of habit. I work at Zumiez (a retail store) and every time a customer walks through the door I have to ask, “Is there anything in particular you are looking for today?” The most common guaranteed and automatic response to that would be “No thank you! I’m just looking.” I can honestly say about 80% of the time the customer knows exactly what they came into the store for but would rather take out the time trying to find it themselves than actually ask me for help on pointing out exactly where the product is. Yes, there is the occasional customer who actually doesn’t need help but it’s less times then more. This brings back the question why can’t someone just say, “Yes, I need help?” How many times have you hid behind the words, “I’m just looking”?
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ReplyDeleteWe as humans need to learn how to interact and leave our pride behind. Why wouldn't a person ask for help if they really need it? We have a problem with seeming inferior to others. When people have a problem with asking for help its because they do not want to look weak.
ReplyDeleteOur society values independence, and personal freedom and we admire people who make quick decisions and never seem to be wrong. Or so we think, But is this true?
ReplyDeleteIt is important for us to be seen to be in control of our lives, knowing exactly what our dreams, and goals are.
But how about when the answer is not as clear, when the workload is too much, when we have doubts what to do or why we’re doing certain things? This times happens for everyone. But our society does not encourage showing weakness.
Just because we would like the opinions of others does not mean we have failed or are in some way weak. Asking for help is actually; Respectful of others’ expertise, humble and admitting the need for others.
There is nothing wrong about asking for help,...I do!
I completely agree with what you are saying. When I worked at Victoria’s Secret I was constantly in the same situation as you. I now work at a hotel and I actually had a man stop in and state “I’m going to break the stereotypical male role and ask for directions, cause I’m lost”. The fact that that statement alone threw me off, shows how stubborn our society really is. The funny thing is if everyone would actually ask for help, then asking for help would no longer have the stereotypical impression of “weakness”.
ReplyDeleteAsking for help is a very hard thing for most indivsuals to do. it makes them seem less of a person then the other that the question u sbeing asked to. however i beleive it makes you more of a smarter person to ask for help. It shows others that you will do what you have to do to understnad certain things, to get a clearer picture, or so on. Personally my friend refuses to ask help in a store if she cant find something. i think this is so stupid because if she just asked for help then she wouldnt be wasting her time looking for it. Rather the employee would help he rand she would b on her way.
ReplyDeleteAsking help these days is yet another burdensome task (lol). I work in a retail store as well, Target, and I get to see this issue from the person not being asked point-of-view. I guess the reason why customers don't ask for help is they think of all the times that they came previously and didnt get help; so they figure that they might as well look for whatever the item is on their own. At our store, we recently were charged with asking guests if they "needed help finding something?" Most people say now but a surprising few will pause and say yes I do need this or I do need that. Because companies have downsized in the past and there werent enough qualified people to assist the customers, they would employ such tactics as automated telephone responses or you could walk in a store and find no one that could adequately help you. So the customers are savvy about this and probably feel more confident in themselves rather than some bumbling person who probably has no idea. But not you Chelly, just because you are in our awesome class, I would think that you are awesome at helping people in your store
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