Case Study #1: Wedding Shop Overload

One thing you have to know about the shop where I work is that it's predominately wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses being sold. The tuxedo department is tucked away in the back of the shop and one would have to be directed there specifically in order to see us. I'm not saying that we don't do a lot of business because we actually do. On an average summer or early fall weekend, when wedding season is at its peak, we rent about 400 tuxes! (just tootin' our horn a little)
Anyway, when a guy comes in to get measured he's immediately hit with a sight of many, excited, chatty women hearing a chorus of, "my dress has lace organza with beading at the top.....the bridesmaids are wearing a tea length, watermelon, chiffon dress with a cute little sash......I had to order a size 8 because my bust wouldn't fit into a 6.......Sarah, I'm so glad you could make it!" The poor guy is then contemplating whether or not it would be worth it to tell the groom he can't be a groomsmen anymore due to his high blood pressure. He then walks gingerly into the shop and is confused when he can't see or identify a single male! The front desk girls see that he's looking a bit puppyish so they direct him to "Formal Wear". Once he passes the poofy wedding gowns on his left and pushes past the blindingly neon prom dresses on his right, he finally comes to the tuxedo department. By this time he's looking completely and utterly devastaded and has a helpless, "why do you torture me?" look on his face so I try my best to snap him back to reality.

"Hey! How's it going?" Trying to be a friendly as possible.

"Umm.....good. I ah.....I think I need to get fitted..."

"Great! Come on back. When is the wedding?"

"Umm....Johnson and Carlson?" he says, obviously still confused about where and who he is.

"Ah, ok. And when is the wedding?" trying not to make it obvious that he didn't answer my question.

"Oh! Umm...sometime in Novemeber. Not sure exactly. So many weddings this year. It's hard to keep track of them", he says trying to recover.

"No problem. I'll look it up for you." So I continue to do my job, give him the correct information, take his measurements, and send him on his way looking slightly more in tune with reality. I have worked in this department for long enough to know that when a random man is seen in the store with a dejected look about him, I try my best to help the poor guy out. It truely must be awful to be put in that kind of a situation where answering simple questions has now become the hardest thing to do. It would be like me going to a coutry club, needing to buy golf clubs, wearing a hoodie and jeans, knowing absolutely nothing about the sport, and feeling so uncomfortable. I wouldn't know how to act and I definitely wouldn't know what to say. So here's a shout out to all the groomsmen and ushers who have to go into bridal shops to get measured for tuxedos. I feel your pain.