For many people, a visit to the Swedish furniture giant is an experience, as it is usually only available in larger towns.
One should not completely forget the customer etiquette when shopping.
There are just 54 Ikea branches nationwide in Germany (as of 2022).
So it's no wonder that shopping in a Swedish furniture store is almost like a trip.
After all, one cannot only be inspired by the cleverly and beautifully furnished showrooms.
Eating in a restaurant, then shopping in a Swedish supermarket or the children playing in colorful Småland are often part of a visit to Ikea.
But it is precisely this excursion character that also harbors some inconveniences for the Ikea staff.
Former and current employees revealed to
Business Insider (BI)
which seven things customers should not do in business.
1. Eating or drinking in the exhibition areas
In the larger Ikea branches in particular, there is a restaurant, where you can have breakfast and lunch as well as coffee and cake, as well as a snack bar with hot dogs and the like. A small grocery store is usually included, in which, among other things, beverage syrup, biscuits, fish products or frozen cinnamon rolls are offered.
It's perfectly fine to have a bite to eat here.
But in the exhibition areas, that's just absurd, agrees former employee Sonny Cartright.
Speaking to
BI
, he lamented, "There are so many people coming in with snacks and drinks and you can see all the marks they're leaving on the furniture." A quick sip of water might not usually be that bad, but sticky soft drinks are or juices or sandwiches leave stains and lots of crumbs.
Eating and drinking should therefore be limited to the food areas.
2. Leave (packaging) rubbish everywhere
In all Ikea branches, there is a familiar "Du" between employees and customers - also so that they can feel a little at home or among friends.
That doesn't mean, however, that you should forget your good upbringing, especially if you eat or drink despite the food areas in the exhibition area.
Because many customers do not leave the shop the way they found it and instead relieve themselves here and there of the rubbish they brought with them.
Cartright made it clear to
BI
: “Employees have to clean up the empty food and drink containers that customers leave in the furniture area.
It's disrespectful to the employees.” Especially since there are rubbish bins in the store that can be used.
If they cannot be found or are full, you simply wait until the next opportunity.
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3. Don't keep children in check
Of course, children are always welcome at Ikea.
However, the sheer size and mass of things in the furniture store can quickly overwhelm the little ones.
It can happen that they run around, scream or tear apart decorations.
Here, Cartright says, "There's nothing worse than kids running around the store screaming, messing things up, and leaving sticky handprints everywhere.
It's exhausting for the staff and unfair to other customers.” He also asks that children don't walk around with drinks or snacks in hand to avoid mishaps.
For toddlers, the Småland play area could be an option.
Trained employees look after the offspring for up to two hours.
However, before visiting Ikea, parents should find out whether the selected branch has a children's paradise and whether it is open.
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In Småland, children are supervised and entertained by trained childminders for a maximum of two hours - free of charge.
© André Grohe/IKEA Germany
4. Ask employees for their own discount
Ikea employee Kelly Roberts also urges customers not to ask staff to use their own employee discount.
This bonus is really only for Ikea employees.
If it is used for other purposes, this can jeopardize the job in the furniture store.
If you want to save a little money when shopping, you should find out about the Ikea Family Card.
With certain campaigns, customers pay a lower price with the card and there is also a hot drink for free in the restaurant.
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5. Getting too comfortable on the furniture
Yes, Ikea should make you feel at home.
But at the end of the day it's still a shop selling furniture and more.
Simply lying down under the covers in bed, possibly even without shoes, or making yourself comfortable on an armchair or sofa for too long is simply not appropriate.
Speaking to
Business Insider,
Cartright reveals, "On one occasion, we actually found that someone was using a show toilet for their own needs." And also that there have been interesting finds in the beds.
In addition, in the end it is neither fair to other customers nor to the Ikea staff - because they then also have to remove any rubbish.
6. Take staff for granted as errand boys
Most Ikea stores are huge.
So if customers ask an employee to get something for them, you should stay where you are.
And on the other hand, as a customer, you shouldn't expect the employee to run to fulfill the request.
"We're on our feet for most of our eight hours, and we don't have infinite energy," Roberts told
BI
.
If you realize at the end that you have forgotten a product from the beginning, you can also use the orientation boards: Not only the main routes are listed there, but also shortcuts.
7. Returning products to the wrong shelves
"Often the furniture comes in multiple boxes, and if a pack is misplaced, it's impossible for employees and customers to find a complete set," Cartright tells
BI
.
Therefore, he asks the customers, if they suddenly don't like it, not to put the items too far away from the place of origin.
Unlike in the supermarket, things rarely go bad here, but cleaning up is still time-consuming.
It is particularly annoying in the storage area, as there is a risk that customers will take something wrong home with them.
It is always better to ask an employee to move the item.
List of rubrics: © André Grohe/IKEA Germany