This summer, I started my very first job in retail. Starry eyed and excited, I walked into my first day, both nervous and excited. I had heard horror stories and wonderful experiences, and decided to embark on my next journey with a clear head deciding my own opinion of working in this line of work. While I can say that personally, I love working for the company that I do, alongside a wonderful and supportive team, I have had both some very peculiar and very funny moments during my hours on the job.
1. You have a new found respect for people working in retail.
No longer will you walk into a store, pick up a shirt, and throw it back down in a mangled mess. You know from experience how frustrating it is when people expect that these shirts will magically fold themselves.
2. The period after a sale is an awful time.
Blowout sales are a blast with people coming in gleefully, stacking up their arms with product. Then comes the aftermath. Nothing. People have bought out all the sale product and feel no need to come in and buy a full-priced item. Not to mention, the customers who haven't gotten the hint yet that the sale is, in fact, over... See #3.
3. No. That item is not on sale. Neither is that one. Nope, not that one either.
Especially bad after a sale just occurred, customers often come in and point at anything they see questioning if it's on sale. Why would anything in our brand new collection be on sale? Trust me, if it were, I'd be buying it before you were. Please stop asking and proceed to the items that flash the word "sale."
4. There's nothing better than making friends with customers.
When a frequent flyer enters the store, one with whom you have a connection with, your whole day lightens up. You'll never see them outside of the store, but you really do feel like good friends with them. How's your husband? Did he get the hint the other day when you sent him a pic of that necklace?
5. You're a therapist.
To those loyal customers that I mentioned before? You're more than the person that helps them choose that perfect outfit. You're their outside source for their personal problems. They trust you, and they should, because you honestly do care for them, and besides that, you're the perfect person because you're completely detached and from the situations they describe. Plus, we understand, what's better than retail therapy?
6. Discounts are amazing... until you check your account.
50% off? You bet! I'll take this, and this, and this, that's it. No wait, does that come in pink? It adds up. It's almost as if when you get your paycheck, you just want to hand it right back to the company and say "I'll just exchange this for those 2 dresses over there."
7. Having a new floor set is like Christmas day.
You walk in and the floor is glistening with new products to ponder and shiny new design plans for the store. The hum drum days of seeing the same thing every day is over!
8. Your coworkers are so important.
You need someone that's going to stand by you and have a good conversation when the store is empty. Someone who has your back when a customer gets angry with you, and someone who is going to help pass the time. This is where your great coworkers come in.
9. You have come to learn that you aren't going to please everyone.
Some customers will just not be satisfied no matter what you do or say, and that's OK, because you learn to keep your cool and handle yourself professionally. These customers teach you to not take everything so seriously.
10. Your feet hurt.
Seriously, for all of you out there working retail jobs that require you to stand all day, I feel you. I don't care if you're wearing Tempurpedic mattresses for shoes, your feet are going to hurt by the end of the day. Plus, you want to come to work wearing cute shoes, given that your uniform allows for a choice of shoes.
