1. You dread walking into the dressing rooms after someone just left.
I have my lazy moments—we all do—but it doesn't take much effort to take your clothes out of the dressing room and hand them to an employee or hang them on the rack that's by the dressing room.
2. Nothing is worse than when someone walks in 10 minutes before closing.
Internally you want to scream and shout profanities, but is that what you do? Of course not. You plaster on that smile and you welcome them in, make sure they have everything they need and pray they buy at least one thing. And you make sure that you are never that person when you go shopping yourself.
3. When you go shopping, you try to keep things as clean and organized as you possibly can.
Even if you did not mess up the pile of t-shirts, there's a chance you're going to roughly clean it up, just to help fellow retail employees. When you pick up a shirt, you fold it, hang it and lay it exactly the way you saw it. This is only common courtesy of course.
4. You can calculate your employee discount in seconds.
These are the things that matter. You know what each item is going to cost and how much you're going to spend total, without even blinking an eye.
5. When someone doesn't respond when you greet them.
I promise it doesn't take much to say "hello."
6. When customers let their children run around the store.
You begin to think that maybe your store should start selling leashes or strollers or something. Anything.
7. Chances are you’ve had a customer get mad at you for not having their size in the store.
As much as I'd like to, I don't control the amount of inventory that we carry in the store. I will happily check the back though! In fact, I'll even offer to check another nearby store or order it online for you. The rest is out of my control. Please stop yelling.
8. You've heard all of the witty retorts you can think of.
Oh you can't find the tag on that shirt? It's obviously free then! I've never heard that before! How long did it take you to think of that one?
9. Getting new shipment in is like Christmas.
Say goodbye to that most recent paycheck because chances are it's all going to the new clothes that just came in.
10. Let’s not even get started on the holidays.
11. Everyone usually goes straight to the sale section.
I love the sale section as much as the next person but why not make it look like you're browsing the whole store?
12. Nailing upselling.
Let's be honest, when it comes to retail, there's nothing better than upselling like crazy. Go ahead, add that shirt or skirt to the dressing room. Chances are they will fall in love with it because you are a genius. You deserve that high five.
13. You struggle with wanting to help without being down their throats.
Have you ever walked into a store and the employee would not stop talking to you? To be honest, that is one of my least favorite things. It's a reason I go out of my way to leave customers alone to shop in peace. Yet you can't help but wonder in the back of your head if they need help picking something out. Ugh, the decisions.
14. Having favorite and least favorite managers.
When the schedule comes out, you immediately check who you are going to be working with. Chances are there are managers you love, and a manager you don't quite get along with.
15. When it’s slow and you just wander around, questioning the meaning of life.
Retail tends to happen in rushes. One minute it's busy and the next minute there is not a single person in the store. You end up staring at the door while you mindlessly fold clothes, pondering what you're really doing with your life. There has to be more than this, right?
