Yesterday, at the children’s clothing store that I work at, I walked in to find moth of our displays a complete mess. Seriously, I cannot understand why someone who needs a t-shirt in a size medium needs to crumple up the 6 shirts on top of it into little balls. It looked like a tornado had gone through the store. I began folding, trying to ignore the sounds of children throwing tantrums and exasperated mothers pleading with their children to behave. I wasn’t even halfway done with the display when a mother came up next to me and picked up one of the crumpled t-shirts and began to fold it. She kept folding through the pile, and said, “I’m so sorry, I know how this feels. I used to work in retail, and getting through this table looks like it’ll take forever.” In summary, this stranger helped me fold toddler t-shirts out of pure kindness, and if she somehow ends up stumbling upon this article, I want her to know that she made my Friday night closing shift 500 times better than it would have been.
That being said, here are five things all retail workers know to be true.
1. Displays will never remain organized.
Let’s be honest, we all know the frustration of finally getting through re-folding a display of clothing and watching customers undo all of your hard work in a matter of seconds shortly after you finish.
2. Re-stocking can be painful.
Man or woman, moving heavy shelves and boxes can put a lot of stress on your body, especially when bending over to reach lower shelves and racks.
3. If a parent brings their child with them, there is a very low chance the child will behave.
You can’t really blame kids for this, either. It’s hard to entertain yourself for long periods of time when your attention span is the same as a puppy’s.
4. Long lines are the enemy.
It’s one thing to ring up a customer who’s been in line for three minutes and another to ring up a customer who’s been in line for ten. After waiting in line for a long time, customers’ patience is very low, and it may seem like you can’t move fast enough to complete their order. It may not be your fault that the line is so long, but you can’t blame them for getting antsy.
5. No matter what, service with a smile is key.
A customer may request to speak with your manager, or become frustrated when you can’t give them the answer they are looking for, but your manner of response heavily influences theirs. Responses with a smile and kindness to even the most disappointed and frustrated customers is the best antidote for hostility. It’s human nature to respond to a smile with a smile.
