Working in retail may seem like the ideal job for some, especially if you imagine working at your favorite store and being able to know when the latest pieces of clothing are coming out. If you’re really into fashion and love to shop, of course, you may think working in retail is the best job for you. However, you won’t ever know what really lies behind the doors of working in retail and being a sales associate until you actually experience it for yourself. After working in retail for over three years myself, here are a few of the dark truths of it all.
1. Customers always believe they are right.
It doesn’t matter if you know you’re right, the customer always thinks they are. The sign on display says one thing, but the customer interprets it as something else. They refuse to listen to what you have to say and will often hit you with the line “can I speak with your manager?” When the manager does come, the customer realizes they were wrong and you were right all along.
2. Fake it until you make it.
As much as the customer gives you attitude and you wish you could give it back, you have to hold up a smile and be as friendly as possible. (That is, if you want to keep your job, of course). They’ll sometimes not respond when you say “how’re you doing” and you’ll want to curse them off, but fake a smile and continue on with your day. After a while, the fake smiles will become second nature and you won’t even have to fake it anymore.
3. Constant Cleaning and Folding.
When you have finally finished cleaning and folding that pile of clothes on a table that has been destroyed, you’ll feel greatly accomplished. That is until you come back 10 minutes later and it’s messy again. Working in retail, you’ll have to get used to folding a table over and over again and seeing customers ruin the neatly folded tables of clothes right in front of your face. You can’t say anything negative but to just put on a smile and ask “is there anything I can help you with?” Hopefully they say "yes" and stop messing up the clothes you just folded.
4. The mannequin can be deceiving.
When you enter a store and see a perfect outfit on a mannequin, it is not necessarily the same way it’ll fit you. It’s made so it lures and looks attractive to the customers and make them want to buy the item or just try it on. Often the size on the mannequin is not always the biggest size since smaller sizes are more appealing to the crowd, as well.
5. Inconsistent hours.
Based on sales for the week, the amount of hours each employee gets can vary. One week you might get 30-plus, the other 10. If the store had low sales for one week, then the number of hours each employee gets will be very low the next week depending on how many employees the store has.
You might find that working in retail can be rewarding if you do enjoy helping people. You’ll find that it is not so bad once you work in it after a while and learn how to maneuver your way around and get through the day when you have a shift. Just remember these truths when you’re thinking of applying to a retail job and see if it’s what you really want to get yourself into. (And remember to always put on a smile!)
