I worked two retail jobs this summer and I went in thinking it was going to make me a person who yells at people for just breathing. What I learned is it did the opposite.
As an employee of both Charlotte Russe and New York and Company I was always working with customers whether as a greeter at the door, in the fitting rooms, or on the register. I had plenty of times where people were just horrendous people and I even considered quitting but I loved what I did and the pay wasn’t bad either. So here’s what I learned from my time this summer.
- To breathe and find an outlet
Now after experience after experience it can become stressful but I found something to look forward to after work. Some nights I would hang out with my best friends, go out with my boyfriend, or just go back home to be with my loving family. Small things became huge to me. My family leaving the door unlock for me so I wouldn’t have to look for my key at midnight, letting me sleep late on my days off because I was exhausted, and my friends sharing my struggle with me.
2. To respect other stores
I don’t mean I was that horrible customer to others I wasn’t but it made me more aware of certain things. I find myself walking around looking for a outfit and if I notice something is out of place and I know where I saw it before I move it. When I’m trying on clothes the ones I don’t want I put them back. Waiting in a long line along the way ill straighten the jewelry or whatever is out. Those little things make closing so much easier just my way of showing I understand how hard it is to keep a store looking nice. Also smiling when I get to the register making them smile is a small way to make them forget who ruined their day and hopefully I can make it better.
3. To be more patient
I will be honest it’s hard for me to be patient and this is a change I never saw happening. But one night I had a lady come in trying to return a item that had missed it return date and as I tried explaining to her why I couldn’t take it. I realized 1. She was elderly, 2. Didn’t speak English well, 3. Really wasn’t trying to be difficult just to understand. Instead of feeling the need to yell I just try explaining it to her in different ways and when that didn’t work she called her daughter and I spoke to her also. It was a long process but I somehow did it all with a smile and compassion for the lady. Where I know some people would just give up I really tried to see that she fully understood before she left the and with the help of my manager she did just that.
Retail is just as bad as many think its busy, people are rude, impatient, and disgusting trust me I have stories. But no one tells the good parts of retail. I really enjoyed the overall experience I had great coworkers, the playlist wasn’t bad, and on the most part the customers were nice. I think everyone should try retail at least once-- it really builds character.
