I’ve worked in retail since I was 16 years old. I started my first job as a cashier at a thrift store the summer before my Junior year of high school because I wanted to be an adult and because my mom was getting tired of paying for my excessive movie-going habit. Here I quickly learned that the other side of the check-out counter is not nearly as fun as I thought. I used to play imaginary games when I was little and pretend to be a cashier. The only explanation I can fathom for this is that I was a nerdy child who enjoyed math. Now, after having worked in a thrift store, a gas station, and a grocery store over the past five years, it’s hard to imagine that time long ago when I thought the world was a nice place where working in retail simply consisted of punching numbers into an adding machine and making small talk with smiling customers. Yet, not all is bad; I've gained some wisdom from the reality of retail.

1. The customer is NOT always right.

The first rule that most people learn of retail is that the customer is always right. Of course, this is a saying that reflects the idea of good customer service more than literally being true. Still, the first thing you learn from actually working in retail is that this is entirely false. In my experience, the customer is more often wrong than not, whether they misunderstood the exchange policy, forgot to read the expiration date on the coupon, or completely bypassed the closed sign on the door. But yes, there are plenty of exceptions where a product was mislabeled, or the coupon did not register due to a technological error. But in any case, the customer rarely goes down without a fight (unless the manager is called up and tells the customer exactly what you had already repeated to them five times and they graciously accept it just because they have a fancy manager title.)

2. Don’t Take It Personally.

I’ve always hated when people have said this to me, implying that I’m too sensitive or I just don’t get the joke, but when it comes to dealing with customers all day every day it’s not an insult, it’s a necessity. When I first started working at the thrift store, if a customer yelled at me or my boss corrected me I always took it personally, and one bad interaction could change the mood of my whole shift. After more than my fair share of needlessly loud, excessively petty, or even sometimes physically violent customers, I finally realized that it wasn’t about me. People have bad days, and some are just not great people, and while those are not excuses for treating someone poorly, it’s a fact that must be accepted not only in retail but in life in general. I don’t think I’ve gone a single day in my life without having at least one negative interaction, but now I let it roll off me, and my life has since become much more pleasant.

3. Kill them with kindness.

To go one step further from letting the rudeness roll off you, be kind or at least polite to those who don’t show you the same respect. If a customer is impatiently huffing and puffing because you’re not moving fast enough or yelling at you because you can’t accept their expired coupon, apologize then wish them a great day with a huge smile on your face. Believe me, I know this is much easier said than done, but not only will you never be faulted for bad customer service but you won't give them the satisfaction of ruining your day. Show them that you carry on in your happy little world no matter what they do, because you really should anyway.

4. Work hard, but not too hard.

I have always been a hard worker, partially because I do try and partially because I get bored if I’m just standing around staring off into space, so I find stuff to do, but I have slowly but surely been rewarded for it. I started my first ever job as a cashier at 16, and two months later I was training people. I started a summer job at a gas station and was promoted to night shift supervisor after six weeks. At the grocery store, I bypassed the cashier training stage to become a customer service manager right away. While I acknowledge that any and all promotions were often just because I was one of the few, if not the only employee who did my job halfway decently, I don’t regret working for my pay. That being said, it’s just a job and for most people, a temporary one, so try not to work yourself to death and enjoy laughing along with your coworkers once in a while.