As someone who used to put things on random shelves, and just make awkward smiles at retail employees, my life has come full circle. From learning how to actually be an adult, to how to lose all emotion in my face but never stop smiling. I've begun to experience the one stage we all have to go through, and sometimes never get to leave. The retail job of my early twenties, you know, the one to put one foot in the water but not get deep enough to drown. It's been a few weeks, but I've already gotten stories to last me a lifetime.
A few weeks ago, I began my first job at a super awesome makeup store, I like to call it second Heaven. Cause first Heaven I'm with God, but second Heaven I am walking the aisles of this store and getting anything I want for free! I only knew very little of what I'm getting myself into, but before I share a few crazy stories, I just want to formally apologize to any retail worker I upset and or really just made their day horrible by putting an item on the other side of the store because I was too lazy to put it back myself. I applaud you for your hard work, because the one thing I can't stand is finding makeup especially right under where it goes and open because someone didn't feel like cleaning up after themselves.
Although I haven't been working long, it has been quite the adventure on it's own. But the one thing I wish I could've learned in high school was how to be completely emotionless, to let people just say what they have to say and move on. Unfortunately I am the type of person who is very emotional and always taking things harshly, but if there's one thing I have learned from my job so far it's you can't win. You can make someone smile one minute, and then displease someone because of the way you look.
I'm not only selling a product but an image too, I have to show people why our store and company are the best, but it's so hard when all people want to do is demand things they can't really get and yell at you like they're your higher up. It doesn't get easier, but I finally get why this is a stepping stone in life. You can't move on in life if you don't know how to handle people that decide screaming at you is the answer when you have to give them news they don't want to hear. Although I have had to deal with many rude customers, and I will deal with many more I really love my job. I'm surrounded by my favorite thing in the world, makeup, and I get to make just as people smile as they do frown. I get to bond with people my age who then later notice me at their restaurant and get excited to just say hi.
Some days I want to cry behind the counter because people say the meanest things, nothing means more to me than to run into a customer again even outside of work and they get excited to see me, talk to me about my job, and even stop in again just to say hi to me. I'm not sure how long I will be working where I am now, I hope awhile, but I do hope that no matter how long I'm working retail, I get to make many more people smile and remember me because I treated them the best.
