If you think about having a job in retail and get excited, you probably have never worked in retail for a day in your life. I would love to say I'm kidding, but the chances of any sort of constant excitement revolving around working with the general public on the daily is very rare.
After working in retail and experiencing some of the most interesting moments of my life, I realized there were some things I had yet to realize prior to having that job. If you have ever worked with the general public, you may have an idea of where I'm coming from. Here are a few things only those who have worked in retail may be able to understand.
1. Sometimes, you just can't win.
You may have all of the evidence in the world, have your manager on your side and have a 4.0 GPA, but customers sometimes still won't believe you. While the price tag says a certain price, they'll argue that a sign said otherwise.
Then, they may even walk you over to that so-called sign that "must have been taken down" only seconds after they saw it. Deep breaths everyone...they'll be on their way out of the store soon.
2. You are not allowed to be tired or have feelings.
"You're too young to be tired." You'll probably get questioned why you are/look tired, upset or even stressed by complete strangers every single day you go to work. Sometimes I think they assume it's only normal for them to have feelings or express their emotions. If you keep a smile on your face 24/7, they may leave you alone.
3. "The customer is always right."
Are they, though? Sometimes we're all wrong once in awhile...we can't always be right. I think these rules might need some revising.
4. It is possible for time to freeze.
While you would rather not deal with customers at times, standing and staring at a wall may not be much better. Time will go by inevitably slow if there is nothing to distract you. I learned that avoiding staring at the clock will only help minimally.
5. You're sometimes considered a therapist.
Sometimes a simple "Hi, how are you?" could turn into a customer's life story and then some. They may ask you for advice, go on a full length rant with a line of other customers waiting behind them or even ask you if you can relate to what happened to them. A simple deep breath will probably help you get through it. Good luck!
Working in retail can be fun for some and exhausting for others. It's definitely an experience and if you've lived through a retail job, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Without the interesting customers and strange stories to tell your friends/family, would it ever really be entertaining?
