Working in retail is a roller-coaster ride. There are good days and bad, and with each new day, you seem to learn something new about other people and about yourself. Here are the seven most important things that working in retail has taught me.
1. Working in retail is sometimes like acting.
When you work in retail, you are basically an actor. You have to be your peppiest version of yourself, no matter what the situation is. Even if everything is falling apart, you must keep your cheery smile on 24/7 and act like you have it all together.
2. People will take out their bad days on you.
When customers are rude to you, many times it is because of something that has nothing to do with you. It is really difficult to think of it this way when a customer is yelling in your face about something petty, but each person has a story. Maybe they just lost their job, or maybe they have a relative in the hospital. People have bad days, but that doesn't make them bad people.
3. When people are rude to you, kill them with kindness.
I have learned that this is the best way to deal with any negative situation, whether at work or in life. If you have a negative reaction to someone being rude to you, it is only going to make the situation worse for you and make that customer a lot more angry than they already were. When you are insanely nice to someone who is being rude to you, they will either feel guilty for being mean to you, or they will continue to be nasty, but at least you can walk away the bigger person.
4. The customer is not always right.
Customers seem to have this idea planted in their heads that the customer is always right. And while it is true that as the employee it is your job to serve the customer and ensure the best possible experience, this does not entitle the customer to say or do whatever he or she feels. Many customers will use this unspoken rule as an excuse for being rude and expect you to bend over backwards because of it. This is where you resort to killing them with kindness!
5. All this being said, most customers are incredibly nice and make your job fun.
Although you hear a million and one horror stories about horrible customers that retail employees face, many of the people you come across are actually extremely pleasant. The thing I love most about my job is the high level of interaction that I have with people. Working in retail, you will come across so many wonderful people, each with their own unique story that they are eager to share. Hearing these stories and meeting these different people is what makes my job fun.
6. You have the ability to make someone's day.
This is my absolute favorite. As a retail employee, you have the power to give someone a new-found confidence through whatever they are purchasing, whether it is a lipstick or a new outfit. You can never underestimate the impact your interaction with a person may have no matter how small it may be.
7. Although it can be stressful, you secretly love working in retail.
You meet awesome people, get a cool discount, and it is a lot more fun than most jobs. It can be crappy, just like any other job, but at the end of the day, you secretly love your job in retail and wouldn't change a thing.
