Whether you currently work in retail, or you did previously, you know the many joys of working retail (you'll also know that was sarcasm!). From working in clothing retail, to customer service, to grocery- it definitely isn't an easy job. There's never a single day where you don't have to deal with a customer who makes you want to rip your hair out. When you're lucky enough to have a conversation with a friendly customer, you figure they must be heaven sent. Retail Robin tells it how it is.
One thing you need to keep in mind when working retail- patience. Always remember, patience is key.
One of the most aggravating things is greeting a customer, only to have them ignore you! Am I right, or am I right?! Part of our job is to be friendly, greet the customer, and make conversation. If you're a customer who doesn't follow the script, just know we think you are very rude, especially when you can't put down your cell phone. All we want is a simple, "Hello, I'm good. How are you?"
You sometimes forget what respect is. Customers tend to blame you for everything- a wrong price, an item not scanning, the bags being too heavy. Instead of asking a question or saying something politely to you, they often give attitude.
But when a customer is nice to you, you're shocked. Employees in retail love these customers, and we wish there were more of them.
When a customer decides at checkout that they don't want an item anymore, instead of sticking in in the magazine rack, why can't they just give it to the cashier? You brought it all the way up to the register, is it too much to ask to just hand it to us?
Every cashier knows this one, because we hear it about twenty times a day.
Cashiers don't know every single PLU code, especially the unusual produce items. When we look for the PLU and customers shout out the price of the produce, it doesn't do us any good. Although I guess we're glad you know how much your fruit costs.
When that product rings up more expensive than a customer thought it would, and you kind of just stand there, because well, we don't make the prices, and we don't understand why that's so complicated to understand.
Prepare yourself!
This is a classic. I don't know how many times a day the customer slides their credit card before they should, or slides it the wrong way, only to be paranoid they're going to get charged twice. You can't get charged twice if it didn't process!
Maybe because you bought $96.30 worth of groceries...
The most appreciated 30 seconds of the shift.
When you try to be nice to the senior citizens, and one takes it too far, and asks you out. Sorry, but I have an imaginary significant other.
We all know the struggle.
We also all know the struggle of being stuck at work all weekend and having to turn down plans.
But when it's our day off and our manager tries to call us in...HA HA good one.
