Working in retail is a job that only a specific kind of person can accomplish. Retail is a completely different monster all together in the realm of jobs, and through all of the madness, it teaches us many valuable life lessons.
Retail is one of the most underrated occupations because of the fact that it seems easy. But lets dissect what retail is, it's providing excellent customer service while being knowledgeable of all of the products for sale. It's, also, being able to have proficient people skills because of the types of situations that arise in a retail setting. Bottom line, those brave men and women (yes I am one of them, yes I am tooting my own horn) learn a lot while working in retail, here are a few of my favorite lessons I've learned so far!
1. Kindness Goes a Long Way: Often times we have angry customers that come into the store with nothing but an ax to grind. As sales associates, it is OUR JOB to ask you if you need our help, and there are customers who say that it's annoying when we constantly pester them while they're shopping. I'm sorry, please wander aimlessly while you can't find what you're looking for instead of letting me do MY JOB to help you. But instead of me telling you where you can take your attitude, I look at you with the biggest smile on my face and let you know that I am simply here to help in any way that I can. Watching the mean customer walk away knowing that I was never the wrong one in that scenario is a great feeling. This is something that can be applied to every aspect in life.
2. Patience is Key: Some of you may be thinking, "Well duh," and I know, it sounds sort of common sense. But I'm telling you, customers will walk in and only want the specific item on their mind. When we try to understand what needs they are trying to fulfill and have something better in mind, they completely shut us out. So, we have to go through the whole process of watching them get disappointed, angry, and then frustrated before we can intervene once again. Only this time, they are more open to our suggestions, and they realize that we DO know what we're doing. Surprise, surprise!
3. Teamwork is Actually Helpful: When you have a store that has many qualified associates/employees, it would be a common thought that the associates are all competing against one another. While this might be true for some, the place I work thrives on teamwork. That's what makes the group projects that we do in school worth while. It gives us the skills to actually successfully work as a team for a greater common goal: getting the customer what they came in the store for. Who knew those group projects actually had a purpose?
4. Comfortable Shoes are a Godsend: Typically, in any retail setting, we are on our feet for anywhere from 4 to 12 hours at a time. Ouch. Being on your feet for so long can result in back pains, foot issues, and so many other problems. So find a comfortable pair of shoes that you will enjoy having your feet in for so long. When you're going to work, you're not trying to pick up a man or compete with other women on how fancy your shoes are. Put the heels away, trust me, you won't want to wear them for that long.
5. Some People Just Suck: Despite everything, despite the amount of kindness you treat people with, some of them just don't have a good outlook on life, and as an associate that is simply not your fault. You can do everything you were trained to do, and it can still not be good enough for certain customers. The only thing you can do it about it is breathe through it, smile, and then thank your co-workers for being there for you to vent after that customer leaves.
Retail employees are a bunch of awesome people who have to deal with so much abuse from customers, and we have to just smile through it all because that's our job. It gives us skills that a lot of people won't ever acquire unless they work in retail. In a way, this is such a cool feeling, but it can also be a burden because of the abuse we face. But no matter what the situation is, we take it with a grain of salt and are better for it.
