I’ve spent two years now working at two very different retail locations, one for a larger company and one for a company that was still large, but not as big. Through these experiences I’ve learned a lot, and I keep learning new things every single day about working in the wonderful world of retail. So, here’s a list of some of the things I’ve learned while working in retail:
- Get comfortable. If you feel uncomfortable and out of place at a job, but still like the job, try and be there more to get more comfortable with the daily tasks and working with customers and your manager/coworkers. The more familiar you are with what is going on around you, the more successful you’ll be at your job.
- Ask questions. Ask your manager, lead and coworkers questions! There was most likely a time when they had the same exact question you have now, and they will most likely want to help!
- Offer a helping hand. When things get slow, ask for a task to keep you busy! Managers and leads recognize this, and this is a good way to simply get on their good side.
- Remember that everybody makes mistakes. This is simply more than a Hannah Montana song, this is the truth! Everyone was new to this job at one time, and everyone has made their fair share of mistakes so don’t let the small stuff shut you down! Remember that mistakes are something to learn from in the end!
- Never trust a couponer. Extreme couponing is more than just a tv show on TLC! Now, this doesn’t work in all retail businesses, but some stores do accept coupons, and some people try to take it to a whole new level. When you have someone with more coupons than items, ask your manager or lead for help, trust me on this one.
- Respecting other stores. Working in retail has really showed me just how much work goes into making a store look clean and run smoothly, and you start to respect that when shopping at other places! You tend to put items back where they belong instead of hiding them somewhere and you start to find yourself hanging clothes back on the hangers before leaving them in the fitting rooms - it’s the little things we learn.
- Earning your own money. Growing up, you start to realize that money doesn’t grow on trees, and that every dollar you earn, you had to work for. And personally, I love that feeling. I love earning my own money and feeling like I can actually buy things that I worked for. You’ll also realize that you don’t want to spend your own money. I had to stand behind a register for 2 hours to buy this tee shirt? No thank you.
- Not all customers are nice. This one is something that everyone starts to pick up on quickly while working retail. Treat the rude customers the same way you treat the nice customers, they’ll be gone in a few minutes anyway and life will move on. Kill them with kindness.
- Enjoying your days off. While working in retail, you don’t get too many days off, especially if you’re a full time student. So enjoy the days you do get off! Remember to sleep in, relax and catch up on life a little!
- Working on holidays suck. When I’m stuck at work on Christmas Eve, half of Thanksgiving, Halloween, Memorial Day, and every other holiday we celebrate, I always remember 1 thing: I spent 17 years with my family on those days and by working on holidays, I’m working so someone else can enjoy the day off. I’m working on Christmas Eve so a little boy or girl can wake up on Christmas morning with the exact toy they always dreamed of. I’m working on Fourth of July so the last minute moms can buy things for s’mores to follow a family tradition of spending time around a firepit. I try and keep those things in mind, because we would all rather be with our families on holidays, but really, there's no way around it.
Some of the best advice I was given while working retail was that it is all temporary. We’re going to school, and planning on having much bigger careers then working retail and we have to keep that in the back of our heads when it comes to a bad day at work. We have to remember that many of our managers and leads are at that point where that job is everything they have, and that they will never be able to move forward from manager - and some of them might just be jealous that you have a bright future in the works for yourself. And remember, if you aren’t happy, apply somewhere else, other places are always hiring.
