I Work(ed) in Retail, and Now I Understand...

[groovypq]

This thread is truly awesome. I'm nodding my head at most of it!

[GammaPhi88]

I worked in retail at a bath products store that I will not name (but y'all will probably guess) as a seasonal worker and hated every moment of it. The store was my boss's entire life...she was literally the Dwight Schrute of bath products, and I'm sure she expected us to be the same. While I will be dedicated and do everything I'm getting paid minimum wage for, I will not work on Tuesday morning when I have a final exam that I told her and the other manager about far enough in advance that they knew for over a month not to schedule me for. That was my breaking point. After they reassured me over and over that they understood I was a full time student and I would not be scheduled or "on call" for that day, I got the call. I quit right there.

Retail is a thankless, often boring job. As a college student, I'm willing to help you out, find things, and do my job, but I don't appreciate being talked down to because I'm wearing the stupid apron and swiping your credit card for inexpensive body lotion. However, it is NOT my job to watch your children while you peruse shower gels. And I can't give you the 40% discount on already half off products when the coupon clear states that it doesn't apply to sale items. It's already $4 instead of $8, and if you really need that $1.60 that badly, I suggest you don't buy the damned body scrub at all.

People may get stressed near the holidays, especially in the snow heavy area where I worked, but please, don't take it out on the store associates or cashiers. A little kindness does go a long way, and even before I worked in retail, I knew it wasn't fair to ruin an entire display looking for something, and I always tried to be kind to the employees. I wish we could require customers to read this thread before holiday shopping...or any shopping of this kind!

[Kevin]

I worked for Radio Shack and The Sharper Image all through undergrad and high school.

Agree with most all of the above. It was a valuable experience, mostly in that you learn to put up with a certain degree of rudeness and verbal abuse to where it just rolls off the back. That's helpful nowadays when I'm making arguments in court and opposing counsel is an ass.

It was a decent experience, wouldn't trade it for the world. Also learned a lot about how I should treat the folks behind the counter.

[Chicago88]

Before anyone is allowed set foot in a store or restaurant and even begin to believe its acceptable to act like an ass to someone working in a retail/restaurant environment they should work in a retail store and restaurant for 6 months to see what its like.

[pearlbubbles]

Originally Posted by Chicago88

Before anyone is allowed set foot in a store or restaurant and even begin to believe its acceptable to act like an ass to someone working in a retail/restaurant environment they should work in a retail store and restaurant for 6 months to see what its like.

I have always thought this. I think just about everyone would benefit for having some sort of service job for at least six months of their lives. In my experience, people who have worked in a restaurant or had a retail job are nicer to retail and restaurant employees even if they were just one of the other.

Originally Posted by IrishLake

LMAO! See, now I know quite a few.... um, thicker strippers. Not sure if their tips are the same as someone who's "fit" or not. I went and visited my brother yesterday, and he had a stack of 1's on his dresser. I said "Oh are you going to the strip club later, or did you get another side job you won't admit to? Let me know when you dance and I'll send all my friends to watch, you know they tip well." I'm a fun sister like that.

(The 1's were really tips from a valet job he did the night before.)

Haha! Sounds like a fun brother/sister relationship.

After the fact, I really did want to ask her how her tips fared in comparison to her other co-workers; I never saw her again after that day, though I'm sure she came in at some other point. It was just one of those situations where I was caught so off-guard at the time that I honestly had no idea what to say.

[cheerfulgreek]

Well, I've never worked retail or anything like that but, I'm never rude to someone who is working retail. I mean, I wouldn't want anyone to be rude to me if I did work retail.

[pearlbubbles]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Well, I've never worked retail or anything like that but, I'm never rude to someone who is working retail. I mean, I wouldn't want anyone to be rude to me if I did work retail.

I wish more people were like this. I think that sometimes people don't often think that common courtesy extends to minimum wage workers while they're in service mode.

On the note of lack of courtesy, a customer yelled at me today and called me a horrible employee because her coupon wouldn't discount an electric when the coupon clearly said "EXCLUDES ELECTRICS/ELECTRONICS" in big letters. She said I should "be ashamed" of my "poor performance and stupidity." So apparently the measure of an employee's intelligence is based on customers ignoring or not reading noted exclusions.

Our computers were also down so we couldn't check our system for anything... I did get to work an extra hour because our lines were horrendous, though. I'm trying to decide if I'm happy or upset about that. I got paid more, but I had to deal with the inappropriate insult to my intelligence that wouldn't have happened if I was off on time. Rather me than someone else, I guess.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by pearlbubbles

I wish more people were like this. I think that sometimes people don't often think that common courtesy extends to minimum wage workers while they're in service mode.

On the note of lack of courtesy, a customer yelled at me today and called me a horrible employee because her coupon wouldn't discount an electric when the coupon clearly said "EXCLUDES ELECTRICS/ELECTRONICS" in big letters. She said I should "be ashamed" of my "poor performance and stupidity." So apparently the measure of an employee's intelligence is based on customers ignoring or not reading noted exclusions.

Our computers were also down so we couldn't check our system for anything... I did get to work an extra hour because our lines were horrendous, though. I'm trying to decide if I'm happy or upset about that. I got paid more, but I had to deal with the inappropriate insult to my intelligence that wouldn't have happened if I was off on time. Rather me than someone else, I guess.

Yep. It's just that a lot of people think because someone works a retail job that they can mistreat them. How would that customer like it if someone talked to them like that? I wouldn't like it if someone treated me that way so, I'm not going to treat others that way.

I also believe in Karma, so that customer who was rude to you will get it back. Don't let anyone make you feel that way, because you're not. Funny thing is you're probably more educated and intelligent than most of the morons who think they can insult your intelligence. Just say okay and ignore them. Getting into any discussions with assholes and rude people isn't worth it.

[pearlbubbles]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Yep. It's just that a lot of people think because someone works a retail job that they can mistreat them. How would that customer like it if someone talked to them like that? I wouldn't like it if someone treated me that way so, I'm not going to treat others that way.

I also believe in Karma, so that customer who was rude to you will get it back. Don't let anyone make you feel that way, because you're not. Funny thing is you're probably more educated and intelligent than most of the morons who think they can insult your intelligence. Just say okay and ignore them. Getting into any discussions with assholes and rude people isn't worth it.

That's how I always figure it to. I hate people being rude to me, so why be rude to them? They're just doing their job. Although I had an experience with rude employees at a chain store today when I wasn't rude to them at all. It's just not my day in the retail world, apparently, haha...

I apologized, but otherwise there's not much I can do. She huffed out without buying anything, so I just kind of dropped it and went to help the other thirty people in line. It's frustrating, but I pretty much just roll with the punches.

[aggieAXO]

Originally Posted by Santa Claus

I get that you look down on people who work retail, but since you've never worked retail, why would you post over here? I'm not trying to be a dick, but why?

As I said in my earlier post-I have never worked retail but a lot of what I do is similar and same will go for cheerfulgreek if she enters private practice. People are just as nasty and rude. Didn't know this was an exclusive thread BTW I am not trying to be a b&^ch.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by aggieAXO

As I said in my earlier post-I have never worked retail but a lot of what I do is similar and same will go for cheerfulgreek if she enters private practice. People are just as nasty and rude. Didn't know this was an exclusive thread BTW I am not trying to be a b&^ch.

lol
I love you!

[racergirl08]

I've worked in both retail and food service and honestly, my retail experience hasn't been that bad. I was hired in as holiday help for Winter 2009 and ended up staying on in a limited capacity through the year up to the present. My coworkers and managers are pretty much all really fantastic (except one manager who just doesn't like me...I don't know why. I think shes always kinda bitchy to everyone, but just kicks it up a notch for me. Even so, I like her wayyyyyyy better than some of my coworkers at my food service job.). I always ask a ton of questions and they are always patient with me. I don't even have any customer horror stories that come to mind. It may have to do with the location I'm at; we are in a smaller, 'upper class' (not really) mall so maybe we just have the right type of people who shop with us. I guess I've just been fortunate with my retail experiences...Although its been more than made up for on the food service side.

[Chicago88]

Maybe it would be different if people were instilled with some sort of common courtesy and respect for other peoples feelings from a young age but unfortunately its not 1950 anymore.

And good for the stripper. As long as she doesn't fall into the "dark" side of stripping that you hear about. I have a few friends who work at places such as Hooters and I have absolutely nothing against it what so ever. They do it for the money, now some girls do it for other reasons but it can be good money. I guess you have to do what you have to sometimes.

[pearlbubbles]

Unfortunately not everyone is. A lot of people still are though, so I take the rude ones with a grain of salt. For every rude customer I've ever interacted with, I've had plenty of positive customer interactions as well.

I agree that you definitely have to do what you have to do. Money is money, as far as I'm concerned--regardless of where it comes from. She was quite the character, though.

[Chicago88]

Originally Posted by pearlbubbles

I agree that you definitely have to do what you have to do. Money is money, as far as I'm concerned--regardless of where it comes from. She was quite the character, though.

Whats funny is those are the types I tend to appreciate most. They're individuals and they usually have manners. Those and just genuinely nice people.