*Customer enters the front door of retail establishment*

Me: "Oh excuse me sir/ma'am can I help you find anything in particular?"

Customer: Oh no thank you, I am just browsing.

Me: Oh I see, well my name is Agusto, and if you need help finding anything in our showroom, I will be sure to lead you in the right direction.

Customer: Mumbles "Thank you" with least amount of eye contact while continuing to browse through stores inventory.

College students nationwide are rigorously searching for the most effective way to reach financial ends meet.

Filling out more applications than the graded essays they handed in earlier in the semester, while anxiously hoping for a business to give them the opportunity. An opportunity to create a steady income to keep the bare essentials such as food, shelter and clothes afloat to survive the next month. A majority of undergraduates are not able to land their dream jobs at Adidas, Apple, Rolling Stone, etc. while still enrolled in school. So us undergrads suffice for the nearby establishment that gives us flexible hours and minimum wage pay. The sacrifice to such schedule flexibility is a term within retail better known as customer service. Customer Service is a series of gestures, mannerisms and compliments to keep the customer happy at all times. Essentially mirroring the flirting stages of the dating process. While practicing customer service, an employee must maintain their courteous state of mind while meeting the customers' wants and desires.

I have watched managers entertain the concept of “debatable compassion” under philosophy of customer service. Their questionable authenticity has lead me to wonder, do they act this way with their loved ones? How genuine is our manager- sales associate relationship? How frequently do they fib? Customer service stretches my personal imagination of authenticity outside my usual "relationship" realm. Constantly wondering how much of my life should I reveal to complete this sale? Living in a generation that is drowned out due to hyperactive social media attention span and turret style entertainment, it becomes harder to remain authentic with a customer. It becomes a miracle for me hold a conversation outside of “How has your day been?” Because in a matter seconds they would be lost to the next online obsession. I must warn my incoming graduates that are entering the retail work force that IT IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT. You are going to find yourself as a pawn between management and customers. Trying to make weekly profit goals, as well as trying to guarantee in a loyal customer. Remember, your customers do not have to return to your storefront. Due to internet, any product can be ordered online, so it is your obligation to not just to act cliché nice to them, but also remain genuine. We are loosing the concept of relationships on a retail level, and genuine authenticity can begin at a grassroots level. Customers…take employees into consideration. Employees…treat customers with even more appreciation. We can all smile on the showroom floor, and it begins Aretha Franklin’s trademarked word, respect.