The biggest shopping season of the year is upon us, and retail workers everywhere are bracing for impact.
Tears will be shed, battles with be fought, happy jigs will be danced, and at some point a coupon will exclude something in the fine print but the customer will insist that it doesn't say that when the words are right there in front of them and they will hold up the line because they won't leave until you call your manager so that they can tell them the exact same thing.
It's going to be an exciting time.
Considering this, I think that now is the time to for all of us retail workers to take a step back, take a breath, and think about what we will have gained after surviving this season (other than the holiday bonus we are all hoping for).
Here are some things that I believe one gains from working in retail.
1. You will learn how to be calm in the face of a storm
By storm, I mean that one type of customer that seems to have a goal of making you cry. The customer that says you are picking on them, or threatens to file a complaint because their coupon is expired and even your manager wouldn't override the computer. The sort of customers that don't seem to realize that people wearing name tags are still people.
They might make you cry once or twice. They might try to make you feel worthless.
However, the day you realize that your skin has grown stronger than the shouts of a mean or condescending customer, you will feel mighty. It can be difficult to maintain composure and a professional demeanor when someone treats you like so much less than them. However, it is a really good useful skill to have. It will serve you in so many other situations.
2. You will become very good at peer-mediation.
Customers will argue with your coworkers. They will argue with your manager. Customers may ask you solve their own disputes when they can't agree on which color what-cha-ma-call-it to buy. During this season, they may even incite all out brawls on the floor over the last whatever-it-is in stock. You will get really good at mediating. You will have to find a way to calm down arguments and bring everyone involved to rational level. You will learn how to look at two sides without showing bias so that every person involved feels equal. This is a really useful skill to develop in life. The world needs more everyday peace-makers.
3. You will become a skilled multitask-er.
At some point, you will probably have to ring up a customer while answering a phone, answering another customer's question, and calling your manager over the radio to come and override a coupon glitch. It will be difficult for a long time, but you will eventually get pretty good at it. When you reach that day, and handle every part of the situation without the store bursting into flames or you crumpling to the floor behind the counter, you should feel really proud of yourself. If you can do that, you will realize that getting a bunch of stuff done and staying on task is much easier in daily life.
4. You will have a much higher level of appreciation and respect for every other retail worker that you encounter.
I would hope that if you have spent any time working behind a register, that it would make you much more kind to other cashiers. I have always tried to be nice to cashiers and sales associates, but now that I know first hand what they have to deal with every day, I try to give them extra kindness to make up for the people that won't even attempt to be polite. Even if it's been years since you have worked a cash register, don't let yourself forget the feeling. Remember, and remind friends that you shop with, that computer glitches and items being out of stock are not the fault of the cashier or associate. Remember how nice it was when a customer was really sweet to you, or just simply said "Thank you." Treat other workers the way that you wish customers treated you. Lead by example, and maybe we will see a day when all worker-customer interactions are pleasant.
5. You will find that people are not so different.
I can't personally speak for other parts of the world, but if you work retail in a city, you will interact with just about every kind of person there is. You will meet people that don't speak your language, people with special needs, people much older and much younger than you, much richer and much less fortunate, bigger, smaller, amiable, shy, from every kind of background.
When you interact with so many people coming from so many different places every day, it will (and should) make you feel at least a bit humbled. Everyone has a different path, story, and agenda. Still, people all just have needs that they must have fulfilled. Some people believe that their needs are more important than the needs of others, but you will have to treat them each as equals.
It's rather enlightening to see how all people are so vastly different, yet still quite similar. And if you had any prejudices before, even if you didn't know about them, you will lose those. You will encounter nice people and mean people of every variation, which should show you that it's impossible to judge anyone based on a group they fall into, or by visible traits.
We are all different. We are all the same. We should all at least attempt to be a pleasant part of each others' days.
People seem to think I'm silly when I say that I actually enjoy my job, but I really do.
It's the kind of job that will be exactly what you make of it. If you decide to do your absolute best at it, enjoy the moments in which you can make other people happy, and learn from the ones that challenge you, I think a retail job can really help one grow as a person.
If everyone spent at least a little time working at a job in retail, I think the world (at least the world of department stores) would be a much happier place.
