Four Lessons Everyone Learns While Working in Retail

Anybody who has had the ‘pleasure’ of working in retail knows that there is hardly ever a dull moment.  The word ‘pleasure’ is used sarcastically because of the fact that working in retail is hardly anything but.  No matter what kind of retail it is-a clothing store, a supermarket, electronics, and so on, many workers walk out of there feeling the same way-unappreciated and angry at society.  There are situations, however, that can also cause someone to learn and view life in a different way.  How can working in retail do such a thing?  Well, for one, dealing with people on a regular basis can truly teach a person a thing or two about life.  Unfortunately, the world we live in tends to be pessimistic and negative, and those feelings are often reflected through customers.  People want what they want, when they want it, and usually do not care how they treat others.  Learning to deal with this negativity in a mature and positive way can be tough, but if a worker is able to do so, then they can basically deal with any circumstance.

            Working at Five Below was anything but glamorous.  Cleaning up after people’s messes, dealing with disrespect, and trying to maintain a calm demeanor when asked ridiculously ignorant questions can really put a damper on someone’s morale.  I try to take it all in stride and not focus on the negative things that happened while working there, but rather, reflect on everything that I witnessed and the lessons I learned during my almost 3 years working there. 

            Lesson number one-the majority of the human race will always be ignorant, dense, and rude.  There is just no getting around it.  It doesn’t matter how many signs are around the store, how big the print is, what the price tag says, or what the company policy is-it is always the worker’s fault.  How dare you accuse the customer of looking on the wrong shelf, or trying to use a coupon that expired months earlier-they are always right.  No matter what position-a general manager, a key holder, or an associate-you are going to be answering the same exhausting questions time and time again.  Society is always looking for a way to beat the system.  Even though Five Below is already a cheap and extremely inexpensive store, people always complain about the quality of the products, and the fact that the store does not offer refunds. Forget the fact that the product you’re buying is only $3 and made of flimsy plastic and will probably break within a week, they want their money back, and will go to any lengths to do so.  Customers always seem to think that they were shopping in Nordstrom’s and expected the products that the store sold to be top of the line.  They were always shocked when we, the workers, would tell them that the store did not offer refunds, however, they could pick out another product of the same price and do an even exchange (even though there should not have been any shock, because the store policy was clearly and boldly printed on the bottom of their receipt).  Then came the usual demand to speak to a manager, as if they were going to tell them something different. 

            There is one story that I will always continue to tell when discussing my experience with retail, and it deals with the claim that people are too ignorant to admit when they are wrong.  The horrifically busy and strenuous holiday season was nearing its end, and I was on register.  An older woman who I was ringing up accused me of stealing her money.  How could I have done so from behind the counter?  She was just about to start screaming when a little girl picked up $5 from the floor and handed it back to the woman, who had dropped it before I even began ringing her up.  She then turned to me and said, “Well YOU should have been paying better attention.”  Enough said.

            Another lesson learned while working in retail is the fact that there is always going to be some type of inequality and unfairness felt.  While this is true in almost any job in the world, it is especially felt in the world of retail. Associates are already dumped on and treated poorly, and the position one holds really has an effect on the amount of respect they acquire.  Even in a small store like Five Below, there was always some type of politics going on.  Whether it was an argument between two associates, a disagreement between corporate and the general manager, or problems with the amount of hours on the schedule, something was always happening.  No one was ever truly and genuinely happy.  Complaints were constantly running rampant, which leads to lesson number three-the morale of a store has a tremendous effect on how well the store performs.  Simply put-if the workers aren’t happy, then no one is! Think about it-work is already considered a stressful environment.  If the associates of a store are being treated unfairly-constantly being put down by their managers and always being told everything that they are doing wrong, then no one is going to want to perform well at all. Overworking employees and showing no signs of gratefulness is also a huge factor to the dissolution of a store.  There were countless times when we would stay well past our shifts to clean, and no one would give us the gratitude we deserved.

            While it may sound like working in retail will result in nothing but horror stories, I should include the fact that it can also produce wonderful bonds and friendships.  A person’s co-workers can make all the difference in the world, and work can be much easier and less stressful when getting along with them.  I started to become very friendly with the general manager of the store.  He was just great to talk to-very intelligent, funny, and good at his job.  Through our discussions, we found that we had a lot in common, and developed a mature and professional friendship that I really enjoyed.  Little did I know, the other managers in the store did not hold the same feelings, and were planning to get him fired.  When it occurred, everyone was in shock, and there was a shift in the staff.  No one wanted to do anything, because the manager that had taken over had no idea what he was doing.  He was too young for such a responsibility, and treated everyone like an idiot.  This whole ordeal taught me lesson four-always be prepared for the unexpected.  The world of retail can be cutthroat, and not everyone is a friend.

In order to really understand life and the way people are, everybody should spend at least a year in retail. We spend so much of our time having relationships with retail people-how many times a day do we go face to face with associates, with people taking our money?  Retail is such an integral part of everyone’s lives, even though it’s something most people don’t even think about. While the experience itself is not always pleasant, the lessons learned can truly be useful in other aspects of life.  Some people may not realize it, but positive reinforcement can really go a long way in the land of retail.  Let’s face it-the world is always going to be filled with pessimists and people who will do anything to make others miserable.  My years in the store have really trained me on how not to let these people get the best of me.  I have experienced my fair share of craziness in what feels like such a small amount of time.  The greatest lessons of life can be taught through retail, and if a person can overcome the initial hardship, then they are capable of handling anything life throws at them.