Five things I learned working in retail

The woman looked upset. I tried to cheer her up. While I went about my job, I commented on how the flurries outside and the Christmas song on the loudspeaker made me feel festive. She wasn’t buying it. She kept her stone face. Before leaving though she thanked me for trying to bring a little sunlight into her gray day.

My consulting work slowed-down from Thanksgiving to Christmas so I took a part-time job at a large local department store. I worked as a cashier and customer service representative. It wasn’t my favorite task. However, I thought the few dollars earned would come in handy over the holiday season. I knew I would learn a few things from the experience. I was frankly surprised by how much.

Here’s what I learned working retail:

• Money, money, money. Let’s cut to the chase: Greed by both the corporate parent and customers. The company put a good amount of pressure on cashiers to promote its credit card. The manager on duty would regularly give me updates on my progress pushing the cards. While I understood the benefits, I still found the pressure unseemly and unethical. In some situations, it was in the customer’s best interests. They had the opportunity to save a hundreds dollars on large purchases. In other situations, I found the idea of the credit card to be outrageous. I’m not a big fan of credit cards. It’s how people often get themselves into trouble. So, it felt wrong with me. Of course, I found customers’ behavior out of line too. I saw many customers wanting expensive items for, well, nothing. Life doesn’t work that way.
• Scams on top of scams. It was sad to see how scammers and swindlers tried to scam and steal merchandise and money from the store. Customers would cut off security tags and try to sneak out with merchandise. You had to be on your guard. My eyes were definitely opened to the dark side of the world.

• The importance of patience & empathy. When faced with long lines and pressure, understanding different perspectives, and showing compassion are incredibly important.
• There lots of sad people. I was reminded that everyone you meet is facing a battle you know nothing about. One person is battling Cancer. Another was recently laid off. A third misses a parent or spouse who recently passed away. It reminded me once again of the simple advice: Treat people with respect and kindness.
• No matter the role, hard work, asking questions, and being on time make a big difference. I may have been a newbie in the retail role. However, I’m proud of the resilience, kindness, and strong sense of responsibility that I brought to the job.

I can’t say I want to go back to retail anytime soon. In the short term, though, it was an interesting experience. Now . . . how can I help you? Did you find everything you were looking for?