What Retail Workers Want You to Know
Respect is a two-way street.
Retail is not an occupation that means less than yours.
Those of us that do it as a career are dedicated, hard-working, educated, and tenured. We don’t do this work because we are stuck. We don’t do it because we aren’t smart enough to do something else.
I genuinely like helping people find what they’re looking for. I like talking to new people every day and the challenge of making sales goals. I enjoy training teams and helping people succeed. Small personal connections are gold. Giving a lost grandma directions makes me smile. This is why I come to work.
We get to see the best in people and the worst almost daily. While I still believe that most people are inherently good, I have seen the stresses of everyday life take a toll on people who, in turn, take that stress out on us.
When regular people make ridiculous requests, we have to say no. When we say no, we may potentially get yelled at. Most of what I do at work is trying to avoid getting yelled at. That’s not hyperbole. I’ve been yelled at countless times. It doesn’t make me question my worth. It doesn’t derail my day. But if I can avoid it, I will.
I go rogue a lot for your benefit. I add salespeople before I’ve earned the hours, I take down confusing signs, and I honor expired coupons. I step in and ring up complicated transactions so that you don’t have to wait. Good leaders do this. If you’ve ever walked into a store, been greeted, had help, and bought your item quickly — an ungodly amount of work took place to make that happen.
“This is why you go to college so you don’t have to work here.” — A father told his teenage daughter in front of me one day.
We are not stupid. And we can hear you.
I have a Bachelor of Science in Merchandising with a minor in Public Relations. My merchandiser graduated from a fashion trade school. My assistant manager is studying to be a teacher. My Co-Manager is from a first-generation Vietnamese family and she speaks both languages perfectly. She has also worked her entire career in retail and can talk trends all day long. Maybe we should add our achievements to our name tags so we are offered respect straight away.
Retail is hard. It is hard physically and mentally. I am on my feet for nine-plus hours a day and I have to maintain calm, all while directing 10 people on my floor, voiding a transaction, and answering the phone. I explain the same things over and over every day and I make it sound friendly. Anyone that can work in retail and make it look easy is a champion.
There are a few things that my retail pals and I would like you to know.
- We really do not want to talk politics with you.
- We are going as fast as we can.
- Don’t tell us you’re in a hurry. It makes us anxious and we are more likely to make a mistake.
- Please give us just a little bit of physical space. We are around strangers all day and that little bit of space means the world to us.
- Don’t tell me how much money you spend with my company — it has zero impact. I will treat you well if you have spent one million or zero dollars.
- Treat people with respect. Listen. Follow the rules. Don’t assume you know the policies or that you are above them. Or that you know where the line starts…because it’s not right there.
- Don’t ask to return socks because they made your son’s feet hot (true story).
- I have no control over my register freezing or my credit card link being down. Our internet sucks and I’m sorry about that. Yes, I’ve called IT about it.
Our payroll guidelines are set by the company. They tell me how many hours I have and I write a schedule. If we are short-staffed it’s because the company got the forecast wrong or someone called out sick. It’s not because I don’t know how to staff my store.
I know, shopping is a hit-or-miss experience. Some stores have a great staff and in other places, no one talks to you. The difference there is usually the leadership. Usually. I make no claims to be perfect and you may walk into my store on a day when everyone is busy with projects or other customers and they didn’t greet you. It can happen.
Retail work can be hard and thankless. Most of what we accomplish does not get seen by anyone other than those on the team. The early mornings. The mountains of shipment. The rolling racks full of product in the back room. We make miracles happen every day. We do it for you. We do it to make money. We do it because we like it.
Being a part of a hard-working team is satisfying. When everyone does their part and supports one another, working retail can be a blast! Customers, for the most part, are a lot of fun. Because people are fun and interesting. Respect goes both ways. We respect you and your time. We will give you as much attention as you want or need and we will get you on your way quickly. All that we ask is that you respect us back. Retail workers are fun and interesting too. Trust me.
