Retail

Robsweezie

to all retail workers past and present, what is/was it like for you? is it just a means to an end in terms of financial stability or do you actually enjoy it? any tips you could offer to survive the job?

LizT

You need to read the Cries of retail thread in Ranting and Raving. It's hilarious but probably won't fill you with confidence about enjoying retail work :P

ziedth

It's a horrible game if you don't have the skin for it. A mate got me into a Centra in my first year of college and 12 years later im still doing it. If you move up the ladder so your only taking **** off one or two people, have a decent management team to work with and enjoy the insanity of it all it's by far not the worst job in the world.

My two bits of advice are learn to laugh about rude/idiot customers cause if you take it seriously it'll break you.

Kiss the ass of management and show interest in stuff a level above your current position. Once you have any head for it at all and it's a half decent company you won't be long moving up.

macyard

Robsweezie wrote: »

to all retail workers past and present, what is/was it like for you? is it just a means to an end in terms of financial stability or do you actually enjoy it? any tips you could offer to survive the job?

I have worked in small shops no franchises but I loved my time in them, if the team your with are good can have the crack you won't have better working enivorment.

Franchises might mess it up if they are forcing targets and **** and sucking the fun out of it.

Jen Pigs Fly

Retail can be efficiently summarised as the best representation of hell on earth.

Retail would be considered an incredibly cruel and horrific torture device for even the most hardened criminals.

Retail damns many souls.

AlmightyCushion

Before I started working in retail, I couldn't understand why anyone would become a serial killer. Now I don't understand why most stop after only a few murders.

PLL

LizT wrote: »

You need to read the Cries of retail thread in Ranting and Raving. It's hilarious but probably won't fill you with confidence about enjoying retail work :P

How do you access the thread again?

Antar Bolaeisk

Don't worry, eventually you'll either go completely crazy or become completely broken, just embrace it.

I recommend crazy, makes the days so much more interesting.

MarkAnthony

Pluses:

Well paid for what it is. Generally as a store manager you should be able to do your job in 40-50 hours per week. I was on 42K in a €4m turnover store. A mate of mine working for a large department store is probably pulling in the guts of €100K a year.

It very much depends what type of retail you're talking about.

Minuses:

People are arseholes. Again very much place dependant; I really liked innercity dublin got on well with the junkies they knew not to mess with me and I treated them with respect. Got moved out to Dundrum where I've never met such a proportion of despicable people in my entire life. Liars, snide arseholes and making a drama out of every tiny issue. One woman actually was stood at the little CS booth in the Dundrum town centre complaining about the queues - in late December.

It's not just customers, very few of your staff will take the job seriously. Again Dundrum the employees were worse than the customers. Again very dependant on what you inherit, where you are etc. As a store manager the buck stops with you if Johnny doesn't show up expect to be in on your day off.

You can only take holidays when no one else wants them, kinda a small plus too as you can take them off peak nice and cheap. Same with weekends, you'll be working at least one weekend day and generally have split days off.

But really it comes down to people being utter arseholes. I was well known for telling people to piss off (not in those words) when they needed to be told but I know most managers wouldn't back people up. All that said I used to love looking after people and used to get amazing feedback on my and my guys and gals customer service.

PS Watch Clerks - bang on film.

The Diabolical Monocle

One day I'm gonna own a small shop and serve at the til. Some bint will come in full of moans and unreasonable demands and then I'll just go 'fvck off you intolerable wench' then she'll be all oooh I'm going to tell the manager and I'll be like 'you're talking to him ... Now go on .... Fack off'. Gonna happen.

Iranoutofideas

The constant abuse and threats and genuinely frightening intimidating behaviour made me swear to never again work in retail.

I'd rather starve to death first.

dmc17

PLL wrote: »

How do you access the thread again?

The same way you accessed it the last time...







I think you need to apply for access if you haven't done before

Lau2976

It was hell on earth. People treated you like you were nothing. The hours were ridiculous and your expected to go above and beyond for little to nothing. Like I mean working til 3 and 4 in the morning and then being in at 7am the next morning for the sales. There was days it was impossible to get a break, even just to use the bathroom, and the amount of stupid procedures you had to follow for nothing was ridiculous.

I worked in a place thats not known for it reputable customers though so it might be different somewhere else. I got spat on one day because we didn't have shoes in some little s***s size, by the kids mother!

MarkAnthony

Going through a career change at the moment so I working PT in a call centre. So much better, like a million times better than working in a shop.

suicide_circus

It's an education on how unpleasant and condescending people can be when they think real people aren't watching them. Most people's vaneer of decency is paper thin.

mickstupp

I preferred retail to working in a hotel. I preferred fixing punctures in a garage to both of those.

Grayson

I worked in Dunnes. I managed 4 days before I left. Those guys hate their staff. I was lucky I was offered a different retail job somewhere else.

MarkAnthony

mickstupp wrote: »

I preferred retail to working in a hotel. I preferred fixing punctures in a garage to both of those.

Hospitality is probably the only worse industry (aside from child soldier or prostitute to Jimmy Saville etc of course). My Father-in-law is a retired engineer who designed and built waste treatment plants; he always comments how happy people who worked with crap all day were.

AlmightyCushion

Some countries have mandatory military service, I reckon we should have mandatory retail service. People might be less cúntish once they've lived through some of the same crap they dish out.

SimonTemplar

There is a certain type of middle management retail manager in large department stores who are basically bullies and treat their staff like crap. There is nothing worse than having a manager who is on a power trip yet actually has very little power, takes absolute sh*t from senior management, but takes out all their stress on their staff.

NSAman

Best part of retail for me was leaving it, I got the chance to take revenge and speak my mind to all the B!tches who made a habit of complaining about nothing,,, we all had them, screaming insulting you "i'll phone Joe".. etc etc... when I left and was in a supermarket you see the same ones complaining about everything, was lovely to be behind then and being able to tell the poor girl/guy behind the till.. don't mind her.. she is well know to be a stroppy old c^nt by everyone around here in retail..... the looks on these old biddys faces when this happens is priceless...:)

honey79

Good and bad sides to it

I worked in retail for years loved working with the public you get to meet some interesting people also get to meet some really nasty people

I work in office now Monday to Friday 9 to 5

Would go back to retail in a heart beat if I could get the same hours and rate of pay

berger89

I love this thread.
It makes me feel like I'm not alone!

BetterThanThou

Occasionally cover for staff in a computer shop. The amount of crap I've heard from people who don't have an ounce of knowledge about technology in their head is insane. Once got a lad who was wondering how to install iOS on his android, I explained to him how it wasn't possible, he came back the next day and asked someone else the same question. Had another lad who jammed a HDMI cable into the USB port of his laptop and was wondering why it wouldn't work on his TV. And the amount of people I've seen come in with 2 or 3 hundred euro and ask me to build them a powerful gaming PC, they never believe me and think I'm trying to rip me off when I tell them if they want a gaming PC they'd need to add an extra 2 or 3 hundred minimum. Could keep going on and on with these stories, I only work in this shop on average probably one or two shifts each month, I'll admit, I think it's hilarious how stupid people are, but I can see how it would be soul destroying doing it every day.

guitarzero

Depends. There are ppl who do like retail but they are the dull and bland. If you have any kind of spark, spirit or creativity you're on a fast track to becoming a complete cynic following this route.

Aongus Von Bismarck

I've never worked in retail myself before, but my observations from interacting with some of the best and some of the downright worst would be as follows:

Take pride in your job. Just because other people view it as a lowly job doesn't mean you can't take pride in your work. Put in the best you can and I'm sure it will be more rewarding.

The next point is linked. Take pride in your appearance. You are the arrowhead of your organisation. You're the one representing your company on the coal face so for heaven's sake dress neatly, iron your shirt/uniform and keep your hair neat, tidy and clean. Nothing worse than engaging with someone who looks like they rolled out of bed and straight into work.

Be polite and courteous to customers. You need to make sure that they feel like you are doing your absolute best to ensure their needs are looked after. Happy customers spend more. Unhappy ones won't return and without customers you're out of a job!

Finally, the most important one....SMILE!! Nothing more annoying than having some with a big scowly head handing over your coffee. A smile costs nothing.

Jen Pigs Fly

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I've never worked in retail myself before, but my observations from interacting with some of the best and some of the downright worst would be as follows:

Take pride in your job. Just because other people view it as a lowly job doesn't mean you can't take pride in your work. Put in the best you can and I'm sure it will be more rewarding.

The next point is linked. Take pride in your appearance. You are the arrowhead of your organisation. You're the one representing your company on the coal face so for heaven's sake dress neatly, iron your shirt/uniform and keep your hair neat, tidy and clean. Nothing worse than engaging with someone who looks like they rolled out of bed and straight into work.

Be polite and courteous to customers. You need to make sure that they feel like you are doing your absolute best to ensure their needs are looked after. Happy customers spend more. Unhappy ones won't return and without customers you're out of a job!

Finally, the most important one....SMILE!! Nothing more annoying than having some with a big scowly head handing over your coffee. A smile costs nothing.

Easy for someone who has never worked in retail before.

Hard to smile at customers and their rediculous problems when you've just left an hour long scream fest by the boss.

MarkAnthony

BetterThanThou wrote: »

Occasionally cover for staff in a computer shop. The amount of crap I've heard from people who don't have an ounce of knowledge about technology in their head is insane. Once got a lad who was wondering how to install iOS on his android, I explained to him how it wasn't possible, he came back the next day and asked someone else the same question. Had another lad who jammed a HDMI cable into the USB port of his laptop and was wondering why it wouldn't work on his TV. And the amount of people I've seen come in with 2 or 3 hundred euro and ask me to build them a powerful gaming PC, they never believe me and think I'm trying to rip me off when I tell them if they want a gaming PC they'd need to add an extra 2 or 3 hundred minimum. Could keep going on and on with these stories, I only work in this shop on average probably one or two shifts each month, I'll admit, I think it's hilarious how stupid people are, but I can see how it would be soul destroying doing it every day.

Ah PC retail, where I cut my teeth. My faves:

Guy drops off PC for repair. First thing we always used to do was search *.jpg, *.mpg. Yeah, yeah evil we were. Loads of Asian babe porn, everyone got a look. Said Asian babe came to pick up computer turned out to be the owners wife.

Guy came in screaming and shouting at a guy in Gateway (mate, I didn't work there). Before broadband but the Gateway stores had commercial connections at the time. His email kept getting 'stuck'. It was actually working but the massive horse porn mpegs he was being sent would have taken an age to download at 33.6Kbits. My mate took great delight in explaining exactly what the issue was.

Finally I was getting shouted at about a PC going wrong. The call centre was just down the road from the factory so people assumed they could just drop them back. I explained no, eventually said, drop it in I'll take a look. Booted up like 15 chat programs opening on start up, OS clearly (badly) reinstalled over itself to cover up the fact that someone was too stupid to simply clear the browser cache after looking at copious amounts of preggo porn.

Oh they joy.

suicide_circus

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I've never worked in retail myself before, but my observations from interacting with some of the best and some of the downright worst would be as follows:

Take pride in your job. Just because other people view it as a lowly job doesn't mean you can't take pride in your work. Put in the best you can and I'm sure it will be more rewarding.

The next point is linked. Take pride in your appearance. You are the arrowhead of your organisation. You're the one representing your company on the coal face so for heaven's sake dress neatly, iron your shirt/uniform and keep your hair neat, tidy and clean. Nothing worse than engaging with someone who looks like they rolled out of bed and straight into work.

Be polite and courteous to customers. You need to make sure that they feel like you are doing your absolute best to ensure their needs are looked after. Happy customers spend more. Unhappy ones won't return and without customers you're out of a job!

Finally, the most important one....SMILE!! Nothing more annoying than having some with a big scowly head handing over your coffee. A smile costs nothing.

I'm sure all the retail staff reading this will eagerly take note of recommendations from someone who has never done the job

MarkAnthony

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Finally, the most important one....SMILE!! Nothing more annoying than having some with a big scowly head handing over your coffee. A smile costs nothing.

Coffee you say.

Try having been there at 5am to get the place open, probably out at 10pm the previous night. You close at 9pm but have a policy of never asking awkward **** sorry highly valued customers to leave and the cleaning required can't be done with them in the store and takes two back breaking hours for 3 people but so that the area manager can have a pay rise you've 30 minutes and 1 other member of staff.

Oh and don't forget to cash up in that time and woe betide tide you if more than €5 is missing as loss prevention will be on to you.

As I say massive proportion of ****.

NSAman

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I've never worked in retail myself before, but my observations from interacting with some of the best and some of the downright worst would be as follows:

Take pride in your job. Just because other people view it as a lowly job doesn't mean you can't take pride in your work. Put in the best you can and I'm sure it will be more rewarding.

The next point is linked. Take pride in your appearance. You are the arrowhead of your organisation. You're the one representing your company on the coal face so for heaven's sake dress neatly, iron your shirt/uniform and keep your hair neat, tidy and clean. Nothing worse than engaging with someone who looks like they rolled out of bed and straight into work.

Be polite and courteous to customers. You need to make sure that they feel like you are doing your absolute best to ensure their needs are looked after. Happy customers spend more. Unhappy ones won't return and without customers you're out of a job!

Finally, the most important one....SMILE!! Nothing more annoying than having some with a big scowly head handing over your coffee. A smile costs nothing.

Thats all fine and dandy, but you have never worked in retail, heard people lie and cheat and scream at you. I have even had a woman slap her child across the face because the child was telling the truth and the mother was telling porkies.,,, retail brings out the WORST in customers.

As a counter to what you say, what is wrong with customers acting in a civil and "normal" manner when dealing with other people?

Aongus Von Bismarck

xxxJennyxxx wrote: »

Easy for someone who has never worked in retail before.

Hard to smile at customers and their rediculous problems when you've just left an hour long scream fest by the boss.

suicide_circus wrote: »

I'm sure all the retail staff reading this will eagerly take note of recommendations from someone who has never done the job

Complete red herring. Not having worked in the field is irrelevant. I am more than capable of offering some constructive advice as a customer. People can take my advice on board (trust me it's good advice) or they can ignore it and continue to provide poor service and wallow in cynicism and self-pity.

MarkAnthony

The majority of retail employees will treat the majority of customers very well. The majority of customers are civil and polite. My God though the c**ts are the worst I have ever come across.

suicide_circus

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Complete red herring. Not having worked in the field is irrelevant. I am more than capable of offering some constructive advice as a customer. People can take my advice on board (trust me it's good advice) or they can ignore it and continue to provide poor service and wallow in cynicism and self-pity.

3/10
Must try harder

Lau2976

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Complete red herring. Not having worked in the field is irrelevant. I am more than capable of offering some constructive advice as a customer. People can take my advice on board (trust me it's good advice) or they can ignore it and continue to provide poor service and wallow in cynicism and self-pity.

Advice always seems good until your the one taking it. When you work there it's different from anything you may think it is.

MarkAnthony

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Be polite and courteous to customers. You need to make sure that they feel like you are doing your absolute best to ensure their needs are looked after. Happy customers spend more. Unhappy ones won't return and without customers you're out of a job!

Finally, the most important one....SMILE!! Nothing more annoying than having some with a big scowly head handing over your coffee. A smile costs nothing.

I actually agree with most of what you're saying but these points.

-Irish customers don't shop on service. They shop almost exclusively on price. They couldn't give a rats behind in most cases hence why TK Maxx, Lidl and Aldi will always be profitable and why Ryanair is one of (if not the) biggest airlines in Europe.

-Front line retail staff are not paid properly so couldn't give a toss if someone comes back. I've worked for numerous companies that couldn't get a commision structure sorted out. Easily solved by managers that actually want to reward staff for a job well done.

-Fake smiles - I'd rather have someone efficient and surely than airy fairy and take forever.

marialouise

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Not having worked in the field is irrelevant. I am more than capable of offering some constructive advice as a customer. People can take my advice on board (trust me it's good advice) or they can ignore it and continue to provide poor service and wallow in cynicism and self-pity.

Not having worked in the field LITERALLY makes you incapable of offering advice to those who do.

Who said we provide poor service, or wallow in cynicism and self pity? I worked 2 years in retail, didn't provide poor service, didn't wallow in anything, followed all your great advice, and people were still assholes. You can do your very best at your job, you can't control the deluded people that come in to your store. This is why posters are saying we should have mandatory retail/hospitality service, it's a great idea!

4zn76tysfajdxp

suicide_circus wrote: »

I'm sure all the retail staff reading this will eagerly take note of recommendations from someone who has never done the job

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Coffee you say.

Try having been there at 5am to get the place open, probably out at 10pm the previous night. You close at 9pm but have a policy of never asking awkward **** sorry highly valued customers to leave and the cleaning required can't be done with them in the store and takes two back breaking hours for 3 people but so that the area manager can have a pay rise you've 30 minutes and 1 other member of staff.

Oh and don't forget to cash up in that time and woe betide tide you if more than €5 is missing as loss prevention will be on to you.

As I say massive proportion of ****.

God, you'd swear retail workers have some sacred bond that can only be understood by anyone who's cut a baguette lengthwise for a living.

I worked retail full time for a while and I agree with your man. Maintain a tidy appearance, smile every once in a while, don't scowl at the customers and the day flies by. You'll be back home storming the beaches of Pandoria in no time.

Jen Pigs Fly

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Complete red herring. Not having worked in the field is irrelevant. I am more than capable of offering some constructive advice as a customer. People can take my advice on board (trust me it's good advice) or they can ignore it and continue to provide poor service and wallow in cynicism and self-pity.

Personally I think it's very relevant that you've never worked retail yet you're trying to give "advice".
You've never worked in the sector so you don't know the pressure you're under, the constant shouting, demeaning attitude managers have, being so underpaid, working a rolling week so probably on your 10th day working in a row, long unsociable hours and top all that off with more screaming.
And yet the retail worker will still try to give the best service they can.

I have endured epic screaming rants at me telling me how rubbish I am etc, and with that still very fresh in my head and my heart I will go out to another customer complaint and will still be as polite and help with a smile while inside I am dying.

You are in no position to give any advice.

I can give advice in things I know jack shîte about too!

- Sure bee keeping isn't that hard all you gotta do is wear the suit and you're grand.

- ah it's only deep sea fishing, stop complaining it's just catching fish so what if you get a little wet, just bring a towel.

- ah sure anyone can wire a house .. It's only a little electrick shock what do you need an ambulance for you're job is just putting wires together. Next time wear rubber boots!

It's people like you who are the customers that beings out the worst in a retail employee.

suicide_circus

Myla Faithful Earth wrote: »

God, you'd swear retail workers have some sacred bond that can only be understood by anyone who's cut a baguette lengthwise for a living.

I worked retail full time for a while and I agree with your man. Maintain a tidy appearance, smile every once in a while, don't scowl at the customers and the day flies by. You'll be back home storming the beaches of Pandoria in no time.

The pair of you should pen a groundbreaking training manual for retail staff, you'll revolutionise the industry...probably.

Tasden

Myla Faithful Earth wrote: »

I worked retail full time for a while and I agree with your man. Maintain a tidy appearance, smile every once in a while, don't scowl at the customers and the day flies by. You'll be back home storming the beaches of Pandoria in no time.

I did all this, even went as far as laughing at every customers "oh it isn't scanning it must be free" joke. The day did not fly by.

4zn76tysfajdxp

suicide_circus wrote: »

The pair of you should pen a groundbreaking training manual for retail staff, you'll revolutionise the industry...probably.

Sorry for interrupting the circlejerk, man. Return to patting each other on the back because some spoiled middle-class people sometimes say mean things to you in a shop. Real Labours of Hercules stuff there.

Summer wind

You can have great days when everything goes like clockwork and your mad busy so the time flies. Also you can have days when some gob****e will put petrol into his diesel car and then March into the shop looking for someone to blame and telling you that you had "better sort it". If you are lucky the good will outweigh the bad.

berger89

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I've never worked in retail myself before, but my observations from interacting with some of the best and some of the downright worst would be as follows:

Take pride in your job. Just because other people view it as a lowly job doesn't mean you can't take pride in your work. Put in the best you can and I'm sure it will be more rewarding.

The next point is linked. Take pride in your appearance. You are the arrowhead of your organisation. You're the one representing your company on the coal face so for heaven's sake dress neatly, iron your shirt/uniform and keep your hair neat, tidy and clean. Nothing worse than engaging with someone who looks like they rolled out of bed and straight into work.

Be polite and courteous to customers. You need to make sure that they feel like you are doing your absolute best to ensure their needs are looked after. Happy customers spend more. Unhappy ones won't return and without customers you're out of a job!

Finally, the most important one....SMILE!! Nothing more annoying than having some with a big scowly head handing over your coffee. A smile costs nothing.

I agree with you, completely. And I do all of those points..except the smiley part. I wouldn't be known as a smiler, but I'd like to think that I am damn good at my job, even if it is only being a cashier.

I can relate to each of the points the fellow retail workers have pointed out here. But I'd honestly be here all night if I was to tell you the kind of customers we've had.
And customer is always right my hole. I'm sorry, but I don;t appreciate being called a c*unt or a pig or a fool or a dirty eejit, as I have been in the past, for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with me.
I do not set the prices. I just take the money.
I cannot control the weather. Yes, it is ****ing cold.
It is not my fault if people decide to count out every last copper on the counter.
It is not my fault if I have to follow practice and policy and procedure.
It is not my fault that the shop does not open on Christmas Day.
It is not my fault if we are not a bank, therefore, no, I cannot exchange your Sterling for you.
It is not my fault if the coffee isn't to your standards. I did not grow the beans.


jeez, I feel better

berger89

Summer wind wrote: »

You can have great days when everything goes like clockwork and your mad busy so the time flies. Also you can have days when some gob****e will put petrol into his diesel car and then March into the shop looking for someone to blame and telling you that you had "better sort it". If you are lucky the good will outweigh the bad.

YEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!

MissBehaviour

I worked in a Pret A Manger when I was in college in London. Retail isn't the best type of work but I enjoyed most of it. Lots of the customers were lovely. About 1 in 100 was looking for a rant or a fight. They would get you down, but I learned to just pass it off. We are all customers at the end of the day. I would agree with Aongus that being pleasant and positive works. It is not going to be a job for life. You do not want to be one of those employees who acts like Dylan Moran out of Black Books, or the video store guy in Clerks. Your outward appearance and style is a reflection of what you feel like in the inside.

marialouise

anyway, back to the OP:
For me it was a means to an end as I was only working retail to save for a college course in a field I do actually want to work in. There were some people who were happy in the company and who were very good at what they do. Others were just working retail as it was just a job. I didn't mind dealing with the public, most of the time. You definitely need a thick skin though. Try and remember it's just a job and not the end of the world if a customer is rude to you, don't take it personally. Try and leave it all in the shop when you go home for the evening. I usually just pitied people who were on a high horse, and my survival technique was killing them with kindness. It's awesome when it works! They're rude to you repeatedly, and when you refuse to get riled up and continue to smile and be pleasant, they either come around eventually, or else get frustrated with no reaction and give up haha. It's not THAT bad, but one thing I also really missed was the lack of routine. Working any day, somewhere between 9-8, any length of shift, any number of hours in the month, and also never being guaranteed the day off unless you had holidays booked as rosters change, people get sick etc. That was harder for me than any of the difficult customers.

Tasden

berger89 wrote: »

It is not my fault if I have to follow practice and policy and procedure.

Only until the customer asks for a manager and then said manager acts like you're an incompetent fool and of course the customer is entitled to x, y and z.

Streetwalker

Worked in it for years but didn't find it challenging at all. Seems to attract a lot of societies laziest arseholes. Wouldn't ever go back to it.

suicide_circus

Myla Faithful Earth wrote: »

Sorry for interrupting the circlejerk, man. Return to patting each other on the back because some spoiled middle-class people sometimes say mean things to you in a shop. Real Labours of Hercules stuff there.

I'm not saying it's hard, I'm saying it's crap. Perhaps you'd like to teach some hotel cleaners to whistle while they work?

Jen Pigs Fly

Streetwalker wrote: »

Worked in it for years but didn't find it challenging at all. Seems to attract a lot of societies laziest arseholes. Wouldn't ever go back to it.

I found floor and cashier work grand and thought the exact same thing, as soon as I went up the levels I know longer think that. You need a very thick skin to be able to deal with the constant abuse and you need to be ruthless.