RETAIL - What would you change?

  I have worked in retail for 12 years coming November, and I have loved every minute of it, even the bad ones because every bad one taught me something valuable. My blog will be written about what it is like to work in retail, specifically in a ladies clothing store. To regular customers that have never worked in a shop selling ladies fashions this may not sound exciting for you to waste time reading and could upset regular mall shopppers. To anyone that has shared the experience of sorority girls shopping for thirsty thursday outfits or moms literally going ballistic on you because we don't have her daughter's size in the only shirt she seems to want out the other 1,000 shirts carried in the store. YOU WILL LOVE THIS!! Stories of any sort I welcome and I am sure others do too. So for the beginning of this blog I took a casual survey of my coworkers and friends and asked, 

"If there was one thing you could change about working in retail what would it be?"

We want to ba able to talk to customers how we want.

Though we understand that this is never possible because we would no longer have jobs, it would be nice t be able to treat customers the way they treat us. We all know we could never do that because it would lead to failing business among many other things, so if you are reading this and your are a bad customer do not fear we will still be nice.  Question this, why is it ok for customers to have no manners and we still have to smile and be polite even though a customer may have hurt your feelings so bad that you want to run and cry, but all you do is smile and say have a nice day. I once had a lady come into the plus size clothing store I was working in and buy some items I helped her pick out. As I checked her out she asked me, "Do you ever get tired of being that fat? I mean I just feel its disgusting." Really??? I replied no I am great, I have always been this way and I feel good about myself. Thanks, have a nice day... Then I walked to the bathroom to calm down because what I would have said, "Your mouth is disgusting, sorry you hate yourself. Thank you, have a nice day."

We want a better discount.

  Really anything less that 30% is just a smack in the face. Just like other jobs, managers of retail stores, we spend more time there than we do with our families. We are all expected to be fashionable and look the part, and be up on the next new thing. This would be so much better if we could just have more discount and would boost morale so much! Not to mention make more money for the store.

Black FRIDAY and HOURS

  Do we really need to be open 24 hours for BLACK FRIDAY??? What about our holidays?? All corporate employees are off throughout the holidays. I am not saying we shouldn't be open, but maybe be open 8a.m. to 11p.m. instead of 12a.m. to 11p.m.? Really???? 

  We could also go on and on about how the mall managers make us tromp through the most dangerous conditions to come to work and just stand there because no on is out shopping, they are all home and safe. What a waste of money for everyone. Just to let everyone know that when a store doesn't open on time that store gets a fine. The fine is determined if the mall is open the stores should be too. So someone has to go in when the roads are iced over to open risking their life and their cars life to make it there so the store doesn't get a fine and so no one gets in trouble with corporate for not opening.

THE BEST IDEA: Opening at 12 on weekdays would save a substaintial amount of money for companies and the malls. That is still 70 good shopping hours compared to 82. If you can't do your shopping in 70 hours I recommend a thing called the internet because we don't want your crazy butt at the mall anyway.

The truth is that there is never a dull moment in retail, and I am very excited about this blog. I wonder what will happen this week at work.....