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Remember the Retailers
Friday, December 22nd, 2006 by JujitsuPrincessSomeone wants to return something, and they blame you personally forthe product’s malfunction. The register runs out of tape. Someone tries to shoplift. That woman’s baby keeps screaming, and she doesn’t even seem to notice. The item someone wants to buy in a hurry doesn’t have a UPC symbol and you don’t know how much it costs. You stand on your feet for hours at a time.
Such is the life working in a retail store. Retail work is full of the unexpected, and an interaction with all sorts of humanity. If you have ever worked in retail, then I’m sure you can relate and tell stories. The holiday season is an intense season for retail. There is a push to sell, sell, sell, and swarms of shoppers who are usually in a hurry. While some of us may be retail workers this season, all of us — unless we have servants or very loving spouses — are persons who will go shopping. Even if you managed to buy everything online for the holidays, you may still have to set foot in a retail store to return something after you receive your gifts this year. So, when you shop, do you think about your retail worker?
This is a season where the homeless and less fortunate are remembered. I hope the retail workers are remembered, too. I don’t know of any retail workers who are homeless, but many of them are among the less fortunate. For some, the retail work is their bread and butter. For some, it is the extra income they need to pay for education, or care for their children. They are working extra hours, dealing with hectic schedules, and constantly processing new information. Any error on their part causes hassle for the customer, so they must be vigilant or they will get an earful.
Some of the retail workers may forget to smile, but that doesn’t mean that you have to. In fact, if you can do anything to add a smile that’s missing from the face of a retail worker this season, you’ll be sure to have a better shopping experience, even if the line is long.
