Confessions of a Retail Reject

  In retail you'll encounter two types of customers. Ones who come in, conduct their business in a respectful manner and leave. Everyone else. As I mentioned in the previous entry, they train you on how to be cashier but they don't train you on how to deal with customers (maybe they do now, but they didn't back when I started.) And to say that I was unprepared for the different types of people I would encounter as a retail worker, would actually be pretty accurate. Rude Customer This is a given. If you have been alive for just under two decades and not isolated from the rest of civilization, then you know that people can be rude. You might have been guilty of this yourself, I know I have. This is one of the reasons why I never wanted to work in retail. When I was a kid, my dad had given me and my sister and brother money to buy bubble gum that was on sale. And while we waited in line, the customer ahead of us was chatting with the cashier. My father grew impatient and curse...

  Orientation-- at least for me-- lasted only two days. Day 1: We watched two videos. The first was a brief history about the store and who founded the store and where the name of the store comes from. This is the part where they puff their chest and show what a great company they are. The second video regarded loss prevention. After working in retail for years, I should point out that such videos are only partially true. What the video got right? Teenagers steal Co-workers might steal What the video got wrong? Men in suits are not going to steal bags of candy Co-workers are not likely to adjust the price for an item for friends or family. What the video forgot to include? Shoplifters usually look like shoplifters Shoplifters usually behave like shoplifters They're usually not pleasant people who are easily deterred by friendly customer service. They will be aggressive and mean and if they have to be, they will be violent. It's one of many things they don't teach you during...