Random Retail

[kuda]

Last week I was doing a return for a lady.  She said, "I was here the
last two days andyou weren't."  There was another lady standing behind
her.  Second lady says,"Tuesdays and Weds are her days off." That
happens quite often.   People know my schedule and plan around it
for their returns. 

A woman freaked out last year when I took a week off.  She thought I
had quit my job. She questioned my co-workers about it. LOL!

We had a new Koger open up down the street this week.  Our business
was very slow.  I decided to check out the new store on my day off.  I
wasn't in the store five minutes when a woman stopped me and questioned
why I was there.  She said I should only shop my own store.  She was joking I
know, but it made me uncomfortable while I wasthere. I kept expecting someone
to stop me again.  A few did give me looks like they thought they knew me, but
didn't say anything.

A few weeks ago, my store manager was at Guest Services looking for something.
A guest asked me if I ever got to go home.  It pissed off the SM.  He said that yes I
got to go home and even had two days off a week.  He is sort of a jerk.  This is his
first store and he is under a lot of pressure.  He takes it out on the workers.

Our HR person told me he got a call about me.  Said the woman told him she knew I
had worked therefor a very long time and did a great job.  She just wanted to let him
know.  He was laughing when he told me.  He is often around when I help people and
commented he knows I do a great job.

Last week our Asset Protection patted me on the shoulder as he walked by.  He said
he was blessed having me work with him. Sometimes just small moments make this
horrible job worthwhile.

Comments

[lifefailsme.livejournal.com]

That's lovely people do that, plan when you will be there, very, very cool! :D

[kudagirl.livejournal.com]

This happened when I work in a different retailer when running a layaway section. People like a personal touch and it brings them back.

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

That's wonderful. Not that your immediate boss is a jerk, but that so many customers and co-workers know and comment on how good you are at your job. It may be a crappy job, but it seems you are able to keep that from showing through as you deal with people. Good for you!

ETA: on the other hand, I'm having a hard time imagining having had to go to customer service so often that I recognize the employees there.... :)

[kudagirl.livejournal.com]

They just don't come to return things. They pay their account, ask questions, and just come by to say hi. There are two families who have twins. The moms shopped with us when they were carrying the babies and now they are three and four years old. I watched the babies grow up and adore them.

Yes, Store Manager is a jerk. Lately he has quietened down a bit. His district manager got an new manager who raked them both over for the way they act. Course that flows down hill. We get pressured when they get pressured.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Our HR person told me he got a call about me. Said the woman told him she knew I
had worked therefor a very long time and did a great job. She just wanted to let him
know.

That was wonderful of her to do that because not many people do. It's always easier to complain.

I used to watch my mom make a point of complimenting employees who helped her, and speaking to their managers to directly to pass on the compliment; but it really hit home for me when I was talking to the owner of a new restaurant and praised the meal, the servers, etc and their face just lit up like a Christmas tree. It was just - wow, and so easy to make someone's day. It doesn't take much.

[kudagirl.livejournal.com]

Mostly managers meet the unhappy people. The ones with a complaint. So it's nice to hear good things. It really makes my day when I can please someone and they tell it to a manager.

A different retail store opened up the road. A customer came in and complained how rude those people were to her when she did a return. We try very hard to make returns easy and right for the customer. It isn't always easy.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Mostly managers meet the unhappy people. The ones with a complaint. So it's nice to hear good things.

That is exactly what that restaurant owner told me. So I try to be really mindful about handing out compliments.

I very miss being employed but I can't say I miss retail particularly.

[kudagirl.livejournal.com]

Retail is hell. You do your best and seldom does anyone praise you or your work. It's all that I've done since I was sixteen. I set aside my college and career to be a mom. Stupidest thing I ever did. I loved my kids, but I would advise any woman to get an education so she won't be left with limited options if things don't work out in any relationship.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Retail is hell. My mom did it for years - thanklessly of course, 60-70 hours a week until she dropped, bringing work home and no one gave a damn. Hard work doesn't win a woman praise or raises or promotions; being able to network and be what they want you to be does. (I've made the same mistake, sadly.)

Unfortunately, I did go to college and sometimes I think it didn't do me any good career wise. But then I didn't have a career track in mind (or rather I lacked self-confidence to do what I really wanted to do, then I couldn't decide and then I got sick with lupus etc and had to make a choice between grad school and being able to pay rent. I made a lot of choices along the way that seemed necessary at the time, especially because of health or finances, that I wish I could undo. I wanted to thrive and be successful; at best I can say I've survived, but otherwise I've made a hash of my life.)

I think you're right though that in general having an education is very important for women; these last 20 or 30 years have been very bad economically unless you're quite well off; the population is constantly growing and jobs are shrinking. (the telemarketing jobs that got me through college have been sent overseas.)

I'd also advise women to maintain friendships and interests outside of the home and their relationship. I saw my mom's life limited to her husbands, kids and then later work, with no connections outside of that; and I fell into the same trap (even though I don't have kids and I'm in a lesbian relationship.) Becoming "just" a "mom" or "just" a "wife", cutting ourselves off is fatal.

But you can't force someone to be good at networking or making friends, etc if it's not natural to them. It has to be cultivated and practiced over time

[kudagirl.livejournal.com]

Well, I was married for twenty years. I stopped going to college and even working because of my oldest. He had asthma so bad. He was in and out of the hospital so much. His dad was military so I was often a single parent. When the boys left school, I went back to work. I went back to retail since it was all I knew. I don't do well with some managers because I want to follow the polices the company sets, but the managers want to twist them to get more sales. I'm the one who has to deal with the customers so it drives me crazy when a manager says, "Oh, just do it this time."

I've enjoyed my life so much more since I got divorced. I've traveled and done what I wanted with no one to answer to about it.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I don't do well with some managers because I want to follow the polices the company sets, but the managers want to twist them to get more sales.

I've found in a lot of jobs it's the relationships with other employees and people that make or break it.

Managers - yeah, being subject to their whims is not fun. The last manager I had in retail stopped giving me hours at the store in preference for a new person - who was already in the Navy. (As was my manager's husband.) For me it was rent, for her it was pin money; she already had a job. I got unemployment afterwards but it really was awful. (Don't get me started on the manager I had in the Census job. I think I'm still feeling the scars.)

I've enjoyed my life so much more since I got divorced. I've traveled and done what I wanted with no one to answer to about it.

I've known several women in midlife and later who have said that - their lives got better afterwards. I'm glad to hear that's the case for you. Marriage benefits men the most - traditionally. I've read a recent study that suggests that amoung new marrieds in their 20's, responsibilities for housecare and childcare are becoming more equal, but that's one study (I don't know who responded, I suspect mostly middle class & college educated.) but that's still heartening and I hope that trend continues.

[silverusagi]

She said I should only shop my own store. She was joking I
know, but it made me uncomfortable while I was there.

When I worked at Kohl's, I always felt awkward about shopping at the store, lol. And I have no idea why, since I worked the night shift, and customers never even saw me.

[kudagirl.livejournal.com]

On my days off, I shop the same chain I work, but in a different town. I get stopped there as well. I just don't feel like I have a day off if I go into my own store.

I think it's sweet

[piggy1.livejournal.com]

I think it's sweet if someone comes look for you. It's the creepy stalkers you want to stay away from, Like my hubby,lol. He'll stop you and say " I know you from somewhere" and then start guessing. He'll start a conversation with anybody! He shows up 15 mins. later and says" didn't you remember that person he works down the street", I just laugh. You know tiff left Payless hell store. she's working at American Girl Place downtown, where they sell those cute dolls. She's got a lot of retail horror stories and she's only been there a month and a half. She works with all the uppity downtown people and tourist.FUN

Re: I think it's sweet

[kudagirl.livejournal.com]

People stop me all the time saying they know me from somewhere. I guess I just have that look.

My first job was selling shoes. Way back when you sat on a little stool and took off the customer's shoe and put one on them. I've seen some very ugly and smelly feet in my time.

The more expensive a store is, the snottier the people are who shop there. Seems like they look down their noses at clerks.

Today I was busy and a manager was helping me. A woman wanted us to match a price for a store where you had to have their card to get the sale price. The manager said we don't price match those. The woman got all snarly and said why not. The home office sets the policies. We don't, we just follow them. Glad he got her instead of me.