Working Retail Sucks!

[saturnfan]

I first started working at a grocery store when I was 16 and they had a pretty sufficient training program. Me and this other kid had to go through an entire 8 hour day of touring the store, reading and going over the employee hand book and practicing on register. Our register systems were severally out of date, so transactions requiring checks, food stamps and wic checks were overly complicated to process. Then the next day, we had to go through another 1-2 hours of refreshment before being placed on register for real. The whole thing was probably a little excessive, but effective.

Later on, I moved to the grocery department and my "training" for that was that the stock crew just worked overstaffed for a week or two and just showed me the basics. Nothing too drastic.

My last retail experience is I also worked for a liquor store for a few years. My first day I was just told to get to work and received no instruction. It was basically just stocking and keeping the sales floor presentable, but it took a few weeks to know approximately were everything went. (Liquor stores are usually low volume, high variety).

[BurningDoom]

My high school jobs were retail. Great for a high school job, horrible for paying the bills I'd imagine. You're pretty much guaranteed to work only part-time unless you're some level of management or sucking off the manager. And it sucks how many places hours they have available are directly in correlation to the amount of sales made. Plus zero benefits, and often split days off.

[Bikeage]

Once a week we did what was called "doing the nasty" where we changed the oil and cleaned under the fryers. Even if you were the head cook, you still went home feeling and smelling like grease.

Once a week? I worked at a chicken wing place that had one closer clean inside, outside, below, behind, and change or filter five large fryers every fucking night. Worth it in the long run though, I got longer hours, and the product looked and tasted great.... now when I go out and order something fried I can tell right away if the grease needs changing, like some white trash superpower.

Working retail is a drag, my best advice is to always take a healthy dose of patience and humility with you and leave your ego and dignity at home. Be honest and friendly with your customers, and most will be pleasant to deal with, the few who are not will be out the door soon enough, grin and bear it.

Think of it a being in a prison where the only weapons of survival are smiles and positive dialogue. The saying that a fool only proves himself as such when he speaks is the second most important rule to follow, know when to keep your mouth shut, especially among your co-workers.

Rule number one of course is that the customer is always right. Always. Even when they are wrong. Applying this insane logic to a customer service problem may be stressful, but in the end will work itself out for the customer and yourself. It's like some universal constant, like the speed of light or something.

[Luke]

Once a week?

Yup. Remember it was a BBQ joint, and orders for fries were far and few between. Pork, slaw, and beans was pretty much all we sold.

I've never been back there since leaving.

[Hatta]

Damn, now I crave BBQ.

[Luke]

Damn, now I crave BBQ.

I worked at a Hannah's BBQ. The stuff was mediocre at best. There's that and the fact I fucked a girl named Kelli in the freezer. Not a restaurant with perfect sanitation.

If you are ever in Eastern NC, B's BBQ has hands down the best BBQ I've ever had. All wood smoked, all food prepared fresh. In fact, if you get there after 1pm, there is a good bet they're sold out.

[AppleQueso]

My high school jobs were retail. Great for a high school job, horrible for paying the bills I'd imagine. You're pretty much guaranteed to work only part-time unless you're some level of management or sucking off the manager. And it sucks how many places hours they have available are directly in correlation to the amount of sales made. Plus zero benefits, and often split days off.

...or working overnight.

[Pabstblueribbon]

Retail is bullcrap. I just found out last night that the Lowes im working at is closing down, i have a month left and then im totally screwed. If i were you, i would call someone outside of your store in whatever company and pitch a fit about not being trained properly and then being written up. thats a load of crap. Retail is so lame, its all about managers stepping on everyone to get to the top and they expect you to work your ass off for low wages and get everything right the first time.

So yeah, fuck retail.

[Czernobog]

I still work retail jobs, and have on and off for years. They're usually horrible. Best one I ever had was Hollywood Video because the store was tiny and we all got along great.

Even though I have my Bachelor's, I can't find consistent work anywhere and most places I apply within my field want to pay me with experience instead of money. Annoying considering I already have experience and they won't accept it as currency for my loan payments. So actually part-time minimum wage retail is better than some of the jobs that want me to have my degree.

[MrPopo]

There's that and the fact I fucked a girl named Kelli in the freezer. Not a restaurant with perfect sanitation.

Your burning passion kept you warm?