The thoughts of a retail worker

The thing I don't understand about retail is mainly how badly we can treat each other. In my 11 years in retail, its just been getting worse and worse.

Don't get me wrong. I understand sometimes we are inconvenienced and I know it sucks. When it makes it even harder to do what we as people need to get done. Why take it out on the associate? They can't control anything more than you can. Why ruin their day just because you couldn't get what you want.

I can't tell you how many times I've been yelled at just because we didn't have the item or just because we weren't able to accommodate to a request. Yes, we want to make sure you get what you need, but if we don't have something, I can't just make it magically appear because you need it. That would be nice wouldn't it?

I've had a customer get mad over me not changing his phone plan for him. At the time our manager had just stopped us from doing anything with the phones other than selling them. So no activations or anything similar to that. So when I explained just that, he wouldn't take no for an answer. Just convinced himself that I just didn't want to do that for him and knew nothing about the phones. All the while, explaining to him the process in depth for him. He ended up leaving the store very angry and leaving behind a few explicative words behind.

That was just one of the many stories I could tell. All for something he was able to do on his own. Most people could say I should have just went ahead and did it for him. What would that solve? Yeah the one customer would have be happy and taken care of. At the cost of the others behind him being angry for the super long wait. (That was the reason the current manager at the time told us to specifically stop activating phones.)

That leads me to the part I really don't understand. There is a saying, "You can catch more bees with honey, than with vinegar. From my experience, that saying holds true. If you're civil, odds are, people can work with you to get the results you want? Right? Of course, I'm not speaking for the people who are being lazy and not wanting to work. That's a whole different conversation in and of itself. I'm talking about the stuff we can't control. When did we, as a people, stop treating each other with respect. That was a common curtesy, wasn't it? At least until its time to not. When does a job define the person? They are working to make a living like everyone else and they are being paid minimum wage. They don't get paid enough for people to disrespect them and treat them like trash.

And it doesn't seem to be getting better.
Everyday, I look at the customers and while most of them are cool, there is always one or two who think they are more entitled than the rest of us. While I will always apologize for the wait, I can't stand people who think they are more important then the man/woman next to them. That they don't have to wait just like everyone else. Or think you don't know how to do something just because of your gender.

I've had a few instances where I've had men try to push their weight around trying to get their way, or a few women specifically asking for a man to help them in electronics just because a man would understand it more. Please enlighten me. What does my gender have anything to do with my experiences with what interests me? Explain how doing my job for so long means I don't know how to do it, or know what my job entails? Or even having a retail job means the person isn't smart enough to perform that job or doesn't have a "high enough IQ" to be able to help solve the problem.

Be kind to your retail associates and waiters/waitresses. I promise the result will be worth the patience and everyone wins.

The customers have a big role to play too! While, yes, our job is to serve our customers. The customers can also stand up for the associates who can't defend themselves. That would make a life long impression on the associate. If you see an associate or server or someone in the retail scene struggling with another customer. You can step in and help defend them. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying to go straight into it and start a fist fight. Help mediate the situation. Or call the other customer out if they are getting too carried away. Don't let people bully others. In the end, it doesn't change anything and wastes everyone's time.

In closing, show everyone the respect they deserve. We are one people all trying to do the same thing and make a living in this world. Why make it harder for your neighbor? Because of their race? Gender? Why does that matter? We all bleed the same. My blood is the same as yours. Everyone is created equal. That's a belief that we need to continue to nurture and remind others that it exists. Hate only creates more hate. The only thing that can defeat that hate is love.

Much love to you all!