This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Scranton chapter.
As someone who has been working in retail for over three years, I can honestly say it is one of the most stressful yet rewarding part-time jobs someone can have. Depending on the store you work at, it can be a fast-paced environment that challenges you to always be on your toes. I worked at American Eagle for two years, and then switched over to Victoria’s Secret PINK and have been there for over a year and a half. Both stores are located in the King of Prussia Mall; the second biggest mall in square area and biggest in retail space. Listed below are 15 things that I believe every retail worker has experienced!
- Black Friday madness
- When you tell a customer that there is none of the product they want left and they still make you check in the back because they think you’re just being lazy
- When you spend an hour reorganizing a clothing fixture and walk away only to find a customer messing it up five minutes later
- When you hold out your hand for them to give you the money at the cash register and they put it on the counter instead
- When the customer starts yelling at you about the promotions (that aren’t in your control) and you have to sit there and listen
- When a customer attempts to return something that’s worn and over a year old and insists that he/she gets money back
- Spending your paycheck as soon as you get it because there’s a staff discount on the clothes
- When the phone rings while you’re checking out a customer
- When it’s a Monday morning so no one is shopping but your manager still wants you to be super productive
- Being forced to greet customers even though you mutually hate it
- When the store closes at 10 and a customer walks in at 9:58
- When a customer hands you a bundle of clothes that they aren’t purchasing without saying a word and walk away
- Having a half hour break, therefore having to run to get your food and run back to the store, all the while being stuck behind slow mall goers.
- When a customer asks, “Do you work here?” when you are clearly wearing a nametag, a headset and you’re folding clothes.
- “Oh it’s not scanning? Guess it’s free then!”
- And finally, when your manager says you can go home early