“Here’s my credit card, do whatever, I’m going to Starbucks.” Actual customer quote.
I’ve recently started working at a stationary store located right off the infamous Rodeo Drive. Working by Channel, BVLGARI and Salvatore Ferragamo, brings interesting customers in on a daily basis. Behind the “glitz and glam” of L.A., are the not so glamorous lives of all the retail employees. And while every retail job is virtually the same, working in Beverly Hills has its own quirks. Sometimes it’s dealing with stressed-out personal assistants or keeping the dogs of Beverly Hills from slobbering on our products. Either way you KNOW you work in Beverly Hills when…
A customer’s purchases could pay your student loans off.
Honestly, I feel semi-guilty half the time I’m at work. A lot of our products are incredibly over-priced; I’m talking $10 for your standard chocolate bar. I always feel that when I’m ringing up a customer’s purchase they are going to comment on its price. Especially when we’re wrapping their gifts, on average it’s a $30 job.
But then, I see the gifts they want us to wrap and I’m shocked. I’ve seen full outfits from Yves Saint Laurent, Rolex watches and Gucci loafers come in. Most recently, a personal assistant brought in four Tiffany & Co photo frames, valued at $650 each, and then sent her personal assistant out to buy four more. All I could think of was how I could pay my bills with just one of those frames.
A customer can be both a big spender and stingy.
This is probably the most confusing thing I’ve noticed. A customer will come in with hundreds of dollars’ worth of items but then they’ll hesitate to buy a five dollar add on. For example, a man came in looking for a box to mail a card in. This card which he was using to mail a check in was almost $40. However, he was adamant that he didn’t want to pay our store to make a five dollar bow for him. My eye still twitches from that one.
You get free stuff.
My store specifically has rules on what you can accept from customers; because some will want to give rather extravagant gifts. Similarly, promoters are constantly coming in to L.A. to sell their products. And what better way to market them then by giving away free samples. I’ve seen my managers receive everything from t-shirts to cardigans to makeup. I actually was gifted a knitted tote bag by a brand that designs the shopping bags for Marc Jacobs.
You see dogs, every day.
Probably the best part of working in Beverly Hills, is how socially acceptable it is to bring a dog into a store. We even have a jar of treats for the pups under the counter. Back home, there’s no way I could bring my 90lb Doberman into a craft store, but in Beverly Hills it’s the norm. Dogs of all shapes and sizes casually walk through the store, sometimes even pushed in strollers. And while our product is always in danger of being chewed on, there’s nothing better than feeding them gluten free, locally sourced made with organic produce, dog treat.
Retail jobs can be crazy, and that craziness is no doubt elevated working with so many high-profile clients. But sometimes you just gotta buy a ten dollar chocolate bar, and deal with it.
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