Working in retail can be a good experience for a first time job, but after awhile it becomes the most irritating job you think you’ve ever worked. The short hours to hang clothes and only making minimum wage just doesn’t cut it anymore. I’m talking about that 4-8 p.m. shift in your town’s mall that makes you count down every minute until it’s over. Every girl thinks that getting a retail job is the best thing because of all the clothes, right? Think again.
1. The annoying customer. One time I had a lady who made me pull at least 30 jeans down from the shelves and take them all to the dressing room. Every pair her daughter tried on did not fit and she ended up storming out of the store. I wanted to say, “thanks for wasting hours of my shift.”
2. People who leave all of their clothes in the dressing rooms. There are people who stand outside of the dressing rooms for a reason, and that is to take the clothes you do not want.
3. When it’s that time of the year for a new floor set. Your hour’s spike from 4-8 p.m. to 4 to midnight taking down all of the seasons clothes and putting up for the next season. Not to mention, rearranging everything just to make the store look better. And why do winter clothes come out in August? Can anybody let me live the last summer days without thinking of a blizzard?
4. Coupon crazy lady. “You know, let me look in my purse for that 5% off coupon, I know I have it somewhere!” Next thing you know the line is backed up with 10 angry people waiting to pay and she still can’t find the coupon.
5. The one’s who throw clothes back wherever they please. It’s the end of the day and you are sorting through all of the racks then realize there are 10 large jackets stuffed into the t-shirt section. Does it really take that long to hang clothes up where they belong? Help an employee out!
6. Your drawer coming up short. That awkward moment when it’s been an hour past closing and you’ve counted your drawer about 15 times and you are still coming up $6 short. This has to be the most annoying and nerve-wracking feeling. A closing shift is bad enough and coming up short tops it off.
7. Your manager taking their job way too seriously. So many times in my retail experiences did I want to say, “Listen, I’m here to make money to buy myself some pizza, not for a career. I’m sorry that I still have no idea where the purses go.” My manager would have never understood and I would have been fired to say the least. But I’m sure you all know where I’m coming from.
8. Holding back the urge to buy every new item that just came in. Even though I buy a new article of clothing once a week I still felt the need to buy the new clothes that come into my store and once you know it, you’re entire paycheck just went to buying the entire new spring collection.
9. The awful store perfume scents that your manager thinks smell good but it actually makes your eyes water for your entire shift. One time I was in the midst of folding clothes and I spotted my manager running around with a perfume bottle spraying at least 10 squirts on each area of clothing. I was confused and a little angry and thought to myself, “Wow, people are going to pass out just walking in here.”
10. Having to buy the clothes from the store you work at just to wear it to work in. When I worked for Hollister & Co., I was required to buy the clothing from their store just to work in. Remind you I was 17 and grew out of the Hollister phase, so this was brutal. Spending $100 on clothes I’ll only wear to work was a little extreme.
11. Customers who think there is an entire store in the back room. Most of the time what a store puts out on the floor, is everything they have, especially when it comes to clothing. Once in awhile you’ll get that customer who says, “Really, there’s nothing in the back?” Yes, there is nothing in the back.
12. When people mess up the entire pile of clothes you just folded. I’ve watched so many piles of clothes be destroyed right before my eyes after taking the time to fold them for a good half hour.
13. The one employee who always calls off work and leaves you to be called in. There is always that one person who seems to have the flu almost every one of their shifts. C’mon, really? Next time you text me to take your shift I will not hesitate to decline.