20 min blog #5

Working retail is quite a commitment.  I have a part-time job at Victoria's Secret/Pink which I started last year.  You have to have a patient mind and happy demeanor your entire shift.  In my job, we get commission, so it's super important to make sure each customer you talk to knows your name.  This way, there is friendly competition within coworkers as well to gain incentive.  It takes teamwork and some sacrifice too because everyone has to share customers equally and determine who's already talked to who, etc. Depending on what your strengths are, your title could be a generalist, a processor, or a seller.  If you're a seller, you are out on the sales floor your whole shift, selling people the items in the store.  You have to be nice, easy to talk to, and make people feel comfortable with you.  If you're a generalist, you would most likely be up at the cash wrap working registers. There, you have to have great customer service skills because you handle many different transactions to handle and things can get complicated.  You're also the last experience a customer has with the store before walking out the door. If you're a processor, you handle all things in the background.  Processors make the store look nice.  They organize all the clothes, switch floor sets around, and other jobs in the back hat keep the store running.  It is always nice to be a seller and be able to call on a processor in the back to check stock for a customer so you can get an answer immediately.  Sometimes, your patience is really tested when you get the crabby Sunday customers.  I don't know why but usually on this day people seem to be more impatient than most.  When someone is extremely rude to you, being an employee and always needing to at your best, you have to just smile and ask if they want anything else.  Dressing rooms get crazy during the busy hours.  "Go back" piles get stacked up and hard to put away because everyone is so busy, and customers are always needing your help for something when you're trying to get someone a room.  Luckily, we all have a walkie talkie system so our team can all communicate with each other to make sure everyone is getting the best service and attention possible.  I love my coworkers and my job, and even though retail is hard work, it's been very rewarding.