As someone with very little patience, it's a wonder I've managed to work in retail for the past six years. The assumption that retail is an easy job could not be further from the truth. Only those of us who have worked in this sector will ever understand and only we, will have experienced the weird and wonderful requests of the general public. We are prepared for questions such as "I'm looking for blue jeans, not blue-blue but more bluuuuey-blue" or "do you still have that black leather jacket, you know, that leather one that's black". Shoppers never cease to amaze me!!
I do love working in a high street clothing store - no day is ever the same, and you do have to expect the unexpected. On a daily basis you are caught off guard and there's always one customer who will put you in a position that you've never been in before ... like the day a middle aged gentleman asked me to check inside the waistband of his boxers to find out his size ...! Despite these weird and wonderful requests, you do get a sense of satisfaction when the customer leaves with their perfect outfit for the weekend, even though you're mourning the loss of your weekend to another day in the shop! The laughs you get really do make it a bit easier!
In my experience, male and female customers shop very differently. I have dealt with both types of customer and I can honestly say that men are the easiest but the fussiest! They range from one extreme to the other ... a man who knows what he wants but cant perfect the image they're looking for (usually Joey Essex or someone of a similar calibre ... the look of most males between the ages of 18-25), or one who wants an outfit but doesn't know what and doesn't even know his size! Generally, a man usually requires you to pick the outfit for him to wear to the wedding he's attending in 45 minutes, and will take the first thing you suggest. Us women however, are slightly more organised and prepared. We know exactly what we are looking for and our role as a sales assistant seems more to be to compliment, not to suggest. If the customer tries on a pink dress and a red dress, she will always pick the one she likes best, even if you tell her she looked fabulous in the other one. A man will completely trust your opinion as long as he thinks he'll pull in whatever you put him in!
Christmas in retail is a nightmare! Customers are stressed and are, by no means, in high spirits! It is the end of the world if you don't have a size they're looking for and there is nothing worse than explaining something is completely sold out! Boxing day sales are something I would not wish on anyone ... a modern day apocalypse. People are frantic and fight over that one t-shirt in a small that has £1.99 knocked off the price!! Things get so desperate that my role of sales assistant was once changed to babysitter when I found a 2 year old boy asleep in a pile of clothes ... his mum had clearly been caught up in the bargains and had mistaken the shop for a creche! Madness!
I always wish I could have a peek in some people's wardrobes ... judging by the state of the clothes we find in the fitting rooms, this would be a very interesting experience! They are usually on the fitting room floor, inside out and in a ball, or hung up with a trouser leg through the hanger hook and a shirt hanging randomly by the collar or through a button hole. Every shop has a serial dumper customer who you are always ready to clear up after!
The perks of the job do stack up too, despite the chaos and challenges. Discounts, first peeks at new stock and generally chatting to people about what they're buying. Your regular customers know you well and trust your judgement, and actually do have some sense of pity for the lost weekends stolen by the shop!
On behalf of all retail employees, I ask you that the next time you see us folding a table full of clothes, ask for help instead of causing more mountains of mess, at least attempt to hang up clothes, and just keep that one penny change instead of leaving it on the cash desk for us to dispose of. I'd be worth a fortune if I was actually allowed to keep the penny change, like you suggest!! Just spare a thought for us lot who give up our weekends, bank holidays and Christmas time to help you perfect your shopping experience and your image!! I will help you chose an outfit, and I do enjoy what I do so have some understanding and work with us, not against us!
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