How To Survive Working In Retail?*

Hey, Everyone!

A lot of you know that I work retail and for those of you who don't know I've been working as a cashier at my local grocery store for 3 years. I know I've devoted 3 years of my life to retail, but its the money that counts really. I'm sure a lot of you have heard that "retail is hell" and sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn't. I've been working long enough to know how to survive all those annoying customers and long hours on your feet. Here are some tips that I've prepared if you want to get into retail.

1. Wear Insoles Inside Of Your Shoes

I wear flat shoes everywhere and I know I shouldn't, but that is what really works for me. I can't stand wearing elevated shoes whether that be a heel or an elevated sneaker because my feet hurt 10 times more those shoes. I didn't start wearing these sole pads until a couple of months ago because my feet hurt so bad and I had a lot of back from standing in flat shoes. These relieved my foot pain entirely and makes my shoes feel so much comfortable. I really recommend these or some Dr.Scholl inserts because standing on a hard surface even with rubber mats can really damage your feet and ultimately lead to health problems down the road.

2. Have A Positive Attitude

Over the past 3 years, I've seen so many people come and then quit after a short period of time. Some of them had reasons like school or family issues which is perfectly ok, but some of them gave me the answer of "I hate this job." I understand that retail is not for everyone, but you're making money out of that job. There are some days where I drag myself out the door to go to work, but I force myself to have a positive attitude. Retail is really what you make it out to be. If you have a bad attitude then your outlook on that job is going to be bad and vice versa. Your positive attitude is what is going to make or break your time in retail.

3. Be Yourself

There are lull times at my job where I look around and observe some of my coworkers and their encounters with customers. Some are so lively and charismatic, while others are so expressionless and will crack a smile once in awhile. That is not the cashier that I told myself I wouldn't be. I really like to provide the customers with a good experience so I just am myself. My coworkers have told me that I am the queen of small talk because I can start a conversation with someone in a split second and that is incredibly important in retail. Their experience will reflect on how you made them feel which they will ultimately come back based on that feeling. Be charismatic and friendly towards the customers because they will keep coming back.

4. Keep Your Cool When Dealing With An Angry Customer

These are things you really want to know. I've had my fair share of angry customers and some that made me cry (after they left of course..) and unfortunately, sometimes that will happen in retail. You'll get a customer that's having a bad day and they go off on you because they think you're not a person with feelings. A good way to deal with these customers is so speaking calmly and really keep your cool. Remember that nothing is ever your fault so don't try to take it personally unless you did a mistake which is completely understandable. If you need a manager to come deal with the situation then call a manager over because you don't get paid enough to have 40-yearear women with an orange tan and bubblegum pink lipstick yell at you. When I'm in these situations, I try to combat the issue with a smile and being polite and trying to do everything in my power to help them, but in some cases, the customer really isn't happy with the service and they just leave. NOTHING IS EVER YOUR FAULT IN RETAIL.

5. Be Friendly With Your Bosses

One thing I've learned over the years is that you need to be friendly to your bosses because they are the ones that determine if you get a raise or not. In my case, it's my store director, he runs the whole store to ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently. He's a really nice guy and he likes me as a worker so I got on his good side. This is so important because he needs to understand that you are a good worker and that he actually knows your name when looking at your face instead or your nametag. I don't think it's being a kiss-up at all if you want that raise to go get it! There is nothing wrong with being friendly with your boss because they could give you a raise, promote you, move you to a different department, etc.

*This post was sponsored by Sole Patches and powered by Brandbacker
If you would like to receive more information about Sole Patches, here is their website: https://solepatches.com/


I hope you all enjoyed this post because I really loved writing it.

To all my retail workers: you can survive, I know you can.
To all my soon to be retail workers: you can do it. It'll be scary at first, but you'll get used to it.

I hope you all had a fantastic and have a Happy Easter this weekend!