10 Things Anyone Working In Retail Can Relate To

These are the most annoying things that happen to anyone working in retail. If you work in retail, you can most definitely relate to these!

I have worked in retail on and off for 6 years, and I can safely say that it has its ups and downs; I am sure anybody who has worked in retail can agree. Everybody has dealt with an annoying customer and everybody has had their fair share of struggles. So here are 10 things anybody working in retail can relate to.

1. Customers think they are always right

No matter how hard customers try, they are never right. I know time and time again you are told the customer is ALWAYS right but no, no they’re not. Most of the time they know they are wrong as well which always makes me laugh. Normally they lie to get their own way, like if they say they found makeup on the item rather than saying they got makeup on it themselves.

2. Fixing a table of items just to have it ruined by a customer in 5 seconds

I am sure that everyone can relate to this one. You spend your time tidying up the shoe section, only to find it destroyed in 5 minutes. All you hard work will be ruined and there’s odd shoes scattered across the floor and shelves. If you’re lucky there will even be shoes put back in the wrong places. And what’s worse is you will then get the blame.

3. Trying to handle to drama of black Friday

When working in retail, Black Friday is absolute carnage and is even worse than any sale. Customers are so savage and will stop at nothing to get their bargains.

4. Rearranging the store to fit new stock

As soon as new stock comes in you know you are in for a treat: rearranging the shop floor. This is at its worse when you go from summer season to winter season as you need to try and make room for all the new knitwear and shoes that are way chunkier than the summer-wear.

5. Trying to keep the stock room tidy

Stock rooms have always been the bane of my life as there are certain sales assistants who refuse to stick to protocol and put stock back wherever they want. Everyone knows that stock has specific places to sit in the stock room and if you mess it up you are Satan.

6. Delivery

This one needs no explanation. Delivery ruins everyone’s lives because it means you have to stop whatever you are doing to not only answer the door and sign the delivery man’s paperwork, but you need to unpack all the boxes and packages. I once had a delivery of 22 boxes and trust me it took forever.

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7. No matter how much you mop the floor is always dirty

I don’t know what is on customers shoes but no matter how many times I mop the shop floor, it is constantly covered in a grey dull layer of trodden grime. It is like there is a constant shadow lying on the floor of the shop. What makes it worse is it is mainly down the centre of the shop where there is the most footfall; which means customers can see where is clean and where is not.

8. The sale section looking a mess

Any sale section always look like a jumble sale; I don’t know why as the only difference in the products is the price. This is seriously one of the most annoying things about working in retail.

9. When someone says they want to speak to the manager and the manager repeats everything you said

Unfortunately I think more people can relate to this one. A customer walks in complaining and you provide them with all the answers only, for them to then request to speak to the manager as they don’t believe you. Almost every time though the manager will say the exact same as you. It isn’t all bad though as in your head you get to think “I told you so”.

10.When you know every song on the radio as they play on repeat

I don’t know why head office want to torture their sales assistants by playing the same music on repeat. I now know every word to every song.