My First Day

My first day going into work was a very scary experience. I had never had a job before, so I had no idea what to expect. I came into the store early on a Saturday morning, and my new boss, Lawrence immediately took me into the back. We sat down at his desk and he explained to me the expectations for me in there first few weeks, and hopefully the months to follow. Lawrence explained how my first couple of shift would all be for training purposes, where I would basically shadow one of the managers, Chris, that would teach me everything he knew. It seemed pretty simple at first, but I couldn't get passed my shyness. I was super nervous and was too afraid to talk to anyone who walked in through the door, obviously an issue in a retail environment in which you need to be constantly engaging with customers. Chris allowed me the leeway to take it slow at first and observe how he did it. He was always very outgoing and friendly, and made sure that every customer knew that he would be around if they needed any assistance. Over the next couple of shifts, Chris and Lawrence worked to get me out of my shell and onto the sales floor. Little did they know, I would go from the shyest person they employed to their best and most productive salesman in only a few weeks.

Retail Sucks Sometimes

When applying for their first job, there are a couple different factors one needs to consider: chief among them being what kind of industry the applicant wants to get into. They can go into the restaurant industry, either as a server or amateur cook; they can go into the service industry and do something like car washing or landscaping; or they can go into retail. If they're like me, they chose the last option, and either love it or dread it every day. It takes a certain type of person  to be able to get into retail and give it their all. They need to be able to sell to all different kinds of people, many of whom have differing personalities and styles. They also need to be able to constantly be on alert for thieves and other shady characters. Finally, they need to be able to just shut up and smile, no matter how annoying customers can get (and believe me, they ca  get VERY annoying). Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I honest to God really do, but sometimes I have some customers who make me debate whether or not it is wise to catch a felony before I turn 18. This blog is going to be a weekly account of any strange, weird, or flat-out crazy situations I get into as a sales associate at Banana Republic. If you're not already in it, consider this insight into how retail sucks sometimes.