The title of this entry is something I saw on a t-shirt of one of the customers walking through the retail store where I’m working the holiday season. It was a perfect shirt to be wearing the other night. I laughed to myself as soon as she came into view. She also walked right past me and on into the mall after I smiled and welcomed her into the store, telling her about the sales we had going on. Working retail is the most thankless job.
I can’t wait to put in my two week’s notice, and I hope I’m able to do that before I get fired! You think I’m joking, but I’m not.
I’m not cut out for busy, busy retail and “performing” for the general public. Don’t get me wrong, I love talking with people, but I am easily addled (though I don’t show it on the outside) and distracted by so many noises, motions and other things going on around me and the walkie-talkie in my ear. I’m much better in a focused environment where I can get into a flow state.
Yesterday I clocked in and made my way to the register where there is a pantry of sorts that houses our “devices” that we need to do our jobs on the sales floor: an iphone that’s rigged to research inventory and back stock as well as added features to take credit cards so we can make a sale on the fly (think Apple Store) as well as the walkie-talkie so that we can listen to the manager on the floor bark orders and “inspiration” at the same time we are trying to talk with customers about the product…
Anyway, I was behind the register grabbing my tools when the manager on the floor asked me to check out the woman who was waiting while talking with another sales associate. I was sort of in a hurry and trying to make small talk with the customer at the same time. She’d picked out a beautiful shirt and a stunning (and expensive hat). I took off all of the security tags, checked her out and then delicately packed her shirt and hat into two separate shopping bags. She walked out very, VERY happy.
The manager then came up to my register and tapped away at the screen and a receipt shot out of the printer. He looked at the receipt and said, “Yeah. I thought that might have happened…do you realize you didn’t charge that lady for the hat?”
Um. WHAT?!
He then did a search on the screen for the hat.
It was a THREE HUNDRED DOLLAR HAT.
I looked at the manager, mortified. Tears welled up in my eyes. I felt like a child who’d done something awfully, awfully wrong.
I apologized a million times and told him that I don’t know what happened! I got distracted trying to wrap up the hat so beautifully (we don’t have hat boxes so the wrapping wasn’t easy). I tearfully said I felt like throwing up. And I even said I’m probably going to get fired for that (the manager is not the GM - so he wouldn’t be the one doing the firing, but still).
I’m costing the company more than I’m making! What am I even doing?
Anybody want free product??? Come visit me at the store!
Merry freebies,
GS
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