Lessons from Working in Retail

This summer I worked as a Sales Associate in my local mall. I figured it'd be great experience, both as something to put on my then blank resume, and also as an opportunity to come out of my shell a little bit. All of my friends had told me that retail was the worst, because you had to deal with unhappy customers. However, its dealing with those difficult customers that has made me a better communicator, by following these tips:

• Keep cool under pressure- When I first started working, I was terrified of working the cash register, as math has never been my strongest point, and I didn't want to make a mistake. But its when you're scrambling to make the customer happy that you make the biggest mistakes. Take your time, do it right, and the customer won't have anything to be upset about. Most importantly, don't be afraid to make a mistake. It's only a problem when you don't learn from your mistakes.


• Never assume- Marketing in stores change constantly, making it hard to keep up with promotions. I have often lost track of them myself and am forced to ask a manager. When I later apologized for asking so many questions, my manager interjected. She told me that it was always better to ask first, rather than assume and do something the wrong way, making it harder to fix than it would have been if I had just asked for help in the first place.


• Be positive- When you do get a difficult customer who you just can't seem to please, accept it. Don't beat yourself up for it, it wasn't your fault. Just be the best you that you can be. If your client is taking their anger out on you, smile and offer the best service you can. That way, you know that you put your best foot forward.

Have you ever worked in retail? How did you handle unhappy clients? Let us know!