They built their expectations in the depths of the recession and haven't adjusted.
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For Some Reason, No One Wants Entry-Level Retail Jobs
- Thread starter Dalek
- Start date
They built their expectations in the depths of the recession and haven't adjusted.
Zoloft Sonic
Member
I believe it. At least in construction you get to do something with your hands and be around big-ass tools, and the people are pretty easy to be around. Kinda the opposite of how I imagine retail.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
You can't expect the finest performances from your mission critical assets at the lowest possible payment (and shittiest treatment) and think people will want those jobs. That type of demand is completely unrealistic for the available supply.
Particularly when said supply is dropping in growth. (not just for Western countries, but the entire world is starting to level off in terms of the increase in population. Sure, we're still more than a decade away from equilibrium between deaths and births, and then hopefully a drop, but it is happening)
Immigration is only a temporary patch for that problem. The world's economies will need automation since the human labor force is simply not going to be there anymore (and that's actually a good thing! ) in a matter of mere decades.
Particularly when said supply is dropping in growth. (not just for Western countries, but the entire world is starting to level off in terms of the increase in population. Sure, we're still more than a decade away from equilibrium between deaths and births, and then hopefully a drop, but it is happening)
Immigration is only a temporary patch for that problem. The world's economies will need automation since the human labor force is simply not going to be there anymore (and that's actually a good thing! ) in a matter of mere decades.
Nightshfit is fun. "Why isn't the item X off? The sale tag is there" Even though it's passed midnight or the tag specifically states what size or variants are available for sale. Another fun one is customers getting angry when they have like 15 cents to pay and can't pay it so they ask me to finish it for them. One got their change in their car and threw it at me yelling at me hoping for me to have the worst day of my life.
old manatee
Banned
Yeah the games they pull with shifts to make sure that everyone is working few enough hours that they won't have to receive breaks, benefits, overtime, etc.. I worked in a place that would schedule me for a 10 hour week, and one shift would be closing the store late at night and the next shift would be opening the store 5 hours later, then nothing for the rest of the week.
And knowing the types of people working management at these places, they never will adjust either.
Yeah, retail sucks. You're basically hiring kids or desperate yet competent older people at those wages and at those entry-level positions. The people who aren't kids will leave as soon as they find a better job elsewhere and the younger ones always have attendance issues. They call out all the time and they don't really care or put in much effort when they do show up. Well, aside from the rare fresh out of high school ones with good work ethic. It's just rough all around.
Higher wages would help a lot with this and make life easier on everyone involved but we all know that's not happening.
Higher wages would help a lot with this and make life easier on everyone involved but we all know that's not happening.
Dealing with customers suck, but that's not why I hated retail. It was the insane expectations, workload, and bosses that thought of you as a number instead of a person.
Customers I could deal with. Maybe a customer would ruin one day of mine in a week, meanwhile the job itself or a boss would ruin the rest of the four.
Customers I could deal with. Maybe a customer would ruin one day of mine in a week, meanwhile the job itself or a boss would ruin the rest of the four.
I'm surprised retailers haven't built their own "gig" apps that allow users to take some training videos and then sell their labor on demand for bounties. Seems like the next logical step to organize generalized labor into an on demand pool. I think both sides would actually prefer it.
Alcotholic
Banned
I've scheduled a team of 18+ people for nearly two years and while its hard to stay consistent with their availabilities and time off requests, its not hard to a) make sure they don't clopen; and b) if you need someone to work an abnormal shift, to ask them. Also scheduling 2 weeks in advance is not really that hard.
Seems like you could make some money off developing something like that.
Every fast food and retail job I've had would post a given week's schedule the night before that week started.
Never worked retail but I worked on another level of hell, fast food. I totally respect fast food workers and retail workers, both have to deal with the crazy general public.
Had a guy come thru my drive thru and when I told him we were closed he pulled up to the window got out and took he dick out and shook it at us.
Had a guy come thru my drive thru and when I told him we were closed he pulled up to the window got out and took he dick out and shook it at us.
Zelenogorsk
Banned
I'll take food service over retail every day of the week.
Alcotholic
Banned
Yeah, I've heard. And I've always hated the practice. I knew the frustration and make sure that I didn't do that to others.
Froxenblade
Neo Member
People have bills. These jobs generally don't pay them. Simple economics. Also, yes, they are utterly soul crushing and quite literally have the ability to make you a worse, or at least more cynical, person.
NaughtyCalibur
Member
I do it over the phone ten hours a day and I, too, pray for the sweet release of death.
Actually this is the first job where I have ever needed to take personal leave due to crippling anxiety.
Having done my time working as a Cashier at a McDonald's you couldn't get me to go back there even if my life depended on it. Maybe they would realize why people hated working those jobs if they tried working there themselves...
Same thing around here. I'm seeing McDonald's with a huge banners up saying they'll pay above minimum wage.
Same thing around here. I'm seeing McDonald's with a huge banners up saying they'll pay above minimum wage.
Worked at Target during the time frame of when they operated in Canada, and Walmart shortly after for a bit. Working in the backroom and receiving was so much better than working on the sales floor. Rather than dealing with customers, I only had to deal with the managers, vendors and truck drivers; building a rapport with them was way easier than trying to build a rapport with the customers.
Target just let me go after 7 years.
I became ill over the last year, during the summer I felt my energy level depleting. I found out I was having thyroid issues that eventually threw my blood pressure off and was making me sick.
I had to tell my two co workers I needed some days off for tests before we made our August and September schedules.
That went over like a lead balloon with one, who claimed that me being the only man on the team and them both being women with children i was taking away what little time they get their kids... as a comprise I asked to be given a month for full test results and if needed Id take a leave and find my fill in. I updated my closest co worker later that I was told I had tumors in my neck and would most likely need to take a leave.
7 days later I was fired, the outside hr blob told me now I can go get better and enjoy unemployment checks. In 60 days Im welcome to reapply and come back once I feel better... as long as Im ok to agreeing to some story I was working off the clock. understanding they have to fight my first unemployment request but its likely that no one will show up to an appeal if I request one.
Initially i did not plan on staying in retail. I always viewed it as soul draining, and it was in the long run but I found target to be fair enough even if the pay was always lacking.
The old target I joined is not the company it is now though. They were fairly employee centric and focused on meeting workers half way. The last 5 years Ive watched the company drain and implode on itself from within with mindless cuts. The companies focus has been investment in logistics, in store presentation and marketing while gutting product quality and staffing.
If your willing to devote your entire existence to the business you can still easily fast track yourself to mid to high tier management. The pay is awful for the work load, benefits are ok.
Being free of the job for a month now has shown me what the job cost with losing family time, dating and any real connection to friends outside of co workers that I had. The stress level thats gone, not worrying about red card quotas and harassing teenagers into selling credit cards
The shady work antics Ive witnessed and was put in the middle of to hit targets that were always unachievable but required by corporate so we can gloss over bloated numbers and act as if things are going ok.
From a competitive end I hope target finds growth again but its a steady race to the bottom for now. Were throwing money away hand over fist on upgrading tools and to attract traffic but weve gutted talent from so many stores. The fact seasonals coming on this year will make more than most of our store staff of three plus years has many walking. Meanwhile they have kids to work the floor and new managers being pulled from College campuses who have no investment in the store achieving sales or staying long term. Its a simple stepping stone.
Overall I saw the writing on the wall but thought better of it. last year my first company mentor and boss left. Target management always felt like a club, once you drank the kool aid you were believer even in bad times. Her leaving shocked many of us in the district. The last year has been an exodus of management and its all been thanks to amazon. Thankfully Im already on file with them and know enough ex target members when Im ready to look for work again...
I became ill over the last year, during the summer I felt my energy level depleting. I found out I was having thyroid issues that eventually threw my blood pressure off and was making me sick.
I had to tell my two co workers I needed some days off for tests before we made our August and September schedules.
That went over like a lead balloon with one, who claimed that me being the only man on the team and them both being women with children i was taking away what little time they get their kids... as a comprise I asked to be given a month for full test results and if needed Id take a leave and find my fill in. I updated my closest co worker later that I was told I had tumors in my neck and would most likely need to take a leave.
7 days later I was fired, the outside hr blob told me now I can go get better and enjoy unemployment checks. In 60 days Im welcome to reapply and come back once I feel better... as long as Im ok to agreeing to some story I was working off the clock. understanding they have to fight my first unemployment request but its likely that no one will show up to an appeal if I request one.
Initially i did not plan on staying in retail. I always viewed it as soul draining, and it was in the long run but I found target to be fair enough even if the pay was always lacking.
The old target I joined is not the company it is now though. They were fairly employee centric and focused on meeting workers half way. The last 5 years Ive watched the company drain and implode on itself from within with mindless cuts. The companies focus has been investment in logistics, in store presentation and marketing while gutting product quality and staffing.
If your willing to devote your entire existence to the business you can still easily fast track yourself to mid to high tier management. The pay is awful for the work load, benefits are ok.
Being free of the job for a month now has shown me what the job cost with losing family time, dating and any real connection to friends outside of co workers that I had. The stress level thats gone, not worrying about red card quotas and harassing teenagers into selling credit cards
The shady work antics Ive witnessed and was put in the middle of to hit targets that were always unachievable but required by corporate so we can gloss over bloated numbers and act as if things are going ok.
From a competitive end I hope target finds growth again but its a steady race to the bottom for now. Were throwing money away hand over fist on upgrading tools and to attract traffic but weve gutted talent from so many stores. The fact seasonals coming on this year will make more than most of our store staff of three plus years has many walking. Meanwhile they have kids to work the floor and new managers being pulled from College campuses who have no investment in the store achieving sales or staying long term. Its a simple stepping stone.
Overall I saw the writing on the wall but thought better of it. last year my first company mentor and boss left. Target management always felt like a club, once you drank the kool aid you were believer even in bad times. Her leaving shocked many of us in the district. The last year has been an exodus of management and its all been thanks to amazon. Thankfully Im already on file with them and know enough ex target members when Im ready to look for work again...
Mammoth Jones
Member
Yup. Can't do much with a job like that long term. If it's not a stepping stone you're in a corner before you know it.
brokenbeans
Banned
Its horrible.
Im trying to get out and you know how hard it is, Im actually pretty good at customer service but fuck retail in general people actually treat you like shit because they think they can.
Anyone who actually considers retail as an option please dont, go work in a factory, clean floors, charity work or anything else.
Im trying to get out and you know how hard it is, Im actually pretty good at customer service but fuck retail in general people actually treat you like shit because they think they can.
Anyone who actually considers retail as an option please dont, go work in a factory, clean floors, charity work or anything else.
Admiral Woofington
Member
I worked retail once and won't ever again. Fuck everything about that. Having to smile and wave at every asshole. Ugh.
ThreePiMatt
Member
Bonuses for executives for keeping labor costs low!
Curious Puppy
Banned
"For some reason"
The reason being that it's one of the absolute worst jobs you can get. Retail and bussing were the two shittiest jobs I ever had in my late teens and early 20's, I'd actually say bussing sucks more but its very close.
The reason being that it's one of the absolute worst jobs you can get. Retail and bussing were the two shittiest jobs I ever had in my late teens and early 20's, I'd actually say bussing sucks more but its very close.
This is the most relateable post I've ever seen lmao. I worked in asset protection at Best Buy for three months once before I quit. It was completely miserable and I dreaded going to work every day. Told myself I'd never do retail ever again after that.
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
I worked retail for a few years.
Fuck. That's all there is to say. Just... Fuck
The worst part is I can still vividly remember every single time I was called to the restroom in order to clean some insane mess, like shit on the walls, floor, and ceiling(!). Never even got a word of gratitude.
There was also the time somebody called me over, because some kid threw up on the floor. The puddle of vomit was nearly the size of a swimming pool. My first thought was "Is there anything left of that poor kid?".
Fuck. That's all there is to say. Just... Fuck
The worst part is I can still vividly remember every single time I was called to the restroom in order to clean some insane mess, like shit on the walls, floor, and ceiling(!). Never even got a word of gratitude.
There was also the time somebody called me over, because some kid threw up on the floor. The puddle of vomit was nearly the size of a swimming pool. My first thought was "Is there anything left of that poor kid?".
I have a retail job that I keep in my back pocket (I help with merchandising at a clothing store) 'cause I can get shifts when I want and I can get up to 50% off decent clothing.
That said, working retail sucks shit and it's no surprise nobody wants those jobs. I barely want my retail job because I make $25 an hour working with two home school boys vs. $15 I make at the store. And I had to fight for that $15 over the course of 5 years.
That said, working retail sucks shit and it's no surprise nobody wants those jobs. I barely want my retail job because I make $25 an hour working with two home school boys vs. $15 I make at the store. And I had to fight for that $15 over the course of 5 years.
entremet
Member
This is a sector that barely innovates, so Im not surprised.
entremet
Member
Its not your only option.
I'm probably in the minority of those who don't mind customer service, but I found the nature of the retail industry to be exploitative and shallow after spending roughly five years with it (and I was blessed in a sense to have been able to work at a bookstore). That being said, I would never want to work in such an industry again.
Electric Eye
Banned
Actually if it keeps up retail are going to become the next farmers wanting work visas for themselves and maybe even illegal hiring.
I live in NYC dude, it's competitive as hell here.
I gotta take what I can get with my limited qualifications.
Karsticles
Member
That bolded section is a scam. Don't go along with it.