I worked as a supermarket clerk for 3 years of college and then some and I can honestly say FUCK ever going back to that sort of work. It does give an appreciation for the people stuck in that line of work though, I'd never give anyone in retail a hard time after going through it myself.
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For Some Reason, No One Wants Entry-Level Retail Jobs
- Thread starter Dalek
- Start date
AwayFromInfinityx
Member
Current Retail employee for microsoft.
and yeah, Retail is a shit place to work. Managers are glorified babysitters, People have HR on speed-dial if they get their feelings hurt, constant changes with policy and procedures leaving us scrambling to adjust very last minute, corporate treating retail staff like shit, Raises that you can't even fight for, Gotta kiss ass to get a promotion. Man it just sucks ass.
only positive are the benefits. I haven't paid for public transportation in 2 years and they're paying for my online degree.
and yeah, Retail is a shit place to work. Managers are glorified babysitters, People have HR on speed-dial if they get their feelings hurt, constant changes with policy and procedures leaving us scrambling to adjust very last minute, corporate treating retail staff like shit, Raises that you can't even fight for, Gotta kiss ass to get a promotion. Man it just sucks ass.
only positive are the benefits. I haven't paid for public transportation in 2 years and they're paying for my online degree.
True Underdog
Member
Only ever worked retail once, Sam's Club. Lasted a few months pushing carts (June - October, in Texas, it was hell). I was in college.
Felt like it was basically a Walmart where people paid a membership fee to treat the employees like shit. Had a few nice folks though. Old ladies liked to give me tips if I carried their stuff out - even though we weren't supposed to accept them. "I know you aren't supposed to take this but here, I left a ten dollar bill in the cart" - most I got was a $50 tip for loading a few flatbeds full of beer cases into a truck, which was rad.
Ended up quitting because I wanted to transfer inside the store (freezer cooler) and my manager said she wanted to keep me outside til after the holidays because I did "such good work."
I walked out the day after that conversation (but not before talking about it with my fellow cart pushers) and got a job a week later working at a media help desk for my school, making a few bucks more an hour.
Cart pushers at Sam's and Walmart are the lowest paid employees there, even less than greeters. When I quit the way I did, they said "you can never work for Walmart or Sam's again." I survived.
Felt like it was basically a Walmart where people paid a membership fee to treat the employees like shit. Had a few nice folks though. Old ladies liked to give me tips if I carried their stuff out - even though we weren't supposed to accept them. "I know you aren't supposed to take this but here, I left a ten dollar bill in the cart" - most I got was a $50 tip for loading a few flatbeds full of beer cases into a truck, which was rad.
Ended up quitting because I wanted to transfer inside the store (freezer cooler) and my manager said she wanted to keep me outside til after the holidays because I did "such good work."
I walked out the day after that conversation (but not before talking about it with my fellow cart pushers) and got a job a week later working at a media help desk for my school, making a few bucks more an hour.
Cart pushers at Sam's and Walmart are the lowest paid employees there, even less than greeters. When I quit the way I did, they said "you can never work for Walmart or Sam's again." I survived.
So pay them more. If you can't or won't, tough shit. Nobody wants to put up with whinny entitled customer for $9/hour. Don't expect people to shed a tear for these retail conglomerates that payed scab wages to their workers for decades because they knew they had them over a barrel.
OrlanisWorks
Banned
Or course no one wants to work slave labor for your stupid shit company. The fact that you only hire a skeleton crew for your ship is good reason it should sink and you should fucking drown with it.
They have zero respect the employees. I never had faith in humanity. That's probably why I didn't blow my brains out during my few months of retail work.
They have zero respect the employees. I never had faith in humanity. That's probably why I didn't blow my brains out during my few months of retail work.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
In my experience this is definitely a both-sides issue.
Retail managers are generally terrible, the pay is piss poor, and the companies have no respect for their employees or the time they put in. A 10+ year employee has no more worth than a part time new hire fresh out of high school. And they constantly ask less people to do more as time goes on to remain competitive with new business models, while failing to innovate their own business.
But a lot of people also aren't willing to work the hours retail asks (so many applicants are just looking for full time Monday-Friday morning shifts while the business is mostly afternoons and weekends) and a lot of employees just aren't willing to do any work. And that makes things harder on the people who are willing to work, especially when coupled with the shitty managers that punish the good employees for not picking up the slack. So the good employees don't stick around or get fired for unfair reasons, resulting in more bad employees, and a nasty cycle.
Retail managers are generally terrible, the pay is piss poor, and the companies have no respect for their employees or the time they put in. A 10+ year employee has no more worth than a part time new hire fresh out of high school. And they constantly ask less people to do more as time goes on to remain competitive with new business models, while failing to innovate their own business.
But a lot of people also aren't willing to work the hours retail asks (so many applicants are just looking for full time Monday-Friday morning shifts while the business is mostly afternoons and weekends) and a lot of employees just aren't willing to do any work. And that makes things harder on the people who are willing to work, especially when coupled with the shitty managers that punish the good employees for not picking up the slack. So the good employees don't stick around or get fired for unfair reasons, resulting in more bad employees, and a nasty cycle.
Discotheque
Banned
Get me some ray bans on discount brah
melichrous
Member
I lasted less than a week in retail. I was honestly surprised by the fact that people generally treat you as less than human because you're working in a store.
It was certainly eye opening, and ensured that I'll never work in a customer facing role again if I can help it.
It was certainly eye opening, and ensured that I'll never work in a customer facing role again if I can help it.
dietdracula
Member
I worked retail for a year, and it was probably the worst goddamn year of my life. And I was in my late twenties. I worked the night shift too. I think the most depressed I ever got was working a gas station at the edge of town, at 3AM in the middle of winter while it's snowing. No one is coming in and I'm just sitting down on the floor listening to Radiohead and trying not to bawl my eyes out. They didn't pay me enough for that shit.
I got out of that job and ended up in a call center job that was even worse even though the money was considerably better. I only lasted there a couple months before I just couldn't handle it anymore. I was an anxious mess by the time I left. Resume be damned, I just up and walked out one day and left my headset and everything there. I just couldn't do it.
Now I'm working in another call center and it's nowhere near as bad, just incredibly boring. It comfortably pays my bills and I have health insurance, but who knows how long that'll last in this administration.
All of these jobs have shown me among the worst of humanity and I don't think there's really any coming back from that. Retail and customer service are the fucking worst.
I got out of that job and ended up in a call center job that was even worse even though the money was considerably better. I only lasted there a couple months before I just couldn't handle it anymore. I was an anxious mess by the time I left. Resume be damned, I just up and walked out one day and left my headset and everything there. I just couldn't do it.
Now I'm working in another call center and it's nowhere near as bad, just incredibly boring. It comfortably pays my bills and I have health insurance, but who knows how long that'll last in this administration.
All of these jobs have shown me among the worst of humanity and I don't think there's really any coming back from that. Retail and customer service are the fucking worst.
Basically this.
Pay the young people a living fucking wage and they might show up. Treat their time (via scheduling) with some respect and they might stick around. Offer reasonable opportunity for growth and your turnover will decrease, but these fuckers don't want to do any of that.
They want to treat employees like disposable kleenex and have the audacity to complain about shit when their well of reusable humans starts running dry. Assholes. I wish Amazon's employee treatment was better so I could feel better cheering on the demolition of average retail hell hole.
This all sounds like employer issues, to be honest. Unrealistic scheduling demands, expecting more work than they're paying for.
old
Member
Never dealing with customers again unless I'm the boss. I'll never again put myself in the position where the business values the customers more than they value me, their worker. It's a recipe for poor treatment and some customers know it and abuse it. I think that is one of the big things driving people away from these jobs. It's not just dealing with customers. It's not being able to tell a shitty customer to fuck off. You have to smile and take it. It's demeaning.
I've also noticed as I've gotten into corporate world the higher up the food chain you go the further away from customers you get. The people at the top know what's up.
Unknown One
Member
Entitled customers are the worst. They would go up to you while you're helping another expecting you to help them instead of the one you're currently helping. They would give you holier than thou attitude like you're beneath them. I always get the childish NO when doing my bs job, trying to get sign ups and all that. The stupid sign ups, warranty, and survey bullshit makes the job worst than it is for me. They expect me to control what the customers want or something. If I had that power, I would just marry somebody rich.
Professor Beef
Banned
All I'll say about my years at retail is that good management can mean the difference between wanting to try harder and wanting to end your life ASAP. Thankfully I've been out of retail for a few years now, and I'll be goddamned if I ever go back.
Unknown One
Member
I think being a cashier is probably the worst job in retail. The amount of metrics you have to push and you burden you have is the worst. I dread every cashier day.
baddvision
Member
not surprised. worked retail for a few years, it was soul-sucking. luckily i had cool co-workers
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
It all ends up tying together. Retailers need most of their employees on weekends and during afternoons. That's an inconvenient schedule, so the pay should reflect that and they should offer rotations so everybody gets some weekends and afternoons off. But the employees have to do their part too and have to be willing to work those rotations, not have hard limits of no weekends, no hours after 3PM, or just call in every time they get scheduled hours they don't like.
And bad employees are just a thing. Better pay would encourage better employees too, but when I worked at Walmart I'd say half the people there contributed next to nothing and the people who actually did contribute would get ran off for not picking up the slack. Running the good employees off and not having fair expectations is a management issue, but the bad employees are also at fault.
Zarro Boogs
Banned
There was a time when I worked retail. While I definitely have empathy for people who work retail and try to do a good job, I have zero patience for being patronized or treated like shit by retail employees. I know their job sucks, and I feel for you, but don't be an asshole.
I ordered drive-thru at Taco Bell the other day and got a stale as fuck taco. I walk back into the place and politely say that it's stale. The guy looks at me skeptically and says "Well, did you bite it?"
I wanted to knock over a magazine rack. No shit I bit it, that's know I know it's stale. What's your point? That since I bit it I'm trying to pull one over by asking for my money back/a different one?
I digress. I make it a point to understand company policies and not give employees shit for things that are outside of their control. Otherwise I hold retail employees to the same standard I held myself to when I was in their position. Be polite and helpful and don't treat customers like they're inconveniencing you.
I ordered drive-thru at Taco Bell the other day and got a stale as fuck taco. I walk back into the place and politely say that it's stale. The guy looks at me skeptically and says "Well, did you bite it?"
I wanted to knock over a magazine rack. No shit I bit it, that's know I know it's stale. What's your point? That since I bit it I'm trying to pull one over by asking for my money back/a different one?
I digress. I make it a point to understand company policies and not give employees shit for things that are outside of their control. Otherwise I hold retail employees to the same standard I held myself to when I was in their position. Be polite and helpful and don't treat customers like they're inconveniencing you.
I've been working nights at Walmart for a few years. It's not as bad as I expected, there's fewer customers at night and most of the employees are stressed but not particularly nasty.
It's not exactly a livable wage though, and the work is pretty mind numbing. You still sometimes get dickish customers, but as someone who works in the isles, I'm more of a walking signpost than anything else, and most of the hostility gets directed elsewhere.
It's not exactly a livable wage though, and the work is pretty mind numbing. You still sometimes get dickish customers, but as someone who works in the isles, I'm more of a walking signpost than anything else, and most of the hostility gets directed elsewhere.
Zarro Boogs
Banned
I thought Costco actually treats their people halfway decent?
TBH I'd love to work a job like this as a second job if I could work it around my insane and somewhat irratic real work schedule. For no other reason than I'd love to have a turn-my-brain-off job where I'm active and on my feet all day. I'd happily push carts for minimum wage if I only had to do it 8 hours a week and basically got to pick the times I'd work.
Abstrusity
Member
The veil will begin to fall sooner or later, and you'll realize that the compartmentalization has finally failed when he goes over the counter and chokes out the next person who comes to the checkout line and pays exclusively with 100 coupons for 5 items in the express lane and then has the audacity to call your manager when he's not paying her for the trouble.
I believe that retail needs a vacation day. Not from work, but from the customers. When a customer wants to be an asshat, the 'vacation' is from civility. Call them a fuckwad and shoo them off for the next person.
Do that once a month and suddenly getting paid in pocket lint, hopes, and prayers wouldn't seem so fucking bad.
omnislayer
Member
No one wants to be shit on for 8-10 hours a day? Huh who would of thought...
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Retail, in terms of the actual job and its duties, was the easiest thing I've ever been paid for. I guess teaching English was maybe easier. I'm not even a very outgoing person, but it's really not hard to answer questions and talk about TVs and stereos. Even pushing stuff like accessories and extra warranties was not a big deal. Yes customers were dumb and I had to deal with difficult people sometimes, but it wasn't even close to the hardest job I've ever had. It was nothing like hell.
But, and this is a huge difference, I wasn't trying to support myself working retail. I had a house and food and everything taken care of already. My paycheck pretty much went right back to the store and I just bought a bunch of video games and DVDs and speakers, and put the rest in savings. It was awesome.
But, and this is a huge difference, I wasn't trying to support myself working retail. I had a house and food and everything taken care of already. My paycheck pretty much went right back to the store and I just bought a bunch of video games and DVDs and speakers, and put the rest in savings. It was awesome.
Mushroomer25
Member
Face-to-face customer service is slowly going to be a premium option in retail, and it won't be long before people have to be paid accordingly. People are shitty, and dealing with them efficiently is a skill worth more than $10/hr.
I like how this thread feels like group therapy. Back in highschool/college, I did about two years each at Best Buy, Circuit City, and Fry's. Like everyone else has said... Absolute worst shithole jobs I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing. I am a total introvert as well, and even thinking back on it causes me trauma. I don't like people being out of work, but I celebrate and will continue to celebrate each one of these hellholes that closes up.
DarkMaigle
Member
Keep celebrating people losing their jobs playa
Edit: He doesn't like it, but man he will celebrate it!
Hari Seldon
Member
I figured something was up when I went into a target and they had someone stationed at the door asking people if they wanted a job lol. I had never seen that before, she was like an army recruiter at a job fair.
They need to figure out scheduling if they want to solve their worker crisis. Yeah a 20 year old with no family can possibly be flexible. But if they are trying to recruit ANYONE, people need stability, especially when you are talking about people with families. It always boggled my mind in my limited experience in retail that scheduling was so haphazard, no other industry operates like that to my knowledge.
I work at a place that does small scale manufacturing. When they need to run 24/7 they don't just randomly schedule people week to week, they have people assigned to 2nd and 3rd shifts and enough redundancy to handle 1 person calling off. If more than one do then they either eat the productivity hit or pay overtime for people on other shifts. It isn't rocket science.
They need to figure out scheduling if they want to solve their worker crisis. Yeah a 20 year old with no family can possibly be flexible. But if they are trying to recruit ANYONE, people need stability, especially when you are talking about people with families. It always boggled my mind in my limited experience in retail that scheduling was so haphazard, no other industry operates like that to my knowledge.
I work at a place that does small scale manufacturing. When they need to run 24/7 they don't just randomly schedule people week to week, they have people assigned to 2nd and 3rd shifts and enough redundancy to handle 1 person calling off. If more than one do then they either eat the productivity hit or pay overtime for people on other shifts. It isn't rocket science.
Seraph_Nicholas
Member
My girlfriend and I both work retail, probably one of the few decent retail jobs left. It's entry-level, for sure, but our GM is a saint of a man who considers it his life's mission to uplift his team in every way he can, and we sell liquor. It's a good combo. But even this near-ideal situation has some sharp realities.
For starters, we can't really climb. 'Head clerk' is the realistic end of our career path in the company. When the assistant manager left, the only shift manager who had been hired from outside at that level was promoted, and that was only after the GM threatened to mutiny to prevent a fresh hire from coming in. Second, we aren't paid enough. Even with Washington making great strides with minimum wage, it's only loosened the noose. I'm not late on my bills anymore, and believe me, I thank god for that, but savings is still infeasible. Most employees work second jobs. The worst part, though, is corporate, just like every job I've ever had that answers to a corporation. They're out of touch, they irritate our customers, and they'd bust our store culture with a smile if we let them. If there was actually a way for our store to go rogue and write our own contracts with distributors, we'd own the county in a week.
This sense of hopeless resignation towards pissing off my customers for inadequate reward is the best case for a retail job. Is it any wonder the sector is disintegrating?
All of that being said, I know a few people that work in cannabis retail. They all report off-the-charts job satisfaction and routinely pull three digits in tips a day. No corps there. Funny, that.
For starters, we can't really climb. 'Head clerk' is the realistic end of our career path in the company. When the assistant manager left, the only shift manager who had been hired from outside at that level was promoted, and that was only after the GM threatened to mutiny to prevent a fresh hire from coming in. Second, we aren't paid enough. Even with Washington making great strides with minimum wage, it's only loosened the noose. I'm not late on my bills anymore, and believe me, I thank god for that, but savings is still infeasible. Most employees work second jobs. The worst part, though, is corporate, just like every job I've ever had that answers to a corporation. They're out of touch, they irritate our customers, and they'd bust our store culture with a smile if we let them. If there was actually a way for our store to go rogue and write our own contracts with distributors, we'd own the county in a week.
This sense of hopeless resignation towards pissing off my customers for inadequate reward is the best case for a retail job. Is it any wonder the sector is disintegrating?
All of that being said, I know a few people that work in cannabis retail. They all report off-the-charts job satisfaction and routinely pull three digits in tips a day. No corps there. Funny, that.
sleepnaught
Member
Worked the deli counter at Walmart for a year, worst job I ever had. Most people are entitled pricks who will treat you like a dog.
I worked at a charity shop for a few weeks, it actually wasn't terrible but people kept stealing stuff (they'd take the tags off in the changing room). Whenever I think back on it, it always just makes me think about how shitty people can be, those clothes would have been sold and the money would've gone towards helping people with mental health issues.
But yeah, I think if you need a job, retail isn't necessarily terrible, just avoid Walmart style retail. When you work at a smaller place you have the ability to actually get to know everyone like in a normal job.
But yeah, I think if you need a job, retail isn't necessarily terrible, just avoid Walmart style retail. When you work at a smaller place you have the ability to actually get to know everyone like in a normal job.
Worked retail exactly once in my life when I was super desperate, and even then it wasn't worth it. After the first month they cut my work week to 3-4 days. Then they cut my hours to just 4 a day. So I was working minimum wage and getting 12-20 hrs a week. Walked out on the 3rd month and never looked back.
There are way too many other type of jobs out there to ever subject yourself to the shithole that is retail.
There are way too many other type of jobs out there to ever subject yourself to the shithole that is retail.
Hari Seldon
Member
Best job I ever had to this day (not counting money obviously) was a minimum wage front desk clerk at a gym. The job was to make sure people didn't sneak in, wash and fold towels, and pretend to be interested in all the middle aged women who would stop and flirt lol. And since I worked closing, I had the entire place to myself to work out at night.
If you are working in a grocery store produce is where it is at. Bagger/cart person and cashier suck. Produce was amazing. If you give out a few free samples while cutting up produce the customers are your best friends. I even had to run the flower department when the flower woman wasn't around and even though I sucked at wrapping them people were nice to me.
I worked for many years in high school and college at that grocery store and once I was in produce it was great. Cashier wasn't horrible but since we were union and I was one of the youngest I had to work every Friday and Saturday night. That sucked.
I worked for many years in high school and college at that grocery store and once I was in produce it was great. Cashier wasn't horrible but since we were union and I was one of the youngest I had to work every Friday and Saturday night. That sucked.
No kidding. As a sales associate and cashier, the hours are shit and the job itself gives me anxiety. Worst of all, I keep feeling like I'm always not meeting expectations given by my supervisor and the customers.
No one should stay in retail long-term, it's just not healthy at all.
No one should stay in retail long-term, it's just not healthy at all.
Steeped in a Sea of Games
Member
Gave up 5 years of my life to retail. It's truly hell, but at least I got some crazy stories out of it. Honestly, retail can be fun, but you need the right kind of boss and the right kind of coworkers. Unfortunately, retail is filled with underachievers, burnouts, and ruthlessly bitter people. It makes the entire endeavor misery in the face of the always idiotic and cruel public.
I have a question about Best Buy. Many years ago I overheard a manager talking to a new hire. He said to her "try to sell the extended warranty three times. At the third time most people give up and buy it." She seemed disgusted.
Was that normal practice at all Best Buys or just this one encounter I witnessed?
My call center job is relocating, and I have decided not to take their relocation (it would be from Tampa Bay to Orlando) which I love for the parks, but everyone I know is here and Orlando is still Florida.
I would love to take a retail job, but it will not pay me anywhere near what I am making right now.
I worked retail in multiple flavors in the past, I did not hate it but was never something you can live on.
I would love to take a retail job, but it will not pay me anywhere near what I am making right now.
I worked retail in multiple flavors in the past, I did not hate it but was never something you can live on.
Professor Beef
Banned
Former employee here. At my store it was normal to push the warranties, but store-by-store on how hard. My store at the very least encouraged us to read the customer so we could try and not waste their time. Someone coming into the store for a cheap $100 point and shoot camera probably isn't going to be interested in a 5 year warranty, for example.