"Frustrations of a retail employee...."


Sorry I haven't written at all this past week. It's very unlike me, I know. Honestly though, I've just found myself tired and not very motivated to do anything other than what I have to. -- ... Get up, go to work, come home very late in the evening, have a belated 'dinner', go to bed due to being tired.... [repeat]. Yeah, I know, a very exciting existance right now. [sigh]

Monday through Friday were basically days just like that. Long days at work. Not a whole lot that I am motivated to write about. Sure I ran across some friends I had not seen in quite a while at various points during those days, and THAT was certainly nice, but beyond that, it's sadly been the tiring business as usual. I did learn a few things this week. ....Well, ok, I didn't really learn anything new, but let's call them 'realizations.'...

Did you know there there are a whole lot of people out on the roads today who have long expired driver's liscences? Yeah, it's policy in retail to require picture ID whenever a customer writes a check to pay for something. I find, though, that so many people that show me their driver's liscences as that picture ID, are breaking the law every day. They're driving illegally! Seriously, I've seen driver's liscences that have been expired since as far back as 1997! I bring it up to some, but I see it so often.... It's rediculous. We live in a society of people so lazy that they even conveniently forget to update the simplest things.....

I think one of the reasons that my week has been so draining is starting to be some of the people that come through the checkout at Barnes and Noble. I'm at the point now where I'm realizing, I'm really liking certain things about my job right now, but, overall, why the heck am I even here?.... Oh, yeah, right, the small bucks. [sigh].... Gotta pay the bills, but at the growing expense of my sanity? I don't think so.

It seems Christmas brings with it a lot of nice people that kind of become real jerks, grumps, and all out unfriendly people. Why? Because they are stressed out and not getting their way, right away. Sad isn't it. No wonder retail jobs are temporary places of employment for most people. Who wants to work in a job where people can turn from friendly to sour along with the change of the seasons.

People wait in line, clearly unhappy that they are in line. Then it comes their turn to be rung through, and they drops obvious hints that they are unhappy. Sour attitudes, upside down smiles, and, in some cases recently, impatient comments that really challenge me to stay friendly towards them. I've been pretty good at it so far. I'm a very patient person, but inside, it really does eat away at you when you try to be nice, friendly, patient, accomodating, and yet a growing number of people see it as their task to make me feel as if I'm scum. Inside, I'm starting to feel this way, mind you.... I fear I'm starting to lose my genuine frendliness when I have to work all the harder just to make customers feel good, but at my expense. Retail is not for me, and as soon as I can get financially set, I'm moving on -- with few to no regrets.

I do appreciate the friendly people -- the truely friendly ones. I can be pretty good at reading people's attitudes and the impressions they give. It must be an actor thing. [shrugs]. I can tell who the honest ones are, who the sour puss' are, and generally who really is most receptive to a smile, a little humor, or a compliment. I'm getting more "do your thing and let me go -- fast" sort of thing. That's not the enjoyable interaction that I came to like at first three months ago. Then again, this is really my first extended experience with retail. Maybe I was just somewhat blinded to this at first. I like parts of the experience, but there are growing parts that are grating on me.

.... Like those stupid electronic song books... URGH!!! Those are really annoying when you hear them ALL THE TIME! How can children like those books. They're repetetive and very un-musical!

One clever thing I've been hearing lately are the sqwawks of walkie-talkies. Apparently they are great for keeping tabs on children when they are all spread out around the mall. Clever.... But I'm not sure if I want to hear them everywhere as the 'shopping season" heats up even more.

I think, though I am making a little bit of money, retail will soon find its way on the list of jobs I will not subject myself to. I already WILL NOT work in a fast food restaurant. Not my kind of gig. Retail: I just won't work there for extended periods of time. I'm also stepping up efforts to find a new job to enjoy. I so wish I could be doing what I love so -- acting, art, or something truely creative.... Alas, the road to success there is long, and does not pay much for starters. I'm a starter right now.

[BIG sigh]

Well, I must smile through it all though. Frustrations are frustrations. I don't want to place myself in the position of those growing numbers of customers I see eight hours every day. I just wish people had more patience.... (dare I say it).... like me. I know it probably sounds conceited of me to say, but I think patience is one of the biggest blessings the Lord had given me. I want to use it as often as I can, but I just wish more people were blessed with more patience. Even the most patient of people find it to be more and more of a challenge working with sour people every day -- people who refuse to smell the roses among the thorns.

Oh, well, such is life I suppose. I'm sure this retail experience is preparation for me for something later in life. God works in mysterious ways. I guess I just have to work harder to remember that I am part of a greater plan, even when things are not as desireable around me all the time....

Ah, well, enough rambling I suppose.... Back to trying to find why my computer is starting to run so slow again.

I'll catch you all later on, ...who knows, maybe even tonight again sometime. We'll see.

Until then,
Your blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 5:14 PM  I   I  0 comments