THERE IS A HELL! - - - IT IS CALLED RETAIL THERE IS A HELL AND IT IS CALLED RETAIL! | Page 12

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Harder you work, the Harder you make your job. Or as I have already mentioned - In
theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.
I have worked in between in various retail jobs over many years, but I got smart and realized
how I was being USED by the retail industry.
I found another job and my starting pay was much higher than any retail starting position.
The workload at my new job is 1/10 the workload I had to do in retail and I can actually SIT
DOWN at my job. Retail forces everyone to STAND all day for some insane reason. The
biggest difference however is that I am now treated with RESPECT by my managers and
even the customers who frequent our business.
All I can say is GET OUT OF RETAIL NOW (2013 onwards) because working retail is a
black hole that will suck you in and the further in you go; the harder it will be to escape
while you still have a chance at sanity.
Recently I decided in my need for extra cash to take a side job in retail. I figured the position
would be a fun one; I would get to work with friends, chat up customers and obtain a heavy
discount at one of my favourite stores.
And for the first few weeks this is exactly what it was. The work wasn’t hard, I got to be
social and I eventually even bought discounted goods. What I didn’t expect, but quickly
remembered from my college years, was what we all know - Retail Sucks.
But why does it suck?
It doesn’t just suck because the work is boring, the pay is low or the management are
frequently unpleasant, nasty and ghastly; it sucks because its method is essentially flawed.
Consider the hierarchy for a moment. The majority of retail, the positions we described as
containing the most suck, are sales. These underlings range from pants folders to customer
service reps but the bottom line is they all have quota and typically, very particular
instructions. Above them are managers. These middlemen and women were chosen for their
ability to follow these instructions, and in turn make quota. Above them, and I’m hugely
oversimplifying here, are the corporate decision makers. These people are the ones who
come up with the quota, concepts and rules everyone else will follow. Now, take a minute to
note these people either come from backgrounds in these types of decisions or have climbed
their way from the lower levels of the business for the last twenty plus years.
So, who is actually facing the customer? Well, the most economical option of course—sales—
the lowest paid due to the least amount of training and easy replace-ability. And how does
corporate make up for this lack of knowledge for every customer-facing rep? They give them
tag lines, uniforms and scripts to read from. So each employee looks and sounds the same.

dodie ste®eo p®odu©tion ™

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