Like everyone, sometimes I just hate my job. I work retail.
I have great co-workers and the management is pretty cool too. The problems come from a small number of customers. The ones who never take the time to actually read a coupon for exclusions or even expiration dates. The people who call asking for the price of a type of item when we sell about ten different styles of said item and the prices range drastically. I can tell them to go to the website, that way they can find the exact thing they need, learn the specifications and also get the current price... no, they can't do that, they want me to give them a list over the phone. Look, I don't have time, sorry. There is a line in front of me, a customer standing behind me asking a question, someone else standing at the end of my counter with a return (instead of getting in line), and a co-worker asking over our in-store radio for me to look up an item quantity on the register. Sorry, person on the phone, you are not my top priority, not even second or third.
This isn't about all of that though, it's about the good encounters that happen usually once every couple of days. Yesterday the "good" took place several times and even though I was exhausted when I left work, the world seemed a better place.
For a brief moment, I had nobody in my line. An older man walked up asking about those little button batteries. I took the little device from him, took the old batteries out and checked the numbers on the back in order to match them up to the ones we sell. He couldn't see well so it was all on me. We looked and cross referenced the numbers on the packages but unfortunately the batteries he needed were not there.
The man thanked me and then asked if I was a manager. I told him I am not but I could get one for him. When one of the managers came out to speak with him, the man unleashed a ton of praise about me. I swear, I almost cried.
It didn't end there.
About an hour or so later it happened again with some younger people. I don't remember exactly what happened but they were checking out in my line and a manager walked up and they both started telling him positive things about me.
Two other encounters with different customers led to them asking me if I was a manager. They thought I was because I had been helpful, knowledgeable, and well spoken when answering their questions.
That brings my total up to four... FOUR, people with positive feedback about my performance. Then there is this last one which made my night.
It was fairly slow, I had nobody at the register so I requested my break over the radio. Two guys were walking by but they were talking and obviously in search of something. About 30 minutes later they are ready to check out. The manager is walking up behind me to bring some change. While I'm ringing up their transaction, one of the guys blurts out, "did you ever give her a break? She needs it, man, look at her, she's worn out!" I admit, I was on my last freakin' leg and probably did look like hell. That was the funniest thing a random customer has ever said (and one of the most helpful... I got my break).
Thank you to any and every person who has pointed out good customer service to the managers and for strangers helping a girl get her break.
