Lessons I Learned Working Retail

As you may know, I quite working retail at the beginning of the year. But after working retail for about four years, I came away with some interesting things I've learned. So I wanted to share some of those with you.

1: Be Kind

This goes both ways. As a worker, it's always best to treat your customers with kindness, even if that's required. I've had so many people tell me I was the nicest person they met in a while, even though all I did was be pleasant to them. I've also calmed irate or upset customers by being calm and kind, even if they were being slightly unreasonable.

And as a customer, be kind to the workers. You never know what they're going through. They could be having a terrible shift, be sick, or dealing with stuff in their personal life. On those bad days, having even one person compliment me or genuinely wish me a wonderful day helps so much.

2: Work Hard

As a Christian, I'm called to work hard and do all to the glory of Christ. Even if that's just ringing people up or stocking shelves. Not only is it glorifying to God, it gets you places. My jobs have always been sad to lose me, because they know I work harder than most other people these days. I rarely called out and if I made a request, they often work to honor it.

3: Be Punctual

It's always good to be on time. But even more so when working a job. I always did my best to be to work five minutes early to clock in and get ready. It showed my bosses that I was reliable. Also, if I was replacing anyone, I wouldn't keep them waiting. I did my best to take my breaks on time and not take extra time in the breakroom.

4: Willingness to Learn

Being willing to learn a new skill is very valuable. At both the jobs I worked, I was always willing to learn how to do a new task, which made me useful because I could work a lot of different departments. I listened when I was told what to do and then did what I was told.

Believe me, I've trained newbies who refuse to listen to a word you say. They ignore your advice or store polices. They chose the easy way. Those are not the people that last long in a job. But ones that listened stuck around much longer.

5: Boldness

Or at least, boldness for me. I've always been a kind of shy and receding person. But retail forced me out of my comfort zone and into a position where I had to make decisions, call the shots, and occasionally tell others what to do. I couldn't be wishy-washy. It was good for me and helped me grow.

6: Doing Work All the Way

In a busy retail world, with a list of tasks as long as your arm, it can be tempting to do the minimal amount of effort to accomplish the task. Throw something on a shelf, leave behind a few items, tidy only part of an aisle. I know, I've done that.

But the thing is, it'll always come back to haunt you. If your manager doesn't call you out on it right away, then they'll at least notice and remember that "hey, she doesn't do her work well". It may take more time and effort, but doing the tasks you're given all the way and as best you can pays off. If only for your own conscience.

A little trick I would do sometimes: imagine that Jesus asked you to do the task you were given. Because technically, he did. He put you where you are and he asks that we do all to his glory. If you do it half way, you're not glorifying him and you're not giving Christians a good name. So do that task as best you can and give God the glory.

What lessons have you learned from your past jobs? Which of these lessons is your favorite? Tell me in the comments.

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