Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with retail

Letter to praise good customer service?

Solomon — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:38:55 -0800

I'm looking for a form letter that I can use to send to managers of shops when I've been provided with good customer service. Ideally, I'm looking for something that I can just edit the small details of, like the individual's name, what they did that warranted the letter, etc. Also, if you were a shop worker's manager, what would you really like to know/read in this kind of letter?

Is this a scam? What's the angle here?

spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:38:24 -0800

Something fishy is going on in my store, but I can't wrap my head around it. Why would a customer buy/return around $25,000 worth of merchandise over the course of a few months? I work in a bike shop with a very liberal return policy.

A customer has repeatedly purchased and returned the same bicycle worth nearly $4,000. The first time it was returned, he said it was because it was too small for him. He returned about a month later and purchased it and then returned it a few hours later, telling a different employee that it was purchased for his wife, but she decided it was too large. Another month goes by and he's done the same thing again, telling a different employee that it was for his brother-in-law, but again was returned because it's the wrong size. This has now happened four times, each with a different employee, and he tried it again this week.

We denied the sale to him this time because we all know the story and his name by now. He said he wanted to purchase it for his wife, but when we said "yeah, did you buy this for her about four months ago but said it was too big?". He seemed to get nervous, and we gave him an out by suggesting he bring his wife in so we can properly fit her.

When we pulled his purchase history across our stores, we see that he's purchased and returned over $25,000 worth of merchandise just this year. Every penny's worth of goods have been returned a few days later in perfect condition.

We've thoroughly checked the bike out to make sure that every part on there is what it should be. It's fine. We feel confident the bike is never ridden, and honestly it was probably never even taken out of his car. Buy, wait a day or three, return. Wait a month. Repeat.

I don't think he's ripping us off. We haven't gotten any chargebacks. Like I said, everything he returns is in mint condition, and we're able to sell it at full retail value. We've thoroughly inspected the bike every time and it's pristine and original. All purchases have been made with a credit card, and refunds go back to that card. It's not like he's buying with a card and getting refunded cash, or vice versa. Our best guess is that we're being used to launder money in some fashion. The guy seems shifty, and I don't get the impression that his purchases are a compulsion or obsession.

What could explain this?

Thriving as a small brick and mortar/e-commerce B2C retailer?

Foci for Analysis — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:25:24 -0800

How can a small (3-5 employees) brick and mortar/e-commerce B2C retailer survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive market (outdoors/sports products) when it cannot compete on price? Any good examples of small companies doing just that? A group of us are planning to acquire a small retailer that sells outdoors/sports gear, apparel and similar products to end consumers. It's a very competitive industry and the company has seen quite a significant chunk of its revenues disappear in the past few years. We all have industry experience but doing the same old routine won't work anymore because everyone is doing e-commerce, e-marketing, etc. We are sure that the problems - more competition from both large and small companies, decrease in revenues, expansion - are fixable but how do we do it in the most efficient way possible?

I'm not just looking for suggestions along the line of, "Focus on customer service and the in-store experience" but also more strategic stuff like a set of principles that can guide a small yet ambitious retailer to stay profitable and grow despite facing heavy competition.

I'm currently researching quality management, and lean in particular, to find some inspirational ideas but I find them challenging to apply to a small brick and mortar/e-commerce retailer because they are rooted in manufacturing and aren't sensitive to the challenge a B2C retailer faces.

Ideally, there would be a resource that identifies challenges a retailer is facing, provides solutions to those challenges and describes a case study or two detailing how those solutions were implemented by actual small retailers.

Can grocery re-stocking enter a positive feedback loop?

morganw — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:52:02 -0800

I buy more of a product that is often out of stock. If others do this, won't that tend to make stock fluctuate more? Do retail inventory systems try to damp this effect? Reading this thread on retail management, I'm reminded of something I've been musing. Post Selects makes several cereals available in various supermarkets around me, but Banana Nut Crunch is only available at Target and maybe Nob Hill Market.

I don't stop at Target as often as the regular grocery, so I used to buy two or three boxes at a time. Then I kept finding it out of stock, so now I buy five. It would be out but all the other Post Selects would be there.

I recently learned that I can check inventory at the Target website. I'm surprised that stock will stay at "out" or "limited" for a whole week. I've also noticed that the shelf space for this product hasn't grown with the seeming demand.

Putting this in "work & money" because it's sort of an economics question, but I'm also interested in complex dynamical systems hypotheses.

The Art of Departure Or, How to Quit My Job.

Ashen — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:10:52 -0800

I'm moving from one retail job to another. Which is easy, except for the mild emotional entanglement. How do I pull my hand out of the tiger's mouth? For six months, I worked at a retailer (let's call them Store A) as a cashier, among other things. While often the most mind-numbing job I've ever had the misfortune of taking on, the store's social dynamics encouraged me to establish relationships with my coworkers beyond cordiality. In fact, one of my bosses gave me an end table: she was trying to get rid of it, and I had just moved into my current apartment. She and another manager were kind enough to give me multiple rides home. The managers were EXTREMELY flexible about my taking two weeks' leave in January, with less than 2 days' notice, as a tragedy involving my father rapidly unfolded.

But then I got another job at a pharmacy chain two weeks ago, called Store B. The pay is not much higher (because HR lowballed me last-minute, and I wasn't in a position to refuse), but I have 40 hours a week there. I barely got 25 at Store A, and at the time of hiring at Store B they were about to drop my hours to 18.

Also, commuting to Store A would not be cost effective for me: I don't have a car, my bike is broken, and the round-trip taxi costs 2 hours of work. Any day that I chose to work at Store A could have been spent at Store B, where I'd make (a pitiful but noticeable) 75 cents more per hour. The fact that I am a member of management at Store B and still at the bottom of the totem pole at Store A is the nail in this coffin.

The management team at Store A did not take news of my second job...as well as I thought they would. I was told that while they wouldn't exactly hate me for quitting if I chose to, they'd certainly feel hurt by my departure. My friends have encouraged me to view the job as disposable despite those feelings: it's retail, I don't need them for recommendations, etc. etc. But I feel guilty. Like this morning, I got an angry phone call this morning from the assistant manager. I had requested (by phone, last week) to be removed from the schedule for two weeks, so that I could adjust to my new job. Apparently, the scheduling manager (despite agreeing to my request) placed me on the schedule for this week, and they thought that I was a no-show for this morning. After I explained the apparent miscommunication, the manager snarled that I needed to "get my priorities straight." I was tempted to quit then and there, but said nothing. That phone call has made me anxious about how to approach leaving.

So:

1) How do I phrase this in a way that acknowledges their previous generosity and doesn't royally piss them off further?

2) Do I go with my gut and quit in person, or does the lack of formality (retail) make a phone call acceptable?

and

3) Should I offer to try to stay on until they replace me, or leave them to figure that out as I adjust to Store B?

Notes: both jobs at Store A and B are completely unrelated to my career goals, but I'm leaning on semi-disposable jobs until I miraculously get one with a two-digit hourly wage.

Thank you!

How to market an independent bookstore to local businesses

trillian — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:02:39 -0800

I'm looking for some ways to get the local lunch crowd into our bookstore, which sells used books, CDs, DVDs, videos, and books on tape/CD; a small number of new books; kids' gifts; and other gift items/stationery/cards. Many of our customers don't have much to spend (which works out because our books are priced very low), but nearby is a law firm, a couple of big corporations' local offices, a bank, etc. I don' t know if the employees even know we exist. Any ideas on how to get them in here to pick up a birthday card or used CD or small gift for a friend? We're located in the downtown area of a medium-sized city. There are very few places to shop in the downtown business area.

Your tracing paper is in another castle

blnkfrnk — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:42:23 -0800

I work in an art supply store. People ask for rolls of tracing paper very frequently, and I'm curious as to what they need them for. Unfortunately, I don't have any control over what we stock, or I'd order some. We would sell out of it on a regular basis-- rolls of tracing paper seem to be very popular (we're also the only art supply store open as late as we are in my area.) I can't just ask because it would be an impertinent question from a retail drone-- the few occasions I've tried, the answer was "tracing."

There's no common denominator amongst all the people who ask for rolls of tracing paper. None of them want anything else. We sell tracing paper pads up to 18X24 inches; but this is not good enough. I really can't imagine what you'd want to trace that you couldn't piece together a few pieces for, but maybe someone here would know. I am this side of assuming it's for some weird scavenger hunt.

So why do all these people want to buy rolls of tracing paper?

Please help me plot my escape from Retail!

seraph9 — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:09:59 -0800

I need help focusing my job search, finding something decent with a degree but very little relevant work experience, and keeping from getting too discouraged in the process. So I know the economy is bad and everything, but feel like I need some external direction / tips on finding a job. I'm currently working at a supermarket deli. This was a great job while getting my degree in Anthropology / Archeology (gradated in 2008) but now I would really like to find something more challenging.

I have minimal work experience due to having severe depression/ social phobia before college. I had a few receptionist / administrative assistant positions that I got through family connections that I try to play up on my resume but none of them were more than a year.

I have decided not to pursue Archeology due to most of the jobs disappearing (including those of my best professional connections) and just rethinking the lifestyle - living out of motels all the time, working long hours for little pay and never knowing where to find the next job. Does this mean I have to have to go back to school for something else entirely?

I'm not sure what I want to do long-term. For now, I just want to get out of retail. I've been applying for receptionist jobs for almost a year with no call backs. I tried the best temp agency in the area and was told I'm not qualified for receptionist work because I have so little experience. The best they can offer me is filing or data entry. How can I get experience if no one will give me a job?

I've applied for positions like cultural diversity assistant at an university with no response.

My home university basically gave me a "What you can do with this degree" handout, but I have no idea how to transition from retail-working Anthropology graduate to marketing, for example.

I have been considering trying to make a living off of Textbroker or pet-sitting or something because no one will hire me.

So....please help! I am being treated for the depression and anxiety, but this is a very big trigger for me. I have tried and given up several times, but don't want to give up anymore for fear of spending the rest of my life working in a supermarket. Any suggestions on what to do, avenues to pursue or tips on overcoming discouragement are all welcome! Thank you!

Do small retailers use head hunters?

otto42 — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 04:43:39 -0800

I was wondering how small retailers (think of a mom and pop sized clothing boutique in a high-end shopping district.) find store managers and associates. I know that the small retailer can post an ad on craigslist or in the local paper, but will they ever use the services of a local recruiter? More broadly, can anyone explain the economics of becoming a “head hunter”, whether for a low paying retail position, a typical corporate middle management position, or for an executive position?

Freelance marketing from another city

drea — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:36:37 -0800

I'd like references and information for how a marketing consultant can leverage his location in a big city to help small retailers who are trying to enter the market. I got a freelance marketing gig with a small company who's looking to take their retail business to another city.
They were relying on me to land a job in said city so I can meet with leasing managers and other important contacts on the pr / marketing side in the area while they stay in their homebase. But now, with my full-time job prospects becoming unclear, the company I'm working with is thinking about bringing me there themselves while I go and look for a full-time job.

I smell an opportunity here and I wonder if I can do the same thing for other businesses.
I'm looking for: other retail marketing consultants who offer the same thing in other areas so I can see what services they offer,
any books and resources that offer information for this specific niche and how it works, and
any anecdata from MeFites who might have been or are doing the same thing, and information on how you got started, how you marketed your services, pros and cons of the job, and so on.

Thanks!

Two Shell stations across the street from each other. Why?

staggering termagant — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:42:12 -0800

In my town, there's a Shell station on one corner of the intersection. On another corner of the same intersection, another Shell. There're also two Woolworths right across the street from each other, and two Pizza Huts. Why? Does anyone out there have any idea? I mean, any ACTUAL idea, not just supposition? Maybe someone who works in marketing, or urban planning? Also, are there any resources I could read that explain these kinds of business decisions? I've looked online and can't find any information. Thanks very much.

Need to find a store in the US to buy a netbook.

jim.christian — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 00:45:03 -0800

Where is the best brick and mortar store to buy a Windows netbook in the US? I'm travelling to the States on a ten day trip to visit my sister, and part of her Xmas gift from the family on this side of the pond is a new laptop, which I've promised to help spec out and tailor to her needs.

While I'm familiar with UK stores and brands, I don't know the best place to take her in the US to shop around.

Where in your experience is the best place to go? BestBuy etc? Bonus points if you know somewhere in the Indianapolis area!

(Apple Store recommendations need not apply - while I work with and love Apple technologies, my sister is not similarly inclined - we're kitting her out with a Windows-based device)

Thank you

We're trying to start a vintage clothing business! How do we source the best clothing at the best prices?

faeuboulanger — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:06:15 -0800

How do I source reasonable to high quality vintage clothing at low prices Some friends and I have a bit of capital with which to start a business. We've decided we want to try selling great quality, mid-century vintage garments online, probably etsy at first... and later (if that works out... fingers crossed), through our own website and/or a brick-and-mortar shop. What we're struggling most with so far is finding reliable sources of good clothing--we're really trying to minimize losses and not accumulate a bunch of stock that won't sell. Online vintage lot dealers seem of questionable quality for the price, and e-bay often gets rather expensive. We've just thought to look on craigslist, and so far that seems the most promising... we shall see. Any advice on where to find the best garments at the best prices would be much appreciated (we're Chicago-based if that's relevant)... or, any general wisdom about starting a business of this type, for that matter. We're really hoping to make a go of this, and want to make all the right decisions from the outset. Thanks!

Eternal Clearance Sale of the Spotless Suburban Strip-Mall

trunk muffins — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:41:48 -0800

Please satisfy my curiosity re: The Never-Ending Clearance Sale Event. There are a few major national chain brick-and-mortar stores in my new (very retail-heavy) neighborhood which have sported gigantic CLEARANCE EVENT banners outside the front doors continuously for a year now. These are stores that feature relatively specialized types of merchandise, not "big box" variety stores like Wal-Mart or Target. Both stores do have marked-down items, but not especially more of then than you'd find at any big retail store, and not in any organized fashion that I can see. These chains both have other stores in the area which do not fly the eternal CLEARANCE SALE banners.

Can anyone with insight into the management/workings of these types of establishments offer an explanation as to what's the deal with the eternal CLEARANCE EVENT... that doesn't actually seem to be? Is the banner a decision that would be handed down by corporate, or something the regional or store manager would decide? Do these stores serve as clearinghouses for unsold stock from other stores in the area? Is it just a sign that sales numbers are not up to snuff, and they're trying to attract eyeballs/customers? (Or maybe that sales are good but they want to do even better?)

I realize this is a frivolous question but I drive past both of these stores nearly every day and it's driving me bonkers.

return policies

skjønn — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:58:21 -0800

how common or uncommon is it for shops/companies to prohibit individuals from making returns? I was about to order some skin care products, and I was browsing reviews at makeup alley. one of the reviews caught my eye for a brand I was considering (paula's choice), in part because I had heard of their excellent customer service and return policy.

the review stated that after she had tried several products and colors, she made some returns (although she kept more than she returned according to her review). then she received an email from the company stating that although she was welcome to buy their products in the future, they would no longer accept any returns from her despite their return policy.

reading this review made me a little hesitant to try this company. the question that I have for askme is- how common or uncommon is this? is this something almost every company does? or is this a sign that they may be a sketchy place (what im leaning towards thinking)?

Subscription Services for Daily/Weekly Presents by Mail

These Birds of a Feather — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:50:38 -0800

What are some fun things I could have delivered by mail that will satisfy my urge to have a package waiting for me when I get home? I'm a little lonely right now, and one thing that was really brightening my day for a bit was having a bunch of packages waiting for me when I got home each day from work as I was getting different books and things for my new place. I'm aware that retail therapy is a money sink and I am trying to curtail that with other avenues of self soothing, but I love getting mail and seeing a package or two waiting outside my door every few days was just super fun. I don't want a penpal as I already have one and I sort of just want to be the passive receiver rather than an active participant in this experience.

What fun things or services could I suscribe to for a few months so I can indulge this desire for mail? I think I'd be okay with spending $10-$20 but obviously cheaper or free is better. I'm sort of envisioning Scholastic's Book Orders here I guess.

I like... Movies, TV, food, books, science, education, art, cats. (Yes. Cats.)

And I always thought the customers were the problem...

sunset in snow country — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 00:24:48 -0800

Help me cope with retail hell. So I'm in my mid-twenties and I have a degree in underwater basket weaving. I just got back from two years teaching English abroad (where I was paid nicely), and now I'm living in an expensive city doing two internships in a field I want to break into. I've reached the end of my savings and I'm working a part-time retail job to pay the bills, and I am about to completely lose my shit.

I worked for this company when I was in college, at a smaller store inside a mall, and had a pretty good experience overall. I made a lot of good friends and met my current boyfriend there, so I have mostly fond memories of the place. Now I'm at a huge flagship store downtown, and I hate everything about it. I'll admit I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about my (useless) degree and am a little embarrassed to still be working here at my age; I could use an attitude change, but I try not to let it show and I think I act like any other employee. That said, I try hard. We have to sell the store card and be all over customers telling them about our promotions and whatnot, and I'm not one of those people who is a fanatic about this (after offering it once I do take "no" as an answer because, I mean, come on), but I try to talk about them on the sales floor, and I'm perfectly peppy. I'm good at folding. I've had lots of customers go to my manager to tell them how helpful I was.

I'm mostly having trouble with management, which is completely disorganized; it's a huge store, so it's kind of understandable, but whenever I've had problems (setting up direct deposit, say, or the time when I was scheduled on all my internship days because of a computer glitch) I've been sent around to at least five different people only to finally be told to deal with it myself (set up direct deposit online; ask around to get my shifts covered to fix their mistake). I also feel like I don't get told a lot of fairly important information, like the rules for using the employee entrance, or what the promotions I'm supposed to be talking up actually are. Also, I requested a particular weekend off a month in advance to visit a friend who I haven't seen in 2 years (already bought tickets), and I just found out my request was denied; we get our schedules on Friday for the following Sunday, so I can't even ask around to get my shifts covered.

There's one particular manager who has always been snippy and rude to me; I accepted this stuff as part of life when I was 19, but it makes me bristle now and I've been dealing with it by putting on my best fake-chipper face. I thought this was working fine until today, when I got lectured about "smartmouthing" her every time we talk (!?). I took a deep breath and apologized, but it was kind of the last straw. I had an interview last week for a job that I should be hearing back about in the next few days, but if I don't get it, I don't know how I'm going to keep this up. I know lots of people have it worse than me and I'm lucky to even have a job (and an apartment that's affordable with said job, and so on), but that knowledge hasn't helped me get through the day. I don't know if I need a serious dose of humility, or a reality check, or meditation or hard drugs or what. Other than youthful naivete, I think my wonderful coworkers were what got me through my last stint in retail, but I've already been snapped at three times for daring to speak to coworkers on the sales floor when there were customers present, so even that approach is limited. This is exhausting and demeaning and I don't know what to do anymore. Please help me.

Retailer Makeover Needed

lgandme0717 — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 22:24:02 -0800

A friend owns a children's boutique in NYC. She recently confessed that business has been tanking. She overbuys, she doesn't do any sort of inventory management, she has no online presence (apart from a neglected Facebook page). What advice would you give her?

I have material needs

trinity8-director — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 11:27:46 -0800

What stores in the Seattle region are like TAP Plastics but for other materials? I'm interesting in finding material-specific retailers along the line of TAP Plastics. I do know of a foam rubber store, for example. What about other rubber products? Aluminum, sheet metal, etc.

I'm not talking about what I can find at Lowe's or Home Depot, or even McLendon's -- although they do carry many more esoteric items.

For example, I was thinking of building a custom aluminum hard case if I could get my hands on the corners, edges, textured sheets, etc.

I'm also wishing I could get rubber in various thicknesses/hardnesses for home projects. (I love stall mats but those are usually too thick and too big.)

Which Department Store Clothing Sections Sell the Most Over the Holidays?

laswingkid — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:43:18 -0800

My girlfriend has applied for work as a sales associate at two upscale New York City department stores and has been offered a variety of clothing departments to work in at both. She wants to work through the holiday season and to earn as much as she can in that period via commission. Assuming that all departments offer the same rate of commission, can anyone advise us as to which departments would have the highest sales in Oct/Nov/Dec? Or point us to any internet resources with such info? I've been unable to dig up any on my own. Thanks!

Please help me find a boilerplate terms and conditions statement for my new retail website

citybuddha — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:44:27 -0800

Please help me find a boilerplate terms and conditions statement for my new retail website. I am begining a retail web venture and need some terms and conditions verbage. Boilerplate will do. Can someone point the way today?

Special order web app ideas?

dance — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:53:24 -0800

I'm looking for a web (or desktop at a push) app that will help me track customer special orders. These are essentially items we don't carry in the shop as normal but order in for people as and when.

It should be able to keep track of date, customer name, price agreed etc.

For extra points it could email/SMS (UK) the customer when the product comes into stock (we'd have to tell it with a tickbox or similar the product was in).

For extra extra points it might email a list of all open tickets to a defined address at the end of each day.

Any ideas? I've looked at various project management web apps and "to do" lists but none seem appropriate.

Thanks!

Which stores have trademark smells?

mikesch — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:56:24 -0800

Which chains have trademark smells? A Subway always smells like a Subway, a Canadian friend tells me Shoppers Drug Mart has a unique smell in all their stores. Cinnabon's smell is a big part of their branding. I'm wondering what other chains exploit this as part of their marketing.

I'm probably not looking for examples of the generic thrift store or old bookstore smells that come about accidentally, but if there's a chain that, for example, sells new books and tries to make their stores smell like a comforting used bookstore, that's more what I'm getting at.

Maybe certain recognizable scents by season? Instead of generic Christmas smells, maybe Macy's has their own Macy's Christmas smell that's different from the Nordstrom Christmas smell (just an example)?

To retail or not to retail?

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 08:13:35 -0800

Retail me, or retail me not? I'm about ready to throw in the towel for my newish retail job.

I'm working for one of the world's biggest and most successful technological companies at one of their retail stores, as a general salesperson. It's been an amazing experience so far, in terms of personal growth and gained experience.

However, I'm ready to throw in the towel and just continue to job-search or go back to school. Think I'm crazy or weird? I'm sure you're not the only one. I'm going to explain why, and a bit of a backstory.

I'm deaf, and was struggling to find a job for about 1 1/2 years, so when I got the offer for this retail job earlier this spring, it was definitely a sweet offer and one that I jumped at immediately. The job has benefits, the pay is relatively good (for retail, anyway), and this company is pretty accommodating towards Deaf (and other disabled folks). I like and get along well with a majority of my co-workers. I love a majority of my customers; it's a perfect combination of working with people and with technology, two things I love. Pretty much everyday, I have awesome customers who make me laugh, or just really smile. Me making a difference does help. That's the good part.

Now, the bad part. It's such a chaotic environment, I barely have time to think or do productive tasks. Policies change constantly, product cycles keep refreshing, managers are hard to reach, and can be very cold and standoffish. I often feel left out in the flow of communication, especially due to the communication barrier that is present due to my Deafness. "You just said this company was pretty accommodating towards Deaf and other disabled people?" you may ask. True, at store or market meetings, and I do get equipment to communicate with customers. But, I feel left out from my co-workers (not their fault), and despite store-wide emails I send, which get ignored mostly (we're kind of into the 'team communication' effort at my store), people still speak to me. I understand it's human nature, and habit, but I can't read lips. I'm tired of being the 'bad guy' and having to repeat it. I'm tired of managers seeming to come across as cold or focusing on small mistakes instead of on the big picture and making a big deal out of small mistakes I've made. I'm tired of the general pretentious feel I'm getting from the company in general. I'm tired of walking on eggshells and having to deal with a chaotic, constantly changing environment. I'm tired of working so hard to impress management and have my efforts be ignored, with a few exceptions. I don't like the lack of a career ladder. I don't like my schedule being so inconsistent. I feel myself becoming worn down by customers continuing to ask me question after question. I don't like the lack of flexibility in scheduling. I can go on and on, but that's the gist of it.

Then, today, me and a manager had a small disagreement over something silly. I was told by one manager that I was welcome to charge my phone in the office. When I went in the manager's office to charge my phone, I was told by a manager not to do that. I was basically put on a guilt trip saying that I was putting them in an unfair position, that they didn't want to take responsibility for it, that kind of thing. It was very offputting and put me into tears, especially considering the mixed message I got by two different managers, and the lack of understanding from the manager I interacted with today.

I want to say that I'm a sensitive person. Maybe too sensitive for the nature of retail. I'm also going through some personal issues (therapy is being obtained, so please do not mention that), but when I first began, I was so motivated. I loved going to work everyday, actually dreaded leaving. I loved making a difference. Now, it's the opposite. My work and personal life is not balanced. I feel like I have nobody to talk with at work about my frustrations; like nobody will really care... it's always so crazy there, that oftentimes necessary stuff are forgotten. I also feel afraid to speak up due to being retaliated against.

I know the complaints I have above are mostly part of working retail. You may be thinking 'hey, welcome to the real world... be happy you have a job!' I feel too old for this kind of job (I'm in my later 20's). I want a stable, possibly federal job, and I've been job-searching. However, I feel guilty and unsure about resigning for the following reasons:

a) I don't want my family or friends to disapprove of me leaving my job.
b) I don't want to disappoint myself by 'giving up', especially so early. (Turnover in my job is often 1-2 years)
c) I was incredibly blessed to find this admittedly competitive job. In this economy, I should be fortunate to "shut my mouth" and just be happy to have a job.
d) Maybe it's too early to say? Maybe things will improve? Maybe not?

I'm a bit embarrassed because it's only been a few months and I'm already ready to resign. I see my co-workers and they all seem fine; they don't seem to let managers or fellow co-workers/customers upset them, and they seem happy.

On the other hand, I need to think of myself, too, and what I want. The trouble is, I'm completely lost, and I was considering this job a good 'step in the door' - now I'm not even sure I can really survive the next few months or even weeks anymore. I need this job for financial and growth/expansion reasons, however, so I'm really unsure what to do. It was already hard enough to find a job.

I know this was long, and I had to parse my thoughts a lot. I'm keeping this anonymous for obvious reasons.

Thanks for any thoughts or advice for this retail jockey. Any help would be really appreciated... I'm afraid I'm in over my head.

Leaving the nest ASAP

ichomp — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:01:53 -0800

How do I get a retail/ food service job ASAP without prior experience? (Limit: 2 weeks) I am essentially the OP's daughter in this question.

I would like the start supporting myself ASAP. I have had a few interviews for full-time jobs, but they didn't come to fruition. I am continuing to apply for full-time jobs.

Thanks to my parents, I haven't had to work part-time jobs. However, now I lack retail/ service experience. It will be a while until I get a full-time job, with the whole process of networking, interviewing, hearing back...

In the meantime, I MUST start working. Is applying online a feasible way to get retail jobs? I feel like I've been applying into a black hole even for PART-time jobs.

1) What method is most direct for retail/ food service jobs?
2) How do I get a retail/service job without prior experience?
Bonus) If anyone could look at my resume for part-time work, please and thank you so much.