A while ago, I made a commitment to always greet and thank retail workers in whatever situation I encountered them (Starbucks, Walmart, or the corner doughnut shop. Actually, I don’t live near a corner doughnut shop anymore….more’s the pity.)
I have renewed this commitment after I read this penetrating and depressing article about what it’s like to work in retail. Be nice to your store clerks, everybody, and remember they are people made in the image of God.
When we got to the front of the line, the barista at the register apologized for the wait as she cast a stressed eye at the grumblers down the line. I smiled and said, “No worries, I get it.” And I did. I really, really did.
You see, these days, I’m a stay-at-home, work-part-time-from-home mom to four littles. But I spent seven years on the front lines of retail and customer service at Starbucks and Victoria’s Secret. I’ve had a lot of time (while running kids to various places, changing diapers, and standing in lines at those exact same establishments) to contemplate some things everyone should know about retail — the things I always wanted to tell my customers, but couldn’t because, well, I wanted to keep my job. [Read more]
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