My experience working retail

I have a passion for the fashion industry. I had decided to work in fashion retail at an upscale store for the experience. The crazy thing is that I have never worked in retail before ever. The last thirteen years of my life I worked in the healthcare field. But because of my years of customer service experience I was comfortable with the change of jobs. I follow and read everything about fashion. So I knew that this would be a piece of cake.

I was so excited to be working around fashion all day. The first two days I was in training and it was a lot of fun. Everyone was so nice and friendly they made me feel so comfortable. I was ready to hit the ground running. Ready Set Sale! The third day on the job was my first day on the sales floor.

My area was accessories and sunglasses. Even though I was hired in to work the accessories/sunglasses I was told that we can cross sale in other areas of the store. The only areas that I could not sale in was shoes and watches because you have to certified. I was cool with that.

Working on the sales floor there are a lot of unwritten rules that I was not ready for. It is okay to be friendly but do not speak to everyone because you have to let the other workers engage with a customer. If a worker say hi to a customer then that is their customer. I was like oh okay.

So I begin talking to the customers and closing the sale. I really enjoyed meeting and talking with the customers helping them find what they was looking for. In only a couple of days I became the top sales person in my area. I sold Chanel, Prada, Tory Burch, Kate Spade, and Ray Ban sunglasses. I also sold Eric Javits hats and very expensive scarves.

When customers ask me to help them in other departments of course I was excited to help them. I was taught in my training that you never say no to a customer. Plus I was able to cross sale. I sold jewelry, Top Shop clothing, and formal dresses. Even though the customers, my managers, and I was happy the other sales people was not. They felt like I was taking a sale away from them.

Working on commission was not like I expected it to be. Because making a sale getting the commission was how you made your money. I felt like it was a game of cat and mouse. The customers was the bone and the we as the sales people was the hungry dogs trying to get to the bone first. That part was horrible.

Standing on my feet for seven hours was no fun. When there was slow days I still have to stay on the floor. It is only so much folding and organizing you can do. The shifts was not ideal either. I had to work crazy hours and the weekend. When the store was closed for Easter and I was able to attend church and have dinner with my family I realize that I was not ready to give that up just yet.

I worked a total of 61.40 hours, 6,069.40 in sales, 276.50 in return, and  5,792.90 in net sales. But in the end I found out that retail sales is not for me. I want a career in the fashion industry but not on the sales floor.