Life as a Superstore Associate

I have been working for this superstore for three months now and life can show you what a challenge is. People come from so many backgrounds and yet they all have the same thought because why not? "He/she is an store associate so he has to know everything about the store so we better ask him/her all of out questions we've got!" And that is what a challenge you have to surpass once you become an employee of a big corporate monster that is willing to do anything to make the costumer feel better about themselves but they forget that their workers are humans too, but that's okay: your paycheck is your reward.

I, for a fact, can tell you that dealing with people is a thing you have to be born for! I consider myself a people's person, not just because I am a person myself (note that joke) but because I had earned patience by all the years I had worked in costumer service. Everyday is a quest, like those RPG games out there; from the lady that brought three stuffed shopping carts to the man who always demands to change something because he is never satisfied of what he bought. The deal is, when you deal with a costumer, you must have a smile even when you—deep inside—want to kill them.

Extreme Costumer Service

Something I was trained is to give an extreme costumer service, that means that whatever you do, please the costumer and forget that you are at risk of losing your job because of a price they are arguing for. Sometimes, you have to bend some rules just because you want to get rid of a nasty costumer, just like if this man brought a pair of—obviously expensive—boots and he ripped the price tag and then says he saw them like that at the floor and wants them for an specific low price that makes no sense not just to you, but everyone in general. Now, there's always a good thing about dealing with people, you become a better person and you earn a stronger personality and it will all the good/bad intentions of the world, you can manage to become a wiser employee and find ways to make them feel glad that you were the associate they got help from.

I am a natural at handling confused people, and these three months in the company made me learn that confusion is a key to get away with everything. Want a toy? Don't know where they are? Me either! Just happens that I can help you find it if you just let me walk around all over the place, ask my co-workers, and then find it for you! Maybe it was right before our eyes all the time, but in doubt take it as an adventure. If you are a rude costumer, two things might happen and you have to choose as long as you keep your nasty attitude. Either we help you get what you want as quick as we can as long you stay in your respectful line or we just pretend to help you and let you think we are going to help you but we might have a better task to do; like fixing our aisles or we might as well get fired. Just saying.

So, if you ever see an associate, be kind! We're humans too and if you are coming to us with attitude, we might as well have a smart comeback and you won't noticed we did, because at the end of the day we are not going to take anyone's awfulness because they are insecure of themselves. So, be nice, please! Maybe our boss yelled at us for no reason or maybe we had an awful day.

"Smile, you're working with costumers."

One day I heard a person say if you can't afford to smile, then you shouldn't work serving costumers and let me tell you something: That's full of...

In three months, smiling has always been my first weapon every time I work, but there's been people working over years and years with people and smiling is a thing of the past. I have seen ladies who've worked for these companies for more than ten years, they all look exhausted and sometimes older than they really are because their souls have been taken away by costumers and these corporate monsters we call superstores. But, let me tell you, they might look upset but deep inside they developed this great sense of humor that you end up loving them, even when they nag and yell at you out of nowhere. These people are amazing, I tell you. As for me, this short time has made me learn more about this English language that can surprise you. I heard slangs that only associates use to help each other, or maybe destroy of what's left of your soul. But the bright side, working with people helps you with college/school presentations.

In case you need to learn about life, ask an associate. If you see them smiling, something deep, deep inside of them must be dead or he/she is thinking of something so good that is making them smile, like for instance I just think of a great vacation I would love to have if I got paid accordingly that week or maybe I am imagining how to burn the place down or a costumer who was being a rude person. At the end of the day, everything is a lesson and you learn that nothing can stop you from living.

The Best Price is Courtesy!

Finally, don't doubt yourself about these associates or me, we are regular people who happen to work at a superstore or a retail or a fast food restaurant, we just work because we need to afford living. It is nice to feel appreciated, we all now that but the best feeling is getting paid after a long week of dealing with people or standing for more than four hours. I have nothing against my job, neither people, this was just a small idea of what it is to deal with people everyday. Being courteous is the best thing you can do when dealing with whoever you are dealing with, inside or outside a superstore or home. Try to think of the benefits you'd receive in life for being nice with everyone, this is coming from a person who had worked with people for years, and these three months working with this company had showed me better. Is up to you, if you want a costumer we love or we just dislike. Maybe deep inside you might think that the opinion of a store associate isn't the least of your worries, but when you are in need of assistance, the one who you were mean to might be the one who you'd might need the most!