Working in Retail?

[powerfulthoughts]

I am working in a retail store currently, and it is mentally and emotionally exhausting. It is hell working 40 hours a week in a retail setting, when you have social phobia. Cant talk to co-workers, cant ever be comfortable, always feeling internal stress and bad self-consciousness. Can anyone relate to working in retail with SP?

 

[electric pepper]

yes i find it so stressful, i cant to talk to co workers either, been there 6 months. i find it really hard though because the manager is always telling us to strike up conversations with the customers i am not got at starting conversations sometimes i have tried to but on occasion the customer will just ignore me so that dashes my confidence even more. Its bad as well because all my co workers are near, that stresses me out because i feel they are judging me or laughing about me. it also gets pretty busy as well which just makes me panic, so then i end up making mistakes and the manager is really stressy so she's always shouting at me. i really dont like it but i am grateful having a job, just nothing else for me to do i am constantly thinking for them to sack me

 

[Thelema]

How did you guys get that job? Did you cover up your SP during the interview?

 

[powerfulthoughts]

How did you guys get that job? Did you cover up your SP during the interview?

I can't cover up my SP no matter what I do. I have lost out on many jobs because I was so petrified in the interview process. In fact, I've probably had over 40 job interviews in my life but have had about only 5 jobs. The thing is though, I knew that somehow I would eventually get a job if I just kept at it, and that was the case with this one I have now. The interview process was very short, I mumbled a few incoherent words, and she said okay you start tomorrow. Haha, they needed help for seasonal Christmas hours, and so I was really just a quick filler for the holidays. Luckily, I must've done a good enough job for them to keep me there, as I am now working pretty much full time. It's very hellish at times, but when you need money you must do whatever it takes.

 

[electric pepper]

yeah i started out a seasonal staff, originally i was just on a four week work experience which wasnt paid, so the interview process wasnt actually with the manager of the store, it was with a lady who worked in the job centre was very laid back i was still pretty anxious, but was quite relaxed, she gave me advice on answeers i gave, if she didnt think they were very good. but in a way it kind of makes working there harder because i know that if my manager had been the one interviewing me she wouldnt of hired me, so now shes kinda of stuck, i think she is going to sack me soon, but it doesnt really bother me that much if she does, i can tell when i look at her that she thinks i am a complete idiot and looks at me with disdain.

 

[Rxqueen]

I work in retail and it definitely sucks. I've been working for eight months but I have to admit I have gotten better. I used to not even be able to look people in the eye and would get anxiety attacks when there were too many customers in the store but now when a customer asks me a question I'll answer it and point them in the right direction. I still have problems talking to coworkers and only speak when spoken to, the same with customers. I wish I were able to initiate conversation but that seems to be the hardest thing to get over. I also tend to mumble so when I do try to initiate no one can hear me...

 

[coyote]

i work in retail

i enjoy talking to customers

it has actually helped me improve alot

the more you do something, the better you get

having to butcher an ox would be difficult for most any of us

but not to someone who has butchered a dozen oxen a day for 5 years

 

[LazyHermitCrab]

I work in retail too. The difference is 10 hrs a week. I don't think I could survive with 40 but used to work 20 during summer. Anyway I wear a watch and only go out once each hour from the back room. I time myself to avoid the most people. People only see me briefly 5 times a day because I have to clean boxes. I always get "you were her the entire time?" Lol It may seem imposible to avoid people in retail but I got good at it....

 

[MollyBeGood]

I actually enjoyed retail. People were generally upbeat and the conversations were about silly things like snow babies and the latest Lladro or Hummels, and I liked the creative aspects of doing displays. If you smile a lot and are polite it's not so bad even with SA. I also liked having a job where I was required to look nice-LoL

 

[Iluv]

Retail + me = disaster. The best advice I can give you is don't let customers and co-workers push you around. Try hard not to lose your temper if somebody puts you in a situation that sparks a fuse and if you do lose your temper don't start smashing the merchandise. That is all ::. I'm sure you will do amazing! It was honestly so exhausting for me but luckily it was just for school!

 

[WeirdyMcGee]

Yes.
I can't recall how I dealt with it...
I think I would be the run around/errand girl who filled out orders and climbed the ladder all day long specifically so I didn't have to talk to any customers.

...people are really rude when they're shopping for window coverings... and you wouldn't believe how many people shoplift bedding and curtains. It's ridiculous.

 

[BlueDays]

I've only ever worked in Retail. (not by choice)

Currently working in volunteer work in a Retail environment. Well, forced vounteer work. lol, oxymoron I know.

I developed a "mask" to wear while at work. It's the only way I could deal with it.

An act of being confident, friendly etc. It's all an act and the reason I could never socialize with co-workers after work as they would then discover the real me was nothing like what they saw at work.

It takes an enormous amount of energy to "wear" this mask at work, so I then come home absolutely exhausted.

 

[BlackPuma]

I worked in retail for 20 hours per week, for almost a year and it broke me. I still work there but almost completely behind the scenes. Scrubbin' toilets and being happy.

 

[ohheybbyitscorixx]

The only retail I have applied to is Macys, and they didn't even give me an interview. I give props to you, that you were able to even work 40 hours a week for a while now.

 

[coyote]

I developed a "mask" to wear while at work. It's the only way I could deal with it.

An act of being confident, friendly etc. It's all an act and the reason I could never socialize with co-workers after work as they would then discover the real me was nothing like what they saw at work.

It takes an enormous amount of energy to "wear" this mask at work, so I then come home absolutely exhausted.

describes my entire adult working life

plus 4 years of college

and the 12 years i spent in school

 

[Remus]

Yeah I did the mask thingy, though when I worked at games workshop in 98-00 it got too much and I cracked up.

 

[Aletheia]

^ Spooky, this is me right down to the dates (although I wasn't coding anything so interesting as games).

I became so identified with my mask that it required quite some persuading to convince me that I even had one, let alone let it go.

 

[bcsr]

Not retail, but I've been doing technical support/customer service for 2 and a half years now. I have to talk to mostly angry customers 8 hours a day.

I don't know why people think they have the right to treat someone who's trying to help them like garbage. I normally just let it go, but I've been so depressed/angry lately, I snap on them. I'll probably be fired soon, and I don't really think thats be a bad thing.

 

[Fighter86]

I worked previously in a semi retail environment. Meaning partial retail (we sold things) partially desk bound work. I don't have much issue with retail as much of my SA does not stem from talking to strangers. It wasen't such a bad place to work but I had to leave due to various reasons. Looking back the people there were nicer than any office jobs I held.