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Greetings everyone!
I come from Canada bearing experience in retail electronics, except worse. Because it's refurbished.
I'm not sure if anyone here has worked at a shop primarily geared towards refurbished/reconditioned product but if they have I'm sure we'll have many stories to relate regarding customers who believe the fact that their computer is refurbished means that any problem that may occur is directly related. Oh, but that's another story (well it's a collection of, really).
I'm a PC technician and have worked this, my first and only retail job for over two years now. I remember when I was first hired, it was like a system shock for me. I had never worked retail, especially in an environment with highly skilled commission salesmen instead of brainless drones. I was so damn soft... I wince when I think back upon it... I try to think fondly of the days before extreme cynicism crept in, a wide eyed newbie, foolishly believing my job was to help customers. I never said no to any request I could do, even if it meant sacrificing huge chunks of time doing menial things like showing customers how to use their finger print reader. I fast learned that this technique added up to a squat paycheck, a pile of computers so big waiting to be looked at I couldn't think of ever making a dent with more coming in by the hour and customers who maliciously took advantage of my meek, friendly and helpful demeanor, and saw myself begrudgingly doing things I should never have.
But in a situation like that you learn fast... or as fast as you need to anyway. It actually wasn't until my friend who got me the job working there and who was also my partner in our tech-tag-team was fired and a new tech brought on board (M) that I started to realise the existance of our budgets, our scorecard, etc. M also taught me alot of things about running a successful and efficient tech shop, which I use to this day. The most important thing I learned, however, was that I was not the customer's slave, I didn't have to give in to rediculous demands and I could stand up for myself. I learned how to deal with customers who wouldn't take no for an answer, and I learned not to feel bad about saying no.
At first I was put off by the whole retail and profit mentality of the place, until I realised the reality of the situation and that if I could fuck over some sucky ass customers wallet in the meantime to make me money. It's a business afterall, I have to hit my budgets if I want a good paycheque at all, and so I will do my damndest to do it.
I've gone through three stages respectively in my job, of hating, loving and hating it. We opened a new store, which I went to in late 2008 (I was hired in September 2007). Things changed alot in my life there. It was awesome to be there from the beginning, with a clean slate to build business. I felt proud of the work I was doing, I didn't mind the sucky customers, it was me and two great salespeople/friends who all worked together. It felt like the store was ours.
This was also the time when I first lost my cool with a customer. He was becoming increasingly demanding and rude until I finally just told him that I wouldn't help him anymore and walked away.
Unfortunately, good things never last and business started to slooooooooow down (this was after getting a second tech who cut into the already measly (but decent for one) commission, and has a whole set of problems himself) and a dispute with our insane DM (again, another story, dearest apologies)broke up the "dream team". Lot's of inner turmoil followed in the stores with tons of old school employees (as in, the ones hired a couple months before me and the store's "prized" salespeople) quitting and eventually everyone I cared for had either quit or gone to work at another store.
I've drudged on since then, and my good friend and once again manager D has retained his position at my store, which has made things a little nicer. I must admit, however, that a thread here (about a fellow working at a bank) made me sign up. He mentioned the fact that at this point he feels that anyone but himself is stupid, and how arrogant a thought it is, but how true it feels and it really resonated with me because I feel the same way! I hate it, but it's a feeling I can't help, even as I sit on the bus on the way to work I think about how useless/stupid everyone must be. I judge so many people and am resentful towards those that I haven't even met yet! Work has become so surreal that I've become to question my very existence. It's a strange feeling, and hard to put into words, but it's like it feels like when I picture myself in my head nothing appears? I've lost almost all will to socialise, which is a shame because this job originally helped my social skills and my shyness immensely. Can this all be attributed to burnout in the service/retail industry? Maybe I'm just going crazy.
Enough about the job, more about me. Well I'm a pretty average, if not tall, joe and my interests include mainly animals, music and art. I'm a metalhead when it comes to music (not exclusive obviously) so say hey if you like it too. Some of my favorite bands are Darkthrone, Helloween, Riot, Pagan Altar, Propagandhi and Bathory but I could go on forever naming names so that'll do just fine.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I come from Canada bearing experience in retail electronics, except worse. Because it's refurbished.
I'm not sure if anyone here has worked at a shop primarily geared towards refurbished/reconditioned product but if they have I'm sure we'll have many stories to relate regarding customers who believe the fact that their computer is refurbished means that any problem that may occur is directly related. Oh, but that's another story (well it's a collection of, really).
I'm a PC technician and have worked this, my first and only retail job for over two years now. I remember when I was first hired, it was like a system shock for me. I had never worked retail, especially in an environment with highly skilled commission salesmen instead of brainless drones. I was so damn soft... I wince when I think back upon it... I try to think fondly of the days before extreme cynicism crept in, a wide eyed newbie, foolishly believing my job was to help customers. I never said no to any request I could do, even if it meant sacrificing huge chunks of time doing menial things like showing customers how to use their finger print reader. I fast learned that this technique added up to a squat paycheck, a pile of computers so big waiting to be looked at I couldn't think of ever making a dent with more coming in by the hour and customers who maliciously took advantage of my meek, friendly and helpful demeanor, and saw myself begrudgingly doing things I should never have.
But in a situation like that you learn fast... or as fast as you need to anyway. It actually wasn't until my friend who got me the job working there and who was also my partner in our tech-tag-team was fired and a new tech brought on board (M) that I started to realise the existance of our budgets, our scorecard, etc. M also taught me alot of things about running a successful and efficient tech shop, which I use to this day. The most important thing I learned, however, was that I was not the customer's slave, I didn't have to give in to rediculous demands and I could stand up for myself. I learned how to deal with customers who wouldn't take no for an answer, and I learned not to feel bad about saying no.
At first I was put off by the whole retail and profit mentality of the place, until I realised the reality of the situation and that if I could fuck over some sucky ass customers wallet in the meantime to make me money. It's a business afterall, I have to hit my budgets if I want a good paycheque at all, and so I will do my damndest to do it.
I've gone through three stages respectively in my job, of hating, loving and hating it. We opened a new store, which I went to in late 2008 (I was hired in September 2007). Things changed alot in my life there. It was awesome to be there from the beginning, with a clean slate to build business. I felt proud of the work I was doing, I didn't mind the sucky customers, it was me and two great salespeople/friends who all worked together. It felt like the store was ours.
This was also the time when I first lost my cool with a customer. He was becoming increasingly demanding and rude until I finally just told him that I wouldn't help him anymore and walked away.
Unfortunately, good things never last and business started to slooooooooow down (this was after getting a second tech who cut into the already measly (but decent for one) commission, and has a whole set of problems himself) and a dispute with our insane DM (again, another story, dearest apologies)broke up the "dream team". Lot's of inner turmoil followed in the stores with tons of old school employees (as in, the ones hired a couple months before me and the store's "prized" salespeople) quitting and eventually everyone I cared for had either quit or gone to work at another store.
I've drudged on since then, and my good friend and once again manager D has retained his position at my store, which has made things a little nicer. I must admit, however, that a thread here (about a fellow working at a bank) made me sign up. He mentioned the fact that at this point he feels that anyone but himself is stupid, and how arrogant a thought it is, but how true it feels and it really resonated with me because I feel the same way! I hate it, but it's a feeling I can't help, even as I sit on the bus on the way to work I think about how useless/stupid everyone must be. I judge so many people and am resentful towards those that I haven't even met yet! Work has become so surreal that I've become to question my very existence. It's a strange feeling, and hard to put into words, but it's like it feels like when I picture myself in my head nothing appears? I've lost almost all will to socialise, which is a shame because this job originally helped my social skills and my shyness immensely. Can this all be attributed to burnout in the service/retail industry? Maybe I'm just going crazy.
Enough about the job, more about me. Well I'm a pretty average, if not tall, joe and my interests include mainly animals, music and art. I'm a metalhead when it comes to music (not exclusive obviously) so say hey if you like it too. Some of my favorite bands are Darkthrone, Helloween, Riot, Pagan Altar, Propagandhi and Bathory but I could go on forever naming names so that'll do just fine.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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