There is nothing more depressing than being stuck at work when everyone else is at home enjoying a holiday. Except they should be but instead they are out shopping and that’s the reason you have to work.

All your friends have a nicely balanced circadian clock, but not you. When they are just getting home from work you are just leaving to start your shift. It kind of sucks.

When music is playing to entertain your customers often it will be song that you once enjoyed in another setting. One where you were probably having fun with my friends. (Sigh) the memories.

The countdown has begun when the doors are going to be locked for the day. Then in come the stragglers who are so pleased with themselves that they made it just before closing.

If nothing else is to be learned from retail service it’s how to bite your tongue. Or in other words just grin and bear it.

How about the phrase of the day. When the majority of the customers say have a great day. Its 9:00 am and you know you still have 7 left to work.

You may take more trips to the bathroom during a work day than you do at any other time of the day. Is this trying to tell you something?

Not being able to finish a juicy conversation with you co-worker because you are being interrupted by a customer can really get to you after a while.

How about the customers who try the door and its locked but they can still see you inside? They frantically knock on the door till you respond. Only to ask the obvious question like “Oh are you closed?”

Don’t you just love all the excuses when a co-worker calls in which means you now have double the workload. Like my uncle just arrived from Tasmania. Or my car won’t start when you know the worker doesn’t even have one.

You are short staffed so out of kindness you use ten minutes only of your allowed fifteen minute break. When you return your supervisor gives you the glare like you took too long.

Part of your duties in the clothing store you work for is to make sure the merchandise is neat and folded. Every customer that comes in seems to have the desire to unfold at least three to five items to inspect. Do they refold them? Nope.

One of the positive things that you may have discovered about working in retail is that it’s like being in acting school. How many times a day do you have to laugh at jokes that just’ don’t have any humor to them?

You are required to wear that sickly looking yellow company top with the glaring brand name on one side and your name badge on the other. Then at least two customers a day will ask “do you work here?

It’s a busy Saturday afternoon and your store is running a huge sale. The lineup at your cash is a mile long. Then comes along the sweet little lady that wants to pay for her five items all in change. That takes forever for her to dig out of her purse and count.

The irate customer is threatening to never do business at your store again. Instead of you being upset silently you breathe a sigh of relief.

You are on your feet for eight hours a day. You make endless trip around the store on a daily basis. Basically you walk miles. Then you get a customer who says it must be tough being stuck inside all day and not being able to get any exercise.

Restraint is a virtue that must be learned in retail. Like when the customer throws their credit card or money on the counter. The urge to throw the bagged purchase back at them can be overwhelming.

How about the customer who brings in last week’s sale coupons that ended last week and insists on the same price this week? How long can you can keep a smile on your face while you explain for the tenth time that the sale is over.

It’s great to work with a co-worker who is friendly but not so great when its one who spends ten minutes at the cash chatting with each customer and other customers are coming to your till because you are so fast.

You are so used to having to smile for the eight hours you are dealing with customers, it feels like your face is frozen that way at the end of the day.

The customer you have been trying to calm down for the last fifteen minutes demands to speak to the manager. But, you are the manager. Now what?

Your feet are killing you and you head feels like it’s about to explode and you still have five hours of work left. However, you have to listen to the customer in front of you go on about how exhausting shopping for new clothes is.

There is a big sale running the store is packed and you are working you butt off. You ring in the customer’s order as you gaze over the mile long lineup behind her you politely ask, “Will that be all?” and she says no wait a minute and runs off to find something else.

You love kids but that love is pushed to the limit with some of the little shoppers. Like the ones that don’t want to be in the store and they are making it known.