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20 Lessons Learned From 20 Years in Retail
Lesson one: the customer is NOT always right
If you had told me when I embarked on my initial job interview in 2004 that I would still be working at the same place 20 years later, I would have laughed in your face. But here we are in 2024. As I approach this monumental workiversary, I reflect on my past experiences. I’ve discovered that I have learned some valuable lessons over the past two decades. They are worth sharing with the rest of the world.
To that end, I humbly present to you the following 20 lessons I have learned from working 20 years in retail:
1. The customer is NOT always right.
Anyone who has worked any customer service job knows this one. It’s likely the first thing you learned — “the customer is always right.” It’s a simple enough concept. Keep your customers happy, and they will return to your store to purchase more things in the future.
Unfortunately, customers have caught on to the fact that they can use this sentiment to their advantage. They know that complaining to the manager, even if they’re in the wrong, will result in getting their way. They also tend to use this as an excuse to treat the poor employees, who are only trying to do their jobs as they were taught, like garbage.
