After working behind various counters for much of my life, I have realised that there is a fine art to retail, especially if you care and you want to get it right. We're there to do a job - one that is as far from rocket science as it gets - but there's a science involved nonetheless. It's a science of people; reading and relating to people in a way that can either make their day or ruin it.
We've all had nightmare moments . The assistant who doesn't acknowledge you. The one who tells you their life story in the first five minutes. The one who takes too long, or the one who rushes through. The one who looks blank when you ask a question, or the one who answers you with a tiresome spiel of details that you don't need.
The fact is, it's not as easy as it looks. At this time of year, I meet all sorts - from people in a rush who need quickfire, no nonsense help, to those who are wandering without aim and who are grateful for all the help they can get. There are people who want to talk and explain and enquire, and people who simply want to point and pay and leave.
I love my job because I love people and I love beautiful things . You'd be amazed at the stories I hear and the friends I make through selling stuff . But it's Christmas - tensions are high, money is low, patience is fair to middling - so as you power through the final days and expect the world, spare a thought for those of us on the frontline. We have sore feet and hoarse voices and our faces hurt from smiling, but we will soldier on, for you. We will even gift-wrap.
What's your shopping pet hate ? Have you enjoyed great customer service over the Christmas period, or have you had a nightmare moment ? What do you wish shops would do, or stop doing, to make your visit more worthwhile ? What makes or breaks a good shopping experience ?
Have Your Say New Zealand !!
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