DISCLAIMER: All names have been changed for privacy and also I don’t want any lawsuits for talking about workplace drama.
During the summer, I resolved to get a job. I was starting to feel like I was mooching off of my parents. Given that I was 18, there was also the need to become more independent from them. You know, real adult stuff. Thus began my journey to turn in as many resumes as possible, to as many places as possible. For about two weeks, it seemed to be a fruitless effort. Then, one Friday after doing the rounds at Plaza Las Americas, I came home tired. My mom noticed and mentioned offhandedly that I should stop by the mall close to us and drop off resumes there. I reluctantly drove over, ready to be ignored by every store I went to. After walking around for a while, I came across Boutique X. I was familiar with it because I had gotten my graduation and prom dresses in the eighth grade from their store in Plaza Las Americas, as well as some other pieces over the years. Long story short, my conversation with the woman who is now my manager was lovely and I got hired on the spot. I was set to start my training next Monday, at the end of the Fourth of July weekend.
As expected, the first week was the toughest. I have to thank my manager, Shelley, and one of my coworkers, Ari, for their patience with me. Slowly, I learned how to use the program we use to ring people up. That was difficult, but dealing with the mannequins was certainly the most frustrating task. Not all of them disassemble in the same way, and I learned this as I knocked them over as I tried to pry the pieces apart. In other news, my minor anxiety stopped me from having fluid conversations with clients. This made it harder for me to try to help them find what they wanted.
Since then, I’ve come a long way. My impulse control has decreased significantly and my closet is now full of pieces from the store. Plus, the 50% discount employees get certainly isn’t helping. I’ll admit that my people skills have improved by working at Boutique X. I’ve been forced to try and find ways to talk to potential clients in ways that aren’t too pushy, but that still makes them want to buy stuff from the boutique. The use of compliments when they try on clothes skyrockets on slow days, even when what they have on is questionable. I try to woo them by commenting on how it brings out the color of their eyes, or how it can be dressed up or down. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t become a total pathological liar, but it’s definitely gotten easier to persuade clients. It’s a skill I’ve managed to hone, while also applying it to handling coworkers, managers, and even the owners.
Unwittingly at first, I was caught up on drama from my (now former) coworker, Kelly. It wasn’t general drama, though: she complained about one of the owners, Maria. For context, a married couple own the store, Maria and Eduardo. Kelly went on and on about how she was incredibly overbearing and demanded she do an unreasonable amount of things, even when the store had been busy the entire day. From changing the mannequins’ clothes to calling clients to let them know about the day’s offers, Maria wanted it all done quickly. Despite knowing all this from Kelly, I never really noticed until recently. It came to a head one day after I clocked in after Kelly had left. That day, the complaints about the owner peaked and apparently, Maria found out and asked me about it over the phone as we discussed what discounts would be offered the next day. She asked me whether Kelly had said anything about her and I said that she just seemed frustrated, but that she never mentioned her by name.
(That day wound up being the last I saw of Kelly).
But then again, things have gotten out of hand as of late. Another coworker quit and there was a scare involving a manager quitting, though we were later told she would return to work next week. So… messy, but I digress. This has certainly been a learning experience and, for the time being, I’ll stick around for the sake of improving my people skills and my fashion sense.