Miscellaneous Musings

I work at a large national department store. It is what someone referred to as a "placeholder" job. I like the term because it implies that this is interim (which it is), not something I will be doing this time next year (I won't) and not a career position (it isn't). Nevertheless, I find what I do interesting and even at times enjoyable. I enjoy helping customers put together an outfit for a special occasion or for a trip - especially if they're traveling to Europe or Asia or somewhere outside the U.S. for the first time, because I can offer them guidance not only in coordinating outfits, but what to wear and what not to wear so they don't look like the classic American tourist traipsing everywhere in sweatshirt, jeans and athletic shoes. I often spend more time assisting individual customers than the potential sale merits. Since we're paid commission, most sales people seek to attach themselves to as many customers as possible. The more customers, the more total sales. If you're spending time with a customer, you're forgoing the chance to claim additional customers - and make more commission. I know this, but I enjoy the customer service part of my job, and if I only concentrated on ringing up sales, I'd be ready to quit today. Which I sometimes am anyway . . . I've discovered that people are lazy slobs when they're shopping, leaving piles of clothes on the floor of the dressing room - apparently for the maids (us) to pick up and put away.