TheTeenDoc.com

Changing the World One Teen at a Time

Your teen can learn a lot from a retail job: Manage money, answer to an authority besides parents and teachers and deal with people in the real world. Sometimes, difficult people.

Stand at the customer service counter at any retail store and you can develop a whole new respect for the person at the counter as well as the life skills that must develop as a result. 

When teens do retail especially as a manager, they end up having to say things like, “We no longer have that item in stock. Would you like me to see if one of our other locations has it?” This is service.   When customers say things like, “Let me speak to your supervisor?” Your teen has to learn to say, “Is there anything I can help you with?” To say this convincingly teaches the art of negotiation.  And finally, they have the opportunity to hear an objective person(s) give them feedback.  “Does anything sound familiar?” “Has anyone said that before?” “Your doing a great job. Keep up the great work” These skills are priceless and can be perfected with all the practice this setting affords. In retail the customer is always right. Your teen can’t be rude.  They can’t tell the person they are wrong at least not directly, even when they are.

Yes, this can be stressful, but in equally stressful situations at school with a teacher or in traffic with a hot head, they have these skills to fall back on. They learn not to take the reaction people have personally and in so doing they learn to manage their own emotions.

Let me know if you have a thought about the joys of working retail. I’d love to hear your story.

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