Macy's

My brief career as a sales associate at Macys came to an end on Christmas Eve. I was hired as a seasonal employee back in November.
I began my new career on Black Friday. The only training I received was a three-hour computer tutorial followed by a tour of the store. I managed to get through that crazy first day by smiling a lot at the customers. We were so busy, the nine-hour shift went by quickly. It was on the slow days and nights that I realized what a mindless, depressing job it could be. How many times can you fold and refold Dockers and sweaters without losing your mind? I didn't find out, but I suspect it would get to you after a while.
I can only imagine how boring a job it can be when there are no customers to wait on, or greet, or ring up. And I also imagine that there are many, many hours like that for sales people who work full-time.
The toughest part of the job for me was the wear and tear of being on your feet for eight hours, standing on hard marble floors. At the end of a day, my dogs would be barking. I learned to spend as much time as possible on the small carpeted spots on the sales floor. Thankfully, Macys does have carpet at the cash registers.
Just like a car dealership, Macys starts each day by trying to pump up the sales force. I don't think it really works, but they do it anyway. I never could get pumped up at 7:45 am, especially if I worked the night before. I guess it gives the managers something to do to make them feel managerial.
I worked for a couple of managers, young folks in what was probably their first management position. For the first few days, they felt like they had to make suggestions or give orders every time I saw them. After a few days, they decided I could keep myself busy without their supervision. It really wasn't hard - wait on customers or fold pants and sweaters. Since I wasn't mad about folding sweaters, I made sure no one walking through my department was neglected.
Working in retail at Christmas wasn't the horror story I anticipated. Oh, the wages are pitiful and the hours sporadic, but I wasn't subjected to abuse at the hands of customers. In a month at Macys', I only came across two real assholes. Most people responded to me the way I responded to them, with a smile.
I was worried about running into old friends or acquaintences. Worried that they'd see me in this trivial job and pity my fall. That never happened. I did run into many people I knew, but they all seemed to understand that I was there to do a job and earn some money. In today's economy, even a crummy job is better than no job.
The best customers were folks who had once stood in my shoes with aching feet. I don't know how many times a customer told me, "I used to work in retail. I feel sorry for you."
Would I do it again? Well, I hope the economy improves and provides me with some alternatives, but if things don't get better, I suspect I'll be back at Macys' next year, folding sweaters and smiling through aching feet.