Retail Experience should be required

It should be a requirement that everyone, regardless of class, ability, postion, etc should have at least 3 to 6 months of retail, customer level experience, before they can move on to other things. Just like pretty much all jobs require at least a diploma, they should require retail experience. The reason is multi-fold. For one, it teaches compassion. It teaches what the customer level experience is like, especially when on the receiving end. Its a skill and experience that will follow at any job regardless of what it is. It teaches patience. Its teaches control. Most importantly, managers wouldn't make decisions based on book knowledge or theory but actual in the trenches, first hand experience.

What brought this up is this post here. The point of the post is basically how Best Buys mistreated him when he refused to go through the reciept check process. The way he was treated was wrong. It shouldn't have happened. Thats a no brainer. What bothers me though is his refusal and inability to see anyone's else's perspective on it. An Best Buy employee gave a step by step explanation of why the reciept policy is in place, explained how insane customers can be, explained why it ulimately helps the customer and he basically dismisses it because there was a contradiction in the letter. He also, only at the end of the letter, points out that he always dodges the receipt check. Doing that is an indication of his ego and nothing else. He is basically proving what we already knew, that he is an asshole. To be "right" was more important to him. Right about what I don't know because its simply not that important.

The person who wrote this thread, I guarantee has no retail experience. For anyone that has retail experience and face to face customer interactions will tell you, the employee is on the nose. The first rule that you learn when dealing with customer is that they infact are almost always wrong. However, say this to them at their own risk. Customer service really comes down to one skill...ego stroking. More then anything, all the customer cares about is hearing the phrase "you are right." Doesn't matter if taking about the price of lipstick or a plasma screen. Its a gigantic ego stroke where the customer doesn't usually even know what they are talking about.

My overall point is this, retail is a thankless job with poor pay, poor benefits and poor results. Try to treat those that help you with the same dignity you expect yourself to be treated.