A day in the life of a retail manager
6:00am :-Alarm clock goes off. Snooze button hit immediately, as the staying up until 1am working really didn’t seem a great idea.
6:05am:- Snooze button hit again! If I set my Alarm for the latest possible time I can still get a full 25 minutes more sleep if I don’t shave or iron my shirt.
6:30am:- The latest time I can get up and still be in on time. But my bed is soooo warm and cosy. I can make up the time by driving a little bit faster.
6:45am: I’m finally up, dressed and ready to go in 5 Minutes. Already regretting taking that extra 45 minutes in bed. Wife is giving me an ear ache for waking her up 4 times 2 hours before she needs to get up.
6:50am:- I’m on the road. I need to do a 1 hour journey in 40 minutes………
6:55am:- Traffic Jam…
7:55am:- Arrive at store to disapproving looks from the staff stood outside in the rain for 25 minutes. Mrs X (the store terrorist) has clearly been working her magic!
8:05am:-Store opens (Late)!!!!
8:06am:- 1st complaint of the day for opening late
8:10am:- Message from the staff at the front of the store to say that my boss has just pulled up in the car park
8:11am:- Realisation that the work I stayed up to do has been left in the house next to the empty cup of cold coffee I drunk to prise your eyes open because i wasn’t quick enough to boil the kettle
10:00am:- Boss leaves my office. As he is leaving he speaks to Mrs X. She informs my boss I was late this morning in her own smug little way. Boss reminds me of my obligations and how this looks to my staff! THANKS MRS X
12:30pm I manage to eat a sandwich, drink a cup of coffee and answer my emails all within 10 minutes. I am lead to believe that this is my lunch break!!!!
13:00pm:- Conference Call….
13:30pm:- Gossip with fellow store managers as to how bad that conference call was and how demotivated we feel
14:00pm:- My evening manager phones in sick
14:05pm:- Argument with wife as I will not be leaving at 17:30
15:30pm:-All tills crash!!!!!!!!
17:00pm:- Tills finally come back online.
18:30pm:- Realisation that I should work more late shifts as your staff a s*!t
20:00pm:- Set alarms and home
21:00pm:-Arrive home to silence and hatred from wife
22:30pm:- Bed!!!! ready for another exciting day in retail
Iventthesun. Many thanks for your comment, after 15 years in retail I don’t think there is another option for me. My website is fairly new so i would really appreciate it if you could follow me an add the companies that you have worked for an reasons why they are so bad under the appropriate country. Good luck in your future career.
I’ve been able to escape retail for 3 years but I fear I may be forced to go back soon. I’m glad I found your blog.