Working retail without a smile

One of the greatest tools when working retail is a smile. It is not only welcoming but also communicates a positive attitude which greatly influences the purchase decision. While a normal day working retail involves exchanging a lot of pleasantries, shaking hands and a lot of close contact interaction, the state of the country, and in the world in general has made it uncomfortable to exchange even the simple gesture of a handshake after a successful transaction. My experience has greatly been affected by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic as it has made it difficult to reach patients on a personal level.

When President Donald Trump called Covid-19 the ‘Chinese Virus’, he had no idea the consequences that his words would have on people on global scale. One of the provisions given to those working retail is the need to wear a mask when attending to customers. However, since the mask only covers the face, the remarks by the United States president made it difficult for shoppers with Chinese origin. Before covid-19, all patients were equal and the same was demonstrated not only by employees but amongst the customers themselves. When Covid-19 was dubbed the Chinese Virus’, Chinese customers have received a great deal of discrimination. Some of the retail store attendants were reluctant to attend to Chinese customers while other customers were more likely to keep their distance from Chinese customers compared to customers from different communities. ‘

Covid-19 has made it even more difficult to attend to customers and offer the same level of quality offered. As I have to wear a mask, communication has been strained as words are a bit muffled and with the social distancing guidelines, it becomes even harder to understand what the customer is saying. The mask also blocks out most of the facial expression and this has made it rather difficult to identify whether more information is needed or the customer is satisfied with the information I provide regarding a product.

Despite the challenges however, covid-19 has had a significant impact in helping people to look past each other’s differences and look out for each other’s best interest. During my shifts, I have witnessed shoppers give face masks to those who do not have and even share sanitizers to help prevent the disease from spreading. Shops have also taken up the initiative and are providing assistance to not only shoppers but people out on the streets by giving them face masks and educating others on the best measures to take in order to protect themselves from the disease. Since working in retail places, me at more risk of contracting the virus from my customers, I choose to see the face mask as a tool to protect my life rather than a barrier to effective customer services. The face mask also makes it possible for me to keep working and gaining experience to share with others as my contribution during this trying time. The experiences put me in a better position to not only help those in need, but also help do away with some of the false information being spread regarding Covod-19.