I’m starting to think that’s the only way I’ll make it through this holiday season - by pretending to be the cheerful, friendly sales associate I used to be. Newsflash: I’m not that person anymore. The stress of working long hours, dealing with entitled customers, and juggling school has taken its toll on me. I’m just a shell of my former self, and it’s getting harder to put on a smile and pretend to care about each customer’s shopping experience.
I swear, if one more person asks me when the store opens, I’ll lose it. Do they not see the name tag that says ‘Noelle’ on it? Do they not see the exhaustion written all over my face? I’m a college student, not a personal assistant. But no, people still think I’m just here to cater to their every whim, without a care in the world. It’s like, hello, I’m human too, you know? I have feelings and emotions, just like you do.
I’ve been thinking about my secret lately, and how it’s affecting my relationships with customers. I’m not just a retail worker, I’m also a person with desires and needs. But no one wants to hear about that. They just want to be helped, and then they’re gone. It’s like I’m just a means to an end, a way for them to get what they want and then discard me like yesterday’s trash. It’s dehumanizing, and it’s making me wonder if it’s all worth it.
>Soulkyn