There Was A Place I called Work....

From the day I volunteered to work the Laguna Beach event, I felt at home. Kristin Cavallari and Stephen polleti were scheduled to appear that day and sign custom made shirts that the girls at the store had custom pressed for me. Mine said "My heart lies in Laguna" with a red heart drawn in the middle. I was fairly sure that I was looking decent that day as a girl noted to me, "I bet you will make our sales team, your cute." she said in that non chalant sort of way that almost implied if your cute then why wouldn't they want you . "Hmmm"I thought not considering the idea that being non-cute could pose a threat. In any regard I felt good about the black tutu style skirt I was wearing so I took the compliment with pride. I had a puffy black tutu style skirt that fell a inch past the knee and had crocheted sequins thy were silver. My grandmother had bought it for me, and she has a good sense of style.

I stood in line with the other adoring fans. The line at least 300 people long, with screaming by the fans at least every 10 minutes as the Laguna hotties appearances drew closer. Being from Oregon we didn't have many celerity sightings here so this was a big deal, right at the emergence of reality television as well so they could have been Cher and still not have received the same response. My friend, (and by friend I mean popular girl from high school who came with me because she knew I would be working this ) was In line with me. They asked me earlier to stand on the stage wearing a black denim with a flowy top, nothing that impressed me but none the less I was selling the clothes without speaking and got to be apart of tho fantastic event so I obliged standing awkwardly like a 16 year old would of u threw her out in a crowd of 16 year old peers. I didn't look at people in line at all when I was on that platform in my awkward glory, but rushed to the line as soon as I was relieved from duty. The line drew nearer and as I approached the table with Kristin and Stephen sitting right in front of me I suddenly felt courageous. These two beautiful people say before me asking my name and I rapidly blurted, " you guys should come to our homecoming tonight" everyone around me chuckle and they just smiled and nodded. They probably thought I was crazy and I felt so embarrassed. For a moment I felt courageous but as I could see from my "friend" face I had embarrassed us both.

It was that summer that I got the call from the manager at he store the event was held at. I timidly answered the phone to find her offering me an invitation to work occasional days throughout the summer doing little thiga like making boxes for customers and stocking the floor. It didn't sound like the glorious job that I wanted as a 16 year old but since my mom was excited I considered it a start.
I came to the store and was immediately given a pile of clothing to put away. I walked around the floor looking for where they belonged as I watch some of the other girls approach customers and ask them if they needed anything. Helping people wa not part of my job description, but t was there that my "mini career" began. I quickly learned where and why we set the floor certain ways, I became oriented with managing the placenta of new product and relished in the Jane to see new clothing first. I can't say that I was as big a fashion aficionado as I would later think I had become but I could see the process developing. Pretty soon I would take the little money I earned and buy new items from te department. Nothing big just small pieces that caught my eye. STOL have some of them today and this is 5 years later.

As I became oriented with the management of product and placement, I also became familiar with the team that worked around me. They were all pretty glamorous I thought. They wore nice clothes, had beautiful hair and wore lots of makeup. I would even hear customers compliment them at times, "honey you are so gorgeous you should be a model". I felt inferior in a very passive manner. I knew I looked nothing like these girls, no wonder they were in sales and I was here dealing with behind the scenes.

I became acclimated with the behind the scenes work, and even made a friend who worked back there me. We had agreed there was a reason those girls worked in sales and we did not. Among the reasons which we sought comfort in was thy we hoped we were not as conniving as these girls. I had often seen one crying in the corner because of some sales mis Hap or stolen sale, or because of the queen bee herself. This queen bee I refer to was one of the meanest people I ha ever met and working in the back was the safest place from her, at that point in my mini career I could not predict her evil ways as I later learned to know them.

The sales team seemed a silly thought now that I had been working an seen what it was like, and as te summer faded to an end I collected my earnings and headed back to school. I spent one additional summer before college doing the same work until I called one day near the end of my freshman year.

I called my manager asking if I could work the stock room again when I returned from college, hoping it would be a yes, she surprised me by asking if I wanted a sales position. I kinda smirked and stuttered a little to eventually say yes. She said great training will begin when u get back and you will have fun. I got off the phone a little suprised but mainly surprised that I accepted so quickly. My opportunity finally arrived to move up a little.

I came to work that first day with the butterflies and shakes. I didn't know what I was doing and a little scared the team would reject me as part of the team. My manager took me out onto the floor to shadow her in these sales. she showed me a little about how we make commission and how we clock in for sales. It was a little bizarre. I had a women of about 60 ask me where she could find juicy. Well I could def tell her that as Juicy was all the rage at my school. If you didn't have the j on your hoodie, you better not be wearing one. I took her down to the department ony own and showed her the ones I had seen earlier. My manger left me to do this on my own because she had told me all purchases would be credited to her that day since it was "training" bit I handled the sale as my own. I asked her if she liked it, which she replied I'll take 3. "$$$$" 3 times 150 something per piece which we needed 3 tops and 3 bottoms. I Carried the track suits in my arms leaning a bit backwards because the weight was surprisingly heavier then you could think velour would be. I asked her if I could ing her up upstairs because truthfully I didn't know how to ring and I wanted to impress my manger. My manager approached us, a little shocked and grabbed the items in order to begin ringing them. I bagged them up and gave them to the nice lady on the other side f the register. I thanked her and she left bags in hand, while my manager thanked me. With her crisp voice she said thanks for the 900 dollar sale, and just smirked. I guess you get it then, as she went to the back to do some paperwork and I stared out onto a clothing filled floor that seemed to be full of opportunity. Making Commission at first was a blessing. More money, bigger paychecks, more incentives....Quicker then I could say I, it became a curse, and seemed the culprit for this hostile work environment. Girls always ringing up sales under other peoples number, girls fighting , getting sat down for meetings with the boss, tears, drama, hatred. Everything you have heard about girls was true in this small department at the store. Even with girls 10 years older then myself working by my side, instead of mentor ship there was terror ship, what I like to consider fear for going to work afraid of what might happen the next day.........................


To be Continued.........

More about me

I currently have one blog where I write about fashion beauty and all things pretty. I thought that since I am so involved in retail that I should relate my current experiences to this blog and show you some limited but still insider knowledge. You my readers, if I get any, hehe can share your stories as well because I know there is more to the mall then shopping....