I’m Rachel and I have been working in the retail staff industry for eight years – I love my job because I get the opportunity to meet new people every day and I’m always busy. Currently, I work for a multinational DIY and home improvement store although I have worked for both apparel and cosmetics retailers in the past. My position in the company involves many different roles and responsibilities. Most of the time I advise customers on different products, stock the shelves and keep my department clean and tidy, with correct pricing and promotional material.
The most important characteristics required for my job are a positive and helpful nature and a professional manner when under pressure. Things get a little bit crazy during the holidays so you need to be able to work efficiently and keep a cool head. Throughout my career I have come across a number of irate customers but retail staff get lots of training on how to deal with them so I’m quite good at calming them down again!
Some days I may be working be myself either with small deliveries or on the shop floor or if there is a large delivery we are put into teams to unpack everything and stock it away. When working in retail many people do not realise how many hazards retail staff face on the shop floor, for example;
- using safety knives to open boxes
- moving heavy objects
- using ladders to retrieve stock
- spillages (whereby you need to keep both yourself and the customer safe from slips, trips and falls)
- escalator safety (this is particularly important for children or people wearing flip-flops!)
- using strong chemicals for cleaning
- using electrical items (even the toaster!)
In my opinion a good health and safety programme is vital when working in both a large retail shop and also a small one as there are many of the same dangers involved. I feel a lot more comfortable working for a company that values the health and well-being of their retail staff rather than only caring about the bottom line.
Manual handling is one of the main hazards I come across from day to day. When I first starting working in retail I did not receive any manual handling training for the first few months. For this reason I realise now that I was lifting heavy objects the wrong way. This resulted in me having terrible muscular problems. After I finally received my manual handling training I knew exactly what to do when picking up and putting down heavy objects. I find that it’s no harm to receive regular refreshers on manual handling training as you tend to fall out of the good habits or simply forget them.
It is also very important for everyone working in the store to know where the different signs are kept within the store and which sign is appropriate to use for each situation. When something has spilled onto the floor it is vital that a sign is put up to warn people before anyone falls and hurts themselves. Without a proper orientation to the company many workers may not know simple things as where to find the proper signs. Another example may be if a fire occurs and a worker does not know which extinguisher to use or how to use it. Using the wrong fire extinguisher may result in more damage and harm to others. This may be avoided if a worker is given the proper information before they start on their first day.
When I first started to work in the store, the manager found it very hard to find time to keep all the retail staff up to date with orientation training. It took a lot of time and effort for him to find the space to teach us all at once while still trying to look after the store. These orientations or meetings can take quite a long time and are also very distracting with all my work colleagues around me. Most of the time we run out of time due to people being late or not paying attention and we don’t get to cover everything the manager wanted us to.
However, recently the company has adapted to a new way of going about orientation training. They are now using an online platform where they can set different courses for each individual worker in the retail staff. It meant that when I started on my first day I was already aware of what was expected of me, how to book holidays, where to clock in, eat lunch etc. Most importantly I knew all of the hazards in advance, so the store manager just walked me around and asked me a few questions. The online platform meant that I could login from home and complete the orientation training at my own pace without any distractions of being in a big group trying to learn everything. It allowed me to know exactly what the company want me to do and I then feel fully capable and qualified to do the job.
Having orientation training online has made things very simple for both myself and the company. I was even able to do it on my smartphone! I simply entered a code and fill in my details. I take a picture of my qualification cards and type in their expiry dates. Form this, the manager is able to know who has taken the orientation course and is up to date with everything. I then go through each chapter, answering questions as I go. Having online orientation training reduces the amount of paperwork for everyone which is always a bonus!
