Why do people look down on people who work in retail?

[Anonymous]

I see it all the time, especially at the store I work at. I find it weird that people look down on retailers, seeing as without us, they'd literally be screwed for pretty much everything they need. And it's not like it's easy work either, retailing is HARD. Especially those cart pushers that everyone always thinks is so easy, sure there isn't a lot of math or anything involved, but cart pushers are often trained to use the registers as well (Just in case), but it's also extremely physically demanding work, often times in extreme weather conditions. And then they're still expected to try and keep a good attitude for the sake of the customers.

But trailing away from that, I've noticed that some people just genuinely like working in retail. Like me, I'm a cashier, most the other departments claim that cashiering and cart pushing are the two hardest jobs, but I'm HAPPY as a cashier. And then there are multiple people I work with who have worked retail for years, and are again, happy to be there. And my particular store pays well enough, Like it's enough to live on, even if not lavishely. So I just don't see the problem with wanting to stay in retail if it makes me/others happy, and it also pays the bills. Isn't that what everyone always aspires too do? To do something they enjoy and make money off it? And yet when a retailer says they're happy in their position everyone just automatically goes "Oh they have no ambition. They must be lazy."

So I mean, why is it okay to aspire to be like I don't know a photograhpher, or something, but if you're happy working retail, everyone looks down on you? How does hat make sense?

[Red_Arrow]

Most retail pays lower than most other jobs and often has few or no benefits. It attracts mainly young people who are going to school, or have decided not to go to college and cannot find a better job; or older peoplem who have often retired from another job (or two) and are on a limited income (retirement or Social Security) and have Medicare as health insurance. So those in between are not building a retirment fund and have to pay exhorbinant costs for medical insurance.

I respect that much of the work is hard and often under bad conditions. And that many or most of you are working hard to do a good job. But with few exceptions, you are not moving your life ahead and may end up being a burden on society in the near future.

I do know people in retail who actually have found good jobs that pay fairly well and include benefits, and who are able to build a retirement fund. But I also see many who do not have that.

I will not look down on you as you work hard, but I will not like it if you do not find something else and end up on welfare.

[HaveNoName]

Exactly that !!

To add to that... As a parent, if a guy comes with a proposal for my daughter and he imagines supporting a family on a retailer's job, I will not accept that proposal. None in the family would.

[Levin]

@HaveNoName Thankfully we ain't living in 1875!

[HaveNoName]

@Levin I still prefer the values of 1875 and would never mind going back to those times in terms of society.

[gotc147]

It's widely seen as a job for kids/college students or retirees.

It rarely pays well, unless it's some upscale kind of place where the front end people are expected to keep up a high-end dress code, hence why it's seen as a kids and retirees kind of thing. Unless of course you're planning to move up the ladder.

Personally I don't look down on anybody at any job, I look down on people who can work but simply choose not to and collect welfare instead.

[Asker]

Well but see that makes sense. But I work my ass off, don't collect welfare. As does my boyfriend. We're not mooching off society. So it's annoying to be talked down too like we are (especially when that customer turns around and uses food stamps right at the register)

[Gabriella171]

Because people suck! They think your job is simple and is low paying so they can treat you any kind of way.

I worked at burger king for 6 months and people always treated me like shit. Talked to me crazy, threw food at me, they just thought my job was easy. I was busing my ass, I worked 8-9 our shifts 6 days a week and when I turned 18 I didn't get breaks anymore. A couple of times they made me work 9 days straight, I was exhausted and Im in HIGH SCHOOL! It was the second busiest one where I lived! They tried to force me to be a manger so I quit. I couldn't take that place anymore. It was to fucking stressfull.

That job is the reason why I'm more determined than ever to get into college. Just ignore those people, if you love your job that's all that matters. Or be petty like me and over charge them without them knowing lol!

[Asker]

I can't over charge them, because unlike fast food places, we have to give them the receipt. However I fuck the shit out of bagging if they're an asshole to me. "Apples and bread in the same bag? looks fucking great!"

[Gabriella171]

Lol. Fuck there food. People need to get over there selves.

[Asker]

Right? And like they don't even realize how insane they look when they're throwing a hissy fit over something stupid.

[Gabriella171]

Exactly!! They don't know how ridiculous it looks throwing a tantrum over food or you making an human mistake. Get real people

[alor1an]

i have heard that most people associate retail with failure. the majority of people look down on retailers because it is not a skilled profession. it's annoying and patronizing, especially since i'm in university at the same time. i have strongly felt that retail is an excuse for legalized bullying. they'll protect the kids, but all bets are off if you're a teenager or adult in retail.

[Asker]

Well but that's also stupid, because like, if there are no adults, whose going to be in charge of these teenagers? Is a teenager the person they REALLY want to be in charge of where their money is going? Or cooking in the Deli? Or if something bad happens do they really want a teenager to be the one dealing with it? No. Even the teenagers don't want to be put in charge of that stuff. Hell, if a customer gets unruly, they IMMEDIATELY begin looking for someone older and in higher position. Like I'm 18, and I always hope one of my older bosses shows up when a customer is yelling at me, because I feel like they have more experience and are able to calm the person down as compared to my 21 year old supervisor. (the 21 year old is great and all, but it's just awkward asking someone not much older than myself to deal with that when I know he doesn't know how to handle it that much better than myself.)

[alor1an]

i meant that whether you're a teen or an adult, some customers give you a lot of sh*t. it could be that there having a bad day, they generally have a bad attitude, you did something wrong, they didn't like the answer you gave them, they didn't like the store policy, etc. it's a really good thing that i'm allowed to talk back to them because i have noticed they respect you more for not taking their sh*t.

[CHARismatic110]

Live your life. If that's hat you enjoy doing, then what others think doesn't matter. You aren't living for them or their approval.

[posted]

Cart pushing is extremely physically demanding work ahahahahahaha. That might be one reason people look down, someones working construction 12 hour + days carrying 100 pounds of shit all day and then someone says cart pushing is hell.

If people are looking down on retail it might be money based, doesn't seem like much room to advance anywhere I guess. Some of those same people might have run off to university right after highschool, taken a bunch of courses for funsies like psych, then realized they have absolutely no idea what they want to do and just put themselves in a lot of debt and now need to work a retail job themselves!

A photographer would probably be looked down on too if he wasn't successful haha. Personally don't really care if someone works in retail, it'd be nice if a girl I was dating for example wanted to go into something higher paying at some point though. I worked with someone who now works minimum wage in fast food and has no aspirations to get a job around their old pay, that I find weird.

[fiziwhoa]

I do not judge someone based on the job they do.

An example, was over 10 years ago, I was delivering the internal mail/fire apparatus for LFB (Fire Brigade). This was a temp 9 to 4 job M - F and it was convenient to work around the children who were under 6 at the time.

I was able to finish work at 2pm and most days at 11am.

On one occasion, I acknowledged a fellow fireman on my deliveries in Vauxhall/Lambeth Fire Stn, whereby I politely greeted him and said "Hello".

He totally blanked me and looked at me as if to say who the f#@* do you even think your looking at as if I had no ambition.

I went on to repeat the same route for a few more days/week and past the same person on 3 separate occasions repeating the same exercise and getting the same negative response with a dirty look.

On the fourth time this happened, I decided not to attempt to say hello as I saw him coming down the stairs. As he approached me for the 4th time with the same negative attitude/body language, he just started to give me a dirty stare.

At this point, I just stopped in my tracks and gave him the same stare back face to face as we approached each other (A bit like tworking boxers ready to square off).

This was going on for 2 minutes until he decided to f-off. During this period, I recall selling a property in Beckenham, Kent and the Estate Agent mentioned one of the interested buyers is a bank clerk and her husband is a fireman.

These were the type of people that showed interest in my property.

The point I'm making, is that "Assumptions is the mother of all f**# ups". You can not judge someone by the job they do, or how they look.

Most of my tenants have been Investment Banker's, Accountants, Lawyer's, Dr's, BBC Producer's.

I've worked with guys that have university degree's that work in retail.

[Anonymous]

For the most part, jobs get status based on pay.

There are some exceptions.

If you're an 'artist' there's an expectation that you get paid shit, but you get status points for being artistic, to a point, depending on what you do.

If you're police/fire/military you get status for putting your life on the line for the public good

If you're in medicine or teaching you can get bonus points for 'helping people'.

Since retail doesn't pay that much or get 'public good' bonus points or 'artist' or charity or whatever points, its low status.

Should it be? stupid way to assign status. But you asked, there you go.

[Anonymous]

As someone who has worked in retail for nearly nine years, I couldn't agree more. People look down on me as being as thick uneducated moron because I stack shelves but I am actually an academic person studying a degree.

I respect any man or woman that gets out of bed and does an honest days work, whether that's working in a bar, working for a consultancy company or sweeping the streets.

If someone in retail is happy with their role then good for them, it's not a job I want to be doing once I get my degree classification as I cannot live on my current wage, but I have no problems with people who want to remain cart pushers or cashiers.

Their life and their rules; it's frankly none of my business.

[Browneye57]

Because it's a lowly job. If you want more respect do something that commands it.
If you want to be a doctor or a rocket scientist then do that.
And quit worrying about what everybody else thinks, just be the most awesome person you can be. A lion doesn't give a damn what sheep think.

[chc0009]

If you're happy, I'm happy. And we don't know what retail workers go through. I know several of them who are Harvard graduates, especially the cashier at the bookstore.

But then again, I've also seen self-taught computer programmers and mathematicians who dropped out of high school and make serious bank, so go figure.

[vidaloca]

I don't. I don't look down on anyone with a freakin job. Why would someone do that? A lot of people work retail to make an honest buck and support themselves through school, different endeavours

[ThisDudeHere]

I don't look down on them at all. I thank them for doing their job and making my 21st century life more comfortable.

[dave1558]

work is work.. at least your not on welfare. Never be ashamed of making a living..

[Anonymous]

Yes, I work in retail. I experience that a lot. People are getting more rude every day. Some people actually get off on abusing retail clerks. Evidently it makes them feel good about themselves. People suck.

[Anonymous]

It's a dead end job and people tend to have less respect for those who work in those low-status jobs. Usually people without any education work in those jobs.

[Anonymous]

I don't look down at retail people but pushing Cart isn't that physical demanding compared to my job

[Asker]

Well what do you do?

[Opinion Owner]

Pull on wrenches and lifting and moving pipes up two 16 inch in diameter to build a plant that converts gas that comes out of the ground to natural gas that can be used along with butane propane removal righting 2 plus inch bolts to over 900 foot pounds of torque all by hand each stud and nuts wieght 30 pound each

[Anonymous]

Actually people look down on people who work in fast food

[Anonymous]

No excuse to abuse retail clerks. They are actually the most abused industry.

[Miezko]

Because it is a low skill job.

[bcromartie]

Because it's for kids. Lowest of the low.

[Gommers]

It really is, but when there's no work for people with degrees you've gotta take what you can get. It doesn't take balls to spit on someone who is unable to hit you back because they might lose their job.

[bcromartie]

Look. Question asked. That's the answer. When I'm buying fine silk underwear I don't give a fuck if you have a Master's degree when you ring me up. I know my underwear are 20% of your weekly earnings. It's life.

[Maazin]

Stereotyping
Lots of folks use it as stop gap