Archived comment by Arlene:
Of course, everyone has totally skipped my 1st interpretation of this line: good breath control. It takes strong lung power to recount all those specials in one breath.

Archived comment by Arlene:
Thank you, Jaimie. I worked retail for over 6 years & after reading that site it aaaallll came back to me, but in a funny way. Not the one involving me, PMS & my hands wrapped around a customer's throat. (for those of you who can't hear my voice, that's a joke)

Archived comment by steff:
shadow, damn may not have been said in a cartoon (you're thinking of "dern") but the clip where porky pig says 'son of a bitch' is all kinds of classic.

Archived comment by Jon:
"Yosemite Sam" makes me think of...
Oh, I forgot, I'm at work - they don't pay me to think. ;p

Archived comment by shadow:
"varmints" makes me think of Yosemite Sam or some other cartoon character...

As in "damn varmints!" - although damn wouldn't have been said in a cartoom. mmm...cinnamon altoids....
yep I'm bored at work, again.

Archived comment by Ben:
Vermints may sound an awful lot like Vermont, but it also sounds an awful lot like Varmint... That makes me think of little critters, which makes me think of roadkill... mmmm fresh mint flavored roadkill... Suddenly Altoids sound very good.

Archived comment by Jon:
OK, since Penny has encouraged me with her affirmation(thank you Penny)...

My ranking of Altoids:
1. Cinnamon
2. Peppermint
3. Wintergreen

Peppermint are the original ones, and are actually better at cutting through bad breath, but Cinnamon is a bit more balance flavor-wise. Wintergreen has an aftertaste, which I hate to have in a mint.

The "Vermints"(actual name) I found in Vermont were quirky - I suppose that shouldn't surprise me. How many mints have echinacea as a main ingredient? They're not very minty, really, but probably all-natural and better for me. :)

Archived comment by Jaimie:
A good retail-related laugh can be found here - one of my friends polled those of us who were working retail/food services at the time for stories and pet peeves.

Archived comment by Penny:
Cinnamon Altoids are how I got through my first community theatre experience! I drink a lot of coffee. Even I don't like my breath after that.

Archived comment by Jon:
Ew. Another reason why deal poorly with young children.

My own breath can be bad sometimes, so I use Altoids. People sometimes ask for them when they see the tin, and sometimes I offer them. Comes in handy for community theater, as long as you remember to finish it before you sing/speak.

Archived comment by Pan:
In my line of work, bad breath is a drop in the bucket. Try working in a clinic full of infants. Thats why all babies should be breastfed, so their poo won't be stinky. The whole world would smell better if formula didn't exist. Formula baby puke is pretty rancid, too. Try getting covered in THAT early in the morning... very gross.

Archived comment by Marla:
I am SO over working in retail. And hospitality. And other service industries like that. At the moment I get paid $20/ hour (& $40/ hour on sundays) to ramble on at visitors to our centre about biology and insects and science. The rest of the time I get paid to take kids through lab work. I subvert them with my "eve was framed" and "feminist iconoclast" badges!

It is my dream job! It's so close to what I do with friends anyway!

M:)

Archived comment by AAAAAGGGHHH:
Talking about B.O. and retail people...I was just in G.N.C. last night and the clerk smelled soooo bad. Not only that but all the clerks there looked like they had either just crawled out of bed or come from the gym...I mean, I like casual work atmospheres, but they took it a bit too far. Then again...they are in their late 20's and clerks at G.N.C. - guess B.O. and sloppy work attire should be the least of their worries...

Archived comment by dave:
Damn, its not just a good part of retail but of everyday life. Not being a coffee drinker, there's nothing I hate more than a mid afternoon meeting with half a dozen people whose breath stinks of coffee. I nearly have to offer them my penguin mints.

But they're mine, all mine and they aren't getting any!

Archived comment by Evil Gingerbread Man:
If, however, it is not retail but something far more sinister (along the lines of a government run service office) then the opposites are true. A complaints or returns office is a good example, I think that leprosy is getting a second start in those places.

Archived comment by shadow:
LOL datick...yes I would assume pants a good thing...

Archived comment by fair_n_hite_451:
A disposition somewhere on the pleasant side of "I'm ready to rip the head off the next person who asks me a question" is also an important part of retail.

...man, I was here in time to be first poster earlier this morning, which would have been my first time ever .... and I couldn't think of anything to say. I crumbled under the awesome burden of starting out a thread. Sigh. I'm so lame. ;-{

Archived comment by datick:
wearing pants is also an important part of
retail....

Archived comment by WidespreadPanic:
Montygirl, we may very well have the same eye doctor. If not, I sure hope my doctor reads your post as well.

Archived comment by Montygirl:
I must concur - good breath, no body odor, taking it easy on the cologne/perfume, generous use of deodorant - all these are important to anyone in any kind of service industry. If you deal with anyone in person, these practices should be required.

I hope my eye doctor reads this. Oh, and a coworker of mine - I had to use his phone, and I could smell his bad breath on the receiver! (Yeah, he's got an odor all his own, but I didn't think plastic could absorb like that!)

Archived comment by shadow:
deodrant is also a plus...help to combat the stink.

Archived comment by AC:
Let me add to that: "A lack of body odor is an important part of retail."

I just had to buy a new battery for my ancient 1996 cell phone at Radio Shack from their ever-rotating never-the-same-people-at-the-same-store staff members. The smirking 20-something who grudgingly found the right battery for me had body odor that could choke a dog. How hard is it to remember to shower every morning?

Archived comment by emily:
Another important part of retail is not getting close enough so that the customers have a chance to notice.