Retail Jobs Are REAL Jobs........

......regardless of what the NIBYers in Leslieville and the local councillor would have you believe. I don't disagree with Rachel about the quality of service in many cases is less than expected but I would say it is the product of our society rather than the bricks and mortar of a box store.

My aversion to the 'big box' It's not the size of those cavernous stores, it's the inept service I often encounter

by RACHEL SA

Call me crazy, but when I think "big box store," the idea of stellar customer service doesn't automatically pop into my mind.

That's what makes the latest twist in a battle over a proposed big box complex so interesting. In the first day of hearings before the Ontario Municipal Board that will decide the fate of the proposed SmartCentres complex in Leslieville, Dennis Wood, the lawyer for SmartCentres, called opposition to the development "snobbery" and accused the local community of denigrating retail jobs.

"Their counsel said 'a retail job is not a real job,' " Wood told the media. "I was astonished he would say that, given the amount of retail employment we have in this city -- how important it is to a lot of people who work very hard."

The proposed SmartCentre, which may have a Wal-Mart as its anchor store, estimates it will create 2,000 such retail jobs. The city's lawyer, Brendan O'Callaghan, argued the land should be used for more film and new media outlets that will lead to quality jobs for the city of Toronto.

Wood's outrage at the so-called "snobbery" of east-enders is a bit disingenuous. Of course a retail job is a real job. But the idea that the public ranks retail jobs in a different level than, say, lawyers and doctors, should come as no surprise. Retail is often a relatively low-skill, low-paying job. For a majority of people, it is viewed as where you start off, not where you end up.

Now before you all freak out, I have done the retail thing. My stints include being a Wal-Mart greeter and cashier (I still keep the blue vest tucked under my bed for some odd reason), and a bookstore clerk.

The public perception, however, doesn't mean retail jobs are useless. Far from it. No one can deny that retail workers play an immensely important role. We couldn't function without them. And, rather than being the last bastion of the career-challenged, many people actually enjoy working in retail.

With that said, if SmartCentres -- and all big-box style stores -- really want their workers to be treated with more respect, then they should train them to provide excellent customer service. As it is, I find I have to spend a good half hour meditating just so I can be Zen enough to deal with the often inept service I frequently encounter at big retail outlets.

Untrained, sometimes downright rude staff, and customers with more product knowledge than the employees have become the norm of big box shopping. Do you ever wonder why it's such a joy to encounter great customer service? It's because it happens so rarely that it's become a cherished event rather than a daily expectation.

SOUNDS OLD, HUH?

I'm not saying every staffer in every big box retail store is inept. But it's rare -- almost unheard of -- to get quality customer service in those cavernous stores these days. (And yes, I am aware I sound about a billion years old when I say that. Next I'll be complaining about "these kids today." Argh.)

Smaller shops may cost a bit more, may take a bit more of our time, but chances are you're more likely to deal with someone who is knowledgeable about what they're selling -- and, heck, maybe they'll even be pleasant to boot!

Working retail, dealing with the public day in and day out, is hard work -- when it's done well, with pride. But a retail model that allows for a massive decline in customer service on a grand scale does more to tarnish the image of retail workers than a few snobs ever could.