New job, making mistakes all the time!

LegacyUser

I'm 19, it's my first job and it's in electrical retail. I started late November. Every day I come in, I'm sure to make at least one mistake! One co-worker slags me and it's banter but I do feel that the manager and probably the other workers must think I'm a bit of an idiot.

I think I am a smart enough guy and I do have common sense. I don't often f*ck up outside of work, but when I get in the doors there, I feel like I am a complete tool. Silly mistakes such as at the register, giving out wrong information to customers, stock pricing, etc. are made by me each day. I am completely empowered too by the manager who is constantly telling me I must sell more in a serious tone. I apologise after each mistake and he said it's not a problem but I still feel stupid. I don't know; is retail for me?

Mrs OBumble

You're 19, it's your first job, and you've just survived what's probably the busiest time of the year.

Cut yourself some slack: the only people who don't make mistakes are ones who don't DO anything.

Accept you're going to make mistakes, apologise for each one ASAP, but don't make a drama of it.

Focus on learning how to SELL from your more experienced colleagues: if you can make the sales, the manager will forgive a lot of other stuff.

gifted

remember, it's onlya mistake if you do the same thing wrong twice, learn fron the first error and keep on learning, people you work with made mistakes when they started first as well..;)

looksee

Don't carry the baggage of past mistakes. You goofed, you apologised, you get on with it. Learn from mistakes, but don't keep count. Everyone makes mistakes when they start a new job, they are not all as conscientious as you!

Don't lose an opportunity to look round and see what stock there is, check price lists, see whether there is anything you can tidy or put in place.

Every day is a new day and a new opportunity for it to be another day with no mistakes, go for it!

tenchi-fan

stupidOP wrote: »

One co-worker slags me and it's banter

Don't believe it for a second. I'm sure the co-worker is vocal enough that other colleagues and management have an idea what he is sniggering about.

Don't draw attention to your mistakes. Let them slide, cover them up, fix them before anyone notices, or blame someone else!

mikemac1

A lot of this can be down to confidence OP

If you're behind the counter and confident and calm you'll be putting through transactions no bother.
But then if you're nervous and second guessing yourself and panicking well you're not going to hear what people to say to you and you'll be making some dumb mistakes
And then the internal voice in your head kicks in and one mistake leads to another

I never worked in retail but there were nights as a barman I'd list off fourteen round orders immediately and nights I'd forget you ordered a coke.

It's your first job, relax and stop beating yourself up

Corruptedmorals

If you're not sure of something- please ask. This goes for till, customer question you don't know the answer of, and stock pricing. Prices can usually be checked at the tills, using a handheld scanner or on a computer. Once you get the hang of it you'll be fine. Electrical retail is a more stressful environment than retail in general- because of the emphasis on selling. If you're good at this, then the managers won't mind about silly mistakes elsewhere, especially as they'll lessen the longer you're there. Normal retail the pressure is on running the shop, not selling stock as it sells itself. Maybe consider looking around if the selling part is getting you down, but if it's not then don't worry about mistakes- nobody is perfectly efficient and knows everything in their first retail job.