Who Ever Said Working In Retail Is Yucky, I Have The Best Customers In The Entire World.

I do not know about you but I must share with you that I truly do have the best customers in the entire world. People have a story to share and if you let them tell it you will discover many wonderful things. Expand your horizons and listen, you just may learn something you would have never known if you did not choose to listen.
I sit down with Me Me's, Ba Ba's (I think that is the spelling) Aubella's, Grandma's and Nana's and their grandchildren. I sit down with retired folks, career oriented people, mom's, au pair's and nanny's just to name a few. I can only describe it like this.. remember when you use to go to a local establishment and get to know the staff that worked there and they befriended you? I enjoy anticipating who will stop in today when the doors open. I worry when I do not see someone for a while I hope they are OK. There are some regulars that when they walk in the door it puts a smile on my face. If it is not too busy we sit down together and catch up with what is going on in both of our lives. I read the local newspaper because that so reminds me of the type of town I came from before I moved here.
Where I work I am allowed to give samples to customers to try items and you know what, if you do not offer them the opportunity to try something new they would never walk away with the experience and guess what? They come back and sometimes get the very thing you let them sample when they were last there. Imagine that! I will post a great recipe I received from a customer that baked and brought me some along with the recipe. I also learned from another customer to try this...when baking brownies put half of the batter in the pan then take (however many are needed to fill the size of the pan) Symphony candy bars and lay it over that batter then top with the rest of the batter.
If someone is new to the area I share places I have visited when I first moved to the area. They can visit these places as a side trip for a day. Another customer recommended a certain type of corn on the cob to purchase at a local farm market and my goodness it is delicious. I then told them they have to get the double yolk brown eggs the next time they are there.
I learned something important just the other day. We were talking and I told this customer how it frustrates me when a pastor tells the congregation to hold hands and pray. I always thought it put me at risk when everyone connects together via holding hands throughout the sanctuary or even the row you were in. I would always just concentrate on praying to God to keep me protected to not receive anything from someone else in the line. It was one of those golden nugget moments. They told me I was protected and it was done to allow another to be set free with what you have to share with them. Very interesting huh. I would have never known that if we did not share.
I can share the love of Jesus through being kind to people and not through beating them over the head with the bible. That is what Holy Spirit has been teaching me, a softer way to evangelize. You draw people to Jesus with kindness and love. You may never have the opportunity to mention the name of Jesus but you do have the opportunity to reach out to others with the love of Jesus. He freely gives it to you for you to share with others. Try it, be kind and share your genuine smile and interest in others. You think you are blessing them and so many times you walk away and you ended up being the one that was blessed. I learned this also, I thought the feast of Purim was this solemn holiday, you know the day Queen Esther saved her race. Not so if you are of that faith. It is actually a fun holiday in which the kids dress up in costumes and eat hamantashen cookies.
When I wear hip colors of nail polish the teen or middle school kids compliment me and then I also compliment them when I see a great color. I learned from one of the customers how to create a polka dot texture design on my nail polish. When they came in again I showed them that I did it. I am not afraid to give a genuine compliment to someone. A person came in that was dressed in a very well put together outfit. When I see something that catches my attention I am not afraid to compliment them. When I see glistening diamond rings sparkling in the lighting I tell them that their ring sparkles so nice in the lighting, sort of how diamonds seem to shine and glisten in the lighting when in a church setting.
I noticed one of these beautiful rings and that is when I learned that they recently got engaged. How exciting is that. We now talk about their upcoming wedding and the planning details. I then pull from my days of doing wedding/event planning and tell of some of my favorite things couples liked to do for their weddings. I have baked and shared with customers and also share candy when I get some just to bless them. When you have really good customers it is a pleasure to bless them it truly is. I got a few vials of bubbles and brought them in with me and when a few regular children customers came in I even blew a few bubble for them to catch. One customer had a camera and they were catching pictures of their child catching a bubble. I always ask if it is OK before I bring stuff like that out.
Take time to listen to others and you just may be surprised at how much your knowledge will increase. You do need to know this about me I really am young at heart I like the latest and stylish things out there. What catches my attention means I will probably try it out. This is important to also know I will search for it in a manner in which I do not have to pay big dollars for it. I truly like a bargain and just do not like to pay full price for something unless I really have to.
Think of this thought, if I would have never greeted one warmly the first time they walked through the doors I would probably not have friends and acquaintance's to share with. Try it but when you do you must be sincere for people know when you give them compliments that are not sincere or genuine. I truly could go on and on with sharing stories with you, this is a sampling of what I experience.
I published this without sharing the recipe, sorry here is the recipe:

Triple Chocolate Cake
1 package Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix
1 small package (3.9 oz.) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar, if desired
Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour (or spray with baking spray with flour) 5 small loaf pans.
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, pudding mix, milk, mayonnaise, eggs and cocoa powder with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into pans.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

This is what I did to adjust this recipe to my liking:
I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, a mixture of Hershey's Milk Chocolate and Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips, I also used whole milk and I asked my friend if it could be baked in a bundt pan, I baked in a bundt pan and followed the baking advice given to me about 58-60 minutes. It was done in 58 minutes and I let it cool 10 minutes in the pan then I loosened it and took it out of the pan to cool on a cooling rack then dusted it with powdered sugar. Good reviews so far from those that tasted it. Happy baking to you.

These are experiences from my full-time job, I also work a part-time position for another employer. I am able to greet customers there also. I have found that people genuinely like to be treated with kindness and sincerity.