Holly’s Sales Training Ch. 01

"Oh, Holly honey, you should know your color chart." He told me right there.

OMG! There was so much wrong with this! The obnoxious jerk called me out in front of a customer for a tiny detail that was completely irrelevant. To correct me, he used extra small words like 'color chart' instead of 'color palette', as if I wouldn't understand otherwise. In fact, he legit talked down to me, looking at my breasts instead of my eyes and calling me a stupid nickname that might have sounded endearing but was only meant belittling. I was so done! I was so ready to return the favor and clap back real fierce. For some reason, however, I was stunned into silence. #ShookAF

"I'm sorry, Miss! That's why we have a store policy that customers should always talk to floor managers. Our Holly honey, she's a stocker for a reason." Matt quickly apologized as if I weren't even present.

GFY! This cringelord made me mad af! He better take several seats!

AAMOF, I had never felt smaller and dumber in my life. The way my floor manager belittled me when I was trying to come off as knowledgeable hurt my pride. More than anything, however, it made me feel insecure, which was insanely ridiculous! After all, I was a coed while he was a dropout! I so wouldn't let him trigger me! No way! Even though it left me salty, I was fiercely resolved to remain calm and collected. No cap! #GoatOfChills

My bubbly bestie, however, couldn't let it slide so easily. That's why it didn't take long until Tia was done and clapped back. So, how do you think our resident fratboy reacted? He turned out to be a total excuse magnet. Deadass! You know ppl who say stuff like 'I'm not making any excuses but...'? Yah, right! You can be sure that an excuse will follow! A hundo p! The same goes for Matt, who proved to be a master of bs. So, Tia ended up getting the brunt of the blame. As a result, she had to work in the stockroom for the rest of the day, doing some menial tasks like repricing boxes. #HypocriteAF

LMTY (aka let me tell you), my boo was in a mood after that! As per ushe, we chat and gossip on the ride back home. Lately, however, my bestie has become increasingly upset, constantly lamenting over our job situation. It's low-key contagious, triggering me and creating a vicious cycle of nonstop complaining. It's actually the opposite of work and chill!

Today, however, was extra! My edges are snatched, so I need to dish! After all, caring is sharing, right? As per ushe, Tia and I had been working in the men's clothing area. But here's the tea! Due to my background in fashion design, the store manager had chosen me as visual merchandiser tasked with redecorating the shop windows. At long last, I got the chance to do something on fleek with my abilities. Told you it wouldn't be long! Wig! #SlayingWork

JSYK (aka just so you know) the store manager had given the task directly to me and bypassed Matt. Naturally, our floor manager was legit offended. Considering it a total affront, he took out his anger on my bae. While I was redressing the display dummies in the shop window, he gave Tia another task. She had to restock the store shelves for some bs reason. In effect, it entailed my bestie taking the shirts from the bottom shelf to put them into the top shelf and vice versa. As I was busy with the shop window, I didn't notice it at first. But in the meantime, two male customers had entered the store, getting consulted by Matt. The two guys didn't appear like normal customers, though. Instead, they were fellow fratbros from his old fraternity. #OldBoysNetwork

While Tia was busy restocking, the sales conversation happened right next to her. However, it was more of a bro talk, iykwim (aka if you know what I mean). To fill the shelves, my bff had to pick up a stack of shirts off the floor. Whenever she bent down, her green top slid up and her black leggings were exposed. In this position, her tight butt completely filled out the leggings, stretching the black fabric thin. Every time this happened, the bro talk drifted to the topic of fruits. Big surprise... said no one ever (btw, did you know that 30% of women have a potato butt, 15% have a pear-shaped backside, and only 10% have the nectarine? Obs, my bestie is lucky bc she got the rarest form, aka the apple bottom)!

YMMV (aka your mileage may vary), but I found the fratboys' behavior extra! Cringe Alert! However, it didn't get any better when Tia moved up the ladder. Lifting her arms, the flimsy fabric slid up her backside and showed off her derriere. It caused the dudebros to completely stop their bro talk bc they were busy looking at her round buns and the little gap between her legs. I sus they could even spot her cameltoe standing out against the material. #NSFW

GTH! I can't even with these Neanderthals! This wasn't just cringe, it was legit creepy! You know, what incensed me most? Matt didn't help his female subordinate! Not an iota! He didn't support her like a good supervisor, either. Not a bit! Instead, he allowed his fellow fratsters to do as they pleased. And in return, they made sure to let my bff know it. The disrespect was real. #CockyBoys

"'Suh, dude! You gotta tap that ass!" The blonde fratboy exclaimed for all to hear.

"Sweet, man! That booty's, like, belfie challenge certified! For real!" His brown-haired bro tossed in. "But damn! Those tiddies are fire, too!"

WTH! This was too much! Still, our supervisor didn't stop them. He didn't even issue a warning, even though Tia was up there on the ladder, shaking and struggling with her emotions. Despite her bubbly personality, she looked legit furious. Actually, I expected her to explode at any moment. After all, I had already experienced how feisty my bae could be when she felt disrespected. I remember some college protests when she had clapped back at some idiots as fierce as savage. #StandUpOrShutUp

IAC (aka in any case), the big blowup didn't happen. To my astonishment, there was no outburst of rage or blaze of anger. Instead, Tia took a few deep breaths and returned to the ground. Obs, she didn't want to give those dudebros a spectacle, so she simply sighed in annoyance and let the offense slide. In fact, she even giggled as some sorta courtesy laugh. So unreal! I legit hadn't expected that kinda reaction, not after all the whining and complaining on our rides home. Bet! #SurpriseOfTheDay

"C'mon guys, you're just toying with me." She said, faking a smile.

"Oh, Goldilocks! You need to be a toy to be toyed with." Matt was quick to correct her in the douchiest way possible. "I know, working in retail, it's a lotta stress. But I'm here to help you cope any time you ask."

FFS! He said what? Can you believe it? He was such a royal jerk! At first, I thought I had misheard. But to my dismay, it was all too true! This was outrageous! I clenched my fists in annoyance and grit my teeth in anger. In fact, I was so ready to intervene! But Tia showed no reaction on her part. Instead of getting upset, she just giggled again. Even if it baffled me, she was an independent person making her own decisions. In the end, it was her fight and not my place to interfere. So, I decided to continue the work-and-chill strategy although it was low-key hard.

And with that, Tia had her own nickname that sounded as endearing as mine but was even more belittling. On top of that, our mean manager had just talked to her as if she were little more than an object. Swearsies, he had fixed his gaze on her big bust and never once looked her in the eye. Granted, her breasts are fire, but it was still sexist to the max! By all means, Matt acted like the douchiest of all douchebags. #PetNamePetPeeve

So, what do you think, guys? Did our supervisor overstep boundaries? Is it time to issue that complaint? I'm curious to read your opinions in the comments.

---How to cope with sudden changes and not make it all about you---

*Anonymous: Holly honey! Lol! Luv that name! U want more people to read ur stuff u gotta get to the interesting parts. Stop boring us to tears with that woke babble. btw u bragged bout calling a spade a spade so stop talking like my grandma n call it tits n ass!*

You wish! That nickname's never gonna be a thing! BTW, this ain't the noughties! I don't call my lady parts 'vajayjay' or 'vajizzle' or some other cringe-inducing nick (aka pink taco or whisker biscuit, thanx for that urbandict). I read somewhere that most millennials say pussy or coochie, but I'm confident enough to call it what it is: a vagina! Regarding my breasts, I feel fully comfortable to drop a 'boobs' in a conversation. When I'm naughty in the bedroom, I mostly use puppies. But I'm always up for new nicknames if they're tasteful (aka not vulgar). The c-word, though, there's a reason why it rhymes with blunt, doesn't it? I think it's too crude and rude, not only for a sfw blog, but in general. #MindYourLanguage

OK, guys! Now that we've cleared this up, we can get back to the essentials. I bet you want to know what happened with our player-in-his-own-mind. I'm sorry, but I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words right now, bc I'm all churned up inside. That's why I need to vent for a moment. So, bear with me!

For a while, everything seemed to settle down. Work continued for another week and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Not that Matt changed his attitude or behavior in any way, mind you. As if! He really is a master at contradicting us retail clerks, either cutting us off or talking over us in front of costumers. On top of that, I'm pretty sure he has created a complete topographic map of our breasts in his head by now, bc he basically looks at our boobs whenever he talks to us.

NGL (aka not gonna lie), I no longer let it stress me out so much. Instead, I had come up with a convenient deflection. Reading those wellness blogs surely paid off bc it gave me a legit strategy to relieve my frustration. Whenever our resident fratboy made a douchey comment, I took a deep breath and recited my mantra: 'take it easy'. Then I began to visualize the future when I would be redressing the display dummies with the new winter collection that I had personally designed for the Vonderlabel. #MindfulLife

LMTY, it worked wonders! Actually, it was fab! At least, for a week, then today happened. I guess work life is defined as a constant up and down, bc every day is a new challenge. During today's work shift, Matt made some major changes in our clothing department and blamed Tia for it. He said it's bc of all the mistakes she makes when consulting customers. So, here's the deal! As of now, the retail clerks are no longer allowed to give direct advice. When a customer asks for information beyond whether we have a piece of clothing in stock, we have to respond with a short and simple: 'Don't know!' Nothing else! No cap! I can't even with this toxic troll! #SalesForceSaturday

YMAK (aka you may already know), but it didn't even take me until lunch to get annoyed. In truth, it was hard for me to keep count of how many times I said some variation of 'dunno'. Every time I publicly proclaimed my lack of knowledge, I became a bit more insecure about my ability to help anybody at all. The only thing more stupid than the rule was the way it made me feel. I hadn't gone to college and taken all those difficult design classes to be reduced to a drone who could say no more than two words. The disrespect was real!

ICYMI (aka in case you missed it), the rule wasn't just stupid, it also achieved the opposite effect. Bet! Matt was the only one allowed to advise the customers, so lotsa ppl had to wait their turn. It's so nice to stand in line and wait... said no one ever! Consequently, client satisfaction decreased significantly. Told you so! And who had to pay for it? The newbies, bc duh!

AYC (aka as you see), no more chill! That's why I tried to use my lunch break to visualize my future success as couturier. But it didn't work anymore! So, I needed another way to vent my anger, otherwise I wouldn't have made it to closing time. FYI, Tia and I split our break time to keep all departments staffed at all times. Therefore, my soul sis stayed in the store during my break and vice versa. #ChangeRoutines

IAC, I cut my break short and returned to the store early to use the rest of my break to have a talk with my bae. For the day, my blonde boo had the task of re-pricing the summer collection and re-sorting the clearance items on the display tables. Rushing through the store, however, I couldn't find her. She was neither on the floor nor at the cash register. This was weird!

Unlike me, Tia hadn't found the right coping strategy yet. Instead, her anger had been building over the past few days. After taking the blame for the new rule, I worried that her temper had boiled over and she was locking horns with Matt. When I finally found her, however, I was in for a surprise. Let's just say I hadn't expected to see this from my bestie, and it left me deeply disappointed. #ConstantChanges

So, what's your experience, guys? How do you cope with sudden changes in your professional and private life? XOXO

---How to provide pictures or it didn't happen---

*Anonymous: Details, girl! Spill the tea! You know youll [sic] feel better after telling us. Express yourself n share your feels.*

All right, all right! I guess you guys have a point. After all, talking about our problems and verbalizing our negative feelings is known to be a source of relief, right? To be frank, I legit feel the need to get it off my chest right now. #TalkItOut

So, let's dish! When I didn't find Tia on the floor or at the cash register, I looked in the changing room. FYI, it's a partitioned area with four cubicles lined up along an aisle. Each area is curtained off to give the customers some privacy. Slightly opening the curtain, I was in for a helluva surprise. Tia was there, but she was busy with her own interests. #ExtracurricularActivity

OK, fine! Details, I know. So, I opened the curtain just a crack b4 I stopped in my tracks. Tia was standing at the end of the aisle, but she wasn't clearing up clothes. Instead, she was taking selfies in the mirror. Weird flex, but OK! It wasn't unushe per se, bc we both take plenty of selfies for our various social media channels. After all, that's what our generation does, right? My bestie wasn't just taking pictures, though. She was wearing one of the discounted bikinis from the summer collection while doing so. Now, this was unushe! But still, no big deal.

And then my blood ran cold! Out of a sudden, Matt stepped out of another cubicle and my blonde boo reacted stat. Turning around, she handed him her phone. What a swerve! This was a narrative I hadn't seen coming. #SurpriseMe

IMA (aka I must admit), I was struck dumb when my blonde bae began walking up and down the aisle as if it were a runway and she was a bikini model. Tia wasn't just catwalking, though! Whenever she reached the douchebro, she'd turn around and wait for him to take several sexy shots. Granted, the sight was fire! Like a pro, the busty baddie popped her butt while keeping her leg super straight, which gave her booty a cool, round heart shape. Only after the spoiled rich simp had given her young buns a harsh slap did she strut back. Woah! I had always known that Tia was a little influencer at heart, but this was next level! #GratuitousPicture

"Gotta say, your performance, it's just not up to par. Far from it, frankly!" Matt acted as if he were conducting an official performance review.

"But hey, Chesty! Don't fret! Your ample assets have always bailed you out before, haven't they?" He gave his trademark obnoxious chuckle. "I'm sure they won't leave you high 'n dry this time."

IMHO (aka in my humble opinion), this wasn't the right way to conduct an employee interview! But my soul sis didn't seem to mind. Quite the opposite! She responded by pulling down the bikini top to let her pretty puppies pop out. The busty baddie even started pinching and rubbing her nipples while flashing her brightest smile. So cringe!

AAMOF, it was so absurd that it was easy to deny. No one would ever believe me! That's why I did what anyone in my generation would have done. You know what us millennials say, right? Pics or it didn't happen. So, I pulled out my phone and snapped a bunch of photos like a paparazzi. #PicOfTheDay

Oh wait! I almost forgot about the details again! My bad! You want to take a deep dive into this summer's swimwear trends, don't you guys? Flirty florals is mosdef one of the more diverse current trends, providing a natural way to showcase colors. That's why the bikini sported cheerful bright floral patterns. It also had a flounced halter top that created a beautiful bust line, especially with Tia's big boobs. #SummerTrends

"I'm sorry! But as manager, I've got a lot of responsibility. I can't allow your slip-ups to lead to an overall deterioration in performance. Now, that wouldn't be fair to the other employees, would it?" Matt continued assessing my bff's performance.

Holy mother of...! This was ridiculous! The sight of our supervisor giving a performance review in the changing room while a female salesclerk was naked and pinching her nipples incensed me to no end. That's a yikes! In fact, it was so grotesque that I could neither scoot nor cancel it. All I could do was keep watching. #AbsurdityOfTheDay

"Maybe, a task that requires less talent is more suitable for your skillset, Goldilocks." Matt added. "Modeling our collections for the customers might be a better field for you. Let's continue to determine your suitability then."

WTF! Did he really just say that? No way! I was shook! This was probs the most belittling and degrading way a supervisor could ever speak to a subordinate, wasn't it? The shock was real! Then again, I had never worked anywhere else. So, what do I know? #WorkSurprises

IAC, Tia continued modeling as if the douchey tone didn't bother her at all. The change in attitude was legit! With a super professional expression on her face, my busty boo presented two more bikinis. By then, however, it was no longer about the current craze but only about the sex factor. IMO, the flirty florals bikini had been drip (aka the perf size for Tia). But the rest was getting more and more tasteless, bc the amount of fabric became smaller with each piece! #BikiniCompetition

FWIW (aka for what it's worth), tie-dye has been making a steady comeback for some time. Accordingly, the second bikini had blue color and a trikini style. In haute couture, this is known as a 'handkerchief and two small saucers'. However, the trikini was a size too small for my bestie. So, it barely covered her big bust. Instead, it was legit revealing. As if that wasn't shocking enough, though, Tia managed to send me again. I could barely believe my eyes, but she exposed her nipples and revealed her vagina for Matt to photograph. Realsies! No kidding! #NSFW

OMG! What was she doing and why was she doing it? This was so extra! It weirded me out. I can't even with my bae!

Nywy, the biggest trend of the summer is shiny metallics, so the third bikini was an extremely skimpy gold metallic microkini with barely enough fabric to cover Tia's 'ample assets' (as Matt put it so nicely). Truth be told, it was two sizes too small! As a result, her breast tissue got totally squashed and the thong got wedged up her crotch. I'm pretty sure I saw her labia slipping out on both sides. So hectic!

WTAF! I couldn't believe my eyes! FOH! I had seen enough! In truth, though, I was super confused, so I didn't know how to react. My feels were all over the place, so I had to find a way to calm down b4 I could deal with this whole thing. That's why I turned around and stormed out of the store.

Now, tell me, girls, was it the right reaction? Should I have intervened and helped my bff instead? Bye 4 now!