Makkah

A salesperson marketing shoe cleaning kits approached an Arab tourist in a European country and asked him to try a new product. The tourist knelt down, took off his shoes and gave them to the salesperson. Although the tourist removed his shoes as a mark of respect, the salesperson took exception to this and asked him to put his shoes back on. Having done so, the salesperson then cleaned the man’s shoes, something that left the tourist surprised and shocked.

The salesperson intended to deal with the situation professionally and did the job without feeling any shame or stigma. He did not feel any shame kneeling down and cleaning the man’s shoes. Unfortunately, some Arabs look down on people who do jobs such as these.

The majority of saleswomen in the Kingdom who work in retail and women’s accessory shops look down on their jobs. They believe their jobs are menial and involve mundane tasks such as stocking shelves. This is why they do not show any professionalism when they deal with customers because deep inside they believe their work is not respected.

Some of them treat customers impolitely just to assert themselves. If they happen to meet a relative at work, then they are quick to justify their circumstances and say that they are only working on a temporary basis until they find something better. Why do they feel ashamed of their jobs?

I have noticed that many of the saleswomen I have met in shops tend not to respect their workplace. Some of them eat during work hours or chitchat with colleagues while ignoring customers waiting in queues.

The sad thing is that these young women are unaware of the importance of their work. Working as a saleswoman can enrich one’s experience on how to deal with different people on a daily basis. I advise saleswomen to seize the opportunities they have before them because they have the chance to open up new possibilities in their lives. In fact, working in sales is a golden opportunity that can enable them to unleash their capabilities and potential.

Working in retail provides a hands-on experience on how to manage shops, accounts, inventories and many others things. Most successful businessmen today worked as salesmen at some point in their lives. I tell all saleswomen to keep their heads up and feel proud about their line of work.