I worked many retail jobs in high school and in college during winter or summer breaks. My resume of retail jobs includes accessory stores, a toy store and even a fishing supply store (don’t ask). One summer break during college I decided to apply to Victoria’s Secret. I LOVED to shop at Victoria’s Secret, so working there seemed like a dream. I had visions of purchasing discounted bras and ringing up fabulous purchases while chatting with awesome customers. It was not my dream to work in retail my whole life, but I really never had a problem with any of my past retail jobs. I earned spending money and was treated nicely by bosses and co-workers. I thought Victoria’s Secret would be the best of all: I thought wrong.

At first I was proud to work at Victoria’s Secret. It was fun to walk into work at 20 wearing black suit instead of the polo shirts a lot of retail stores make you wear. My dreams were shortly shattered. I wasn’t allowed to work the cash register because I was new. Is it really normal to be a sales associate and not be allowed to work the cash register? I had been working registers since I was about 14 and suddenly I was “not qualified” to touch one as a 20 year old adult who was half way through college.

So I was told to work the sales floor and ask customers if they needed help. That was cool. I was a people person and I loved bras and knew a lot about the products because I also purchased them. I was really helpful in finding women the right bras and customers would tell me how nice I was as they exited. My manager however did not care about niceness. She had one thing in mind: PUSHING CREDIT CARDS.

She valued pushing the Victoria’s Secret credit card over customer service. She made us badger customers to the point of nausea to sign up for a credit card. If someone is earning a commission, hard core in your face sales tactics are understandable, but for young women in high school and college earning minimum wage, it is a lot to ask. But nonetheless I am a diligent person and I did it, I pushed the credit cards.

This was a very hard sell. One of the main problems was a lot of Victoria’s Secret shoppers are regulars WHO ALREADY HAD THE CREDIT CARD that can’t possibly be my fault. Some days I would get one to four sign-ups for credit cards, other days I would get zero. During this time I always remained nice to customers and kept my section flawlessly clean and my customers left with bras purchased—just not credit cards sometimes.

My manager was nasty and would put me down on days I had no credit card sign ups. I remember this one time she kept nagging me on the floor. Finally, when she was in the back, I happened to get one. When she came out and found out she said “I guess you wait until I am not around to perform, huh?”  I was insulted. I was smart, customers liked me and I was always on time for work. I didn’t deserve her attitude.

Retail employees receive not one dime for getting credit card sign ups. Sometimes we would get a free lip gloss if we got enough sign ups in one day. Oh yay.

I remember for three days in a row I had no sign ups, so the manager took away all of my scheduled hours and put me “on call”. She did this to many girls.  Who wants to be on call for a retail store?? It makes no sense to me really. I wanted a normal schedule.  I wanted to earn money for college books and such.

A few years later after I graduated, I was shopping in Old Navy and out pops the evil witch manager from VS. “Hi,” she smiled. “I work here now,” she bragged as if she was moving on up in the world leaving me in the dust. I told her I recently started a full-time job working in marketing. I got a salary and didn’t have to push any credit cards.

Believe it or not, I am still a VS shopper to this day. (I know, I really should protest, but I love the bras too much). But I would never, ever let anyone I loved apply for a retail job at Victoria’s Secret. If I ever have a daughter and she wants a retail job I will be taking her to fill out applications at any store that is NOT Victoria’s Secret. So now I know Victoria’s Secret and I kind of wish I didn’t.