“CVS”
Oct 07, 2019“Welcome to CVS. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance.”
Melinda couldn’t believe she was actually working at CVS. She never worked retail one day in her forty years. She finally reached that point of desperation, not being able to find any work that aligned with her twenty years in tech and needing to pay rent and eat a couple meals per day.
She smiled at everyone who came through the sliding doors. She didn’t have the muscles for it, though, so her smile was crooked and forced. Her 25-year-old supervisor told her it was company policy. Every employee smiles at every customer. The cameras were watching. Melinda was the kind of employee who followed the rules and did her best no matter how much she hated it. She was so nervous on her first day. She puked before getting on the train. She didn’t want to risk puking at work and being reprimanded for not following company policy. One bathroom break every two hours. Feeling pukey? Swallow it back down your throat. She puked and popped a Xanax, not sure how it would affect her, figuring sleepiness would be better than a panic attack.
Three hours into her first shift, she realized no one ever wanted assistance. At least, not when you offered it to them. They just walked straight through the door, avoiding eye contact. Occasionally, she’d get a quick fake smile in response. Maybe a distant “thanks” as they were already heading up the escalator. This was preferable as she figured out what this retail thing was all about and whether or not she’d be able to deal with it. She wasn’t much of a people person. She excelled being in an office, behind closed doors, by herself. She did her best work while not under pressure. It wasn’t a realistic way to go through life, but it had worked for her up until she started working at CVS.