40 employees quit at unmanaged retail store, leaving 3 brave managers to run it alone: 'Callie [tells] me to call the entire staff 1 by 1'

Imagine a perfect clothing store, then imagine the opposite of that, and you'll be picturing the exact scenario these 3 managers found themselves in. 

In the retail world, we tend to think of the employees doing most of the work, while managers do very little. At least in my experience, it seems like the workers really run things: they keep the shelves stocked, help customers find things, ring up purchases, do returns, and fold clothing to keep the store tidy. Managers get called in for the big issues: they assign employee roles for each day, they get called over when a customer flips their lid, and besides that, they seem to spend most of their time hanging out in the back room together. Honestly, it's hard to blame them. Most retail managers have spent years on the ground as an employee before moving up to that prized position as a manager. If you spent 5 years of your life as a cashier before being promoted to a cushy managerial position, you'd probably just want to hang out in the back office and never look a customer in the eyes again. 

Manager work can vary greatly between people, too. Some managers are very hands on with their workers, directing their tasks constantly, and truly having eyes in the back of their heads. They're they kind who love to bark out, "If you have time to lean, you have time to clean," which is one of the worst phrases ever invented, by the way. Others, meanwhile, could not care less what their workers do. They trust them to do their duties more or less, handle the customers or whatever, who cares. You can find them lounging in a comfy chair, watching the cameras while sipping an iced coffee while listening to their music with the world tuned out. 

These managers, though, pulled off a genuinely incredible feat in the worst conditions you can imagine for a retail setting. Their story is unbelievable: they discovered a store so grimy and unloved that basically the entire staff had given up on it. The success here is thanks to these 3 managers, who collaborated and shaped this store back into a proper establishment! 

Author image for Remy Millisky Remy Millisky
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