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BigJayPee t1_j6e3q4f wrote

Reply to comment by TinyChaco in TIL that modern store mannequins can now record video, sound and automatically analyze demographic data and customers reactions to products from facial expressions analysis by human8264829264

Yeah I stopped shopping in store as soon as the option to buy online came up. The only store I still go into nowadays is a gas station.

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SCMtnGuy t1_j6evf77 wrote

You mean the online shopping that collects and aggregates more data on you than even the most advanced spy mannequin could ever hope to do?

I guess if you decide you can't win, you might as well surrender...

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PeachSnappleOhYeah t1_j6e4wut wrote

unfortunately you're only hurting small business doing that.

(most) online shopping perpetuates the division of the middle class and billionaires

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BigJayPee t1_j6e6day wrote

As someone who has worked for several small businesses, I can tell you these people are the worst people to work for. I don't feel pity for them.

Instead, they need to have a reason for me to patronize their business instead of buying online. Do they have a unique product I can't get elsewhere? Do they sell thing cheaper? Do they pay their employees a living wage? Is the local community better off with their existence, or are they a burden?

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PeachSnappleOhYeah t1_j6eafsf wrote

what small business did you work for??

i grew up working in my family's small retail business, knowing all the other small businesses in town; and small business does far more for customers, employees, and community than Huge Corp 9/10

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BigJayPee t1_j6ep722 wrote

I worked for a family owned escape room. And I worked for a family owned Ashley furniture franchise.

Your experience was with your own families business. They can't exactly just get rid of you. Being hired on to someone else's family business is something I wouldn't recommend. At the ashley store, I was only there for 10 days (3 days training and 7 selling). I finished with higher sales than all the family members except 1, but I was let go for "low numbers" even though I was 3rd out of 9 sales people my first week on the sales floor.

The escape room, well, the actual owner was hardly ever there, saw him maybe once a month. My issue with them was the training. They had someone train me as I went, but she just kinda showed me as a situation popped up, not beforehand. The owners would show up and just yell at me for something I had no idea was even something I was supposed to do, and neither did the girl training me. I would get in trouble. She wouldn't. Just showed huge amounts of favoritism that never happens at any corporate place I've worked.

I'm sure some are great, hell, I owned a food truck before, and my wife owned a froyo shop before. but I'm not just going to blindly support a small business just because they are small, I need them to provide something that puts them ahead of the larger competition. This is capitalism. Competition is supposed to be a thing.

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PeachSnappleOhYeah t1_j6ftw9k wrote

ok. that's fair. and to be fair to my point, it doesn't sound like you've had long enough history working in small business, which might not be your fault. i think your experience isn't typical.

how many Fed Ex little league baseball fields, or Amazon sponsored local parades do you know of? in my towns, local businesses do a lot for the community. Many people work good jobs and fair pay and hours.

but i don't disagree there are less than stellar examples out there, like everything else. sorry to hear about your story, because small business is so important to the middle class.

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TimeForHugs t1_j6exud5 wrote

>I finished with higher sales than all the family members except 1, but I was let go

Nepotism is a hell of a thing. It unfortunately happens all too often.

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TinyChaco t1_j6eg9z5 wrote

It's really just pants and shoes for me. I'll buy all my t shirts online, but if I don't try on pants or shoes before I buy I end up with ill fitting clothing I'll have to send back.

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