By Amanda Montini
I’ve worked in the local business scene since my sophomore year of high school. I started out by working for a local patio furniture store throughout the entirety of my high school career, graduated up to working for a local coffee shop for a short period of time, and ended up here at my current job with Rolling Rack Boutique.
Throughout those years, I’ve gotten to know what it means to work locally pretty well. I know that working locally is a lot tougher than working for corporate places, it allows you to be extremely involved in the back-end of things and means a lot more time and effort is needed on your end.
Working at Rolling Rack Boutique has been a game-changer. I didn’t know how much of a difference there would be between working for a local boutique versus all of the other local businesses I was at before. I have loved every second of being a part of this company. Here are five things that I never knew before about working for a local boutique.
1. A boutique job isn’t just a job with random co-workers, they’re family.
From the first day, I started this job, I began to realize that this isn’t just a job where you work your shift and leave. I love the relationships I’ve begun to build with both my co-workers and my boss. They’re people I can share stories with, go to for advice, and randomly text a funny joke late at night too.
2. The Karens really are out there, and they love to prowl on boutiques.
I’ve dealt with tough customers before, trust me, and I’ve learned how to deal with them in a professional way. I pride myself on the fact that I can make any angry customer leave with a smile on their face and a cheerful attitude.
But when it comes to working for a local boutique, I’ve come to realize that the angry customers I’ve had before cannot compare to the ones I face now. People love to pick on local businesses for the tiniest of things, but nothing compares to how much people love to pick on boutiques.
One of my favorite interactions to this day has been when this woman came in and proceeded to yell at my coworker and me for a return policy that we had no control over.
We ended up calling our boss because she wouldn’t listen to us and had to have her take care of it. After it was done, our boss gave my coworker permission to tell her that we didn’t need her business and got to stand up for our shop.
3. No matter how much the Karens may pick on you, your boss will ALWAYS have your back.
While the angry customers may be a disaster and stress you out, at the end of the day, your boss will always be there to back you up. I’ve been grateful to have such an amazing boss. She stands up for her employees whenever an angry customer becomes too much for us to handle on our own. She puts her employees and their well-being first.
4. The clothing quality really is that good.
One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to unbox clothes and learning about a new brand we carry. The clothes my boutique carries are something I take great pride in. Each outside brand we have dedicates equally as much time as we do to creating a great product for customers.
My personal favorite is a brand called Black Score.
They take the time to hand silk-screen each shirt and are focused on reducing their carbon footprint when they make their products. Each brand is unique in its own way, whether they’re local or from around the world. It’s the best feeling when you get to tell customers all about it.
5. If you put your mind to it, you can be a boss too, even outside of work.
Getting to be a part of a business like Rolling Rack Boutique has changed my mental attitude when it comes to being successful. My boss started our boutique as a traveling boutique that would go to events between Arizona and California.
Today, she has two store locations, one in Old Town Scottsdale and one in Scottsdale Quarter, and has a pop-up shop opening for the holiday season. Seeing everything that my boss does has become an inspiration to me and gives me dreams of becoming as successful as her someday.
It’s inspired me to put myself out there more, making me push myself to seek other opportunities outside of what I’m doing now. I feel lucky to have the opportunity to work under her guidance.
If you’re ever considering working for a boutique, do it. The lessons I’ve learned from this job are ones that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I couldn’t be happier to work for Rolling Rack Boutique.
You can find Rolling Rack Boutique at our website https://shoprollingrack.com/ or our Instagram @shoprollingrack
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