Here’s a way to keep yourself and your staff attuned to the happy reasons you run a consignment, resale, or thrift shop.
And a way, too, to put the not-so-happy aspects of running the shop in the proper perspective.
Keep a jar on your sale counter. Every time something NICE happens, write a “happy memory” note and tuck it inside.
- Compliments, friendly customer, the perfect display everyone adores.
- The little boy who HUGGED the toy car his father bought him.
- The home-baked cookies Mrs. Jones dropped by.
- The sun shining.
- The customers who clapped when shy little Lucie came out of the dressing room in her first-ever prom dress.
Every time something NOT SO NICE happens, and you’re irked or upset or downright mad, open the jar and throw away a happy memory note. If you can. Is the NOT SO NICE happening…
- the short-tempered consignor,
- the customer who always wants you to sell her something for less than it’s priced,
- the neighbor who smokes right near your open shop door
… really worth tossing a happy memory for? If it is, fine, throw one random happy memory away.
But I think you’ll find you’d rather hold on to the happy memory, and toss the bad incident where it belongs: in the trash.
Here’s to a packed-full jar of happy memories, and to your very seldom feeling that something unhappy requires you to fish a happy out and throw it away. Hey, here’s an idea… at your staff year-end holiday party, how about opening that jar and reminiscing about
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
LOVE this! I overhear a negative comment every now and then and sometimes it sits in my head longer than the MANY glowing compliments I receive! Or the ONE negative thing someone has posted on my facebook about prices, which was preceded by a “amazing items and great prices” post. You can’t make everyone happy, but at least several hundred others ARE!
Exactly! We all seem to mull, fuss, stew over negative comments or happenings… but when we’re faced with the choice of deleting, erasing, tossing a POSITIVE comment to offset the negative as with this jar idea… we remember that the negative belongs just where it should be… in the trashcan.
And we will all find more happy moments than bad ones .good idea
That’s what I’m hoping, and promoting, Donna! The only consignment shopkeeper I ever met that could NOT say that has gone out of business… twice.
AWESOME !!!!
Thank you Kate, for always reminding us to look on the sunny side! It’s always important to keep a positive attitude, especially in front of our loved ones, customers, employees and the mirror!