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!
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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.
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And we will all find more happy moments than bad ones .good idea
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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.
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AWESOME !!!!
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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!
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