Retail Automotive and Tools Department

The automotive and tool department is one of the most challenging places to work in a retail environment. Why? The customer is probably not buying something pretty on a whim.

He or she is buying something that is really needed in the house or garage. You have to know your stuff. If you don’t, you’ll have a lot of unhappy customers returning items they can’t use.

The automotive and tool departments of department stores are often minimalist since most people turn to actual automotive stores or hardware stores for their needs in this area. Still, you can impress your customers with your knowledge of exactly what they require, even if your store does not actually sell it.

If you can impress customers with your knowledge, you can hopefully get kind recommendations from them to your manager, and you may even be up for a raise or promotion for your extreme helpfulness and willingness to learn more about your job than the management requires. Even if you do not, working in the automotive and tool department can be a satisfying position.

There is a bonus to this department as well – it is one of the few where you can actually be given advanced training opportunities, even as an entry-level sales person. You can take these certifications and skills into your everyday life (who doesn’t like to be handy around the house or garage), and it can even help you get a better job in the automotive or hardware industry in the future.