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Customer Returns Pinch Department Store Employees' Commissions

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A man pays a cashier in Selfridges department store in central London on December 26, 2015, in the post-Christmas, Boxing Day sales. (Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images)
A man pays a cashier in Selfridges department store in central London on December 26, 2015, in the post-Christmas, Boxing Day sales. (Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images)

While liberal return policies help major retailers compete with online competitors, they’re putting the pinch on sales personnel paychecks, which often rely heavily on commissions. When the items come back to the store, sales people also have to return their commissions, which means they can end up with nothing or even in arrears.

Here & Now talks with Michele Zarella, a former retail salesperson about the difficulty of working retail in the age of internet shopping.

Guest

Michele Zarella, former retail salesperson.

This segment aired on July 13, 2016.

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