This Just In: Sun Tan City Workers Arent Just Ditzy Bronzed Blondes After All

Literacy is a pretty road su !ect to think a out" There are so #any different types and $ays to e%press it" Like& literacy ranches off into specific cate'ories ut also #eans one thin'" The $ay a person speaks and acts is not the only part of their literacy !ourney" All different learnin' e%periences that anyone $ill 'o throu'h is all a different part of literacy" Sure& I could talk a out ho$ I learned to talk or $rite& ut I chose to do so#ethin' a little it #ore specific to so#ethin' that $as (ery i#portant in #y life& ut also is unusual to #ost people" I really needed a !o to sa(e up so#e #oney for school& and I had al$ays had #y eye on a particular store that !ust so happened to e a fi(e)#inute $alk fro# #y house" I re#e# er $hen it $as ein' uilt $hen I $as pro a ly ele(en or t$el(e& I $ould look at #y dad and say that I $anted to $ork there" Sun Tan City" *or $hate(er reason I thou'ht that $as $here all the pretty and popular 'irls $ould 'o" Which I 'uess #akes sense ecause the tanner the etter& at least in #y ook" Watchin' T+ sho$s and #o(ies& and e(en in ooks that had to do $ith 'irls in hi'h school all told #e that sa#e thin'& so I of course $anted to e pretty and popular as $ell" I had to $ait until #y senior year to apply ecause you ha(e to e ei'hteen to $ork at a tannin'

salon& one of ,orth Carolinas #any la$s re'ardin' tannin' salons" The application $as pretty si#ple& only askin' the asic -uestions& and $hen I 'ot a call to co#e in for an inter(ie$ I $as so pu#ped" I had to #ake sure I looked the part for the !o & so I 'ot dressed up and put on a little #ore #ake up then I nor#ally $ould .$ith ronzer of course/& and $alked in the store $ith displayed confidence& althou'h on the inside I $as freakin' out" The (i e that I 'et fro# ein' in the store is a$eso#e" 0(eryone there is so happy and eautiful" There are displays of nail polish on the $all and different stands of products e(ery$here" And the s#ell is so#ethin' I could e around fore(er" All the aro#as fro# all the different lotions surrounded #e and I kne$ that $as $here I $anted to e" I sat and $aited in the front for the salon director to 'et done $ith another inter(ie$" When she strolled out of the roo# that I $ould shortly enter& I noticed that she $as the spunkiest& londest& and tannest lady I(e e(er seen" 1er u ly personality filled the roo# i##ediately and I $asnt ner(ous for

#y inter(ie$ any#ore" 23ou #ust e 1elen4 Its so 'ood to #eet you&5 Sa# said as I stood up to shake her hand" 23eah thats #e4 Its 'ood to #eet you too&5 I replied" She asked #e to follo$ her& and $e $ent ack to the inter(ie$ and trainin' roo#" The first thin' I noticed $as the fluorescent li'hts and it re#inded #e of ein' at school" I sat do$n across fro# her and the -uestions ca#e

pourin' in" Sa# asked #e the asic 2Tell #e a out yourself" What skills do you ha(e that $ill e 'ood for the co#pany&5 and 2What are your est and $orst traits65 Inter(ie$s are pretty stran'e to #e" 0(erythin' see#s so stiff and professional" 1onestly& inter(ie$s are fake& #ost people are not that professional and ri'id& ut it is necessary to find out $ho $ill e 'ood to e#ploy" It is an e#ployers first ti#e #eetin' a potential e#ployee& and they $ant to co#e across as so#eone $ho is on top of e(erythin' and $ho takes their !o (ery seriously" I ans$ered e(erythin' $ithout a stutter or an 2u#"5 She see#ed pretty i#pressed" When all the -uestionin' $as o(er& she told #e the perks of $orkin' at Sun Tan City& and I instantly started prayin' that I 'ot the !o " *ree tannin' and discounts on all products& any 'irls drea#" I stood up to 'o and Sa# told #e that she $ould call soon lettin' #e kno$ if I 'ot the !o or not" The ell !ust ran' after class 'ot out as #y phone started rin'in'" It $as fro# a nu# er not sa(ed in #y phone& and I 'ot #y hopes up" Those hopes $ere not $asted& ecause I reco'nized the (oice i##ediately" 21ey 1elen& its Sa# fro# Sun Tan City4 I !ust $anted to let you kno$ that you 'ot the !o and need to kno$ $hen youll e a le to co#e in to start trainin'"5 I told her that I could co#e in that day around fi(e" I told #y est friend 7or'an that I 'ot the !o & and she said she $anted to apply too" It $ould e so a$eso#e if she 'ot the

!o too" Sun Tan City $ouldnt kno$ $hat they had co#in' for the# if the dyna#ic duo of 1elen and 7or'an started $orkin' for the#" I $asnt really sure $hat to e%pect trainin' at a tannin' salon $ould entail& ut the tedious $ork I had to do definitely $asnt on #y top ten fa(orite acti(ities" I had to read this hu'e trainin' hand ook& also kno$n as the tannin' i le& that had the infor#ation fro# e#ployee theft policies to $hat do you do if a costu#er is yellin' at you" It $as asically like learnin' a ne$ lan'ua'e" Luckily& after I had een trainin' for a couple days 7or'an had co#e in for her inter(ie$ and she 'ot the !o as $ell so she started trainin' $ith #e" It #ade co#in' into train easier and #ore fun" Who $ould ha(e thou'ht that only t$o of the three radiation rays actually 'et to our skin6 8+A rays 'i(e us the nice ronzin' color& $hile 8+B rays are #ore like the sun rays& and 8+C rays arent used in the tannin' process at all" Tannin' is also a t$enty)four hour process& $hich is $hy *DA reco##ends co#in' e(ery t$enty)four hours" 8sin' lotion in the eds isnt !ust a $ay to #ake you s#ell 'ood" Tannin' dries out skin and can take out so#e (ita#ins and #inerals" The lotions that Sun Tan City pro(ide use the up#ost skin care and #oisturize for skin and puts the (ita#ins and #inerals ack into the skin" Those are !ust a fe$ facts I had to #e#orize" The ulk of #y trainin' $as readin' that hand ook and ha(in' a $ork ook ri'ht ne%t

to #e askin' #e short ans$er -uestions that asically had #e re)$rite $hat the hand ook said" 7or'an and I $ould -uiz each other $hen $e hun' out& on all the cate'ories of lotions and e(erythin' in the hand ook ecause there $as a #ain test at the end" We ended up acin' it& -uite the acco#plish#ent& especially after ha(in' thirty plus hours of trainin'" I had to attend $orkshops and se#inars a out the dan'ers of tannin' and the i#portance of eye $are& $hich I learned is e%tre#ely i#portant" I $ish I $ould ha(e kno$n that earlier ecause I used to ne(er $ear the# and no$ #y ni'ht (ision is co#plete crap" ,orth Carolina re-uires that I 'et certified to tan people $ith a class that $hoe(er is in char'e of the tannin' re'ulations created" I learned all the la$s and had to take a -uiz on it in the end" The other part to the trainin' $as hands on cleanin'& also kno$n as 2 ed tech)in'5 Its $here you sanitize and $ipe do$n the actual ed& and of course& there are lots of rules and re'ulations y ,orth Carolina that $e had to follo$& such as $e ha(e 9: #inutes after the tanner 'ets out of the ed to 'et it clean& $hich sounds hard& ut $hen there is constantly a line out the door& it $as a feat" There $as so #uch to this !o & ut I kne$ it $ould e $orth it" Learnin' all the ends and outs of the salon $asnt the hardest part thou'h" ;oin' out in the field $as pro a ly one of the #ost stressful thin's I(e e(er had to do" Before I e(en started at the front desk& I had to role)play $ith #ana'ers on different scenarios that could

and pro a ly $ould happen" 0(erythin' fro# o(er)co#in' o !ections to !ust kno$in' the traits of the lotions" Since I kne$ all of #y #ana'ers pretty $ell y that point& role)playin' $as a reeze& and asically !ust a fun ti#e $ith the#" We 'oofed around a lot" The !o $as so laid ack and all the 'irls $ho $orked there $ere so fun" <nce they all thou'ht I kne$ $hat I $as doin'& actually talkin' to custo#ers and tryin' to con(ince the# to uy products they $erent sure they $anted $as e%tre#ely difficult& especially if they thou'ht they had their foot do$n" The real deal and !ust e%pected situations are co#pletely different" Custo#er ser(ice is its o$n $orld of lan'ua'e" The custo#er is al$ays ri'ht& ut not $hen they think they dont need a lotion6 It $as all so confusin'" I $as tau'ht to ASTC .Ackno$led'e& Support& Test the $ater& and Co#plete the en'a'e#ent or plant the seed/ $ith e(ery custo#ers concern" *or e%a#ple& a lady ca#e in and said that she didnt think she needed a lotion ecause she tans fine $ithout one and that it $as a $aste of #oney" *irst& I $ould say& 2I co#pletely 'et $hat you are sayin' that" =lenty of people feel the sa#e $ay"5 Ackno$led'e#ent" Then& 2But usin' a lotion $ill help you tan up to se(enty percent faster and takes a$ay that after tan s#ell" <ur lotions are also the hi'hest -uality of skincare& $ith lots of #oisturizers and (ita#ins to #ake your skin as healthy as can e" Dont think of it as a $aste of #oney& think of it as in(estin' in your skin45 Support" 2Do you

understand no$ $hy a lotion is i#portant65 Testin' the $ater" And at that point& she $ould pro a ly say& 23eah& I 'et $hat you are sayin'"5 To $hich I $ould say& 21o$ a out $e 'et you set up $ith one today"5 =lantin' the seed" It $as -uite the process and $e $ere tau'ht to use custo#er interaction $ith e(ery custo#er ecause it $ould al$ays help us 'et the sale" When I told #y parents a out the ASTC tactic& they lau'hed and said that they had used a (ery si#ilar $ay at their retail !o s" I 'uess this had een around for a $hile& ut the $ay it $orked for #e so $ell led #e to elie(e that this $as a tried and true #ethod that has al$ays $orked& and $ill continue to $ork" =eople on the other side of the counter ha(ent e(ol(ed into realizin' that the store clerks are (ery 'ood at #anipulatin' the#& $hich is 'ood for #y co##ission4 I e'an to notice that I $as startin' to ASTC people in #y nor#al life $ithout e(en realizin' it at first" I also started to notice that I $as 'ettin' $hat I $anted a lot #ore as $ell& so I $asnt co#plainin'" At $ork& it took a $hile to co#pletely e co#forta le talkin' to the custo#ers ut $ith #ore and #ore repetition it all e(entually eca#e second nature" I also lo(ed $orkin' in the front ecause e(eryone& or $ell #ost& $ho ca#e in $as happy to e there and $e all had one thin' in co##on& to e tan4 I cant e(en say ho$ #any ti#es I $ould hear on a rainy day& 2Its so rainy and dark outside I !ust need to 'et so#e sunshine45 Sellin' products $ere a #ust ecause $e #ade

co##ission& $hich $as a 'reat #oti(ator" When 7or'an and I $ould $ork to'ether $e $ould #ake it a co#petition to see $ho could sell the #ost products or packa'es or #e# erships" .I usually $on& of course"/ All the products $ere $ay o(erpriced in #y opinion& $hich #ade it harder to sell& ut its easy to con(ince people that if they uy it they $ill look etter" 0(eryone $ho ca#e into the salon o (iously $anted to look etter> its a tannin' salon4 Seein' ho$ #uch I #ade each #onth in co##ission !ust inspired #e to do etter ne%t #onth" I had a 'reat e%perience at Sun Tan City and I #iss all the 'irls $ho $ork there" I learned so #uch& and I a# so thankful for it" Ask #e anythin' a out tannin' and I $ill e a le to ans$er it& and ans$er it $ith a s#ile4 ,ot only did I pick up tannin' facts& ut also ha(in' that !o really helped #e $ith life" I ne(er kne$ really ho$ to deal $ith people or o(erco#e o !ections or e(en 'et $hat I $anted in a #ature $ay" I think that e(eryone should 'et a !o $here you ha(e to ha(e lots of custo#er ser(ice and interaction" I $as happy to 'et the !o & ut I ne(er e%pected it influence and affect #y life in the positi(e $ay that it did" I $ill al$ays re#e# er $orkin' there& and hopefully Ill e a le to $ork there a'ain ne%t su##er" Like I said in the e'innin'& literacy can e #any thin's" ,ot !ust ho$ you learn to speak or the process of learnin' another forei'n lan'ua'e" Literacy is apart of e(ery ne$ e%perience that anyone 'oes throu'h" 0specially $hen 'ettin' a ne$ !o " There are so #any ne$

rules and thin's that ha(e to e learned" 7y tannin' literacy !ourney is pro a ly #y fa(orite one& !ust ecause I kno$ that it $ill help #e in future $ith other !o s that I #i'ht 'et"