MentorAbility Experience Story: Lily

Lily* was referred to MentorAbility to gain hands-on work experience, and we paired her with Gary, a mentor from a retail pet store in Ontario. Lily arrived on time, full of enthusiasm and eager to learn more about working in a retail setting.   

Lily and Gary hit it off immediately, as the two enjoyed several conversations about their pets as well as discussions about pet food and supplies during a tour of the store. Lily assisted Gary with serving customers, and she even completed some sales using the cash register. Gary taught Lily how to apply discounts, process returns and handle cash transactions.   

Lily was very attentive and displayed remarkable confidence when interacting with customers, which Gary thought was especially impressive for someone new to a retail environment. Lily also worked on the sales floor organizing products, tidying shelves and transferring products to the sales floor from the back room.   

During her MentorAbility Experience, Lily helped three customers use the store’s dog wash machine. After the third customer, Lily was cleaning the dog bath on her own without Gary’s help. Gary noted that Lily was very easy to work with and that she was confident, attentive, and responsive. He also appreciated the positive energy she brought to the store.   

The mentorship at the pet store helped Lily learn the different tasks involved in a retail setting. She was also able to practice important new skills, like customer service and using a cash register.  

Soon after this MentorAbility Experience, Lily found employment at a local fast-food restaurant. Her interactions with customers and handling cash transactions during the mentorship helped her feel more confident with this new job. She was grateful to Gary and the pet store for offering her that opportunity! 

*The name “Lily” is an alias used to respect the individual’s privacy.