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To be honest, I’m very lucky. Our customers are, overall, fantastic. There are always a few sour puss types, and the occasional one who would apparently fall over dead if they removed the phone from their ear, but there are irritations, not really sucky in my book. By and large our customers are at least polite and mostly very friendly. Children tend to be well behaved, with the occasional exception that is to be expected now days, but here it’s not really the norm. Today, however, blew that mold.
It started when I was spelling E at the register while she was at lunch. I had heard this kid whining all over the store. I HATE whining, I do not tolerate it at my house. My own kids learned at an early age that is exactly the way to NOT get what you want. Finally they make their way to the front and I find out exactly what the whine-fest has been about. Kid wanted a pocket watch. He’s maybe 4 or 5 years old, and a skinny small child with the look of perpetual brat.
Mom tells him, again, that she’s not getting the watch. Full out tantrum, on the floor kicking and screaming. Mom just mumbles about his “not feeling very well today.” I wonder silently why she’s out shopping then, since none of what she bought could have in any way been something she had to have right then. Finally she pays out and tells the kid, “I’m leaving, I guess I’ll leave you here and she’ll put you to work.”
Before I can even begin to think of a response, this kid jumps and flies at her! This kid was swinging with all he had, which granted wasn’t a lot but still. If he learns he can get away with that at 4, what’s he going to do to her when he’s 14? Personally, my kids would have been picking themselves up off the ground. Of course, they knew this and would never have even considered it, and still wouldn't.
Then had the lady who had to argue with me about TracPhone cards. I don't know why we don't have the $9.99 card any longer. I asked, I never got a full answer, I doubt Bossman knows or cares. lt could be Corp. dropped it, we don't make squat on the damn things anyway. Could be Trac stopped selling them, I honestly don't know. Bottom line, it won't print out on our terminal even if we tried so I can't sell it.
Thankfully the rest of the afternoon went fairly smooth and quick after E got off, N and I taking turns checking out customers while we work on setting up Halloween displays and try to figure out what the freak we’re going to do with all this Christmas merchandise. But then at 15 till closing, WHAM.
They weren’t actually all sucky, but included three fishing licenses, on a slow as Hades 14.4 dial up connection when we’re trying to prep for close, not fun. One was from out of state, which meant entering everything from scratch. One lives here locally now, I know him from the area, but hasn’t bothered to get a TX license, only has CA. I figure out how to still get him his residence license, and again everything has to be entered from scratch. Third, thankfully, was local and already in the system, so that one went as quick as it can, which really isn’t very quick at all. They were all nice and patient and joked around with me while we waited for the screens to do the eternal load thing.
So that’s finally finished and it’s 10 after closing. N has locked the doors, but we still have two women w/ kids wandering around, even though she’s told them twice we’re closing. I told her, “Bossmas used to turn half the lights out on them, he still do that?” “Yep, and I’m glad you agree,” she replies, and off to the back she goes. So finally they drag their brood up front and proceed to check out. Separately, of course, and of course we’re down to only one register. First has a few items for herself, nothing for her kids, and pays with $12 in change, only $1.25 which was quarters. Second group, which included today’s second bratty child who even at the age of around 10 couldn’t bear to be parted from her toy long enough to let me read the damned price, has to count out 82 pennies to avoid getting back any change except a straight $10.
I know we’re lucky, I really do. That’s probably more suck that I get in a regular week. And Lord, I hope they don’t all come in one day again.
It started when I was spelling E at the register while she was at lunch. I had heard this kid whining all over the store. I HATE whining, I do not tolerate it at my house. My own kids learned at an early age that is exactly the way to NOT get what you want. Finally they make their way to the front and I find out exactly what the whine-fest has been about. Kid wanted a pocket watch. He’s maybe 4 or 5 years old, and a skinny small child with the look of perpetual brat.
Mom tells him, again, that she’s not getting the watch. Full out tantrum, on the floor kicking and screaming. Mom just mumbles about his “not feeling very well today.” I wonder silently why she’s out shopping then, since none of what she bought could have in any way been something she had to have right then. Finally she pays out and tells the kid, “I’m leaving, I guess I’ll leave you here and she’ll put you to work.”
Before I can even begin to think of a response, this kid jumps and flies at her! This kid was swinging with all he had, which granted wasn’t a lot but still. If he learns he can get away with that at 4, what’s he going to do to her when he’s 14? Personally, my kids would have been picking themselves up off the ground. Of course, they knew this and would never have even considered it, and still wouldn't.
Then had the lady who had to argue with me about TracPhone cards. I don't know why we don't have the $9.99 card any longer. I asked, I never got a full answer, I doubt Bossman knows or cares. lt could be Corp. dropped it, we don't make squat on the damn things anyway. Could be Trac stopped selling them, I honestly don't know. Bottom line, it won't print out on our terminal even if we tried so I can't sell it.
Thankfully the rest of the afternoon went fairly smooth and quick after E got off, N and I taking turns checking out customers while we work on setting up Halloween displays and try to figure out what the freak we’re going to do with all this Christmas merchandise. But then at 15 till closing, WHAM.
They weren’t actually all sucky, but included three fishing licenses, on a slow as Hades 14.4 dial up connection when we’re trying to prep for close, not fun. One was from out of state, which meant entering everything from scratch. One lives here locally now, I know him from the area, but hasn’t bothered to get a TX license, only has CA. I figure out how to still get him his residence license, and again everything has to be entered from scratch. Third, thankfully, was local and already in the system, so that one went as quick as it can, which really isn’t very quick at all. They were all nice and patient and joked around with me while we waited for the screens to do the eternal load thing.
So that’s finally finished and it’s 10 after closing. N has locked the doors, but we still have two women w/ kids wandering around, even though she’s told them twice we’re closing. I told her, “Bossmas used to turn half the lights out on them, he still do that?” “Yep, and I’m glad you agree,” she replies, and off to the back she goes. So finally they drag their brood up front and proceed to check out. Separately, of course, and of course we’re down to only one register. First has a few items for herself, nothing for her kids, and pays with $12 in change, only $1.25 which was quarters. Second group, which included today’s second bratty child who even at the age of around 10 couldn’t bear to be parted from her toy long enough to let me read the damned price, has to count out 82 pennies to avoid getting back any change except a straight $10.
I know we’re lucky, I really do. That’s probably more suck that I get in a regular week. And Lord, I hope they don’t all come in one day again.
Can't IMAGINE trying to do productive, real time work at that speed anymore. My hat's off to you sir.
. If it was my kid I'd teach them how to count it out at home and take it to the bank (or a Coinstar machine or some such) to trade for paper money (and maybe even make a donation as Coinstar allows you to do and teach them a little charity while we're at it!). You can make that piggy bank into a much bigger lesson than just count it out and buy stuff.
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