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SPILLS! They come in Twos. (or Threes?)

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  • SPILLS! They come in Twos. (or Threes?)

    A long time ago I noticed that if a customer spills a drink of some sort (coffee, fountain soda, Icee, whatever...), then during your shift a second occurence WILL happen. I explained to various coworkers over the years (usually after a first spill) that there always will be another one coming. "They come in twos", I'd say. When I first transferred to my current store I told some people about it and a year or so later one of the guys came to me and said, "Firecrackers, when you first told me about the 'twos thing' I thought, 'Oh, that's just Firecrackers being his wonky ways', but now I see the truth!"

    Today my mind was blown. A first occurrence happened. An adult male was loudly bossing a bunch of children around the fountain and carbonated frozen beverage machines. When they reached the checkout, an explosion of red carbonated frozen beverage was applied all over the floor. Much screaming/noise. I cleaned it up, disrupting my cigarette count. Ugh, when/what will the second one be tonight? We shall see...

    Later, I was checking for expiration dates on our packaged muffins near the coffee area when a clashing sound got my attention at the Iced Coffee station a few yards away at my 2 o'clock position. A man reasonably dressed in button up shirt was repositioning the drip tray that he had somehow knocked out of its place while balancing a cup of Iced Coffee at the same time. Great. He made it. However, he then headed my way to utilize the cream dispenser in the coffee section right behind me. As soon as he got there, >SPLASH< and "Sh*t!" came from his mouth. Seriously, what is wrong with you? I was angry. I decided to do the 'I didn't hear it routine' to see if he would clean it himself. Sometimes they do, he didn't say anything to me, and I heard him grabbing napkins. I finished what I was doing and casually walked away without looking. When I returned I found a huge mess. Wet napkins with dark smears on the counter dripping down the cabinets and a pool of brown juice with ice cubes on the floor expanding underneath displays and things. I cleaned it up.

    I approached a coworker and asked him if I had discussed with him the legend of twos? He laughed, "Ha Ha. It's threes!" What?!? Wait, you know about this?! And you have a number that's different, and MORE?!?! Amusing. Ha-ha's were exchanged and work resumed.

    Then it happened. In the final hour, an overzealous man at the checkout in the main register area dropped a glass Starbucks Frappuccino. He was taking advantage of the great deal we have on them right now without a basket. More brown sticky coffee plus glass. I approached the cashier and who told me "They happen in threes". I informed the customer that he was indeed the third person to spill today. The customer offered to pay for the broken Frapp which was amazing (I wasn't going to let this one go) so I charged him only half price.

    Really? Is this a thing?
    Last edited by EricKei; 08-12-2014, 04:18 PM.

  • #2
    Sounds like Java Man was second and third by himself, making Frap Guy fourth.
    Supporting the idiots charged with protecting your personal information.

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    • #3
      There is, indeed, a saying that "bad news comes in threes"... And there is apparently some basis to the saying in chaos mathematics.

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      • #4
        Quoth TheSHAD0W View Post
        There is, indeed, a saying that "bad news comes in threes"... And there is apparently some basis to the saying in chaos mathematics.
        I've heard this for say, deaths. Just didn't think it would also extend to obnoxious clumsiness at the damn gas station.

        Quoth otakuneko View Post
        Sounds like Java Man was second and third by himself, making Frap Guy fourth.
        This makes me happy. This rectifies my TWO pattern. Twice.

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        • #5
          I had this experience today. Well..not just today, cos working the HBC department is always a spill waiting to happen. I'm neatening and conditioning the pad wall. That's what we call the shelves where we stock our tampons and what not.

          Anyway, I hear the sound of something breaking, behind me. I'm thinking, Oh good GOD what now? I was hoping it was a mirror. I never get so lucky, I look down the aisle to see a lady trying to make a hasty retreat. She's an elderly lady, dressed head to toe in white. She'd opened up an OPI nail polish, bright pink. She seemed to think they were testers I'm guessing. She looks at me in surprise and squeaks out "Help Me" I tell her, just stay RIGHT THERE, I'll be a couple minutes and we'll get you cleaned up. I took off like I was running a sprint to grab the nail polish remover and a caution cone. By that time, she'd left, and left a trail behind her. Customers were walking through the spill. Obviously blind, because I'd set the caution cone over the spill. So, I get that all cleaned up. I'm sweating like crazy..like dripping off of my face. I call Hardware and ask them to cover HBC..I needed a break to put myself back together. I was thisclose to walking out.

          Later in the night, a customer is standing in front of the redbox machine. She told the service desk that someone had spilled water over there. I was there gathering my returns to put back/throwaways/mark downs. I decide to go over and help. I grab paper towel, and start wiping the water up...til I saw what it really was. Someone vomited and didn't bother to tell anyone that it happened. I was pretty grossed out because my bare hands had touched it, and grabbed sanitizer wipes and wiped my hands like I'd just touched crap or something I was nauseated for a good half hour.

          It almost came in three today. I went back to the cosmetics to neaten that...teenagers like to come in and screw around with the make up, and toss it back down on the shelf instead of hanging it where they JUST got it. I see a bottle of nail polish laying on the ground. I think I'm getting a little nutty, because I actually thanked the bottle for not breaking. Worst day ever today.

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          • #6
            Ok, I think it was just a fluke. Today, the first day of the next spill, (I was on vacation for a week there) and it's back to the TWO spill quota. Both juices with retail value. First being a plastic Minute Maid Tropical blend (or some such) and second being a glass Snapple just 1 MINUTE before punching out!!
            Quoth HBC_Chick View Post
            I think I'm getting a little nutty, because I actually thanked the bottle for not breaking.
            Sounds quite natural to me

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            • #7
              Kudos to broken Frapp guy for offering to pay....
              If the customer is decent and acknowledges whoops I've made a mistake and broken it, then usually it will be waved away.If you start to get screwy,that's when we can decide you WILL pay however much you blame the bottle/jar/aliens/demonic forces that did it for you...
              The Copyright Monster has made me tell you that my avatar is courtesy of the wonderful Alice XZ.And you don't want to annoy the Copyright Monster.

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