Seriously?--part two

[TechieGirl87]

There's a moment today when I'm the only person available in the department. Note, this should never happen for too long in a department that usually demands bare minimum of two people at all times. But, it happens more often than you think. Anyway, I'm rushing to help all these people and some of them actually see that I'm swamped and take pity on me--gee, thanks--while I'm attempting to get to everyone I can.

Now, while some of these customers understand the crunch I'm in, others don't give a rat's ass

SC: I've been standing here a while and you have yet to help me
Me: I'm trying to help everyone I can. I'm the only one here right now
SC: Well, I've been waiting here for a while
Me: And I've been by myself for a while. You have to bare with me
SC: This is ridiculous!
Me: You're right. If I had the help I needed, things would get a lot smoother. I'd be more than willing to help you if you're willing to be more patient with me

Needless to say she walked off in a huff. Okay? More power to you.

I also had a lady call about CDs. Now, CDs are the only thing in my department we have no control over. Why, I don't know. We can't even sell explicit CDs.... yet we sell rated M games, rated R movies, Cosmo and Fifty Shades of Grey... explain this to me. Anywoo...

Me: This is <department name>
SC: I'm looking for a CD
Me: What's the title?
SC: Gee, I don't know. It's by Justin Timberlake
Me: (side note; if you call me about a particular item, have the damn title ready. I can't read minds, especially over the phone) All of our CDs are controlled by an outside vender. I really have no way of knowing what we have unless I look through all of them
SC: Well they're all in alphabetical order
Me: No they're not. They should be but the--
SC: *click*

-.- Yeah, you too lady.

I was checking someone out at the register then turned to another person standing there in front of the register and was about to ask him what he needed when he proceeded to tell another person to his left that he could go first

SC: *walks up to the register* Yeah, line starts here. I was first
Me: *rings his item through the register* Actually, this gentleman standing over here for the past five minutes was
SC: *glares at me*

I put his ONE item on the counter, he grabs it and throws it in a bag then leaves after I give him his change. Sorry if I don't deal with your bullshit. Either deal or bounce. I guess his answer was to bounce.

Oh! And then I had some idiot walk up to the counter not too long after with two bottles of something from the pharmacy...

SC: *puts bottles down on the counter* Start ringing those up for me
Me: *eyebrow raise*
SC: ....please
Me: *starts ringing up the items, waits for him to get the other item, then rings that one up*
SC: So are you having a good day or a bad one?
Me: I was having a good day

I don't like to let customers push me around. Usually if I just raise my eyebrows at them, they know they fucked up and usually change their tone. I hate it when people try to wave me over--use your big boy words, DAMN--or stand behind me, out of view, where they think they can get my attention, or go "hello!" or "hey" when I'm clearly in the middle of something. NORMAL people tend to be more polite and say "excuse me". It's far less rude and annoying, and is likely to get you better service. If customers comes to me all nice, I'm more than willing to be nice back and go out of my way to do more for them. But if they come at me with an attitude, I'm not as likely to want to help them

[Dracalous]

Thing about Wal-Mart refusing to sell explicit CDs is because the ceo/board of directors believe there should be a rating system for music like with movies and games. Apparently the label explaining exactly why it's explicit is way too vague and abstract for them.

[EricKei]

Drac - it gets worse. to the best of my understanding, there is at least one album out there (probably from the late 90's, I wanna say it was from either an R&B or rap artist) that was labeled as "Explicit" despite the fact that none of the songs on the album have any lyrics -- they're all instrumentals!

[Deevil]

Drac - it gets worse. to the best of my understanding, there is at least one album out there (probably from the late 90's, I wanna say it was from either an R&B or rap artist) that was labeled as "Explicit" despite the fact that none of the songs on the album have any lyrics -- they're all instrumentals!

Frank Zappa's album, Jazz From Hell. It was slapped on there because he pissed Tipper off, if I remember right.

[PepperElf]

SC: *puts bottles down on the counter* Start ringing those up for me

I admit I tend to just put stuff down on the counter too, but I do make a point of at least saying "thank you" and smiling nicely at the employee.

We can't even sell explicit CDs.... yet we sell rated M games, rated R movies, Cosmo and Fifty Shades of Grey... explain this to me. Anywoo...

IIRC with the games & movies you need an ID card anyway. Not sure about the magazines though - i mean some you need ID for but not sure about ones like Cosmo. As for the books... well, even in book stores they don't really differentiate for those cos, so many places don't look at romance books as the same as pornos cos you have to get through all that reading heh.

[MadMike]

There's a moment today when I'm the only person available in the department.

I had that happen one night at the home improvements store, only it wasn't just one department, it was the whole damn store! The worst part was, I barely knew my own department. I don't know if a bunch of people called off, or the managers fucked up the schedule, but it was just me, and one of the managers who was available for questions, but pretty much just holed up in the office.

I was running around between one customer after another, some in person and some on the phones, when a lady stopped me for helped. I explained to her that I was the only one there, and was already trying to help five different people, and that I would get to her. I may have come off a little rude, but I was feeling quite stressed out and frazzled.

Apparently she didn't like that, and complained to the manager, because the next thing I know, he's paging me to call him. I call him, and he asks me, "Did you just tell some lady that you were already helping five other people?" I answered, probably a little more angrily than I should have, "Yes I did, because I am!" He changed his tone slightly and said, "Oh, OK. Go help them!" What the fuck did he think I was trying to do? And if he was so concerned about it, why didn't he get his lazy ass out of the office and onto the sales floor and give me a hand, instead of interrupting me when I was already running my ass off? Believe me, when I quit that job a couple months later, I had a huge grin on my face.

Drac - it gets worse. to the best of my understanding, there is at least one album out there (probably from the late 90's, I wanna say it was from either an R&B or rap artist) that was labeled as "Explicit" despite the fact that none of the songs on the album have any lyrics -- they're all instrumentals!

I've seen a few albums that had those stickers, and I couldn't understand why. One album had a few mild horror references in it, and some rather subtle sexual innuendos, but nothing that you couldn't say on prime time TV. And another one was pretty weak overall. In the case of the second one, I read somewhere that the band themselves had the sticker put on it, because they figured it would increase sales.

[TechieGirl87]

It really irks me to no end when I end up by myself because I usually get all the people at once. I'm convinced by now that it happens this way. One or two of the other associates I work with have had that happen to them too for hours on end before and it ticks me off because as much as I would like to be there to help them, I've already worked my scheduled shift for the day and I go home feeling bad for them because I've been in that situation.

For Black Friday--the busiest shopping day of the YEAR--we only had ONE person from our department working for FIVE hours. Mind you, electronics is probably the busiest department on that day aside from Toys. I thought that was just insane.

I've told people before that I'm the only one available and I'm trying to get to everyone. As I said before, some people understand while others don't care. It's not like I'm ever asking them to think for themselves. Oh, wait, that would just be too easy.

[Dracalous]

It really irks me to no end when I end up by myself because I usually get all the people at once. I'm convinced by now that it happens this way. One or two of the other associates I work with have had that happen to them too for hours on end before and it ticks me off because as much as I would like to be there to help them, I've already worked my scheduled shift for the day and I go home feeling bad for them because I've been in that situation.

For Black Friday--the busiest shopping day of the YEAR--we only had ONE person from our department working for FIVE hours. Mind you, electronics is probably the busiest department on that day aside from Toys. I thought that was just insane.

I've told people before that I'm the only one available and I'm trying to get to everyone. As I said before, some people understand while others don't care. It's not like I'm ever asking them to think for themselves. Oh, wait, that would just be too easy.

I'm usually alone for 4 to 3 hours

[TechieGirl87]

I'm usually alone for 4 to 3 hours

Seriously? I feel for you. I hate when that happens. You get so swamped and frustrated you don't have the help you should

[Racket_Man]

For Black Friday--the busiest shopping day of the YEAR--we only had ONE person from our department working for FIVE hours. Mind you, electronics is probably the busiest department on that day aside from Toys. I thought that was just insane.

I've told people before that I'm the only one available and I'm trying to get to everyone. As I said before, some people understand while others don't care. It's not like I'm ever asking them to think for themselves. Oh, wait, that would just be too easy.

there is one other time that the computer/electronics dept tends to be VERY busy ---- right before school starts.

When my last PC died I went to my local Big Yellow PRice tag store for a replacement. Yeah Yeah I know not the best place. but it was in late August on a Saturday. People all over the place especially college students with their parents types getting all of that "necessary" equipment. The kicker was there was only ONE associate working and he was swamped. I literally had to wait 90 minutes for him to get to me. YES I was a little miffed but I did not take it out on the associate and I knew exactly what I wanted and got out of his hair in like 10 minutes.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Thing about Wal-Mart refusing to sell explicit CDs is because the ceo/board of directors believe there should be a rating system for music like with movies and games. Apparently the label explaining exactly why it's explicit is way too vague and abstract for them.

And yet I was able to find a copy of Frantic, Frustrated & Female (an example of some of Japan's more...racy anime) on the DVD shelf.

They were either inconsistent on what they sell...or were blissfully unaware as to the content of the film.

[Hyndis]

And yet I was able to find a copy of Frantic, Frustrated & Female (an example of some of Japan's more...racy anime) on the DVD shelf.

They were either inconsistent on what they sell...or were blissfully unaware as to the content of the film.

But its a cartoon, and cartoons are for children. Right?

[EricKei]

Frantic, Frustrated & Female .....blissfully unaware as to the content of the film.

They would have to be.

But its a cartoon, and cartoons are for children. Right?

Suuuuuure they aaaaare

To this day, it mystifies me that anyone who grew up watching Bugs Bunny -- who routinely cross-dressed, perpetrated violence (albeit, usually only in retaliation for same), and and exhibited certain other unsociable traits (especially in the banned shows, which are probably better off left buried) -- would honestly believe that "all cartoons are for kids". Even Bugs had tons of stuff meant only for the adults to "get"...Somebody get these people a copy of Akira, already.

[Dracalous]

And yet I was able to find a copy of Frantic, Frustrated & Female (an example of some of Japan's more...racy anime) on the DVD shelf.

They were either inconsistent on what they sell...or were blissfully unaware as to the content of the film.

That, being a DVD release of an anime, has a rating or a suggestion of appropriate audience ages. The companies licensing and distributing anime in the states go the extra mile in that regard, I guess.

For Wal-Shart, it's no so important that a feature is rated. (They've got lots of unrated straight to video horror and action schlock. Those usually are unrated because the rating of movies is voluntary and expensive for the filmmakers) The important thing to them is that there is a rating system.

[Jester]

Being alone can really suck. I know, because for my daytime shifts at The Bar, I generally AM alone. At least for the first six hours. And when the midshift bartender comes in, I may get cut, or may be there until the closer comes in, depending upon business and the day of the week.

Yes, there are servers on the floor, who can (and often do) run my food out to me, though not all of them do. And yes, there is a manager, who can (and all but one do) help me out if I get buried. But overall, I earn my keep and get a hell of a workout when the bar gets busy, because the the number of people taking care of the bar patrons, the bar table patrons, and the service bar tickets for the servers is exactly one: me!

More than one patron has been shocked to find out that I don't drink caffeine after the see me moving and grooving on a busy shift.