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How 'bout a Timex?

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  • How 'bout a Timex?

    Since our store has been in business they've done battery changes and watchband changes at the jewelry counter for free. What this has done is create a whole heck of a lot of SCs who are too lazy to change their own batteries/watchbands.

    I literally would spend up to half my shift changing batteries and watchbands. It's time consuming and makes it impossible for me to get my other duties done. Not only that, but expensive watches have been broken while putting them back together and the SCs would end up with free watches or gift cards.

    Not good business.

    So about 3 weeks ago, corporate finally figured out that this practice was costing them time and money and we no longer have to change batteries/watchbands on brands that we don't sell.

    Thank God!!!

    I can't tell you how rewarding it is to tell these people that we no longer offer this service to everyone. The reactions are priceless and nine out of ten say, "What am I gonna do now?"

    That's when I offer to sell them a new watch.

    .
    Retail Haiku:
    Depression sets in.
    The hellhole is calling me ~
    I don't want to go.

  • #2
    Quoth Retail Associate View Post
    "What am I gonna do now?"


    .
    How bout you're SOL. Holy crap 9 out of 10 said that? What a bunch of idiots. I thought the post you made about someone saying "So what are you going to do about it?" this saying is not as dumb but pretty close. "So what are you gonna do about it" is just as stupid a question as "Can I please not pay for my items?"
    Providing Excellent customer service and Filtering out nonsense people.

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    • #3
      Well, thankfully I'll never have to worry about changing a battery again... at least not until the sun burns itself out.

      I've got a shock resistant, water resistant, solar powered watch that auto-syncs itself every night to the global time standard broadcast.
      ...WHY DO YOU TEMPT WHAT LITTLE FAITH IN HUMANITY I HAVE!?! -- Kalga
      And I want a pony for Christmas but neither of us is getting what we want OK! What you are asking is impossible. -- Wicked Lexi

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      • #4
        I've been trying to kill my Timex since around Christmas 1998, and it hasn't happened yet. I'm on at least my third band, the lens is scratched to heck, and I would figure the battery's on its last legs, after damn near nine years(!) and much playing around with the indiglo feature. (Which still works like a charm.)

        What am I gonna do when the battery goes? Find a local jeweler who doesn't mind an easy battery replacement. Repeat in 7-10 years, because I expect to be wearing this thing when I'm 90.

        I don't get some of these people with their watches. It's their money, fine, but for less than $3.00/year at this point I've had a watch that's survived painting jobs, dishwashing jobs, all kinds of work on the Olds and it looks as good with a suit as it does with jeans and a t-shirt. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go chase some kids off my lawn.
        Last edited by counterjockey; 09-14-2007, 07:00 AM.
        "Love keeps her in the air when she ought fall down, let's you know she's hurting 'fore she keens...makes her a home."

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        • #5
          I have a Fossil watch that I got several years ago out of the lost and found at Store1. It sat in the drawer for 2 months so I finally took it. Had the loose clasp fixed (no doubt the reason for its loss in the first place), a few links taken out of the band, and a new battery and it's been great ever since. Not bad for $7.95 +tax. (Judging from their similar pieces, it probably sold for $65-85 new.) I have since had to replace the battery once.
          I don't go in for ancient wisdom
          I don't believe just 'cause ideas are tenacious
          It means that they're worthy - Tim Minchin, "White Wine in the Sun"

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          • #6
            Quoth Retail Associate View Post

            So about 3 weeks ago, corporate finally figured out that this practice was costing them time and money and we no longer have to change batteries/watchbands on brands that we don't sell.
            Its still going to take more than that to get me to even consider returning to that chain.... I love educational leave, especially since Im not coming back from it (I'll go to Wal-Mart before I get slave wages from the Meijer family ever again).

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            • #7
              What's so hard about changing the batteries in a watch? All you need is a micro-screwdriver & some patience.

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              • #8
                Quoth Bright_Star View Post
                What's so hard about changing the batteries in a watch? All you need is a micro-screwdriver & some patience.
                Yeah, but most places don't want to be liable if they scratch or otherwise damage the watch when taking the back off. Especially if it's not something they sell in the first place.
                I don't go in for ancient wisdom
                I don't believe just 'cause ideas are tenacious
                It means that they're worthy - Tim Minchin, "White Wine in the Sun"

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                • #9
                  Quoth Bright_Star View Post
                  What's so hard about changing the batteries in a watch? All you need is a micro-screwdriver & some patience.
                  With mine, that's not the problem. I have a Fossil that I love, but they are notorious for having a back that's harder than hell to get back on!
                  It's floating wicker propelled by fire!

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                  • #10
                    Also, if it takes 5 minutes to change a watch battery, and you're doing the installation for free, and you then get 20 or more people a day wanting batteries changed, you're using up almost two hours of personnel time to do something not getting your company more money. I believe in the past RA has mentioned having upwards of 40 people some shifts wanting changes.
                    Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

                    http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

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                    • #11
                      I'm pretty tough on my watches. I have a bad habit of dragging my wrist across the desk when I type, or when I'm just resting, so I literally wear down my watch bands, no matter what they're made of. I'm saving my current watch (which I happen to like better than my previous ones for some reason) by just taking it off when I'm at home or at work.

                      I don't know the brand, but there was one watch I owned where it was an exercise in frustration to get the back off to replace the battery. I've never had any with screws, they've always been the "insert screwdriver tip and pry" variety. Well, in attempting to remove the back on this particular watch, the lip that you were supposed to use for leverage was completely obliterated, the watch was just that badly made.

                      As for watches that reset themselves; I think it's a great idea and I could never live with them. I like to set my watch to match something particular, usually my work's timeclock (it used to pick up a few seconds every week; boy was that fun). Currently it's to the official time of one of the local bus lines, which is close enough to my work's clock to make no real difference.

                      ^-.-^
                      Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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                      • #12
                        I have to admit to being one of those people who asks if the counter person can change the battery for me. There is a reason for this: the last three watches I tried to change the battery myself on, the watch ceased to function immediately after. The last one, I broke the screwdriver trying to get it open and then shattered the face trying to close it again. But I can easily take a 'no, we don't do that' if that's the policy. I love my Timex, I do, but it would be nice if I didn't need TNT to open it and a sledgehammer to close it again.

                        I want JustADude's watch.
                        NPCing: the ancient art of acting out your multiple personality disorder in a setting where someone else might think there's nothing wrong with you.

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                        • #13
                          Quoth Retail Associate View Post
                          I can't tell you how rewarding it is to tell these people that we no longer offer this service to everyone. The reactions are priceless and nine out of ten say, "What am I gonna do now?"
                          "How about changing your own watch battery?"

                          I've always changed my own watch batteries. It's not exactly nuclear physics; like Bright_Star said,
                          Quoth Bright_Star View Post
                          All you need is a micro-screwdriver & some patience.
                          Last edited by XCashier; 09-21-2007, 03:15 AM.
                          I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
                          My LiveJournal
                          A page we can all agree with!

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                          • #14
                            What I'd really like to find is an "old-fashioned" wind-up (analog, not digital) watch....however, I need BIG plain numerals, date, and day of week on it, too. Stainless steel case and band would be a plus--base metal bezels just corrode too fast, even with the stainless backing.

                            Anybody know where I can find anything like that?
                            Everything will be ok in the end. If it's not ok, it's not the end.

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                            • #15
                              Quoth Primer View Post
                              Anybody know where I can find anything like that?
                              Best option? Specialty watch shops, maybe try asking any nearby midrange jewllers if they know of a place near by. The biggest obsticle is likely to be finding an analog watch with large numbers.
                              Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

                              http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

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