On Working Christmas

[TheComputerError]

Yes, I worked on Christmas Day and was bombarded with all sorts of idiocy.

I had no less than 10 "emergency" prescriptions that were written over 2 weeks ago. "Lack of planning..."

Why were people complaining about the wait time? Oh, it was because I was the only technician on duty with one pharmacist and people keep coming in to drop off prescriptions, thus preventing me from being able to do the other aspects of my job. Thankfully, none of these people said that we needed to have more staff. If they did, a death glare they would have received followed by a rather acidic quip.

To the people buying Christmas stuff on Christmas Day for the 50% clearance and wanting to ring out in the pharmacy because of the long line up front, take the fact that there's a line of people making a scene up front as a hint. It's Christmas Day. You obviously "celebrate" it, so gtfo my store and spend time with your family, you ignominious twits.

And, finally, a woman came to the counter and said, "It really sucks that you have to work today." Hmm...could she actually be saddened by the fact that I am working on Christmas Day? Survey says! No. No, she is not. She's in the store, after all. My response? "Well, I'm only here because you are."

And, for the record, I volunteered to work Christmas Day. It gives me time away from my mother and sister.

[depechemodefan]

I try not to go to a store on a holiday. I went on Thanksgiving and had enough sense not to tell any cashier "must suck to work on Thanksgiving." Christmas day I didn't have apresent for my uncle, but I didn't stop at Walgreens, which was open. If no one went to the store on the holiday maybe no corp. person will think it's a great idea to be open on a holiday. Granted, there probably are people who volunteer to work a holiday (like don't like their relatives or have no relatives or don't celebrate Christmas), but still, sucks.

Dec. 22 I dropped off some prescriptions and they still weren't ready on Dec. 24. They ordered them on Mon. then the pharmasist on Wed. told me they ordered it on Tues. I felt sorry for them for all the customers and one tech and one pharm. Three people in front of me, one guy's insurance doesn't start covering until Fri. so he decided to pay regular price now ($11), another guys prescription, though he droped it off earlier, had some problem so he decided to come in another day; this guy also had his gf with him who wanted to pay for something (like hair gel) but the guy was nice enough to decide to pay up front. The rest of the people: how can people drop off meds on a day most doctor's offices aren't open? Or maybe the doctor was working Christmas Eve. But really, stuff should have been dropped of before, since the pharmacy is open till 10 pm the regular time (C.E. they closed at 5pm-I'm thinking the tech and Pharm were probably working past 5pm, with the hoard dropping off presciptions non-stop). I have more of my adventure at Walgreens, but this is about customers sucking.

[UncleImpy]

And, finally, a woman came to the counter and said, "It really sucks that you have to work today." Hmm...could she actually be saddened by the fact that I am working on Christmas Day? Survey says! No. No, she is not. She's in the store, after all. My response? "Well, I'm only here because you are."

This. This right here. This drives me completely batsh*t insane that people can't figure this one out. Lady, I'm working today because last year we had a bunch of people like you in to shop today, so the forecast for the business says we need to be open THIS year. And because you came in and bought stuff today, you're guaranteeing that we'll be open next year, so don't act like you're sorry I'm here. Get your shopping done and gtfo so I can go home to my family.

Oy.

[Blade]

* Up too late and have to get up too early and babbling, sorry *

Ok, good a place as any to jump in, hiya! Since I finally (thank any deity or fortunate happenstance of your choice) got a job after 5 months out of work, and since I've worked : Retail, an office job, and restaurants, I have a story or 3 to share, yessiree-bob!


I figured it's about time I stop talking to my monitor when a story strikes a chord, so here I am...


Anyway: speaking of Walgreens: was supposed to work Xmas but didn't (not my preference, actually) but worked the day before and the day after and... man... what is WITH people?

"Well WHY would I be trying to buy things that *aren't* on sale??? Of COURSE that's supposed to be half price!!!"


Um... ok. What the hell, why not.


"And speaking of "awww, you have to work" and "well yeah, 'cause YOU'RE here..." anyone else get stuck with a bigger mess than ever while people supposedly "feel bad" that you're there?

Xmas eve we closed regular time- 10 pm- only we actually let people in until almost 11 (ARG) and no matter HOW sorry they *say* they are that you're sitting there working (though when they turn the corner they bitch about you not being open later... on Xmas eve... in a drugstore... even though no one else is open and they're obviously just a cheap bastard doing Xmas shopping at a drugstore I mean what the HELL... um, I digress) they're messy messy bastards... we were there until almost midnight cleaning up the nasty mess people made of the store... and, you know, DAMN, was my mom the ONLY one to teach someone to put things back where you got them??

Because, of COURSE the Xmas jammies belong stuffed into the M&M's, the condoms go in the toy section, and the carton of eggs belongs shoved behind a People magazine until I GLARE at you then you remember you maybe should hand it to me. Thanks.



Ooh, normally I'm actually pretty good about making customers happy (helpful customer service hint to remember to do The Smile: the happier the customers are, the faster the bastards LEAVE), but every once in a while I gotta just stare with a stupid gaping fish-face going, because there's just NO right answer.

Like...


I ring through a little pwecious angel lamp-thingy, and the lady says "Make sure that doesn't break!" and lunges for it as I go to put it into a bag.

...

.


Well crap, I *was* gonna just hurl it at the concrete floor, now what am I supposed to do??

[Tito]

I try not to go to a store on a holiday.

Same here. I think that's it totally wrong that there's businesses who make their employees work on holidays. I'm sure that corporate has all of those days off.

[RetailWorkhorse]

Well crap, I *was* gonna just hurl it at the concrete floor, now what am I supposed to do??

Duh, throw it at the wall. If it (the wall) is made from the concrete blocks, it's just as good.

[wagegoth]

I worked briefly for a stop 'n' rob chain that was open every day of the year. They went out of business.

[calulu]

May I just say all you Walgreens and other pharmacy employees that work holidays really rock.. have been to the ER too many holidays and walked with with prescriptions to be filled. Walgreens has gotten me what I needed every time, Thanks..

[TheComputerError]

May I just say all you Walgreens and other pharmacy employees that work holidays really rock.. have been to the ER too many holidays and walked with with prescriptions to be filled. Walgreens has gotten me what I needed every time, Thanks..

No problem. We do what we can.

[Chromatix]

I made a point of not even leaving the house on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or Boxing Day this year. I just relaxed, tried a new recipe (I don't cook very often, but this one worked quite well), and put up some colour-changing lights in the window.

[karma_gypsy]

If you were working Christmas Day, you were at least getting double-time? or time-and-a-half??

Heck, I remember a manager offering time-and-a-half, or at least a small bonus, for volunteering to work on Christmas Eve (at a pizza place I used to work at). Everyone was just about fighting over the hours/shifts that were available ... and I remember that Christmas Eve was always hella busy ...


My mom always gets double time for working holidays (she's a CNA at a private home) and very grateful co-workers. She would always offer to take co-worker's shifts on Holidays ...

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

the condoms go in the toy section

Look mommy! Balloons!

[TheComputerError]

If you were working Christmas Day, you were at least getting double-time? or time-and-a-half??

Time and a half.

[Pagan]

But really, stuff should have been dropped of before, since the pharmacy is open till 10 pm the regular time (C.E. they closed at 5pm-I'm thinking the tech and Pharm were probably working past 5pm, with the hoard dropping off presciptions non-stop).

Hopefully, it's like where I work. Your bring your script in at 1 minute to close, it's not going to be filled until we open up the next morning. We're usually out of there by 5 minutes after whatever our closing time is.

Xmas eve we closed regular time- 10 pm- only we actually let people in until almost 11 (ARG) and no matter HOW sorry they *say* they are that you're sitting there working (though when they turn the corner they bitch about you not being open later... on Xmas eve... in a drugstore...

I was surprised as hell that my store (not just the pharmacy) shut down at 6pm on Christmas Eve. One lady that showed up as we're putting the gate down had the nerve to be pissed because they gave her a hard time about coming in. Well, duh, lady, the store is CLOSED. While walking back to clock out and then up to front to leave and there's people just wandering around like they've got all the time in the world. I just wonder how long it took them to get everybody out.