This is a holiday, you say?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

If so, it should be called "Last Chance To Buy Your Back To School Crap Day."

Seriously, it was crazy busy today. Furniture carryouts were nuts because we have a big sale going on in that department, with BOGO specials on some items and others 50% off. Lots of recliners and futons going out the door.

Only two sucks today, one from a co-worker and one from a customer:

How To Make Me Hate You With The Fury Of A Billion Blazing Suns:

1. Be the only person scheduled to cover all of hardlines from 8 am to 1:30 pm.
2. Do a no-call no-show.

Result: Your charming and delightful Cousin Irv is left to dash about like a headless chicken, responding to call boxes and carryout calls because nobody else can or will.

Guess somebody had to have that last day of freedom before the start of school to themselves, schedule be damned.

Failure to plan, again

Got called to deliver three big leather rocker recliners to a customer, who showed up in an SUV with a roof rack and his kids in the back seat.

We got the first one okay. Second one wouldn't fit. Customer grunts "On the roof"

While my co-worker and myself were struggling to lift the recliners onto the roof, I noticed the following on the roof rack: "Weight limit 200 pounds." One chair weighed about 150 pounds. It's tough enough to lift the things when backstocking them from the truck. And this guy is exceeding the load limit for his roof rack by about 100 pounds.

I can be expected to give myself hernias for a customer, but can be fired for accepting tips (not that people offer them anyway). And there's got to be something hazardous about driving a vehicle with an already high center of gravity, with all that extra weight on the roof.

[bainsidhe]

So, do you then refuse to load the third chair onto the roof, stating liability reasons? If this idiot were to get in an accident, would your store be liable? Just wondering.

Besides, it gives you an escuse to avoid addition hernia damage

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Nah, we put it up there anyway.

I didn't really worry about the liability. We were just doing as the customer asked.

We're told to work safely, but we're also told arguing with a customer can and will get you fired no questions asked, so

[nomorecarts]

on the tip thing-I understand why they have the no tipping policy, as some customers at big box discount retailers can't afford to tip, so what I did was told the customer I wasn't supposed to accept it and if they insisted I just took it and no one ever said anything. they're not going to fire me over a tip, especially when I've removed any possible feeling of obligation to tip(the purpose of the policy)

I had a guy come through raving about our TLE department "I came in 10 minutes before they closed, and your TLE guys fixed my tire with time to spare, and wouldn't even accept a tip" then after I explained the reasoning for the policy he said he didn't feel obligated to, but he considered what they did to be tippable, and there should be a way to allow people to tip for that kind of service, with a way to make sure they don't feel obligated to tip if they don't have the money, I'm just not sure how they'd write that into policy with corporate's fear of allowing their managers a degree of discretion

[rerant]

So, do you then refuse to load the third chair onto the roof, stating liability reasons? If this idiot were to get in an accident, would your store be liable? Just wondering.

At my old work, IKEA, cart guys could get in serious trouble for ever tying down merchandise to someone's car.
They were allowed to load it up but not even wrap the twine around the car, exactly for these liability reasons.

Oh the fits people pitched.

[Daskinor]

My father runs an auto shop, and he has seen so many ways to get in an accident. Mainly because depending on your car, the roof rack is barley attached to anything.

If you have a heavy duty car, like a Volvo the roof rack is bolted and welded directly to the roll cage. The roof rack rails then can be bolted directly to the roof rack. And the roof rack itself is made of steel. The Rating on the rack, exceeded the cargo weigh limitations of the vehicle itself.

Then you have your light duty cars and SUV's. Honda roof racks are connected to the frame via a screw. The Rack itself is made from molded plastic, it may or may not have a metal core, however it is quite thin. The Plastic itself is quite ridged and will snap before bending. The weight limit is between 400 and 300 lbs.

When you go over the weight limit of a plastic item, exspecally substance that breaks down when exposed to energy and time. (Long term UV exposure) Can easly snap on you and send the contents flying into the road.



For the other idiots out there my father can not get certain point across. If you are haulling somthing with a flat surface. DO NOT GO DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH. Its called wind resistance, and it can rip the flimsy roof racks out of the car. Also when you strap something down it needs to be attached at the front and back so all 4 corners are immobile. One down the middle will not cut it. Bungee cords are not for heavy items.

NEVER EVER USE BUNGIE CORDS FOR HEAVY ITEMS. My mother pulled that trick, a heavy 300 pound hardwood dresser was attached with nothing but bungee cords. She hit a bump and how physics work both items go up in the air as one, but her car is designed to prevent that by having the air move over it in such a way that it gently presses down. But for a fraction of a second the car and the dresser where separated, as the bungee cords could not offer enough force to prevent it. Add in the wind resistance of the dresser, in the fraction of a second they where going very different speeds. The Load shifted enough to pull the bungee cords and break one, sending the dresser of the roof onto the trunk and then into the pavement.

Moral of the story.. Use a tie down strap. I know it can damage things because of how tightly it can hold onto things. And always use two.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

At my old work, IKEA, cart guys could get in serious trouble for ever tying down merchandise to someone's car.
They were allowed to load it up but not even wrap the twine around the car, exactly for these liability reasons.

Which is what we did. The guy had a bunch of ratchet tie-downs and bungee cords he used to secure the chairs to the roof.

We used to keep some twine behind the service desk for customers who needed it. We could give them the twine but they had to do all the wrapping and tying themselves.

[Chromatix]

If you have a heavy duty car, like a Volvo the roof rack is bolted and welded directly to the roll cage. The roof rack rails then can be bolted directly to the roof rack. And the roof rack itself is made of steel. The Rating on the rack, exceeded the cargo weigh limitations of the vehicle itself.

Ah yes, that *does* sound like the Volvo way of doing things.

I'm sure I've heard of bumper stickers pointing to the towball on a Volvo and saying "Your Skid Stops Here".