Black Friday Debriefing Thread 2010

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Well, here you go. Where are you working, when are you working, what kinds of asshattery did people throw at you, blah blah blah.

And if you don't work retail but want to leave those of us who do well wishes...you can do that here too.

[Frantic Freddie]

My most heartfelt sympathies to those of y'all who have to deal with the insanity,I remember it all too well.

Non carborundam illegimati

fake Latin for "Don't let the bastards grind you down"

[Mnemjian]

I just saw that "New Navy" is opening at midnight tonight?! That must suck for the employees. I really can't imagine caring enough about cheap clothes to go shopping at that hour

[crazylegs]

In the UK we don't have a 'black friday' type event - however anyone who is working it in the US has my sympathies, by the sounds of it it's to be avoided more than ebola.

[Cazzi]

/off topic
Mnemjian. love Jane, your avie

/on topic
Good luck to all of you who have to brave the hoards over the pond

[Imogene]

The store where I work is open the usual hours, and I will be coming in at my usual time of 5 PM to work until close... Ex Bitch told me it'll probably be mostly cleaning up from today's rush of customers. I'll be running UScan as normal, and that should keep me busy...

[Sonoma]

I won't be partaking in the 5 AM insanity this year. I instead chose to use the money to buy brakes for my truck. Before that appointment though, I will stop by our local non-Mart-of-Walls supercenter-affiliate to buy 1/2 -off socks. Gotta stock up for the year.

My sympathies for those who do have to be up working the insanity.

[Really]

I have no doubt that I'll have lots to add to this thread tomorrow.

I'm working at the Big Red Circles of Hell from 3:45am to 12:15pm as a CASHIER (WTH was the managers thinking putting ME as a cashier when I haven't done a cashier shift in 2 to 3 YEARS??? I only work weekends and I don't even know the latest software upgrades from the past year?!?!?)

Then I'm working at my Bank from 1pm-6:15+pm

Yes thats working from 3:45am to 6:15pm...

Oh and Saturday isn't much better, 9am-2:15ish pm at the bank then 3:15pm - 11pm and the Bullseye/Big Red Circles of Hell.

I'm not allowed to strangle the customers or co-workers right? *sighs*

[Frantic Freddie]

Here's another story from my piano & organ selling days:

We had a really popular organ model & had a special on 'em for the holidays.So the day before Xmas,the mall's packed & we're movin' these organs like free beer at a bar.

We're down to our last one in stock & I demonstrate it to a guy with his family.I tell him they're flyin' out the door & this is the last one,so if he wants it he'd better at least put a deposit on it,I can always refund it later.

"Oh no" he says "You'll have it later"

So what happens an hour later? He comes by & the last one at that price is sold.

"Why are you out????"
"I told you this was our last one"
"I just thought you were tryin' to make a sale!"
"I was,but I was bein' honest when I told you we only had 1 left at that price"
"I wanna see your manager!!!"

Who told the SC the same thing,he stomped away,the store manager was a good guy,he backed me 100%.

[wagegoth]

I wish all of you working the very best.

I already apologized to a CSR because I was placing an order online, but the discount wasn't showing up so I called in. I do feel bad that she was working today.

And, mea culpa, I am probably going to be at the toy store and a department store to do most of my shopping on Friday morning. That toy store is opening at 10 pm tonight. That blows.

The McDonald near my home is supposed to be open today from 6:00 am to 4 pm. Bummer.

[Chromatix]

Well, tomorrow I'm going to work my normal hours at the office - not retail and not in the US, mark you - and then I'm going to help a colleague set up his model railway for an exhibition.

He runs it by computer control, and has written software that gives him a lot of flexibility in how he sets it up, so for every exhibition he has a new layout to match whatever table space he's given. In this case it's a big table since another major layout was unable to attend, so the extra pair of hands will be appreciated given the few hours available for setting up.

[eltf177]

My deepest sympathies for those of you who have to work. May the SC's and EW's stay home for a change (yeah, that'll happen!).

Public Works is closed today. However, the town will be be picking up both today's and Friday's trash tomorrow (regular time + holiday pay for a double day, hardly worth it; I understand they had trouble getting volunteers.). In addition they're going to be running one truck to pick up leaves. I was asked to volunteer for that and said "no" as the head of that department had deeply insulted me less than an hour earlier; a word he'd better get used to hearing each and every time he asks me for a favor from now on.

[Mr Hero]

Hotels typically don't have to deal with the Black Friday madness, but I wish you all the best of luck. I'll be sleeping all day to get ready for my graveyard shift tomorrow.

[shadow1186]

This year will be my first on the salesfloor at the Bullseye, I was previously overseeing the front end/guest service on Black Fridays. So this year I'll be overseeing predominately Electronics and Small Appliance, but also domestics, home storage, and home decor. So I get 2 of the 3 busiest areas, thank goodness I'm no where near toys at least

I'm in at 3:45, so I'm sure lots of stories will ensue tomorrow!

[ralerin]

I am working today, a 5 hour shift and tomorrow, 6 hour shift. Both afternoon ones, thank you Lord.

Since we're having the Super Mega Ultimate Stupendous Lowest Prices Of The Season Sale (inspired by Irv :P) I couldn't have wormed my way out of it if I tried. Oh well.

But I did end up with quite the gem that got me onto the comic strip, so I hopefully will have another one this year, that would be quite nice.