Positive Hypothesis on a Slow Work Day

[SecurityWench]

It was early in the morning (7 or 8) and I was working the Express Checkout. So in other words, we were dead. You could see tumbleweeds roll by. There were people in the store, but they went to one aisle and then you didn't see another for another 15 minutes.

My manager is standing by me and I say, 'I think I have a theory to put into motion on how to attract customers.'

He's intrigued and beckons me to go on.

'Have you ever heard of Murphy's Law? Whatever can go wrong will?'

'Yes?...'

'And you know how after we clean the register, customers come and complain that there's cleaner on the belt?'

'Yes?...'

'I'll bet you that in a few seconds, I will have a few people in my line.'

I picked up the cleanser and a roll of towels. I spray it all over the belt and speak of the devil, five people walk into my aisle. I look to the manager and he's wide-eyed in amusement. 'Carry on.'

I love being right.

[Gerrinson]

Sorry to tell you but many a cashier has come to that same conclusion. As a former FES, I can tell you that the best way to get a rush when it's slow is to send two people to lunch at the same time, rather than staggering the breaks. Works like a charm. Or belt cleaner.

[SG15Z]

Haha you're sooo right. In fact I have a theroy too. Have you ever noticed it always gets busy when someone goes on break/lunch. I'm convinced that they're watching the FE and when they see that light go off they tell everyone "okay they're closing a register let's move!" Because they all come at the same time out of nowhere!

[Bella_Vixen]

It never fails at my store. As soon as they send the other 2-3 cashiers on break/facing, we get slammed.

[LibraryLady]

It's a rule of thumb in the Library that we'll get a spate of drop-in visitors 5 minutes before we close. It never fails.

[Naaman]

Bus stops, late buses and lighting up a cigarette...

[jerkface11]

Last week was extremely slow at my job. So I took someone off the schedule for friday night. Friday night we ended up being busier from 5pm to 8pm than we were from 11am to 2pm. It worked like a charm.

[Android Kaeli]

I could be standing at a register for twenty minutes doing nothing and only help three people. I walk away from the register and work on something, like candy, and in the same twenty minutes help thirty customers while also paging someone to help with the checkouts/customers.

It never fails -- customers know when you start working because they actively seek the person who is doing the work instead of someone who isn't.

[Peppergirl]

Somehow it works that way in call centers too. I mean I know people are sheep, so they'll all hurd to the registers at the same time, but how the hell do they do it over the phone? It's like they know when we're short-handed.

Im working 3rd shift tonight and tomorrow and to make up for it, I'm off Saturday.

Not to 'toot my own horn' (but I'm gonna anyway ), but I'm consistently #1 or 2 in calls handled, so it's gonna suck for the others who are there.

Of course, they didn't add anyone else to the schedule to make up for my loss, so my CW's are already taking bets that the freaks will be crawling out of the woodwork that day even more than they already do.

[Primer]

To every business I have ever visited or called while you were short handed: I apologize.

I don't know how I do it, but I always start a rush. The place can be empty when I walk in, but suddenly there are half a dozen right behind me!

Sorry, folks.

[Naaman]

To every business I have ever visited or called while you were short handed: I apologize.

I don't know how I do it, but I always start a rush. The place can be empty when I walk in, but suddenly there are half a dozen right behind me!

Sorry, folks.

I always get it the other way, I walk in and it's busy so join the back of the queue. 5-10 minutes later I'm being served and I'm the only one on the place...

[powerboy]

To every business I have ever visited or called while you were short handed: I apologize.

I don't know how I do it, but I always start a rush. The place can be empty when I walk in, but suddenly there are half a dozen right behind me!

Sorry, folks.

I have done that a few times.

It also never fails to be one of two people working at that time and one leaves for lunch or to the bathroom. Once when one person is on the floor, you will get busy