Go ahead, act like babies.

[notalwaysright]

Hey, since I started school I've been working less, so not as many sucky stories... Long day today, so got a couple.

First thing as I clock in from lunch I need to go clean up some broken mason jars... It's a lot of glass shards on a main aisle. No less than three people ignored the glass and wanted me to come help them. Um... NO. I need to clean up this giant safety hazard, I don't care how impatient you are! And when I had it all in the dustpan, a lady asked where something was, and I incorrectly assumed that if I showed her she would allow me to go dump the glass. Wrong! She then described in great detail her project, and wanted advice, all while I'm holding the glass. I normally can get away from these people, but she stuck to me.

Then the first person I cut for after cleaning up the glass decides to give me crap. "You need more coverage! Or at least an express line just for cutting ribbon! I've waited a half hour for these two ribbons!" I won't even go into how silly the express line comment was. She was mad enough that I told her that I have nothing to do with scheduling, and ignored all other mean comments. Then she said something about how she was "getting cranky" and that she knew it wasn't me but that she was just so mad. Which made me more irritated. So you know that it's not my fault, but are going to vent at me anyway? Grrrr. I did not tell her to have a nice day.

[XCashier]

"You need more coverage!..." She was mad enough that I told her that I have nothing to do with scheduling, and ignored all other mean comments. Then she said something about how she was "getting cranky" and that she knew it wasn't me but that she was just so mad.

"How do you think I feel, getting yelled at all day because of something I can't control?!" Of course, you'd get in trouble for saying that...

I get that crap too. "You need to hire more help! You need to get more people!" No, actually I need to win the lottery so I can get away from you cranky self-centered brats. But seriously, I'm not Corporate, or even a manager. Yelling at me about the long wait (when you're stupid enough to come in on a weekend during the Halloween/Christmas busy time!) is not going to fix things.
If it's so bothersome, the customer should contact Corporate and demand that the store get more payroll hours. But I've already that topic, so I'll stop here.

[MoonCat]

I hate when people pull that "I'm not mad at YOU" crap. I always want to say, "And yet you're yelling, cursing and/or griping AT ME. And I can't fix the problem."

For all those people who are too impatient to wait in a line behind the other 20 impatient people, get a clue: There's this thing call ONLINE SHOPPING.

[RootedPhoenix]

But then there's no one else in their space to gripe at! They'll be deprived! /overdramatic and sarcastic voice

I hate lines. Which is why online shopping is awesome.

[notalwaysright]

I do a lot of online shopping. It's not actually because of lines, though. I'm totally good with lines, if they are moving. Ten people in front of me is cool if I can see everything is moving along. One person in front of me, arguing about a price/sale and I'm all "omg, just pay and leave! Arghsdhj!" So lines, I can deal with, it's the people I can't. But I shop online because I hate driving! Traffic, and parking, and pedestrians and bicyclists just scare the crap out of me.

Anyway, many people want to feel the fabric, or need to color match. Hell, this time of year with all the costumes, people want help in person. *sigh* And I don't mind to a certain extent. But that's another issue. I just don't get the toddler mentality. "I'm not getting exactly what I want, when I want it! I'm going to spew my meanness all over... YOU!"

[Food Lady]

Absolutely everything XCashier said....

[MoonCat]

Yeah, if I was buying fabric I'd want to be able to touch it and see it up close. But ribbon? Not so much, especially if it meant waiting in a long line (I hate waiting too but sometimes you can't avoid it).

I haven't been to a fabric store or craft store for ages. I could spend hours (and way too much money) in those places...

[notalwaysright]

Oh, forgot to add an important note! She could have bought two whole spools of ribbon and only paid about $1.00 more total. Then she would only have had to go through the checkout line. I would absolutely have done that, and I'm dead broke.

[wolfie]

Then the first person I cut for after cleaning up the glass decides to give me crap. "You need more coverage! Or at least an express line just for cutting ribbon! I've waited a half hour for these two ribbons!"

But if there were an express line, where do you draw the line (sorry) between an "express" and a "regular" measure-and-cut? One person wants 3 yards of a particular fabric, another wants a different length of each of a dozen different ribbons. The second person would take longer than the first, but if there's a "ribbon express" lane they'd be the one getting the express service.

Oh, forgot to add an important note! She could have bought two whole spools of ribbon and only paid about $1.00 more total.

So she waited half an hour (yes, I know - Customer Standard Time) to save $1.00? Clearly her time is worth less than $2/hour, which is less than the minimum wage everywhere in North America.

[drjonah]

So she waited half an hour (yes, I know - Customer Standard Time) to save $1.00? Clearly her time is worth less than $2/hour, which is less than the minimum wage everywhere in North America.

But it's the principle of it!! *shakes fist*

[XCashier]

But if there were an express line, where do you draw the line (sorry) between an "express" and a "regular" measure-and-cut?

On Black Friday ( ), we have an "express line" where we bring out the spare cutting table (it's rather small, about six feet across), set it up over in apparel fabrics and take people with three bolts or less. If they have more than that or rolls of upholstery fabric, they still have to take the ticket at the cutting counter. Someone makes routine announcements about the express table and the rules, and usually things go okay. I was on it for a couple of hours last year, and I don't recall anyone trying to pull a fast one, but that's not to say it won't happen.

[manybellsdown]

I don't know what it is about craft stores that make people so crazy. If you have the patience to sew/quilt/embroider/scrapbook HOW do you not have the goddamn patience to spend 10 minutes in line to get your craft crack?

I was just at Michael's, and first there's this dude who jumped the line by wandering in from the other side just as the cashier called me to her register, then proceeds to make her extremely uncomfortable by answering her stock "did you find everything you needed" with "Well I need a NEW CAR and a GIRLFRIEND can ya HELP ME OUT HAW HAW!" Then there was the dude's mom, who was somehow in line behind me and another lady, who got super impatient and demanded another register to be opened because it was "taking too long" to count out change. We both just let her go ahead of us. Sorry you can't wait 3 minutes to buy your $5 worth of art supplies, lady.

It's Friday evening at the craft store people, relax. I was just at Costco, now THAT was a real line.

[notalwaysright]

On Black Friday ( ), we have an "express line" where we bring out the spare cutting table (it's rather small, about six feet across), set it up over in apparel fabrics and take people with three bolts or less. If they have more than that or rolls of upholstery fabric, they still have to take the ticket at the cutting counter. Someone makes routine announcements about the express table and the rules, and usually things go okay. I was on it for a couple of hours last year, and I don't recall anyone trying to pull a fast one, but that's not to say it won't happen.

Last Black Friday was not bad at all. We had a huge amount of "by-the-bolt" flannel, and other fabric. Also, the website had decent prices, so I think that cut down on the in-store shopping. The wait was not long, and all day I had people telling me how great it was. We also have a spare table, and including that we have 8 tables. Black Friday is not as bad as other days, to me at least.

The bad days are when we are unexpectedly slammed, or somebody calls off or goes home sick. Then all day I hear "can't you call someone?" Or the always fun commenting to each other while I can hear. I've started replying to them now. Like if I hear, "this is ridiculous" I will make eye contact and say "I'm sorry, I don't have anyone else to call." They don't back talk nearly as much as you would think if you directly address them. It's weird.