Sucktomer Random Thoughts Thread

[Food Lady]

Why do people who don't know how to sew insist on sewing gifts???

[Mental_Mouse]

Why do people who don't know how to sew insist on sewing gifts???

Hey, it keeps them busy and out of trouble.

[notalwaysright]

I have no problem with beginner sewers, of course... But it's almost the busiest day of the year, I don't have time to teach a person how to sew. I don't have time to do that even on a slow day. I want to direct their attention to this lovely thing called the internet, which has ALL OF THE ANSWERS.

[WishfulSpirit]

Sir, if you have no idea whose name the reservation was booked under, have no confirmation number, don't know what phone number it might be under, standing there staring at me isn't going to help me find the reservation. You've called your contact at your employer (who apparently farmed out the job of booking the room to some underling whose name my guest didn't know),you got no answer, you have to wait for her to call you back or find the confirmation number. I literally cannot do anything more to help you, and your proximity to my work station isn't going to change that. Now please get away from my desk and go sit in one of those comfy chairs while you wait for the call. Or go the restaurant and watch the game, that's fine too. Just go away.

[RealUnimportant]

Why do people who don't know how to sew insist on sewing gifts???

Like all similar trained practical skills, they see the price difference between the individual pieces and the completed product and decide "how hard can it be?" ... And then proceed to find out exactly how hard it is.

[Captain Neon]

I get this a lot. SC comes in on a Saturday evening and asks if we have a certain part in stock. We don't. I look up where he can get it: typically a store about 15 min. away. The other option is that I order from warehouse and it is here on Monday morning. They whine about the 15 minute drive. After living in three little rural towns where it was a 30 minute drive just for groceries, I don't have much sympathy for your poor planning and your 30 minutes of inconvenience. Telling me that you are going to check two doors down will not make the part you seek magically appear. I am not holding out on you, I really don't have the part here.

[Lovecats]

Like all similar trained practical skills, they see the price difference between the individual pieces and the completed product and decide "how hard can it be?" ... And then proceed to find out exactly how hard it is.

That reminds me about my next door neighbor (and best friend) up North. We'd go to craft shows and see something cute and say "we could do that". Then we'd look at each other and laugh because we knew we never would.

[notalwaysright]

Urg. Seriously, guys? Today was my day for helpless men. Mostly I deal with women, and the few males I deal with are nice and just want to get their stuff and get out. But today three different men wanted their hands held and had extensive questions. Two weren't really sucky, except that we were pretty busy, so I don't have time to figure their projects for them. Plus, they would NOT pull numbers and wait their freaking turn. They kept hanging around and whenever myself or a CW would leave the cutting counter to go get more fabric for a customer, or get a hold from the back, they would try to stop us and ask questions. One guy wanted nice cotton fabric, and then freaked out when it was $8.99 yard. I showed him cheaper fabric, and that was way too thin, and he just kept ranting that the fabric was going to cost more than the pillow that he wanted to make a cover for. Sorry?

'Kay, this is kinda me feeling bad, and also me being slightly irritated. Older lady wanted two pieces of 1/3 yard. The counter is slammed. The lady says that she physically can't use scissors or rotary cutters, that's why she needs me to cut the fabric. I cut them. She notices that the first piece has a jagged edge. I say "it's a third of a yard." She decides it's okay. That was me being a sucky employee. I should have offered to straighten it, since she said she can't cut. But I just told her to have a nice day, and gave her the cutting slip. So I'm feeling bad. However. Fabric will nearly always need to be cut and straightened. It's really not reasonable to expect not to have to straighten fabric, at least not from the chain of stores I work for. We're basically the MalWart of fabric. Cheap. And I always allow a bit for the jagged edges, I did not short her. So anyway, that's me both confessing and complaining in one go.

[Food Lady]

^ OK, so maybe you could've gone the extra inch, but in my experience the oldest folks are often the most understanding if they see that it's really busy, as in I have to insist I help them. I'm sure she doesn't think badly of you, just realizes that you all are overworked. I'm sure it's obvious. Let's just assume that she has a daughter or granddaughter or neighbor who can help her. I'd think if she didn't she wouldn't have made a project for herself. She'll be ok and if she comes in again you can make a point to help her more if possible. (I'm trying to think positively.) Bottom line: it's more patterns of behavior than incidents that matter, and you do not have a pattern of being an unhelpful employee. In fact, I appreciate how much you help me with your support when I post stuff. I'm grateful you're here.

[notalwaysright]

Aw, thanks. She seemed more sad than anything, which made ME sad. Sad because it's not unreasonable to expect a straight cut of fabric, and yet I literally do not have time to fix every bolt. I do what I can to square up the fabric, and give enough for the customer to straighten it themselves, that's all I can do. When a customer expects utterly perfect edges, it starts to grate on my nerves. This lady wasn't that picky, and the fabric wasn't crooked on the grain, it was just jagged for a few inches by the selvage.

Speaking of cutting, I was so distracted that I forgot another SC! Boy, it was a full day of SCs for me. Anyway, I cut some velcro, and the customer stood halfway behind the counter while I cut it. Then she seriously grabbed the scissors to try to cut the velcro I had already cut. I scooped them back from her (really smooth, if I do say so) and said that she couldn't use our scissors. Not to mention that she hadn't paid for it yet. She asks why and I said its a liability issue. She continues to stand behind the counter until I print her cutting slip.

[Food Lady]

^Sometimes I catch customers pushing flats. Yeah, no. Big liability issue.

[notalwaysright]

For the zillionth time, stop ambushing me. If this was a nature documentary I'd be the wounded gazelle and you'd be the pride of lions. Stop acting like the store was designed by M.C. Escher. I'm so tired of these people acting like they've been looking for hours, when I saw them walk through the door 15 seconds previously.

[Dreamstalker]

I know you saw me bearing down on you with a loaded handtruck/hands full of 10 pounds of glass....and after a pause to assess the situation decided to move right in front of me. I know it's crowded, but see how everyone else is trying to move to the side so I at least have a chance of passing through safely? If I do fall, I'm going to rip you a new one for getting in my way.

[brucetiki]

If you're at at bar, and you're going to start rather aggressively start lecturing us on the colour of your beer, don't act surprised if you try and get another drink from us and we cut you off.

[WishfulSpirit]

Saying "I'll just pay for it here" when you buy something from the hotel store makes me hate you with the fire of a thousand suns. I almost didn't have a drop to do, now I have to recount my drawer and fill out a zillion pieces of paperwork for your lousy $2.25. We have your credit card on the room, just charge for crissake.