Fun in the paint department! Or, How to Wing It!

[Knightmare]

Another long one.

Oh joy! It's my 6th day in my new department (paint) and today was a doozy. Not only did I have to open alone at 7a.m., I also had no relief until 1:00 p.m. 5 hours of me, alone. Fun. Oh, did I mention that I have had NO TRAINING whatsoever on how to open? So I winged it. So far, no complaints or injuries.

It is also the weekend, and we get extremely busy on weekends. As I said, I got there at 7am and all was calm. However, 7:30 rolls around and the customers start rolling in. I was slammed for the whole time I was there. One customer after another, never relenting, sometimes getting 5 customers at atime. I needed a take-a-number system. Alone. With no training. Manager on vacation, and no other store managers really know about the paint department, so again, no help to be found.

But I digress. On to the sucky customers. I had 3 today that stand out. None of them were offensive or mean, just a bit... odd. Starting with number 1:

1. Middle aged lady, dressed up in denim everything and big, ugly rhinestone sunglasses. She, like all the customers I had today, had to wait a few minutes before I could get to her. She's *hemming* and *hawing*, upset that she had to wait, just like the common people. When it's her turn, she asks me if I am any good at color matching. (If you don't know what color matching is, it's when a customer brings in a color from a swatch or color fan, old can of paint, etc. It's all done by computer; therefore, very easy. Put in the sample and press the buttons. In the old days, the paint person had to do it by looking at it, adding the tints by hand). I tell her that I am pretty good at it. She then holds up a tomato.
Yes. A TOMATO.
Me: Ah, I see you brought your breakfast with you?
SC: "No, I want an interior paint, semi-gloss, to match this exactly.
Me: Uhh.... okay?
SC: "Are you capable of doing that?"
Me: "Me? Oh yeah. Yesterday I did a watermelon. But I can't guarantee the outcome. It's organic, shiny, and not all the same hue. I can get the computer to match it closely, but probably not exactly.
SC: *eyes rolling* "Fine. I'll be back in ten minutes.
So I get to working on it, all the while helping other customers with their questions and paint requests. When the paint stopped mixing, I took a sample and compared it to the tomato that she left for me. It was off, so I winged it. I have no clue on what tints to add, so I randomly picked. Lucky me, I got it first try.
She was pretty happy with the results.

[Knightmare]

More paint department follies

I will break these up, cuz one post will be far too long to hold anyone's attention.

2. A couple comes in about an hour later, mid to late 30's, and asked me to help them. I told them I would be with them as soon as I possibly could, as I was about 10 deep in customers. They didn't seem too happy. Of course. I'm mixing paint, answering questions as best I can, and they (actually the wife did most of the talking. Hubby kept pretty quiet) keep asking me for help. I keep telling them I will be with them when I am done with the OTHER CUSTOMERS THAT WERE THERE BEFORE YOU!

They huff and puff and go away. I see them from the corner of my eye up at customer service desk. They come back with store manager (SM), asking about a particular shade of paint. Not from a swatch or color fan, but a color that is on one of our endcaps, 9 feet in the air. If you've been in a Lowe's paint department, you may have seen the giant 8'x8' pictures on top of the aisle endcaps that show tastefully decorated rooms.
Well, they wanted paint to match the walls in the picture. SM turns to me and asks if I know what color the wall in the picture is. I look up from my order and say "I believe that's beige."
SCs: "Beige what?" What shade of beige? Do you have a color card for it? Can you find it for us?
Me: "We may have. I don't know. The card, if we carry that color, could be in any one of the displays." I wave my hand around the entire front department. We have, I believe, 12 areas of different color cards.
SM: "Well Knightmare, I guess you'll have to get a ladder and physically match the cards to the picture." He says, walking away.
Me: Umm... I'm kinda extremely busy at the moment?
SM: "Like Nike says 'Just do it!'"
Me:
SCs: "We'd like to see those cards now."
Me: "It's going to be awhile. I have about 10 customers ahead of you, and I am the only one in this department. I..."
SCs: "You heard what your manager said. Now, I'd like to see what kind of beige that is."
Me: "I'm sorry, but I can't just ignore the people who were here before you. That's not right. I can't drop everything, climb up a ladder and match cards all day. If you'd like to look around at the cards, get some ideas of the color you want, I will help you as soon as I can.
SCs: "I guess I'll have to get your manager again, so we can get some decent help here!"
Me: "Please do. I've been calling up at the desk all morning to get some help over here. As you can see, I am alone and VERY BUSY. If it helps, I think there is a color over in *yadda yadda* section that will be a very close match." I point as I walk back behind the paint desk to get another order and finish others.
SC wife wasn't too happy that I wasn't going to drop everything, collect who knows how many color cards, climb up a ladder and hold them up while they look and compare the colors.
SCs: "Fine. We'll just have to look for ourselves!"
Me: "Yeah, I think that card is right over thataway."

10 minutes later I am done with my current frenzied rush, enough to take a little breather and assess the damage. Happily, I notice the couple is no where to be found. Nor did they come back during the rest of my shift.

[Mixed Bag]

SM: "Well Knightmare, I guess you'll have to get a ladder and physically match the cards to the picture."

SCs: "Then go to the Italian restaurant with the boot on its sign down the street and match the red vinyl upholstery on table 5, before we stop being nice about it."

We need more pop culture reference to make this easier--when I pass through an appliance section I ask if they have green refrigeratours like on the Brady Bunch. (no, avocado, not like that face!)

[Knightmare]

Episode VI: Revenge of the Paint Guy

Third and final story for today. Hopefully you didn't fall asleep.

Old man customer, been coming in daily for the past week, wants to buy another 7 gallons of paint. Same color as before, same paint company as before. Therefore, same formula as before. I have no idea what this guy is painting, but it's either really huge, or he likes to put on 14 coats of paint. Or he really likes huffing paint fumes.

Like I said, he is old.. maybe 70. And always has a problem with the paint. He brings in the tops of the previous paint cans so he can match the past batch with the current one. (I don't have a problem with that. I wish more paint customers would do that so I would have a reference to the last paint batch, something to compare)

But every time I mix his paint, he complains that it's off. Always. Well, today, after having hustled for 4 hours straight, paint all over me, nothing to drink, no time to rest and no bathroom break, I had enough.

I finish with his paint, dry a sample atop the lid, and give it to him. He looks at it. He examines it. He scrutinizes it. He ... doesn't think it matches! I didn't see that one coming!

SC: "Does this look off to you?"
Me: "Nope. It lookes like a very good match from here."
SC: "No, it's off. Can you fix it?"
Me: *sigh* "I can try. But you know its from the same formula as yesterday and the day before that. Even same batch of paint."
SC: "I DON'T CARE! FIX IT!"
Me: "Okay, not a problem. Well, maybe a slight one. I've only been in the paint department for a week, and I'm not that good at eyeballing what tint to put in and making it come out correctly. I could royally mess up that 5 gallon bucket to where it doesn't even come close to the color you want."
SC: "Look, I don't want your life story, just fix it!"

So I grab it the 5 gallon bucket, which by now feels like it weighs a ton. I've been slinging these things around all day, and my arms are about to fall off.
So, I wing it again, but I get sneaky. I add some clear base, which really doesn't change anything, mix it again, and dry another sample. I show it to him, and he really gets mad.
SC: This isn't even close! Look how dark it is. You ruined this paint! I don't want it. Make me another one!"

Great. Now I just ruined a $100 bucket of paint. This one will go into the 'mis-tint' section. A mis-tint is a can of paint that the customer declines because it's not the right color, or is messed up because of a mistake. No biggy. We cross the barcode off, heavily mark it with "MIS-TINT" and deep discount it. This will be important later.

I walk back to the aisle, very slowly, to grab another 5 gallon bucket of paint.
Me: "Do you want me to follow the formula that's on the can you brought in?"
SC: "Yes, and hurry. I've been waiting long enough."

I mix this batch up, EXACTLY like the previous job. I wince as I bring it up to him, because I know he will say..
SC: "Nope. Wrong again. It's not even close! Who trained you?"
Me: "Uhm, me."
SC: "Christ! Hold off on that paint. I'll be back in a while."
Me: *Good. Get outta my face* <-------- my thoughts

He leaves and I put the "ruined" 5G bucket next to the other one, which is still sitting behind the counter, out of the way so I won't trip over it. It is no where near the mis-tint section.

FINALLY! Mid shift arrives! I am saved! She came in early because she had to lead the how-to clinic. Small talk ensues, tell her about Old SC, I make a drink- and bathroom-run, and come back. Whaddya know, we're busy again! 15 minutes later, Old SC is back, but comes via the back aisles, where I don't see him approach. I turn a bit and notice him looking at the mis-tint section.

A thought runs thru my brain: *I bet he's looking for those 5G buckets! He's going to try and buy them for half off!*

Me: "Ah, I see you're back. Would you like to try that color again?"
SC: *Surprised that I noticed him* Uh, not yet.. I have more shopping to do. Say, where are those buckets you had earlier?"
Me: "You mean those mis-tints?"
SC: "Yeah. Where are they?"
Me: "Well, you said they were wrong, and didn't want them. So, I marked them as mis-tints. And wouldn't you know? A guy comes by not a minute later and grabs both of them!"
SC: "What?!?"
Me: "Yeah. He said it was exactly what he was looking for and couldn't believe he was getting such a good deal." (As I was saying this, I put my left foot on one of the buckets he was trying to swindle. He is less than 3 feet away from them, but can't see them because of the partition in front of him. ) "So do you want me to make another 5G bucket for you now?"
SC: "Uh, no. I'll be back in a bit."

He leaves. I mean leaves. The paint department has a direct line of sight to the exit doors. He left the store. He must have abandoned his cart somewhere. I wander to the back aisle, and there it is, old paint cans and all. Bastard.

I come back, and my co-worker (CW) asks me what that what all about, and was the paint I was resting my left foot on the paint he wanted?"

Me: "Sho'nuff! He was trying to get slick on me."
CW: "Was that the guy that's been in every day looking for the same color paint, and always says it's wrong?"
Me: "Sho'nuff!" <---- So I like The Last Dragon. Great cheesy movie. Sue me.
CW: "Ah. Ellen (paint mgr, name changed) got him yesterday. I thought he was up to something. Good job! I just hope he doesn't say anything."
Me: "After the morning I've had, I could care less. Besides, this paint will sell today. I'll mark it off another $10."

It did. Both buckets sold to a young, brand-new-baby couple not more than an hour later. Said it would be perfect color for their new house. Made them very happy. Made me very happy. I am happy.

And my hands hurt from typing so much.

Thanks for listening!

[Sphinx]

Ugghhh gotta watch them old folks they get sneaky in their old age!!!!Seriously!! I've had many try to pull something over me in the past just becasue they didnt want to pay full price for something.

[garth1]

That is just awsome, the way you caught on to him, I bet he wasn't thinking that you would NOT put them in the mis-tint area.
Sometimes you just have to think like an SC, to outwit them.

[JustaCashier]

From the looks of it, SC #1 wasn't too bad, but, RE: SC's #2 and the Manager, I would've been tempted to walk. Right then and there.

I think SC's #2 and #3 as well as that Manager deserve a nice Salmon Dinner!

[Dark Psion]

It's Official !!

Knightmare has stole my life.

But upon re-reading those stories I have decided to let him keep it!

I'm Free!!! I'm Free!!

[Confuzed-Monkey]

Yeah, pretty crap day I guess.

Welcome to Lowesland.

I'm an Appliance Specialist.

I hate when you are busy and some jerk pushes the call button. Especially when you are right in front of it, and you are obviously busy.

One time(ha one time, yeah right, all the time) we were running very short staffed at my store. Our poor paint csa was being pounded from all sides. He had it about like you did, ten customers deep. When this snotty woman pushed her way past everyone else waiting and demanded immediate service. He told her about the same thing, as soon as he could. She then went over and pressed the call button, which he promptly turned off. He told her he was the only one there. After a few minutes she walked over and pushed it again.

At this point he's fuming pretty bad.

He told her "If you press that button one more time, I'm taking off my vest, going home and you can mix you own damn paint."

He told me she shut up real quick and waited her turn. Never even complained about it later.


Wish I had that kind of nerve.

(Minor thread hijack - Knightmare, are you new to Lowes or just that dept?)


CM

[Ree]

I never enjoyed my little stints in the paint department.
Luckily, I am very good at matching paint by eyeball, because when I had to cover there, we didn't even have the computer matching that we have now.

(Quite often with those tacky little lawn ornaments, they come in chipped, and I was able to repair them and paint them, and a person could never even tell they had been touched up. I think it comes from mixing icing colours all these years.)

Anyway, people don't realize that the wet paint in the can is not the colour they are going to get when the paint dries on their wall.

Even if we dry it on a swatch in the store, the lighting changes everything.
Sounds like the old guy was trying to pull a fast one. Lucky that you caught on to him.

[MustangErin]

I love it when people get busted for scamming. It makes my day.

[Jpurple]

I feel for you, Knightmare. Long, long ago, when I did a stint in a hardware store, we nicknamed mistints and other paint accidents after the employee that was working with the paint at the time. I was doing really well until the day I had a green to tint that took a LOT of tint, and I misjudged when putting the lid back on. Somewhere, I still have the shirt I splattered with 'Jpurple Green'.

[Ree]

...I still have the shirt I splattered with 'Jpurple Green'.

Oh, man. Every time I set foot in the paint department, I seemed to come out with colorant or paint splattered on me.

I finally bought a pair of canvas shoes that looked like they had paint splatters on them anyway, and my first day wearing them, a can of blue stain popped open on the shaker and went all over them.

[Knightmare]

Welcome to Lowesland.


(Minor thread hijack - Knightmare, are you new to Lowes or just that dept?)


CM

I've been at Lowe's for almost 4 months now. I just started in paint last week; I was a loader when I started. I like it, but am starting to get concerned about my future there. SO many people are quitting, for numerous reasons. My store has the highest turnover rate in the state.

[flybye023]

At our store all mistints have another tint added to deliberately screw them up. We had to because so many customers would pull that scam. They'd get the color they wanted, complain that it was wrong, then come back the next day and buy it at $5 a gallon.

So now, your pretty sky blue paint will definitely be aqua by tomorrow .