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Today was...fun.
It has been a busy week at the Sporting Goods Store (SGS from now on cuz I'm lazy
). Fortunately, there's football games now, so evenings are quiet. Unfortunately, that means everyone shows up at the exact same time in the afternoon >.< And my SM won't hire more people, so the cashiers are already stretched thin, plus we're helping in other areas, stretching us even thinner. (My immediate supervisor keeps getting yelled at because I'm a part-timer working full-time hours. SM won't let me be full-time for some reason, but doesn't have enough people to keep me part-time hours. Slight win for me, I guess.)
Anyway, thin cashier coverage means that most days, including weekends, there will be times or entire shifts where I am completely by myself up front. Today was one of these days. In this case, as soon as I got in, the other cashier was to go take her lunch, which she did. So, of course, what happens?
There's a line. *sigh*
Eventually, one of my managers has to come up front with a gun purchase and ends up on register....with her own line quickly developing.
Side note: why is it that no one pays attention to lights being on or off for whether a line is open or not? It's ridiculous.
So stage is set: Two very busy lines, a manager, and one very tired and slightly ill cashier (yay colds and cold medicines!!)
I've just finished up with one customer and am about to attend to the next in line when a lady with a very full buggy comes from around the next till over and starts saying, "I was supposed to be next in line! You saw that, right (previous customer's name)? My boys were supposed to hold my place in line....YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO STAY IN LINE!!!" Last part shouted to the boys who are about 20-30 feet away. And she starts unloading stuff onto my counter. The customers behind her start grumbling.
She continues to explain, "I was trying to find where the rain gear is, like (previous customer) had, and I couldn't find it! I've been looking for an hour! And A in apparel was very unhelpful!"
I say, "Well, they're right over there, ma'am." I point to an area over to the side where we keep all the ponchos. I'm hoping that she'll go over there and let me take care of the line while she does so that way everybody's happy."
Nope! "Well, why didn't anybody tell me that before I wandered around here for a hour! Everybody was very unfriendly and unhelpful here!"
Now, I've never had a line cutter. Ever. At this store or at Wally World. And I'm one of those people who, in a completely new situation, defaults to going to the nearest authority figure and asking for policy or a potential solution. Add in the fact that I feel like I'm trying to break a fever for some godawful reason and...I say, "Give me a moment please" and run to my manager. I already knew I'd be in trouble either which way I said based off her attitude and the fact that some of those customers had been in line 10-15 minutes.
Explain situation to my manager and we both start hearing an argument developing. The lady and the other customers are arguing now. Suddenly she shoves everything off the counter and onto the floor, screaming, "FINE! I don't want any of this shit anyway! BOYS! GET OVER HERE! We're leaving!"
Everybody's staring at her now. She storms over to wear my manager and I are standing and says, "I was going to buy over $300 worth of stuff and now I won't! I wandered in here a hour looking for rain gear and A in apparel was very unhelpful! You've just lost a sale! BOYS! We're leaving!"
She leaves without giving my manager or I a chance to respond. I suppose that was a blessing.
**************************
Also, small rant to my customers (particularly one crazy old guy):
Look. I know that my little sales pitch is vaguely annoying at the end of your transaction. I realize this. But my job requires me to offer the little loyalty card. And, frankly, since a vast majority of people actually change their minds or take a moment to reconsider after hearing the details I throw out since I actually explain the card, that means I consider the 15-20 seconds it takes me to throw the blurb out time well spent. Even if you continue saying no during it. I've had people change their minds at that point too. So, please, don't go on a rant about how this is a whole conspiracy to get your information and selling it and giving you credit and changing the sales prices and coupons and whatever. I don't need to hear that, especially since I took your no after I finished the spiel. I generally do. I just need to do my job first, kay?
It has been a busy week at the Sporting Goods Store (SGS from now on cuz I'm lazy
). Fortunately, there's football games now, so evenings are quiet. Unfortunately, that means everyone shows up at the exact same time in the afternoon >.< And my SM won't hire more people, so the cashiers are already stretched thin, plus we're helping in other areas, stretching us even thinner. (My immediate supervisor keeps getting yelled at because I'm a part-timer working full-time hours. SM won't let me be full-time for some reason, but doesn't have enough people to keep me part-time hours. Slight win for me, I guess.)Anyway, thin cashier coverage means that most days, including weekends, there will be times or entire shifts where I am completely by myself up front. Today was one of these days. In this case, as soon as I got in, the other cashier was to go take her lunch, which she did. So, of course, what happens?
There's a line. *sigh*
Eventually, one of my managers has to come up front with a gun purchase and ends up on register....with her own line quickly developing.
Side note: why is it that no one pays attention to lights being on or off for whether a line is open or not? It's ridiculous.
So stage is set: Two very busy lines, a manager, and one very tired and slightly ill cashier (yay colds and cold medicines!!)
I've just finished up with one customer and am about to attend to the next in line when a lady with a very full buggy comes from around the next till over and starts saying, "I was supposed to be next in line! You saw that, right (previous customer's name)? My boys were supposed to hold my place in line....YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO STAY IN LINE!!!" Last part shouted to the boys who are about 20-30 feet away. And she starts unloading stuff onto my counter. The customers behind her start grumbling.
She continues to explain, "I was trying to find where the rain gear is, like (previous customer) had, and I couldn't find it! I've been looking for an hour! And A in apparel was very unhelpful!"
I say, "Well, they're right over there, ma'am." I point to an area over to the side where we keep all the ponchos. I'm hoping that she'll go over there and let me take care of the line while she does so that way everybody's happy."
Nope! "Well, why didn't anybody tell me that before I wandered around here for a hour! Everybody was very unfriendly and unhelpful here!"
Now, I've never had a line cutter. Ever. At this store or at Wally World. And I'm one of those people who, in a completely new situation, defaults to going to the nearest authority figure and asking for policy or a potential solution. Add in the fact that I feel like I'm trying to break a fever for some godawful reason and...I say, "Give me a moment please" and run to my manager. I already knew I'd be in trouble either which way I said based off her attitude and the fact that some of those customers had been in line 10-15 minutes.
Explain situation to my manager and we both start hearing an argument developing. The lady and the other customers are arguing now. Suddenly she shoves everything off the counter and onto the floor, screaming, "FINE! I don't want any of this shit anyway! BOYS! GET OVER HERE! We're leaving!"
Everybody's staring at her now. She storms over to wear my manager and I are standing and says, "I was going to buy over $300 worth of stuff and now I won't! I wandered in here a hour looking for rain gear and A in apparel was very unhelpful! You've just lost a sale! BOYS! We're leaving!"
She leaves without giving my manager or I a chance to respond. I suppose that was a blessing.
**************************
Also, small rant to my customers (particularly one crazy old guy):
Look. I know that my little sales pitch is vaguely annoying at the end of your transaction. I realize this. But my job requires me to offer the little loyalty card. And, frankly, since a vast majority of people actually change their minds or take a moment to reconsider after hearing the details I throw out since I actually explain the card, that means I consider the 15-20 seconds it takes me to throw the blurb out time well spent. Even if you continue saying no during it. I've had people change their minds at that point too. So, please, don't go on a rant about how this is a whole conspiracy to get your information and selling it and giving you credit and changing the sales prices and coupons and whatever. I don't need to hear that, especially since I took your no after I finished the spiel. I generally do. I just need to do my job first, kay?
Keep in mind that I live in a town where the passing along of thick unmarked envelopes to "the right people" is still not only accepted, but expected, at least in the City proper >_< 
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