Posted on 06/26/2006 3:12:17 PM PDT by pcottraux
It's only 9:40pm here.
She's here!
Yup! Hub and I were out in the back enjoying the sunset. The tree cutters didn't come today. They only cut part of Scary Tree down (again) and left the tree unfinished.
I am SO DISAPPOINTED!!!!
So what in the world happened at work?!
Okay, here's my big complaint at work...
Our electronics department is pretty small, but it has to have someone watching over it at all times. So whenever one of the two women who work in it have to leave for any reason, they have to page someone to come "stand guard" over the department until they get back.
And for some reason, they just looooove me.
I understand it, but....why us (me and the other people in my department)????? We're the busiest department. It's more inconvenient for us than anyone else. Yet we're the ONLY ones they ever call to stand in for them.
It doesn't help that I know nothing about electronics, and when a customer needs help, it's very difficult...I kind of have to act like I know what I'm talking about. Although really, most of what you're doing is standing their watching "Waterworld" with no sound on the demo TVs.
The worst part is that when one of them goes on their lunch break, they only get 30 minutes. But they always take more than that...Sometimes they're gone for what seems like 45 minutes to an hour!!!
I've set you up, now I'll tell you the story of what happened today...
Uh oh....
Well, I was EXTREMELY busy today, I mean it was the kind of business where you know you're not going to get it all done but you work frantically anyway.
So Patricia (the electronics woman) calls me over there and guess what! It's her break time. I get to stand there and watch "Waterworld" again (again with no sound).
After a loooong time of me just standing there, a bunch of customers come swarming into the department and they had me! It's amazing how they don't even wait until I can help them...all three of them were diving in at once trying to get me to help them!
So I'm running frantically around electronics trying to help these people. One guy wants to look at a watch from the case, and another guy wants a TV, and ANOTHER guy wants a smaller LCD 8 inch that's in the OTHER showcase.
So I get the guy his watch, and then I find the TV in the boxes for the other guy...and then I know nothing about the LCD, so I run to the pager. Well, it had been about 30 minutes so I paged Patricia. When she answered, I just asked her about the 8 inch, and she told me where they were (in the showcase). So I showed the customer where it was, and he asked if we had any in stock sale (the one in the case is just on display; the ones we sell we keep in the back).
So I paged Patricia again and asked what I was supposed to do to get the customer the LCD (remember, I'm doing my best but I don't know anything about electronics). She sighs and says she'll get it from the security room and be right there. Now I looked at my watch and it was definitely past 30 minutes, so her break was over anyway.
So while she's heading back up there, the other guy is grabbing his TV in the box (we had those stocked actually in the department), so I have to help him, and then the watch guy comes back and says that wasn't the watch he wanted!!! So I tell him I'll be right back, and help the TV guy, and then come back to the watch guy...and he says he'll take it anyway.
So I'm ready to shoot myself at this point.
So just as Patricia's showing up with the LCD, I get paged that a customer needs assistance in MY department (and I was the only one working there tonight)....
...more to come....
Ahhhh, the wondrous world of working retail... You are giving me some serious flashbacks here!!!
Patricia sounds like a real winner. Can you be conveniently unavailable when she pages you next time? I'd have a little chat with her about how your day went and that you can't cover for her until she changes her tune. If she goes into Denial Land, I'd talk to your manager about her little games.
Oooo!
Well, it gets worse:
So I have a customer in MY department who needs help, but as soon as Patricia gets there with her LCD in the box, she says, "Don't leave! Don't leave! I'm not back from break yet!! I'm just bringing the LCD!" And it's been past 30 minutes, but SHE obviously didn't agree.
So I was like, "I have a customer who needs help in my department!"
"No, don't leave, my break's not over yet!"
So she went over to the customer waiting at the showcase to give them the LCD. I made a split-second decision...since she was there, someone was in the department, so thinking I could do it quickly, I snuck off and dashed towards the customer needing help in Department 6.
The customer had a product with no Magic Mart sticker (we don't use UPC codes, we scan with our own special bar coded sticker). So I'm trying to help her with the product, but I soon here a panicked "PHILIP TO ELECTRONICS!!!"
So I took the lady's product, told her I'd be right back, then made a mad dash for electronics. Once there, I used the electronics department pager to page Ray, the manager, and ask him about the product. He told me what the code number and price was, so I wrote it down on a piece of paper then made ANOTHER mad dash for the lady.
While explaining to the lady about the code number and price, I hear yet another panicked "PHILIP TO ELECTRONICS!!!"
So I made a THIRD mad dash for electronics (the customer was now helped).
And now for the shocking twist:
When I got back to electronics (panting), Patricia was standing there with a very angry scowl. No customers were around.
Well, turns out the LCD customer didn't want to actually PURCHASE the LCD, he just wanted to look at the one in the show case! But that's not what he told me...he specifically asked for one from the back.
Patricia was FUMING. I've never seen her mad before...I mean she was growling and snarling. "That customer just wanted to look at it!" I tried to defend myself "That's not what he told me!" But it was no use. "I told you not to leave!!! I'm not done with my break yet!!! I'm still on break!!! Never, EVER call someone back while they're on their lunch break!!!!"
And I was like "I get called during my lunch breaks all the time!" But she was just so dang mad over her precious lunch break...and for crying out loud! It was supposed to be over by now!!
So I said, "How long of a lunch break do you get?"
"30 minutes, just like everyone else!"
So she started walking off to "finish her break" while I remained there, and I mumbled under my breath "It's been a little longer than that." And she said "I heard that!"
And she walked off.
So all was calm again...but I was pretty mad; I was already having a bad day, but this obviously wasn't helping any.
Time to have a pow wow with your manager! Can you tell The Slacker that you can't cover for her anymore!?!!??
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!
So for about 5 more minutes I got to watch the silent death of Kevin Costner's career.
So when she FINALLY came back from her glorious lunch break and said "I'm back now," I just stormed off angrily.
Now first of all, despite her accusation, I didn't "call her back" at all. I never asked her to come back to the department! I just asked her what I was supposed to do! She voluntarily came back to the department with the LCDs (which never got sold)!
And second of all, there's the obvious irony: her break was supposed to be over already! Was she mad because she wasn't getting her "extra minutes?"
And third, is her wonderful lunch break so much more important than the customers? I'm reminded of Vernon, who just blows people off when he's going on HIS break.
Uggh...it was a terrible day altogether, but that was the worst part.
The manager over Department 6 is also the same manager over Electronics. We have complained to him before, and he REALLY hates how they call us over there all the time. He's told them time and time again that they do it too much, to the degree that he wants them to explain to us WHY we're being called each time.
The problem is that very often, they have a good reason. But then they take too long...
The part that I hate the most is that standing over there for that amount of time VERY DEEPLY cuts into our production. There's a lot we don't get done because of it.
I think she's made her priorities very clear…and Vernon.
Customers aren't stupid either, they do see and comprehend what's going on.
You really need to talk to your boss about this. Let him know this break thing is getting out of hand. See what he says about. Tell the B*tch you can’t help her anymore. (Or avoid her as much as possible.)
Sounds like Patricia is a real healthy bundle of resentment. NOTHING will stop her from taking her breaks if she can help it. What a pain. Sounds like someone who is fed up and ready to quit.
Ew!! Ha ha ha...well, she doesn't really look like that, but I know what you mean.
I like to think of myself as a pretty agreeable guy. I get along with everyone at work most of the time. I haven't had any problems with Evil Cart Lady ('cause I've been keeping my distance from her).
I just can't stand conflicts. I try to avoid them as much as possible...but sometimes, you don't find them, they find you!
Too true, my dear Phil.
One thing I HATE is getting caught up in the middle of it and you can't get away from it, or you get wrongfully blamed for something you didn't do or you couldn't help because of it.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
It would be so nice if you could just explain your situation to everyone, and they would all see your side of things and agree and understand...and then we could all get along and live happily ever after!
Well, I'd best get going. I've got the 12-6 shift tomorrow...blech. At least I'm not going to be working second shift, meaning I would have to watch over electronics while you-know-who goes on break.
Goodnight!
Asta La Bye Bye, Phil.
Remind me next time to tell you all about the nightmares I used to have at night from working retail...
Night! Sleep Well!
Hello?
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