Welcome my friends!
I thought I would cut to the chase and just come out with the customer questions of the day.
I am helping a customer look for recipe books that have the plastic inserts for recipes. As we pass the bargain section, she asks me:
"Are these photo albums for photos or something else?"
" I was on the the store's website and the book I wanted is no longer in print. Can you tell me if you have this book in the store, and if so, how much would it cost if I bought it through Amazon?"
Okay, now that that is outta the way, I can begin my venting.
So we are another day closer to the Winter Holidays. I have decided that after my experience with Christmas cards and all the gross things I have seen customers do to them, I am not participating in this tradition ever again. The true thing that totally pissed me off, was finding an open box of cards with the top nowhere in site. Not only did someone go to the trouble of opening the box and losing the top with the 20% off sticker, the person took one card out and kept it. Wait. This person didn't even take the envelope!!!!!!! WTF??????????????? Now we have to damage out the entire box because of that!
Just a bit of a reality check: For those fortunate souls who do not work retail, whether you never have or you don't do it anymore, let me just lay down a bit of karmic law. STOP BEING AN A-HOLE!!!!!!! Look, I understand the customer is always right, but the customer isn't Master either. Be respectful not only to the person that helps you, checks you out, cleans up after you, or serves you. In a wink of an eye you could be that person. Be respectful of your fellow shoppers. They don't want to buy the crap that you coughed over, ripped, broke and hid, and/or picked over. Most importantly, they don't want to be held up in line an extra 10 minutes because you are being a D*ck! Have some restraint. 'Cause the Karma fairy can waive her wand and you are the person being held in shopping hell by some other jerk.
Today I had a doctor's appointment. After talking to my attending nurse for 15 minutes, I realized there are more people out there like me. Sad and Lonely and stuck in Western Mass by some weird turn of fate. It's been a year. I still don't feel like this is home. I mean my day consists of work (which is the best part because I actually get to talk to people), working out, housework, cat care, and prepping for the next day. At least at work, I am finally beginning to fit in. My job allows me to learn for smart people all day. You know, the ones that don't know the military is hiring. I went to college a decade ago. After getting highly frustrated and misled a bit by a former dumb ass, I joined the US Army. It was great, because I got to travel. The job wasn't bad, it just wasn't me. Or at least I didn't think it was until I got out last year and realized, I really have no outside job skills, experience, or education for life in Western Mass.
I know there are other places that this applies and maybe W. Mass just appears that way to me, but, there really isn't a push to send Johnny who has a 3.5 avg, participates on the varsity soccer team, and is the 3rd generation of a family of upper middle class suburbians. His parents are really telling him civil service will shape him and teach him life skill you can't pay to learn. I mean, everyone jumped down John Kerry's throat for what he said to an audience of Calif. students, but I have talked to customers that have turned their noses up when I suggest civil service for their kid who doesn't know what he wants in life. I was even told by on lady she would rather send her son backpack through Europe for 3 years than him waste his life being in the military. Let me be the first to say the Army was hard, but it could have been harder, it sucked, but it could have been worse, and it ain't a bad place to be to figure somethings out. To get away and experience life around people who do not have the same background as you really changes your perspectives on life. I think life in America would be better if we all did a 2 year stretch in the armed forces, peace corp, vol. fire dept, guardian angels, red cross, or hospital aid. I mean look at 9/11. It took a national tragedy for us to stop and think, for us to help a neighbor, to re-evaluate our lives and priorities, to mourn, to value life, to thank the heavens, to respect who we are and the men and women who provide the blank which helps us sleep at night. I dunno. Maybe it's just me, but I take offense to the people that toot their noses up at civil service. They could at least say, "Thank You."
I guess that's all I have tonight. My big cat is giving me the look. I'll post a pick of him above.
Duwee!
