So my last post was November 27th. Sorry about that. Nothing much has happened since then. I have like 2 stories.
I was 9:30-ish at night and I was at the info desk. On the desk, we have so much crap... books, CDs, stuffed animals, holographic rulers. One guy (my age) sheepishly walks up and picks up and looks at everything we have up there.
Me: Do you need help finding anything?
Him: No.
Me: Well if you need anything, just let me know.
Him: OK.
I go back to corporate orders. I notice him just lingering at the desk and sneaking glances at me. Creepy. I look up from my work. He turns to walk away, and his face is so red. But before he goes, he turns to face me.
Him: I just came up here to tell you that I think you're very pretty. (His face bright red)
Me: Oh, thank you. (I can feel that my face is bright red!)
Him: OK. Merry Christmas.
Me: Merry Christmas.
He walks away. I just stand there. I notice him, a little while later, walking up to the registers. Over my walkie, I tell Kiel (cashier) what happened between me and the guy. After he leaves, Kiel tells me that he bought a bunch of Playboy and Maxim magazines, which were out of their plastic, which means that he opened them while in the store... after talking to me. Gross.
So Borders Corporate are idiots. During the busiest time of the year, they give us less hours! When corporate gives out hours, our store takes them and schedules employees. With more hours, we can schedule more people. You'd think that we would get more hours to handle the increased customer traffic, but no. We get less hours and are forced to work with only one cashier and two sellers. When the check-out line gets long, a seller has to go over and help. When the line is really long, either both sellers go over to help (leaving no one at info), or the managers/supervisors have to go up to help.
Well, it was the last Saturday before Christmas and it was crazy busy!!! The check-out line was super long, so we had the other seller and both managers up there ringing customers, leaving me the only person on the sales floor. Customers were coming at me from everywhere and bombarding me with questions: Where's this book, do you have this book, do you have any more of this, what's a good book for my son, what's her latest CD? I'm fine working under pressure, but there was this one customers who made me crack...
She was looking for a book for her father. She wanted to get him a book about WWII, so I showed her the right section. She asked me what I think he'd like. Since there were so many other customers waiting, and I was the only person able to help them, I didn't want to spent all this time helping this single customer. Plus, how am I supposed to know what he'd like, I don't know the guy?!
Me: Well, I've read _______. And I have been thinking about reading _______. Maybe your dad would like them. But this is our WWII section. If you need anything else, I'm Nicole. (I turn to walk away)
Her: Have you heard of "Flyboys"? Is it good?
Me: Well, "Flyboys" is right here, but I haven't read it, so I'm not sure if it's good.
Her: Hmmmm. Ok then.
I walk away and start helping another customer. I'm in the middle of looking up a title for him when the woman comes back and just interrupts.
Her: Do you have "Flyboys" in hardcover.
Me: (I smile at new customer, kind of like "Sorry about this") Sorry, we don't. We just have it in paperback.
Her: Well, how do you know you don't have a hardcover? (Said with such a snotty attitude!)
Me: Because it would have been right next to the paperbacks, and we didn't see one there.
Her: Well can't you look in your computer to see if it would be anywhere else? (Said with an attitude)
Me: I can, but I'm with a customer. Would you mind waiting a minute. (I see that the customer I'm in the middle of helping is getting annoyed)
Her: But you were helping me first and I'm not done yet (With attitude and a hint of anger)
Me: I'm sorry, but I thought you didn't need anymore help. I'm in the middle of helping this man, but if you just wait, I'll be with you as soon as I can. (I'm already angry with this woman, so I'm giving her attitude)
Her: Is there anyone else who can help me?! (She's very angry!)
Me: I'm sorry, but right now I'm the only person on the floor.
Her: Honestly, all I'm asking is for you to check and see if you have this book in hardcover. (She shoves the paperback in my hand)
I take the book, slam in on the info desk, and pull up our inventory on the computer. I swing the computer screen around and just about yell at her.
Me: See, paperback, paperback, DVD, Bluray. No hardcover. Just like I said.
She just walks away. I was so upset with myself for letting a customer get to me like that. I'm always the cool, calm, and collected person, but I was just so stressed and annoyed with this woman's attitude and I just couldn't take it!
Last Monday, I showed up to work at 9:45 (we open at 10:00), and I saw that one of the store's new employees, Jeanna, wasn't in the cafe. She wasn't answering her phone so we didn't know if she was just running late or sick or whatev. I was asked to cover cafe until she showed up. I didn't really mind because I didn't think I would be there very long. Flashforward to three hours later and I'm still in the cafe without word of whether Jeanna is coming in or not. She finally called with a rediculous excuse about waking up late and finding out that her roommate took her car keys and having no way to get to work. Now that Managers knew that Jeanna wasn't coming in, they started calling other employees to see if they can come in, but no one came. So I was stuck in the cafe all day, leaving only one seller on the floor. Not good. It sucks being short-staffed the week before Christmas! There were times when the store got so nuts that I would abandon the cafe and run to help ring up customers at the registers, and the run back to the cafe when customers started showing up there. Everyone was so stressed. The only upside was that I got $8.43 in tips! I got $6.00 just in dollar bills!
In breaking news, I found out yesterday that Jeanna quit. Whatev.
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