So, now it's Jan 2, 2006. The holiday shopping season is officially over. That means no more hectic hours, the store goes back to being relatively calm. Which means, I can claim my life back.
Few things that happened over the holidays at work that I thought might be funny to share.
1) We called the cops on 4 of our kids that come into the store that we know are shopping lifting. They were told they are not welcomed into the store, and if they step foot into the store that they would be arrested for trespassing. The very next day they were walking infront of the store. They climbed up onto one of our displays of trampolines and the one was flipping us off through the window. I was with two female customers walking out a treadmill. There were four female employees. One male employee, and a male costumer walking into the store. The kid gets on his knees and pushed his pants all the way down exposing himself to the general public. (Mind you when we were outside with the cop telling them they weren't welcomed they told us the four of them were 15. They started calling us bitch this, pussy that, blah blah blah, and wanting to jump us like they were going to beat myself and the other manager up). Well, we called the cops because they just indecently exposed themselves to about 6 females, and I mean they exposed everything. The one who exposed himself was picked up, put in handcuffs, and they called him mom. Now, his mom works for a grocery store chain here called Food Lion (which they shop lift from the one just down from our store), and told her that the only way they would release her is if she came to get him (which means she had to leave work), or she would have to come downtown and pick him up. Haven't seen them going on two and a half weeks now.
2) I was reworking my women's Nike clothing pad and started helping this girl pick out some outfits for the gym. I get one of the appereal associates that has a key to let her in the dressing room. Next thing I know she's coming out and grabbing a few other items. She asks me if I could come over and help her. So, I'm like sure, okay......next thing I know, she's yanked the dressing room door open, and she's in a jog bra and a pair of those French Cut style panties handing me a pair of pants asking to get her a smaller size. I was like wow, ummm okay.
3) You ever try putting an elliptical into a VW Jetta. People, when you come to pickup ping-pong tables, or workout machines, bring something bigger then a VW Jetta, or Ford Focus.
4) I had this customer walk up to me and asked me if I could negotiate the price of this bat. I told him, no sir I can not negotiate the price of that baseball bat. He blinked and looked to me, and had the nerve to say to me, is it because I'm black. At first I thought he was joking, so I laughed. Then I realized, ohh shit, this dude is serious. I was like no sir, it's not because you're black, it's because I'm a retail store, and the prices are as marked. Then he proceeds to ask me, if he was white would I negotiate the price of the bat. I answered, "No sir, if you were white, I'd tell you the price was 299.99, and leave it at that, because if you were white we wouldn't be having this assine conversation." He then blinked, and was like, "Well what would your supervisor say about you not negotiating the price." I told him that "my supervisor would probably pat me on the back for not negotiating the price. Though, I work for Nike, so my supervisor is up North." I then proceeded to tell him "that if you want a to negotiate the price go to Play It Again Sports, where people put things on consignment, and they will negotiate the price of a bat for you." He then askes if the bats were used there, I told him, "well if the items are on consignment there, then yes they must be used." He then proceeds to say, "well I don't want to get a peice of crap bat." I was like, "Well you want to get a good bat at a peice of crap price." I then proceeded to walk off.
5) We have ten registers in our store across the front...it's December 23rd, two days before christmas. We've got all but two of the registers open and checking people out. The lines for the registers are at least 15 to 20 people deep for each register, we were SLAM busy. This guy walks in, and has a coupon, and wants to use it on an item that he perviously purchased. The front end manager tells him, I'm not suppose to do it, but I will this time, but I can't do it again, because it states right here on the coupon that you can't use it on perviously purchase merchandise. So, she tells the gentlemen to step into her line, and she'll do it. Well the customer ignores her and steps over to the customer service counter. Well, the girl on the register there is at lunch, so no one is at the service counter because we have 8 registers open that are right next to the service counter. I proceed to take a basket up to the front end. He looks to me as I pass him and is like, can you do my transaction (I do have the authorization to run on register, and do manager duties, but I'm the Nike Sales Rep in our store). I told him no sir, I can't, but if you want to step in one of these 8 lines, someone would do your transaction. The guy starts making a scene, "I'm not waiting in those lines for my transaction." I was like, "well sir there isn't anyone at these registers, and there is no money in the registers so you'll have to step to one of the 8 lines that are open." He then continues to make a scene getting loud and pissy with me. I blinked and just stared at him like he was stupid, and was like, "sorry sir I cant help you." Well the Front End Manager pulls me to the side and asks me if I can do his transaction for her please, and she'll buy me lunch." (Again, I'm the Nike Sales Rep, so techinically, I should only deal with all things Nike). So, I'm like, fine, whatever, because I like Amanda, she's a good person. So, I got on the register to do his transaction, and hew as like, "You have to understand I'm not mad at you." I stopped what I was doing and looked to him, and was like, "really, because you sure were yelling and getting pissy with me like it was my fault. I just want to do your transaction so I can get you out of the store." I do his transaction, and then wouldn't you know it, I have a line 10 people deep. The point of the story her is, be patient!
I can't believe that people can be so rude, and crazy...it's the holiday season, and every retail store is going to be busy as hell. You come in two days before christmas, expect it to be busy as hell, and there to be a little wait in line no matter how many registers are up and running in a store. A store could have 20 registers, and it would still be busy as hell. Also, another thing during the holidays, again we go back to being patient.....if there is an entire sales staff on the floor working the floor, most of them have multiple customers. Don't get pissy if you have to wait a few moments. Most people are like, well why isn't the sales floor better staff. Remember this: most companies are alloted a payroll they are allowed to spend on their employees. If the stores coporate office doesn't allot proper payroll, then the store has to staff with what money they are allowed to spend for payroll, and most stores are open (down here at least) from 7 am to 11 pm, meaning that staff will have tobe there from 6 am to midnight meaning that's 18 hours that the store has to be staffed. If the companies coporate office isn't giving enough payroll.....then it's not the stores fault...trust me, behind the scenes the management staff is begging and fighting for more money to staff the sales floor. It's not the employees fault that there arent' enough people on the sales floor....please don't take it out on the employee. Most of them are either college kids, or people needing a little extra money during the holidays that are staffing the floor....you do have your regular full time employees that work the floor, but remember, coporate office dictates the payroll for the sales staff. Remember, the sale staff is there to provide you with a service, and to help better your shopping experience, you don't have to come off being rude and pissy. It's like buying a car, you arne't going to be an ignorant ass to the car sales men, so don't do it to someone in a retail store.......if you don't like the way that it's going you can always go home and shop on-line......ohhh and another thing that I think is good to point out for the people, don't wait until the last minute to do shopping, if the store sales out of it, then it's not the stores fault that you waited until the last minute to buy your christmas present.
Okay, I'm ending my rant.
Few things that happened over the holidays at work that I thought might be funny to share.
1) We called the cops on 4 of our kids that come into the store that we know are shopping lifting. They were told they are not welcomed into the store, and if they step foot into the store that they would be arrested for trespassing. The very next day they were walking infront of the store. They climbed up onto one of our displays of trampolines and the one was flipping us off through the window. I was with two female customers walking out a treadmill. There were four female employees. One male employee, and a male costumer walking into the store. The kid gets on his knees and pushed his pants all the way down exposing himself to the general public. (Mind you when we were outside with the cop telling them they weren't welcomed they told us the four of them were 15. They started calling us bitch this, pussy that, blah blah blah, and wanting to jump us like they were going to beat myself and the other manager up). Well, we called the cops because they just indecently exposed themselves to about 6 females, and I mean they exposed everything. The one who exposed himself was picked up, put in handcuffs, and they called him mom. Now, his mom works for a grocery store chain here called Food Lion (which they shop lift from the one just down from our store), and told her that the only way they would release her is if she came to get him (which means she had to leave work), or she would have to come downtown and pick him up. Haven't seen them going on two and a half weeks now.
2) I was reworking my women's Nike clothing pad and started helping this girl pick out some outfits for the gym. I get one of the appereal associates that has a key to let her in the dressing room. Next thing I know she's coming out and grabbing a few other items. She asks me if I could come over and help her. So, I'm like sure, okay......next thing I know, she's yanked the dressing room door open, and she's in a jog bra and a pair of those French Cut style panties handing me a pair of pants asking to get her a smaller size. I was like wow, ummm okay.
3) You ever try putting an elliptical into a VW Jetta. People, when you come to pickup ping-pong tables, or workout machines, bring something bigger then a VW Jetta, or Ford Focus.
4) I had this customer walk up to me and asked me if I could negotiate the price of this bat. I told him, no sir I can not negotiate the price of that baseball bat. He blinked and looked to me, and had the nerve to say to me, is it because I'm black. At first I thought he was joking, so I laughed. Then I realized, ohh shit, this dude is serious. I was like no sir, it's not because you're black, it's because I'm a retail store, and the prices are as marked. Then he proceeds to ask me, if he was white would I negotiate the price of the bat. I answered, "No sir, if you were white, I'd tell you the price was 299.99, and leave it at that, because if you were white we wouldn't be having this assine conversation." He then blinked, and was like, "Well what would your supervisor say about you not negotiating the price." I told him that "my supervisor would probably pat me on the back for not negotiating the price. Though, I work for Nike, so my supervisor is up North." I then proceeded to tell him "that if you want a to negotiate the price go to Play It Again Sports, where people put things on consignment, and they will negotiate the price of a bat for you." He then askes if the bats were used there, I told him, "well if the items are on consignment there, then yes they must be used." He then proceeds to say, "well I don't want to get a peice of crap bat." I was like, "Well you want to get a good bat at a peice of crap price." I then proceeded to walk off.
5) We have ten registers in our store across the front...it's December 23rd, two days before christmas. We've got all but two of the registers open and checking people out. The lines for the registers are at least 15 to 20 people deep for each register, we were SLAM busy. This guy walks in, and has a coupon, and wants to use it on an item that he perviously purchased. The front end manager tells him, I'm not suppose to do it, but I will this time, but I can't do it again, because it states right here on the coupon that you can't use it on perviously purchase merchandise. So, she tells the gentlemen to step into her line, and she'll do it. Well the customer ignores her and steps over to the customer service counter. Well, the girl on the register there is at lunch, so no one is at the service counter because we have 8 registers open that are right next to the service counter. I proceed to take a basket up to the front end. He looks to me as I pass him and is like, can you do my transaction (I do have the authorization to run on register, and do manager duties, but I'm the Nike Sales Rep in our store). I told him no sir, I can't, but if you want to step in one of these 8 lines, someone would do your transaction. The guy starts making a scene, "I'm not waiting in those lines for my transaction." I was like, "well sir there isn't anyone at these registers, and there is no money in the registers so you'll have to step to one of the 8 lines that are open." He then continues to make a scene getting loud and pissy with me. I blinked and just stared at him like he was stupid, and was like, "sorry sir I cant help you." Well the Front End Manager pulls me to the side and asks me if I can do his transaction for her please, and she'll buy me lunch." (Again, I'm the Nike Sales Rep, so techinically, I should only deal with all things Nike). So, I'm like, fine, whatever, because I like Amanda, she's a good person. So, I got on the register to do his transaction, and hew as like, "You have to understand I'm not mad at you." I stopped what I was doing and looked to him, and was like, "really, because you sure were yelling and getting pissy with me like it was my fault. I just want to do your transaction so I can get you out of the store." I do his transaction, and then wouldn't you know it, I have a line 10 people deep. The point of the story her is, be patient!
I can't believe that people can be so rude, and crazy...it's the holiday season, and every retail store is going to be busy as hell. You come in two days before christmas, expect it to be busy as hell, and there to be a little wait in line no matter how many registers are up and running in a store. A store could have 20 registers, and it would still be busy as hell. Also, another thing during the holidays, again we go back to being patient.....if there is an entire sales staff on the floor working the floor, most of them have multiple customers. Don't get pissy if you have to wait a few moments. Most people are like, well why isn't the sales floor better staff. Remember this: most companies are alloted a payroll they are allowed to spend on their employees. If the stores coporate office doesn't allot proper payroll, then the store has to staff with what money they are allowed to spend for payroll, and most stores are open (down here at least) from 7 am to 11 pm, meaning that staff will have tobe there from 6 am to midnight meaning that's 18 hours that the store has to be staffed. If the companies coporate office isn't giving enough payroll.....then it's not the stores fault...trust me, behind the scenes the management staff is begging and fighting for more money to staff the sales floor. It's not the employees fault that there arent' enough people on the sales floor....please don't take it out on the employee. Most of them are either college kids, or people needing a little extra money during the holidays that are staffing the floor....you do have your regular full time employees that work the floor, but remember, coporate office dictates the payroll for the sales staff. Remember, the sale staff is there to provide you with a service, and to help better your shopping experience, you don't have to come off being rude and pissy. It's like buying a car, you arne't going to be an ignorant ass to the car sales men, so don't do it to someone in a retail store.......if you don't like the way that it's going you can always go home and shop on-line......ohhh and another thing that I think is good to point out for the people, don't wait until the last minute to do shopping, if the store sales out of it, then it's not the stores fault that you waited until the last minute to buy your christmas present.
Okay, I'm ending my rant.
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
Man i miss those days.
FYI i might be back in NC around the 10th-18th of Feb. so ill buzz your cell when i get the fine details. it'd be cool to come visit with you and your family again man i miss those days.