innocent+twisted Alchemy

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

11.23.11 - You don't have enough people?

Today was a really crap day (at work)!

I'm scheduled to open which is no problem. It's been the same for the past 3 weeks. Anyway, right away, I knew it was going to be a hectic day!

Once I came in and started setting up, the opening cashier came in and she did HER setting up. Once I logged into the IN-STORE PICKUP computer the whole thing FLASHED GREEN! Literally, the WHOLE screen. Whenever we get an in store pickup, only ONE line flashes green (one line = one order). The whole screen = 20 orders!!!! 

In-store pickups are what they sound like. The customer reserves the item online and they come into the store to pick it up. We have a 20 minute time-limit to send their confirmation email to let them know that their item is available. Of course, they were all different things in different departments. Yep, the person doing the in-store pickup ALSO has to go GET THE ITEM and put it in the in-store pickup area!

How the heck were we going to set up the department when we had to do ALLL of those in-store pickups. Luckily, one of the merchandisers/back-up cashiers showed up. My cashier and the merchandiser ran around the whole store doing the orders.

Usually, we have a morning meeting. Thankfully, we didn't! If we did,, that would've taken 15 minutes of our time (everyone has to attend the meeting)

Once all the ISPU's were done, the Audit dept needed someone to sit in there while the Manager went to a meeting. They needed someone to sit in Audit because they're not allowed to leave only ONE person in audit when there's money out. Since there was another audit associate in there... they needed another person. :/ 

To make a super long story short. Customers are stupid and mean! They were super cranky today. We had lines all day because my manager didn't schedule people properly.

He scheduled ONLY 4 people from opening until 2pm (two people came in at 2pm) and the rest came in at 6pm! The merchandisers (they stock items AND they're backup cashiers) came in at 3pm. :/ 

I got screamed at 2 times. One made me cry. <--This one... I was by myself since none of the other supervisors were there yet. Everyone that was supposed to be in our dept ringing up was there. Then, the phone calls (two lines at once!), ISPU's popped up, 2 cashiers needed passwording, and there was a problem with another cashier.

I was rushing around the department and I admit, I wasn't paying attention to the line. But even if I did, I couldn't call up our backups because THERE WERE NONE!!!! X_x; They were ringing up already!

The problem with one of the cashiers was... and this had been happening since yesterday with different items... there was a "street date" problem. Basically what that is... the system will NOT allow you to sell an item if it has a "street date" [It's supposed to released on a certain date]. The customers were getting PISSED about it. It was a computer they were trying to buy. I did what I could... 

Right after, I had a cashier ask me to help them with something. As I was helping them with that, a customer screamed "I need to talk to your supervisor" <--screamed at the cashier. So, she called me over and the customer screamed at me that I wasn't doing my job and not paying attention to the line and I'm just standing there chit-chatting with my friend! Etc etc. <--this is my NICE paraphrasing. 

She was extremely mean about it. Like I said, she made me cry. So after she screamed at me, I literally ran into a corner and tried to calm my ass down.

But the customer that had that "street date" problem was calling me over. And I could tell from his tone of voice that he wanted to yell at me. :/ But I was still crying X_x; So I tried wiping my eyes and such and I went over to them... I guess the tears and etc calmed him down because he decided not to complain or anything.

The rest of the day, even when we had the other supervisors and a few more people come in... it was still extremely hectic. I got screamed at again! I don't really remember this one either because I was on the phone with 2 people and helping a customer at the same time, while they screamed at me X_x; Yay!

People were just extremely short-tempered today. 

It didn't help that the credit card system went down and most of the people that were there were new. Luckily, we had more supervisors than usual and they helped them out. 

After that, I seriously BOOKED it out of there! It was time for me to leave anyway X_x; I had had enough of it!

The only good thing about today, we got paid! Lol! X_x; I needed some retail therapy (or I should call it INDIE therapy). I ordered some perfume samples from a well-known indie company. ^_^; I hope I get them soon! mwahahaha!!!

I had planned on staying up today/night? (whatever) until 2pm tomorrow (Thursday). By 2pm, I'll go to bed and sleep until 9pm and then run off to work to start the HORRIFIC 23 hour shift!!!! (yeah they were "NICE" enough to let us work 23 hours instead of 24 *snorts*)

2 comments:

  1. GEEZE. That's terrible, Linda! I do remember what angry customers are like. For some reason, the way the system works, they are allowed to treat workers/supervisors like crap. I guess they want to be taken seriously then & there, but I think the suggestion box might be better. Idk... We're still freakin PEOPLE. There must be a mature, kind way to still get your message across. That & signs that say, "We reserve the right to refuse service to ANYONE" with tiny lightbulbs round it & a remote control to make it flash neon whenever a customer's being rotten. Sorry that you got yelled at.

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  2. I think we should all work in customer service once in our life. People will see that you shouldn't treat workers badly :/

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