Random
Retail Hell Underground Teaser
21/11/08 00:13
I'm sure you all know about Retail Hell Underground, but just in case you didn't, here's a trailer for their up-and-coming vlog series on YouTube. Enjoy!
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Mr Brain and His Questionable Meatballs
20/11/08 14:53
Ok, I've been saving this one, it's the best yet.
No, it's not photoshopped, it's not from a foreign supermarket, I found it in none other than my local Morrisons.
Just to clarify: a faggot is a traditional British dish similar to a meatball. I don't know if there could be anything more wrong with Mr Brain's variety. The fact that they're called "Mr Brain's 4 Pork Faggots" couldn't get much worse, and I don't even want to know what the "rich west country sauce" might be.
I wonder if they've considered a re-brand. Better 50 years late than never.
Wiki: Faggot (food)
Anyone dare me to eat one?
No, it's not photoshopped, it's not from a foreign supermarket, I found it in none other than my local Morrisons.
Just to clarify: a faggot is a traditional British dish similar to a meatball. I don't know if there could be anything more wrong with Mr Brain's variety. The fact that they're called "Mr Brain's 4 Pork Faggots" couldn't get much worse, and I don't even want to know what the "rich west country sauce" might be.
I wonder if they've considered a re-brand. Better 50 years late than never.
Wiki: Faggot (food)
Anyone dare me to eat one?
The Peter Principal
15/11/08 14:36
Last night I came across the Peter Principle and I finally have a name for the disorder of management in retail stores, and other companies too.
Sorry if you already know all this, but I discovered it purely by accident and now have another piece of the puzzle that makes up Retail Hell.
So, the Peter Principle. It states that: in a hierarchy, members are promoted so long as they work competently, but they will eventually be promoted to a position at which they will be incompetent.
This explains so much! People in our store get promoted to management because they've displayed good skills in their previous position. That doesn't necessarily mean they possess the right skills to be a manager so they are no longer able to carry out their duties and the work is left to those of us who haven't reached our level of incompetence yet.
BINGO!
Although promotions are intended to reward hardworking employees with increased status and pay, it will eventually be detrimental to the company when the number of incompetent outnumber the competent. It may also lead to "creative incompetence", where people pretend to be incompetent to avoid promotion.
I don't feign incompetence, but I do avoid promotion.
I could take it one step further and refer to the Dilbert Principle. I really feel I'm being quite patronising here, but I'll explain anyway.
The Dilbert Principle (based on observations by Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams) states that: companies tend to systematically promote their least-competent employees to management in order to limit the amount of damage they're capable of doing.
This differs from the Peter Principle because it claims that incompetent employees are promoted intentionally to withdraw them from a position where they could cause the most harm (such as reducing product quality or offending customers).
Sorry if you already know all this, but I discovered it purely by accident and now have another piece of the puzzle that makes up Retail Hell.
So, the Peter Principle. It states that: in a hierarchy, members are promoted so long as they work competently, but they will eventually be promoted to a position at which they will be incompetent.
This explains so much! People in our store get promoted to management because they've displayed good skills in their previous position. That doesn't necessarily mean they possess the right skills to be a manager so they are no longer able to carry out their duties and the work is left to those of us who haven't reached our level of incompetence yet.
BINGO!
Although promotions are intended to reward hardworking employees with increased status and pay, it will eventually be detrimental to the company when the number of incompetent outnumber the competent. It may also lead to "creative incompetence", where people pretend to be incompetent to avoid promotion.
I don't feign incompetence, but I do avoid promotion.
I could take it one step further and refer to the Dilbert Principle. I really feel I'm being quite patronising here, but I'll explain anyway.
The Dilbert Principle (based on observations by Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams) states that: companies tend to systematically promote their least-competent employees to management in order to limit the amount of damage they're capable of doing.
This differs from the Peter Principle because it claims that incompetent employees are promoted intentionally to withdraw them from a position where they could cause the most harm (such as reducing product quality or offending customers).
At first I thought the Dilbert Principal applied more to my store, but I don't think that's true anymore because the managers are still present on the shop floor and are therefore still capable of doing damage, if not more damage than the lower-ranking employees.
I think it's more a case of people doing a good job beforehand, then get promoted and find themselves out of their depth and panic a little. It's also sometimes down to favouritism, age, and length of time they've been with the company.
I do know of a store that does operate on the Dilbert Principle (as well as the Peter Principle) instead of just sacking the people in question and it annoys the hell out of me, and I don't even work there!
I'm just glad I found a name and explanation for something I knew of but couldn't explain beforehand . Somethings always better with a name.
Like when the term "mugging" first gained popularity, there was an increase in the number of reported muggings, because people now had a name for it. That's just something I picked up in Psychology. It might not be entirely accurate, but it is vaguely true.
Wiki: The Peter Principle
Wiki: The Dilbert Principle
Dobbies Garden World
14/11/08 22:22
To carry on from the previous post, all I can think of to explain the unusual tidiness at Dobbies is that:
Honestly, if it weren't for the customers the store would have been like the Mary Celeste.
Everything was immaculate. The same calendars that we sell that always get in a mess and inevitably damaged were neatly stacked in rows, in perfect condition. Their craft department that sells the same stuff we do looks neater than my department ever has. I'm guessing they're not under any pressure to overload shelves and arms with all their stock, which looks like it's kept strictly to Do Crafts, unlike all the other cheap shit we get.
The only thing I recall seeing out of place was a tiny cookery book that wasn't stacked at a perpendicular angle to the edge of the table. That's it!
Something else that was really cool though was by their cafe there was a window with a sign that said "Bakery" overhead so you could watch them prepare all the cakes and buns. And those cakes looked very tasty!
We both sell a lot of the same stuff, but Dobbies has a more upmarket image so the customers seem to treat it better, and because it's quite a new store, everything is extra clean.
Also, because the shop floor is more open, it's easier to see if a customer is up to no good and because everything is on display, there's no need to rip open boxes.
It makes me a little annoyed that the company I work for has the "stack 'em high, sell em' cheap" attitude. It creates a lot more work and stress, most of it unnecessary, because they'd rather have stock overflowing onto the floor than a little bit more space and a few more displays which would make it easier for the customer.
All this makes me want to go and work for Dobbies. The store was pristine, the staff seemed more relaxed, and they weren't snowed under with stock. But who knows, the grass is always greener. Someone who used to work at our store went to work for Dobbies when it first opened, but they didn't last long. And maybe our store was once like theirs, and soon enough they'll be in the same mess we are.
- Customers have more respect for newer looking stores
- Although it looked like there was a lot of stock out, it was all spaced out with a lot of displays but not many items on the shelves. And there weren't that many shelves, for that matter
- Because everything was exceptionally tidy to begin with, it kept tidier for longer, and
- They hire ghosts which is why you can't see the staff
Honestly, if it weren't for the customers the store would have been like the Mary Celeste.
Everything was immaculate. The same calendars that we sell that always get in a mess and inevitably damaged were neatly stacked in rows, in perfect condition. Their craft department that sells the same stuff we do looks neater than my department ever has. I'm guessing they're not under any pressure to overload shelves and arms with all their stock, which looks like it's kept strictly to Do Crafts, unlike all the other cheap shit we get.
The only thing I recall seeing out of place was a tiny cookery book that wasn't stacked at a perpendicular angle to the edge of the table. That's it!
Something else that was really cool though was by their cafe there was a window with a sign that said "Bakery" overhead so you could watch them prepare all the cakes and buns. And those cakes looked very tasty!
We both sell a lot of the same stuff, but Dobbies has a more upmarket image so the customers seem to treat it better, and because it's quite a new store, everything is extra clean.
Also, because the shop floor is more open, it's easier to see if a customer is up to no good and because everything is on display, there's no need to rip open boxes.
It makes me a little annoyed that the company I work for has the "stack 'em high, sell em' cheap" attitude. It creates a lot more work and stress, most of it unnecessary, because they'd rather have stock overflowing onto the floor than a little bit more space and a few more displays which would make it easier for the customer.
All this makes me want to go and work for Dobbies. The store was pristine, the staff seemed more relaxed, and they weren't snowed under with stock. But who knows, the grass is always greener. Someone who used to work at our store went to work for Dobbies when it first opened, but they didn't last long. And maybe our store was once like theirs, and soon enough they'll be in the same mess we are.
Robot Santa Band
14/11/08 15:06
Yesterday, I took a trip to Dobbies Garden World. As soon as you walk in the door you're faced with a Santa band, mechanically singing Christmas songs, but ignoring that, the place was pretty much spotless. It was weird, not a staff member in sight and yet there was nothing out of place. I'll write more about it later. I haven't worked out how they managed it yet.
Retail-worker.com Fail
11/11/08 23:46
In my hunt to find more retail workers fighting back, I came across a forum called retail-worker.com. Great, I thought, and tried to sign up straight away. “Tried” being the key word there.
I enter my email and website, among other details and hit Submit, only to go back to the page a minute later and find an error message saying:
“Sorry, the email address has been banned. Sorry, the website appears to be spam. Sorry, the AIM ID appears to be spam. If you believe this is an error please continue registration without entering your AIM ID/website and contact the administrator.”
WTF? Either someone’s been masquerading as me and spamming or, I can’t even think of another reason. Maybe a forum about retail blocked emails and websites containing the word “retail” :/.
I managed to find an email for the mods so I asked them what the hell was going on but no one's got back to me, and I even tried signing up with a different email address (leaving out the website but still using a username with "retail" in it) but the administrator still hasn't activated my account.
I enter my email and website, among other details and hit Submit, only to go back to the page a minute later and find an error message saying:
“Sorry, the email address has been banned. Sorry, the website appears to be spam. Sorry, the AIM ID appears to be spam. If you believe this is an error please continue registration without entering your AIM ID/website and contact the administrator.”
WTF? Either someone’s been masquerading as me and spamming or, I can’t even think of another reason. Maybe a forum about retail blocked emails and websites containing the word “retail” :/.
I managed to find an email for the mods so I asked them what the hell was going on but no one's got back to me, and I even tried signing up with a different email address (leaving out the website but still using a username with "retail" in it) but the administrator still hasn't activated my account.
I think retail-worker.com just flipped me off. Anyone else a member?
Those Pesky Quarter Niners
11/11/08 18:18
Finalised blog design
08/11/08 22:03
The banner and “I <3 RT” blog logo were designed by Mark Adamson (www.maaku87.co.uk) so many thanks to him.
There is also a new poll up. I was thinking about starting a newsletter and would like to know if anyone’s interested.
The results from the last poll were: Restaurant-0 votes, call center-0 votes, shop-7 votes, other-1 vote. (What was the other?)
And last but not least. I love hearing from you in the comments, but if you have a retail hell story to share and would like to see it on the blog then get emailing. I can’t guarantee neon lights but you may find yourself with your very own post. You can submit your story using the Contact Me page...or through MySpace...or AIM.
Thanks,
RT
Grand Unveiling
05/11/08 01:01
I hope you all like it. Any problems, just let me know. I know I should have scheduled any maintenance for the early hours of the morning incase something goes disastrously wrong but I think I have everything covered.
Oh wait! It’s gone 1am already and I’m still awake while my boyfriend gives me a running commentary on the election. Damn you CNN!
Anyway, to point out a few things in particular: if you haven’t been following my Twitter then you can now see my latest three updates down the sidebar. Convenience!
And I’m not-so-secretly quite proud of my little drawing. :D
No doubt there’s still some tinkering to do; a few minor changes here and there, but for now...enjoy!
RT
Twinings Tea Bags: Special Lindt Edition
30/10/08 21:00
Retails of the Unexpected: A Review of a Review
27/10/08 21:29
After reviewing The Retail Chronicles a while back, and hearing about a few other retail-related books, I went hunting for some UK versions.
I didn’t find many. In fact, I found just one on Waterstones’ website. Other titles sounded promising, but they were so far down on the bestseller list they didn’t even have a cover, let alone a synopsis.
The one I did manage to find was Retails of the Unexpected by Mark Bradley, but instead of housing all kinds of weird and wonderful stories of the ubiquitous unpleasant customer between it’s covers, it actually sounds like he’s slagging us off.
He’s also written another book called Inconvenience Stores: One Year in U.K. Customer Service. This sounds a little more promising, as it highlights the best (and worst) of how companies treat their customers and employees.
I will probably never get round to reading these books and I’m not going to disparage the guy after reading just a handful of reviews. He must know what he’s talking about. Heck, he charges at least £2000 per talk, so I’ll blame the reviews for making it sound like we inflict the worst injustices upon people just because they have to queue and because we’re not walking encyclopedias.
Here’s one review for Retails of the Unexpected:
From bored shop assistants to helpless helpline operators, Britain languishes at the customer-service bottom of the barrel.
You suffer endless waits only to be served by someone who doesn't know or doesn't care. You get charged phenomenal amounts to pay with your credit card - and then your untoasted toasted sandwich arrives. UK consumers have long endured the world's worst treatment at the hands of all too many shops, businesses and organisations. And in our very British way, we're often too polite to complain! Now consumer crusader Mark Bradley is asking you to abandon your British reserve and start shouting about poor service. In his new book, Retails of the Unexpected, Bradley exposes the dire state of British customer service and urges us to do something about it.
Doesn’t sound very fair, does it? Although he sounds like a true partisan, I’m sure the book can’t be that one-sided, but here’s a few justifications:
So, basically, the only books available to me on the market at present are either management and marketing textbooks or a couple of books that says how shitty we are. Nice!
Not that the existence of Retails of the Unexpected was entirely...unexpected, but is the market not a little biased? I’m sure there’s more books out there, but is there so few from the retail-workers PoV because publishers think people aren’t interested, or are stores afraid to stock them because they may represent the views of their own staff?
I sure as hell don’t know, but I can’t be the only one who wants to read more.
I didn’t find many. In fact, I found just one on Waterstones’ website. Other titles sounded promising, but they were so far down on the bestseller list they didn’t even have a cover, let alone a synopsis.
He’s also written another book called Inconvenience Stores: One Year in U.K. Customer Service. This sounds a little more promising, as it highlights the best (and worst) of how companies treat their customers and employees.
I will probably never get round to reading these books and I’m not going to disparage the guy after reading just a handful of reviews. He must know what he’s talking about. Heck, he charges at least £2000 per talk, so I’ll blame the reviews for making it sound like we inflict the worst injustices upon people just because they have to queue and because we’re not walking encyclopedias.
Here’s one review for Retails of the Unexpected:
From bored shop assistants to helpless helpline operators, Britain languishes at the customer-service bottom of the barrel.
Doesn’t sound very fair, does it? Although he sounds like a true partisan, I’m sure the book can’t be that one-sided, but here’s a few justifications:
- After years of listening to ungrateful customers, it becomes very hard to show enthusiasm to every single person.
- We can’t know everything, but we can usually find someone who does know. For instance, if it’s A&C-related, I’ll be happy to help, but if you want to know more about enamel vs emulsion, just let me find someone from DIY. Be patient!
- People are not too polite to complain.
- Complaining is fine, as long as it’s done to the right people.
- This is not just a British problem!
So, basically, the only books available to me on the market at present are either management and marketing textbooks or a couple of books that says how shitty we are. Nice!
Not that the existence of Retails of the Unexpected was entirely...unexpected, but is the market not a little biased? I’m sure there’s more books out there, but is there so few from the retail-workers PoV because publishers think people aren’t interested, or are stores afraid to stock them because they may represent the views of their own staff?
I sure as hell don’t know, but I can’t be the only one who wants to read more.
Customer Wronged By Best Buy
14/10/08 23:52
This is just one of many derogatory stories about Best Buy and it just happened to be picked up on by Diggnation. There’s hundreds on The Consumerist; I really didn’t realise they were that bad, not that I have much experience with them seeing as we don’t have any in the UK, although they have teamed up with Carphone Warehouse so we may be seeing some stores here in the future. Watch this space...and this video.
Is it the only way to stay in business though? To just accept the customer is always right, even if they’re trying to pull a fast one and deliberately trying to cheat you out of something?
Will companies never prove the customer is wrong if it means losing business?
revision3.com/diggnation/
Is it the only way to stay in business though? To just accept the customer is always right, even if they’re trying to pull a fast one and deliberately trying to cheat you out of something?
Will companies never prove the customer is wrong if it means losing business?
revision3.com/diggnation/
Squidoo Lens: Get Your Retail Groove On.
10/10/08 14:06
It’s a breath of fresh air from all the inflammatory retail blogs *cough cough*, and is really geared towards people who want to get the most out of their retail experience, or perhaps feel they’ve achieved all they can in their current employment and want to develop further.
You may find something useful here. What I do know for certain is that I wish every manager was like LauraA.
squidoo.com/retailguru
McDonalds Walk-thru
07/10/08 18:22
There was a local annual fireworks display on this weekend. We arrived a bit late and only managed to catch the last half of the last display, and only got that far by making the car run on fumes (we’re an organsied bunch), so afterwards we had to pull over and use the emergency diesel that was in the boot.
Where we pulled up was opposite a McDonalds that usually operated a drive-thru but, in honour of the event and all the pedestrians, had converted it into a walk-thru.
I thought it was hilarious, even though I was really craving a McDonalds at the time and wasn’t prepared to get out the car.
A novel...and silly idea.
Where we pulled up was opposite a McDonalds that usually operated a drive-thru but, in honour of the event and all the pedestrians, had converted it into a walk-thru.
I thought it was hilarious, even though I was really craving a McDonalds at the time and wasn’t prepared to get out the car.
A novel...and silly idea.
Book Review: The Customer Is Always Wrong by Jeff Martin
30/09/08 19:54
While non-retail workers will find this an insightful read into the life of the lowly store clerk, for past and present retail workers it captures some of our most common customer encounters in an entertaining and almost endearing way.
It also contains tales of the not so ordinary-like Jim DeRegogatis’ visits to Al Rocky’s Music Store, and Wendy Spero’s stint of selling knives door-to-door.
Some stories are quirky, some contemptuous, and one left me in total disbelief, but most confirm that no matter what State you're in, customers remain the same.
There's the asshole customers, crazy customers, and James Wagner's customers with projects (which I get all too often), all following trends they're not even aware of, featherbrained as soon as they walk in the door.
Not all are quick to discredit their time served in retail though, or the fascinating people, customers and colleagues alike, that they met along the way.
Hilarious from the off, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's one of the few where I even bothered to read the foreword and introduction. So many familiar thoughts are there, and I found myself smiling and thinking to myself "Yes. Yes, I get that too".
Regardless of whether you’ve worked in retail or not, or even what country you live in, as I can say most stories are true for customers in the UK as well as the US, I would highly recommend this book. There’s some hard-earned lessons in this book that everyone needs to know.
The Customer Is Always Wrong: The Retail Chronicles is available in the US from Amazon.com, Powells.com and Booksense.com. RRP: $12.95
It is also available in the UK from Amazon.co.uk, but there's quite a lengthy dispatch period.
See www.softskull.com for more details, and also an excerpt from the book.
Argos-A Narnia of Household Goods
30/09/08 19:01
The Chronicles Of George
29/09/08 12:56
I was reminded of this site “The Chronicles of George” which showcases some of the troubleshooting tickets sent from George in helpdesk support to our narrator in desktop support. George obviously isn’t his real name, but even working in helpdesk support for a year didn’t improve his knowledge of computers, or even his grasp of the english language.
It’s hard to believe some of the things he says but it is hilarious. Worth a look.
It’s hard to believe some of the things he says but it is hilarious. Worth a look.
Accidental Fly Trap
25/09/08 16:47
Our store is having a massive move around this week, and while me and a colleague were putting stock back out we found this:
They’re “crunchy chocolate cookie” scented candles avec houseflies. How crunchy is a smell, I don’t know, but the flies are obviously a fan. I’ve no idea how they got in there, and they had no idea how to get out so it became their tomb.
I was tempted to put it back on the shelf, but instead I left it in the warehouse for someone to find the next morning.
One guy almost threw up over it. He has just got out of hospital though so I’ll let him off.
I was tempted to put it back on the shelf, but instead I left it in the warehouse for someone to find the next morning.
One guy almost threw up over it. He has just got out of hospital though so I’ll let him off.
RT's Parenting Tips
20/09/08 16:18
Do you constantly smell of sick?
Is there an incessant crying in your ears?
Having trouble sleeping?
Less money than you used to have?
Well, I’ve got some good news and bad news folks. The good news is I have a diagnosis; the bad news is you’ve got a kid.
But before you panic, try reading the following tips that may answer some on your concerns.
“What can I do about this...child?”
Well, first of all you want it to be healthy. Feed it right-no E numbers, and if anything red comes out of it, that’s bad.
The next thing you want to aim for is obedience. An obedient child makes for a happy parent. Positive and negative reinforcements will reward your child for good behaviour. Discipline bad behaviour by imposing sanctions, i.e.-no TV. If these fail-beat it!
“How do I know I’m treating it right?”
If you’ve been disciplining and rewarding your child correctly, you should be able to take it out the house without much embarrassment. At the very least, they should always remember to say “Please” and “Thankyou” and only need to be told once to do (or not do) something. If you’ve done exceptionally well, you won’t even notice they’re there.
However, if your child starts to cry or scream in an effort to gets it’s own way, you should march it straight back home. Whatever you do, do not give them what they want, whether it be a packet of sweets or to get out their pram. You will only be rewarding this bad behaviour and therefore increase the likelihood of it occurring again.
Avoid shouting at all costs. This will only draw attention to your poor parenting skills. You must never let them out of your sight either, especially in public. It is easy to assume they will be tempted to mess with things they shouldn’t when you are not there to witness any rule breaking.
“My child’s impossible! What can I do?”
If you still find your child is behaving uncontrollably, you’ve failed as a parent. Go to your GP to try and identify any biological factors that could be causing their bad behaviour, but if you’ve been feeding them E numbers and spoiling them then you’ve only got yourself to blame.
That’s it for now, people. More parenting tips coming soon, when I next have to deal with demon spawn running riot in the store.
(I can see me having to write a disclaimer for this one)
Is there an incessant crying in your ears?
Having trouble sleeping?
Less money than you used to have?
But before you panic, try reading the following tips that may answer some on your concerns.
“What can I do about this...child?”
Well, first of all you want it to be healthy. Feed it right-no E numbers, and if anything red comes out of it, that’s bad.
The next thing you want to aim for is obedience. An obedient child makes for a happy parent. Positive and negative reinforcements will reward your child for good behaviour. Discipline bad behaviour by imposing sanctions, i.e.-no TV. If these fail-beat it!
“How do I know I’m treating it right?”
If you’ve been disciplining and rewarding your child correctly, you should be able to take it out the house without much embarrassment. At the very least, they should always remember to say “Please” and “Thankyou” and only need to be told once to do (or not do) something. If you’ve done exceptionally well, you won’t even notice they’re there.
However, if your child starts to cry or scream in an effort to gets it’s own way, you should march it straight back home. Whatever you do, do not give them what they want, whether it be a packet of sweets or to get out their pram. You will only be rewarding this bad behaviour and therefore increase the likelihood of it occurring again.
Avoid shouting at all costs. This will only draw attention to your poor parenting skills. You must never let them out of your sight either, especially in public. It is easy to assume they will be tempted to mess with things they shouldn’t when you are not there to witness any rule breaking.
If you still find your child is behaving uncontrollably, you’ve failed as a parent. Go to your GP to try and identify any biological factors that could be causing their bad behaviour, but if you’ve been feeding them E numbers and spoiling them then you’ve only got yourself to blame.
That’s it for now, people. More parenting tips coming soon, when I next have to deal with demon spawn running riot in the store.
(I can see me having to write a disclaimer for this one)
ROFLrazzi
16/09/08 23:11
If you’re not a follower of icanhascheezburger or ihasahotdog, then a) why?!, and b) you won’t know the makers have introduced a new site called ROFLrazzi, where you can add captions to pictures of celebs and screenshots from films and TV shows.
Funnier than I thought it would be, my favourite so far is this one:
(Stargate SG1 and Atlantis happen to be my most favourite TV shows ever!)
So go and check out ROFLrazzi. This ones definitely going on my blogroll.
Funnier than I thought it would be, my favourite so far is this one:
(Stargate SG1 and Atlantis happen to be my most favourite TV shows ever!)
So go and check out ROFLrazzi. This ones definitely going on my blogroll.
Apple Mocks Their Own EasyPay
15/09/08 12:15
This is a funny video made by some employees at the LA Apple Store about their EasyPay system. I was looking for this because rumour had it that everyone involved got fired. Wrong! Apparently this is an internal video for Apple and not intended for public viewing, but I thought it was funny anyway.
(Update: The video was not commissioned by Apple, but they thought it was so good, they used it during the widespread roll-out of EasyPay. If you still don’t know what EasyPay is, maybe you should watch the video :D)
RT Turns Into Cry Baby Customer
26/08/08 14:15
I’m looking on Amazon for some books and I looked at the sellers in the “new & used” section and found one of the sellers actually operates from my town. So I try and look up a phone number but they’re listed at at least 3 addresses so I have to email them, and getting a reply will take time.
All I want to do is just go round and get a book because there’s no point paying postage when it’s only travelling about half a mile. Why have they made it so difficult to contact them? All I ask is a phone number. Every business has a phone number.
Now who’s the impatient customer? I can feel a little tantrum bubbling. I’m tempted just to go to Waterstones but the seller sounds nice so I want to buy from them.
It sucks! I want my books!
All I want to do is just go round and get a book because there’s no point paying postage when it’s only travelling about half a mile. Why have they made it so difficult to contact them? All I ask is a phone number. Every business has a phone number.
Now who’s the impatient customer? I can feel a little tantrum bubbling. I’m tempted just to go to Waterstones but the seller sounds nice so I want to buy from them.
It sucks! I want my books!
RT Gets Philosophical Again
13/08/08 23:00
Is there such thing as a retail heaven? As in the opposite of our day-to-day living hell.
I thought I’d found it, not personally, but from what I’d heard from someone (who shall remain nameless) who went to work for some big ass, successful company (which shall also remain nameless) I thought they’d pretty much hit the jackpot.
Promises of rotas 3 weeks in advance, competitive pay and great perks, fantastic company ethos, and so far it hasn’t gone too wrong.
My employee handbook is full of emtpy promises - intolerance of harrassment and bullying, discussions and advanced notice of changing working hours, and so far they havent fulfilled one.
But no matter how high this company is on the “best retail employer” list, a shop is still a shop. You could have the best management in the world and customers are still going to treat you like crap.
So is it worth getting trodden on by the public for an extra £2 an hour more than your counterparts? Or is it as soul-destroying as the rest of our retail jobs? They certainly work in a better atmosphere, safe in the knowledge that the company isn’t going to go under, and most people get along great which obviously makes a massive difference to job satisfaction.
Maybe it’s just another one of those things that can neither be proved nor disproved. What constitutes as retail hell most people would probably agree on, but one person’s retail heaven will differ from the next. Generally speaking, retail heaven must have: nice customers, nice management, and pay above minimum wage; but my personal retail heaven would either be: a nice little craft shop where I could spend most of the day doing my own little crafty projects while serving the odd customer; or a book shop that only sold books that I’d read or was planning to read so that customers would only ask me for books that I knew, and then we could talk about it in depth when they came back in. Obviously, neither exist so there is no retail heaven for me *sniff*. I don’t ask for much, lol.
Seriously though, I would enjoy my job a lot more if the company just kept it’s word and treated people fairly. Angry customers wouldn’t be such a problem then.
So, let me know if you’ve found your retail heaven, or know that it exists. I’m dying to know (no pun intended, lol).
I thought I’d found it, not personally, but from what I’d heard from someone (who shall remain nameless) who went to work for some big ass, successful company (which shall also remain nameless) I thought they’d pretty much hit the jackpot.
Promises of rotas 3 weeks in advance, competitive pay and great perks, fantastic company ethos, and so far it hasn’t gone too wrong.
My employee handbook is full of emtpy promises - intolerance of harrassment and bullying, discussions and advanced notice of changing working hours, and so far they havent fulfilled one.
But no matter how high this company is on the “best retail employer” list, a shop is still a shop. You could have the best management in the world and customers are still going to treat you like crap.
So is it worth getting trodden on by the public for an extra £2 an hour more than your counterparts? Or is it as soul-destroying as the rest of our retail jobs? They certainly work in a better atmosphere, safe in the knowledge that the company isn’t going to go under, and most people get along great which obviously makes a massive difference to job satisfaction.
Maybe it’s just another one of those things that can neither be proved nor disproved. What constitutes as retail hell most people would probably agree on, but one person’s retail heaven will differ from the next. Generally speaking, retail heaven must have: nice customers, nice management, and pay above minimum wage; but my personal retail heaven would either be: a nice little craft shop where I could spend most of the day doing my own little crafty projects while serving the odd customer; or a book shop that only sold books that I’d read or was planning to read so that customers would only ask me for books that I knew, and then we could talk about it in depth when they came back in. Obviously, neither exist so there is no retail heaven for me *sniff*. I don’t ask for much, lol.
Seriously though, I would enjoy my job a lot more if the company just kept it’s word and treated people fairly. Angry customers wouldn’t be such a problem then.
So, let me know if you’ve found your retail heaven, or know that it exists. I’m dying to know (no pun intended, lol).
Dump Duty
13/08/08 22:01
