(no subject)
Hmm...I have to wonder now if staying up until 6am was, mayhaps, a bad idea. I feel fine at the moment, I just hope I don't crash and burn at work. Or on the road. XD
Yeah, that wasn't very funny. Sorry guys. The heat isn't helping at all, just adds to the addling of my brain. I woke up this morning (and by morning I mean afternoon, but gimme a break I was up until 6am! >_<;) and it was 82 degrees in my room. I'm thankful I hadn't yet begun to melt. .___.
So now the ACs in the house are all on full blast, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the chill. Go me.
Off to work in about an hour, le sigh. For the curious among you, I woke up early yesterday and went in for a few hours in semi-scrubby clothes and spent my morning dusting, straightening, and generally tidying up our humble little store. Karen, my manager, was holding herself back from practically bursting into tears, she was so happy. XD The reason for all these extra goings on being that our floorset begins this week.
I don't know if I've explained it before, but I will again for those of you who do not yet know and would like to understand exactly what it is I mean when I talk about floorset. Monica came to visit me with Mary and Jordan (if my memory serves me correctly...LAHB YA MON!!! :D) and I might have weirded them out the last time I practically shoved them outta the store during a floorset week. XD
Anyhoo, floorset isn't something that happens in every Brookstone store. We're just cool like that, lucky us. >___>;
For those of you who've ever worked at setting up new promotional posters, products, etc. in current or prior jobs, you know that someone is responsible for setting up the displays so that they looked at least halfway decent. For many places (I won't say all cuz I don't know that for a fact) there are binders or books of sorts that the managers keep which have pictures and instructions on how to construct a specific display for different items so that they look neat and appealing, and are also uniform. Meaning that if you walked into the same store fifty miles away, the same items would be displayed in the same area in the exact same formations. It keeps the stores and the business itself looking professional.
Brookstone's corporate office is no longer down by the south school on Riverside, as some of you may know. They moved to Merrimack off exit 11. Seeing as our store is still disturbingly close to Corporate, we often see their employees coming in for discounts, their bosses during holidays, and we get the ugly joys of floorset. Floorset is when the head honchos as Corporate come into our store with all the new items that have yet to be released, but will be sold throughout the country within the coming year. The Visual Merchandising, Operations, and Design teams all flood into the store and begin to rearrange the entire "floor" -- the floor is the store area, for those of you who've never worked retail. In other words, it's what you, the customer, comes in and wanders around in. Anyhoo, moving along...
The whole store practically gets a makeover in the process, and then the Visual people, deeming the displays satisfactory, take numerous pictures of the different sections/"worlds" in the store. Brookstone's "worlds" are divided into sections like travel, recreation, garden, business, etc. These pictures are then put into the binders that are held at each Brookstone store in the country, with instructions on how to configure each display to match those in the book. So we are in fact an integral part of the process. Pretty cool, ne? No, not really. -___-;
Floorset is a royal pain in the ass. It's like trying to do your job and walk on eggshells on a nailbed at the same time without cracking even one. One sideways glance from any of the Corporate People could cost you your job, your friends' jobs, and your bosses' jobs. On top of that, as I said, we have to continue to be a functioning store as all this is going on. This means dealing with the total rearranging of the store and the fact that half the items actually in the store at the time aren't even on sale, and probably won't be for a bare minimum of three to four months, if we get them at all. After all, not every store gets every item the company sells. But try explaining that to customers, some with IQs that couldn't stand up to the mental prowess of a wilted, soggy cabbage leaf. Each sample item is clearly labeled as such, with a display card reading SAMPLE -- This items not currently for sale directly in front of each item and on every shelf. But the ever-brilliant customers will take them and proceed to the register, ask for a price check, and sometimes even demand we sell it to them despite the fact that it is physically impossible for us to do so, considering the items aren't even in the entered into the system at this point. So after soothing ruffled feathers (or just kicking them out of the store for causing a ruckus,) we must take the items back to the shelves and make absolutely sure they look completely untouched since the initial setup put into place by Visual.
Note that through the whole week this is going on, Operations is watching us like starving hawks eying a litter of newborn kittens abandoned in an open field. Adding to the stress is the fact that all three teams tend to resemble spoiled rich children. They bicker amongst themselves and blame eachother's departments if sales are down, get all huffy over it, and then stalk us for the rest of the day. Huzzah. Not that all the people are bad. Several who've seen me for prior floorsets smiles, wave, and/or come over for a quick, friendly chat. But the majority still look at us like we're something they stepped in wearing brand new imported Italian leather shoes, and a scant few are not at all shy at telling us exactly what they think of us -- or at least voicing their opinions loud enough to one another to ensure we overhear. But that's not everyone, just a select few who are actually that intolerable. But adding even more so to this is the constant presence of our District Manager, and the ever-random surprise visits by our Regional Manager. Worse yet, the RM hates us hardcore, and likes to hide out in stores across from us like Disney or Beldens and watch us for half a day while staying hidden. Even worse, he doesn't just watch us himself; he'll call the managers of the other stores and have them watch us and report back to him on everything, right down to the very last detail. And heaven help us if that store isn't completely devoid of even the merest iota of dust...which is why I've spent my last three shifts cleaning and went in for a few extra hours yesterday. So if any of you see me working this week, go ahead and wave -- but if my expression looks like I've just been informed of the set date of my execution by firing squad, do me a favor and just keep walking. XD
Anyhow, I have to get ready for work. I'm on 4pm-8pm tonight, and I have to leave in another 25 minutes or so. See you on the flip side, kiddies. Ciao~
Oh yes, a quick last note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DELMORE!!! n____n
Yeah, that wasn't very funny. Sorry guys. The heat isn't helping at all, just adds to the addling of my brain. I woke up this morning (and by morning I mean afternoon, but gimme a break I was up until 6am! >_<;) and it was 82 degrees in my room. I'm thankful I hadn't yet begun to melt. .___.
So now the ACs in the house are all on full blast, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the chill. Go me.
Off to work in about an hour, le sigh. For the curious among you, I woke up early yesterday and went in for a few hours in semi-scrubby clothes and spent my morning dusting, straightening, and generally tidying up our humble little store. Karen, my manager, was holding herself back from practically bursting into tears, she was so happy. XD The reason for all these extra goings on being that our floorset begins this week.
I don't know if I've explained it before, but I will again for those of you who do not yet know and would like to understand exactly what it is I mean when I talk about floorset. Monica came to visit me with Mary and Jordan (if my memory serves me correctly...LAHB YA MON!!! :D) and I might have weirded them out the last time I practically shoved them outta the store during a floorset week. XD
Anyhoo, floorset isn't something that happens in every Brookstone store. We're just cool like that, lucky us. >___>;
For those of you who've ever worked at setting up new promotional posters, products, etc. in current or prior jobs, you know that someone is responsible for setting up the displays so that they looked at least halfway decent. For many places (I won't say all cuz I don't know that for a fact) there are binders or books of sorts that the managers keep which have pictures and instructions on how to construct a specific display for different items so that they look neat and appealing, and are also uniform. Meaning that if you walked into the same store fifty miles away, the same items would be displayed in the same area in the exact same formations. It keeps the stores and the business itself looking professional.
Brookstone's corporate office is no longer down by the south school on Riverside, as some of you may know. They moved to Merrimack off exit 11. Seeing as our store is still disturbingly close to Corporate, we often see their employees coming in for discounts, their bosses during holidays, and we get the ugly joys of floorset. Floorset is when the head honchos as Corporate come into our store with all the new items that have yet to be released, but will be sold throughout the country within the coming year. The Visual Merchandising, Operations, and Design teams all flood into the store and begin to rearrange the entire "floor" -- the floor is the store area, for those of you who've never worked retail. In other words, it's what you, the customer, comes in and wanders around in. Anyhoo, moving along...
The whole store practically gets a makeover in the process, and then the Visual people, deeming the displays satisfactory, take numerous pictures of the different sections/"worlds" in the store. Brookstone's "worlds" are divided into sections like travel, recreation, garden, business, etc. These pictures are then put into the binders that are held at each Brookstone store in the country, with instructions on how to configure each display to match those in the book. So we are in fact an integral part of the process. Pretty cool, ne? No, not really. -___-;
Floorset is a royal pain in the ass. It's like trying to do your job and walk on eggshells on a nailbed at the same time without cracking even one. One sideways glance from any of the Corporate People could cost you your job, your friends' jobs, and your bosses' jobs. On top of that, as I said, we have to continue to be a functioning store as all this is going on. This means dealing with the total rearranging of the store and the fact that half the items actually in the store at the time aren't even on sale, and probably won't be for a bare minimum of three to four months, if we get them at all. After all, not every store gets every item the company sells. But try explaining that to customers, some with IQs that couldn't stand up to the mental prowess of a wilted, soggy cabbage leaf. Each sample item is clearly labeled as such, with a display card reading SAMPLE -- This items not currently for sale directly in front of each item and on every shelf. But the ever-brilliant customers will take them and proceed to the register, ask for a price check, and sometimes even demand we sell it to them despite the fact that it is physically impossible for us to do so, considering the items aren't even in the entered into the system at this point. So after soothing ruffled feathers (or just kicking them out of the store for causing a ruckus,) we must take the items back to the shelves and make absolutely sure they look completely untouched since the initial setup put into place by Visual.
Note that through the whole week this is going on, Operations is watching us like starving hawks eying a litter of newborn kittens abandoned in an open field. Adding to the stress is the fact that all three teams tend to resemble spoiled rich children. They bicker amongst themselves and blame eachother's departments if sales are down, get all huffy over it, and then stalk us for the rest of the day. Huzzah. Not that all the people are bad. Several who've seen me for prior floorsets smiles, wave, and/or come over for a quick, friendly chat. But the majority still look at us like we're something they stepped in wearing brand new imported Italian leather shoes, and a scant few are not at all shy at telling us exactly what they think of us -- or at least voicing their opinions loud enough to one another to ensure we overhear. But that's not everyone, just a select few who are actually that intolerable. But adding even more so to this is the constant presence of our District Manager, and the ever-random surprise visits by our Regional Manager. Worse yet, the RM hates us hardcore, and likes to hide out in stores across from us like Disney or Beldens and watch us for half a day while staying hidden. Even worse, he doesn't just watch us himself; he'll call the managers of the other stores and have them watch us and report back to him on everything, right down to the very last detail. And heaven help us if that store isn't completely devoid of even the merest iota of dust...which is why I've spent my last three shifts cleaning and went in for a few extra hours yesterday. So if any of you see me working this week, go ahead and wave -- but if my expression looks like I've just been informed of the set date of my execution by firing squad, do me a favor and just keep walking. XD
Anyhow, I have to get ready for work. I'm on 4pm-8pm tonight, and I have to leave in another 25 minutes or so. See you on the flip side, kiddies. Ciao~
Oh yes, a quick last note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DELMORE!!! n____n