Big Red
Well, I did it. I signed up and now work for The Big Red Easy, the evil arch-enemy of The Company Formally Known As Kinko's (RIP). And it's different.
The downside: A bit of a pay cut (over a decade as a Kinkoid did add up), fewer hours and benefits (now I'm part-time).
The upside:
-- Part of a team at work (I'm NEVER alone in the store; I spent about half my hours at F-Off solo in the center), which means I have people I can ask for help when needed
-- Don't get called for stupid questions at home
-- A huge decrease in stress
-- Corporate BS is down by about three levels of magnitude
-- Don't have to deal with shit-heel Express driver with Napoleon complex
-- Actually get to show off my technical expertise in far more areas
-- Get to see a LOT of my old customers (Big Red is almost across the street from my old center) and hear how much more it sucks since I left
-- I'm occasionally working with Moose again (there's a scary thought)
-- Actual employee discount on stuff
-- Considerably fewer psychopathic/sociopathic customers
-- More chance to actually help customers in meaningful fashion (I had one lady who was in rehab for repetitive motion injuries, and set her up with several products that could really help her recover her productivity, like an ergonomic keyboard)
-- Big Red has much, much, much cooler commercials; F-Off hasn't had good ones since the Burt Reynolds Superbowl ones and the days of Kenny The Kinkoid
So far, I like it. I like it quite a bit.
Of course, this puts me in a rather awkward position, as I am the nominal "leader" of this group (well, technically, "maintainer") and now I work for one of their biggest competitors. I will cheerfully pass on the reins to an actual current employee (I'm sorry, "Team Member") of F-Off if anyone would like to volunteer to do so. Or, if they like, stay on as "co-maintainer."
Somehow, though, I've gotten the vibe that no one is overly interested in taking that on. And, quite frankly, it's so little work that I don't mind. But I just wanna put the matter out there.
That Was Easy!
The downside: A bit of a pay cut (over a decade as a Kinkoid did add up), fewer hours and benefits (now I'm part-time).
The upside:
-- Part of a team at work (I'm NEVER alone in the store; I spent about half my hours at F-Off solo in the center), which means I have people I can ask for help when needed
-- Don't get called for stupid questions at home
-- A huge decrease in stress
-- Corporate BS is down by about three levels of magnitude
-- Don't have to deal with shit-heel Express driver with Napoleon complex
-- Actually get to show off my technical expertise in far more areas
-- Get to see a LOT of my old customers (Big Red is almost across the street from my old center) and hear how much more it sucks since I left
-- I'm occasionally working with Moose again (there's a scary thought)
-- Actual employee discount on stuff
-- Considerably fewer psychopathic/sociopathic customers
-- More chance to actually help customers in meaningful fashion (I had one lady who was in rehab for repetitive motion injuries, and set her up with several products that could really help her recover her productivity, like an ergonomic keyboard)
-- Big Red has much, much, much cooler commercials; F-Off hasn't had good ones since the Burt Reynolds Superbowl ones and the days of Kenny The Kinkoid
So far, I like it. I like it quite a bit.
Of course, this puts me in a rather awkward position, as I am the nominal "leader" of this group (well, technically, "maintainer") and now I work for one of their biggest competitors. I will cheerfully pass on the reins to an actual current employee (I'm sorry, "Team Member") of F-Off if anyone would like to volunteer to do so. Or, if they like, stay on as "co-maintainer."
Somehow, though, I've gotten the vibe that no one is overly interested in taking that on. And, quite frankly, it's so little work that I don't mind. But I just wanna put the matter out there.
That Was Easy!