(no subject)
[J]
In which I bitch.
Mad Men, Desperate Housewives, The Riches, and Six Feet Under are three great shows that I can't stand. It didn't start off that way. There was a time when I loved these shows, especially Six Feet Under. However, after the first or second season of each, the characters started to change. They became unlikeable, they made bad decisions, and generally behaved badly. I don't know why I can't watch television shows with unlikeable characters, but there you go. It's not the same with books. My favorite books to read are those with flawed main characters; characters with such ambiguous consciences that they are practically antagonists. I love those books. They don't bother me at all. If I have to watch them in action, though, forget it.
Sometimes people make me nuts. Some of my coworkers, for example. So, the store changes a lot. The pants that are hung at the front of the store on Monday may be in the back of the store on Tuesday. Moving things around and rearranging merchandise is how we keep things fresh and desirable. I'm part of the team that does the moving around, and most of the time, I know where things are. It is perfectly reasonable, therefore, for sales associates to ask me where stuff is.
However.
I generally only work three days a week. If I haven't been in the store for three days, how the hell am I supposed to know where the salmon colored oxford shirts are? The wrinkle-resistant one, not the stretch satin, and in size 6 petite? I know where it was three days ago, but if it's not there now, your guess is as good as mine. I don't, can't, and don't desire to have a running inventory of the few thousand pieces of merchandise this store carries in my brain at all times. I can't tell you how many times I have this conversation:
"Jennifer, do we have any more of those extended tab pants, the boot cut ones, in gray? I can't find them."
"I'm sorry, I don't know."
"It's just that they were here yesterday and now I can't find them."
"Yes. I haven't been here since Monday, so (other coworkers) may have moved them."
"Yeah, this customer really wants them so I need to know if we have any more."
"I don't know where they are." How many times do I need to say this?
"Do we have any in the back?"
"I don't know." Did you even look in the computerized inventory? It takes like two seconds!
"Didn't we get some more on Tuesday? I thought a shipment came in."
"I don't know." Jesus.
"Do you think maybe another store has them?"
Oh my freaking god, kill me now.
I'm happy to look for whatever godforsaken pair of crappy pants these people want, but for the love of god, "I don't know" means exactly that. I don't know, as in, I myself would have to look, so stop asking! What these people want, really, is for me to do all the seeking and finding. Whatever. That's kinda my job. It's the time wasting that gets me.
Especially when they start these conversations on my lunch break.
In which I bitch.
Mad Men, Desperate Housewives, The Riches, and Six Feet Under are three great shows that I can't stand. It didn't start off that way. There was a time when I loved these shows, especially Six Feet Under. However, after the first or second season of each, the characters started to change. They became unlikeable, they made bad decisions, and generally behaved badly. I don't know why I can't watch television shows with unlikeable characters, but there you go. It's not the same with books. My favorite books to read are those with flawed main characters; characters with such ambiguous consciences that they are practically antagonists. I love those books. They don't bother me at all. If I have to watch them in action, though, forget it.
Sometimes people make me nuts. Some of my coworkers, for example. So, the store changes a lot. The pants that are hung at the front of the store on Monday may be in the back of the store on Tuesday. Moving things around and rearranging merchandise is how we keep things fresh and desirable. I'm part of the team that does the moving around, and most of the time, I know where things are. It is perfectly reasonable, therefore, for sales associates to ask me where stuff is.
However.
I generally only work three days a week. If I haven't been in the store for three days, how the hell am I supposed to know where the salmon colored oxford shirts are? The wrinkle-resistant one, not the stretch satin, and in size 6 petite? I know where it was three days ago, but if it's not there now, your guess is as good as mine. I don't, can't, and don't desire to have a running inventory of the few thousand pieces of merchandise this store carries in my brain at all times. I can't tell you how many times I have this conversation:
"Jennifer, do we have any more of those extended tab pants, the boot cut ones, in gray? I can't find them."
"I'm sorry, I don't know."
"It's just that they were here yesterday and now I can't find them."
"Yes. I haven't been here since Monday, so (other coworkers) may have moved them."
"Yeah, this customer really wants them so I need to know if we have any more."
"I don't know where they are." How many times do I need to say this?
"Do we have any in the back?"
"I don't know." Did you even look in the computerized inventory? It takes like two seconds!
"Didn't we get some more on Tuesday? I thought a shipment came in."
"I don't know." Jesus.
"Do you think maybe another store has them?"
Oh my freaking god, kill me now.
I'm happy to look for whatever godforsaken pair of crappy pants these people want, but for the love of god, "I don't know" means exactly that. I don't know, as in, I myself would have to look, so stop asking! What these people want, really, is for me to do all the seeking and finding. Whatever. That's kinda my job. It's the time wasting that gets me.
Especially when they start these conversations on my lunch break.