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This week didn't start off that well for me- I had to call in sick with a migraine on Tuesday, after trying to fight it off for the better part of a week. But it ended well.
I actually usually have a really good day on Friday 13th. I laughed and joked with customers, got most of my annoying little loose end jobs tidied up.
My poor manager MD, on the other hand, has not had a good week at all. She's dealt with whiny, bitchy custom make customers all week whose houses she has had to go out to, and none of whom are satisfied, despite her doing everything in her power to put things right.
Then today, some bloke HIT HER.
I was booking an appointment for a measure and quote at the new home of a lovely ex-pat Quebecois gentleman with a Doctor Who ringtone on his phone (I quipped, "I like you even better now!" and he laughed with genuine pleasure), and MD was at the next counter over talking to an older man and his lady wife. Next thing I know, I hear MD say in a hard, clear voice,
"I'm SORRY, that sort of behaviour is not acceptable in my store. I'm not prepared to put up with that. Please leave the store now."
I look up, the bloke is stood there looking furious, and for some reason the first thing I think of is that he had spat at her- I'm not sure why.
My customer and I are both frozen on the spot. We both kind of blue-screened, I guess; customers randomly whacking staff is not the sort of thing that tends to happen on a regular basis in my part of the world, especially in the soft furnishings trade.
MD's bloke storms off, and the quietly spoken wife (QSW) hangs back until after he goes out. MD goes into the office for a little, then comes out, and QSW approaches, softly apologizing on hubby's behalf.
MD had composed herself by then, and I heard her say to QSW-
"When he calms down, tell him these are the measurements our factory needs for making the blind..."
I turned back to my customer and we resumed our business, both somewhat dazed. " No-one should be hitting anyone." said he, and I nodded absently. I wrote his appointment time on a card, and he went to look at fabric samples.
After all the customers had left the store, MD hot foots it to the office again, and I cautiously follow.
I don't know how the conversation between MD and this guy went, but it seems he lost his temper with her and rapped her across the back of the hand like she was a naughty schoolgirl!
She then plants herself at her desk, drops her head onto her arms and half laughs, half wails, "No more.... no more horrible customers! I've had enough this week!"
She had already arranged to leave two hours early today, as she was heading out of town, but even if she hadn't, I think she would have needed to after all that!
Other stuff from this week that (hopefully) got resolved today-
H-Curtains has recently started doing finance for larger purchases thru Purple Finance Company. We already accepted Purple Finance cards as payment from existing card holders as swiped thru the card reader, but now we are also doing our own finance deals thru them, and it's being promoted on our website and in store.
We've had a couple training sessions with one of their reps, but we are all pretty apprehensive about all what's required. We are certainly not keen on getting new card signups. Mostly I think it will be existing PFC cardholders doing a separate finance package for their custom job from us.
Hard-ass Rep flat out refused to even suggest it to any of her clients. Sweetie Rep was a bit more receptive, and so our very first Purple Finance deal customer was one of her clients.
This lady came in Wednesday to pay her deposit. She was a total darling- patient and funny, and very understanding that this process was extremely new to us.
I put her payment thru.
I stuffed it up.
I swiped it thru the card reader instead of doing a new finance deal.
Luckily for me, the Retail manager was visiting us. I went and pleaded for help, and the sweetie that she is, helped me out. She and MD helped the customer from there, and after a call to PFC helpline, we got it sorted out.
Or so we thought.
We get a reply email saying the scan of the sales voucher was illegible. I looked at it- and spotted the biggest problem of all.
One of the things that stood out for me during training was getting the voucher signed. There's a box for the staff member to sign in, and a line for the customer to sign on. If the customer signs in the box and you sign on the line- they bounce it. Nope. No dice. Do it again.
Customer sig- in the box.
Retail manager sig- nowhere to be seen.
The same retail manager that was now back in Head Office City, a 50 min plane trip or 8 hour drive away.
MD calls her on Thursday- she's actually visiting another store which is roughly midway between us and Head office City. Suggest faxing reprinted voucher to her to sign, fax back, customer comes in to re-sign, then send off. Ugh.
Go to website, try to work out how to reprint docket. ugh.
Call PFC helpline, get talked thru finding reprint button, reprint, yay!
Discover that whoever logs in to do reprint is the staff member whose name appears in box to sign, so no faxing needed, yay!!!
Call customer to explain, beg and scrape and apologize, customer is utter darling and comes back Friday to sign flaming voucher, YAY!!!
I was so pleased with today (bar hand whacking man, yikes) I haven't even needed to start drinking my bottle of plum cider yet.
I actually usually have a really good day on Friday 13th. I laughed and joked with customers, got most of my annoying little loose end jobs tidied up.
My poor manager MD, on the other hand, has not had a good week at all. She's dealt with whiny, bitchy custom make customers all week whose houses she has had to go out to, and none of whom are satisfied, despite her doing everything in her power to put things right.
Then today, some bloke HIT HER.
I was booking an appointment for a measure and quote at the new home of a lovely ex-pat Quebecois gentleman with a Doctor Who ringtone on his phone (I quipped, "I like you even better now!" and he laughed with genuine pleasure), and MD was at the next counter over talking to an older man and his lady wife. Next thing I know, I hear MD say in a hard, clear voice,
"I'm SORRY, that sort of behaviour is not acceptable in my store. I'm not prepared to put up with that. Please leave the store now."
I look up, the bloke is stood there looking furious, and for some reason the first thing I think of is that he had spat at her- I'm not sure why.
My customer and I are both frozen on the spot. We both kind of blue-screened, I guess; customers randomly whacking staff is not the sort of thing that tends to happen on a regular basis in my part of the world, especially in the soft furnishings trade.
MD's bloke storms off, and the quietly spoken wife (QSW) hangs back until after he goes out. MD goes into the office for a little, then comes out, and QSW approaches, softly apologizing on hubby's behalf.
MD had composed herself by then, and I heard her say to QSW-
"When he calms down, tell him these are the measurements our factory needs for making the blind..."
I turned back to my customer and we resumed our business, both somewhat dazed. " No-one should be hitting anyone." said he, and I nodded absently. I wrote his appointment time on a card, and he went to look at fabric samples.
After all the customers had left the store, MD hot foots it to the office again, and I cautiously follow.
I don't know how the conversation between MD and this guy went, but it seems he lost his temper with her and rapped her across the back of the hand like she was a naughty schoolgirl!
She then plants herself at her desk, drops her head onto her arms and half laughs, half wails, "No more.... no more horrible customers! I've had enough this week!"
She had already arranged to leave two hours early today, as she was heading out of town, but even if she hadn't, I think she would have needed to after all that!
Other stuff from this week that (hopefully) got resolved today-
H-Curtains has recently started doing finance for larger purchases thru Purple Finance Company. We already accepted Purple Finance cards as payment from existing card holders as swiped thru the card reader, but now we are also doing our own finance deals thru them, and it's being promoted on our website and in store.
We've had a couple training sessions with one of their reps, but we are all pretty apprehensive about all what's required. We are certainly not keen on getting new card signups. Mostly I think it will be existing PFC cardholders doing a separate finance package for their custom job from us.
Hard-ass Rep flat out refused to even suggest it to any of her clients. Sweetie Rep was a bit more receptive, and so our very first Purple Finance deal customer was one of her clients.
This lady came in Wednesday to pay her deposit. She was a total darling- patient and funny, and very understanding that this process was extremely new to us.
I put her payment thru.
I stuffed it up.
I swiped it thru the card reader instead of doing a new finance deal.
Luckily for me, the Retail manager was visiting us. I went and pleaded for help, and the sweetie that she is, helped me out. She and MD helped the customer from there, and after a call to PFC helpline, we got it sorted out.
Or so we thought.
We get a reply email saying the scan of the sales voucher was illegible. I looked at it- and spotted the biggest problem of all.
One of the things that stood out for me during training was getting the voucher signed. There's a box for the staff member to sign in, and a line for the customer to sign on. If the customer signs in the box and you sign on the line- they bounce it. Nope. No dice. Do it again.
Customer sig- in the box.
Retail manager sig- nowhere to be seen.
The same retail manager that was now back in Head Office City, a 50 min plane trip or 8 hour drive away.
MD calls her on Thursday- she's actually visiting another store which is roughly midway between us and Head office City. Suggest faxing reprinted voucher to her to sign, fax back, customer comes in to re-sign, then send off. Ugh.
Go to website, try to work out how to reprint docket. ugh.
Call PFC helpline, get talked thru finding reprint button, reprint, yay!
Discover that whoever logs in to do reprint is the staff member whose name appears in box to sign, so no faxing needed, yay!!!
Call customer to explain, beg and scrape and apologize, customer is utter darling and comes back Friday to sign flaming voucher, YAY!!!
I was so pleased with today (bar hand whacking man, yikes) I haven't even needed to start drinking my bottle of plum cider yet.
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