Awful day at the K

[RammsteinGirl]

Today was one of the worst days I've had at work in a while.

This morning, a minor storm blew through the area and caused our checkout and perimeter department registers to go down for some weird reason. I couldn't even clock in when I arrived at 10 AM. The only register that was working was the one at the service desk. So all of the customers had to be rang up at the service desk. It was a little annoying, but most of the people were understanding.

Finally, at about 11:30 AM, the system allows me to clock in and I am able to get onto a checkout register.

I see a lady waiting at the service desk (not in the regular refund line, but on the other side of the desk where the non-refund register is located). I think she is waiting to check out, and seeing as there was no customers in my line, I politely tell her she can come over and check out at my register. And the fucking old bitch literally SCREAMS at me, "I'M WAITING FOR A REFUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I'm sorry, but what the FUCK is the reason for such nastiness? I was just trying to be a nice, good little Kmart peon and get her out of the store quicker.. what a goddamn bitch. I fake-nice chirped, "Oh, okay ma'am! Sorry about that!" Sorry, my ass!

While all of this is happening, I'm training a new girl, and she is shadowing me and witnessing all this. She probably won't be back after today.. LOL I can't say I'd blame her though.

Now this falls under the category of sucky co-worker. After a little while, I close my register and have the new girl I'm training open up on her own, with me standing beside her. This is the first time she's ever worked on a register, so she's kinda slow and pretty nervous, understandably. There was only one other cashier open, which is typical for Kmart. After a little while, I notice she is getting low on $1's, so I tell her to shut her light off and I'd go get her some $1's (in hindsight, I should have had her follow me). She stays behind at the register, and because we're SO short-handed today, it takes me about 5 minutes to get the change from the service desk.

..I come back, and I see the new girl's light is back ON and there's people in her lane. The other cashier had ordered the new girl to open back up because she was getting upset and flustered because her checkout line was getting backed up! I was really pissed off at the other cashier - this girl was brand spankin' new and had no business running a register on her own yet, she wasn't ready. I would've told the other cashier off if there wouldn't of been so many customers around at the time. I felt really bad for the poor girl.. she said that while I was gone, a lady came up and wanted something, and she told her, "I'm sorry, I don't know how to do that." (She should've came and got me, but the girl is only 16 so I'm cutting her some slack) and the lady screamed at her, "I have to be at work in 5 MINUTES!!" and SLAMMED her merchandise down and stormed out.

Final suckage.. this was after the girl I was training went home for the day, and I was running my register. All of a sudden, I hear the MOST EAR-SPLITTING, loudest, sharpest whistle I have ever heard in my life. All the employees and customers on the front end grew silent and looked around in bewilderment. Next thing I hear is a woman SCREAM, and yes I mean SCREAM, "I HAVE BEEN WAITING HERE AT THE JEWELRY COUNTER FOR 10 MINUTES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (the jewelry counter is located across from the service desk). Like I said before, we were so shorthanded today, and it probably took maybe *5* minutes for whoever was working jewelry to get to the counter to take care of the lady. I understand that no one likes to wait, I don't like to wait either, but is there any reason to behave like that in public? When people do stuff like that, they don't realize that they are just embarrassing themselves..

In addition, today I got my yearly review. I was good in everything, but my manager docked points for me not getting enough Sears Credit Card applications and not selling enough Smart Plans. Oh, and because I say "Thank you" at the end of transactions, instead of the whole "Thank you for shopping at Kmart!" parakeet spiel like we're supposed to. And more points docked because I don't greet every single customer I walk past in the store, even when I'm in transit to and from breaks and clocking in/out. I do say hi to people sometimes, and most of them don't even say hi back, so what's the fucking use? I hate Kmart, what a shitty company to work for.

And the customers.. MOST people are fine, and don't pitch fits and act like assholes. But there are some people that are just beyond nasty. I know that Kmart breeds suckiness because they don't EVER schedule enough people to work, but it's not the employees' fault.. it's not the jewelry associate's fault that they are the ONLY person working jewelry, layaway and fitting rooms. It's not the cashiers' fault that there is only 2 lanes open at noon on a weekday. I can completely understand people getting upset if we were just standing around joking and not taking care of customers, but when they see us running our asses off and trying so hard, then still scream and belittle us? I just don't understand it.

I swear.. I was so upset and stressed when I left work today.. I don't know how much longer I can handle this.

[MrSunshineState]

You can always get another job. Don't work at a place that treats you like shit.

[Chained to the counter]

Wow, you really have to great customers even if your just walking through the store? I didn't know Kmart was so strict on that sort of thing, glad i've never worked for them.

I worked at Target 10 years ago, absolutley hated the place.

Sorry you had a bad day, here have some m&ms, i picked up a big 1kg bag for only 2 dollors, so i'm happy to share.

[CancelMyService]

Ugh, I hate it when stores require you use scripted greetings/closings for every person you encounter that are completely unwieldy to use in normal conversation without sounding like riveted-on corporate robospeak.

What is it about these scripts that give upper management a tent in the pants region? Never in the history of retail has a customer ever decided to spend more because they were so impressed at the stream of mandated phrases you have to hit every time. Do they really think all employees act like the lobotomized goobers in the training videos?

[RammsteinGirl]

Do they really think all employees act like the lobotomized goobers in the training videos?

I know.. I absolutely HATE scripts. I think it's better to make natural conversation with customers. Yeah, at Kmart we have the "10 Foot Rule," which is if you see a customer within 10 feet of you, you have to make eye contact, greet them, and if they look like they are looking for something, ask them if they need help. I think it's stupid, because people just want to be left alone when they shop. And if they do need help, trust me, they WILL let you know!

To answer your question, yeah, that's exactly how they want us to act. Good little unquestioning, mindless Kmart clones whose sole purpose in life is to make more money for the corporate goons by selling Smart Plans and credit apps by the shitload. I wanted to strangle the "employees" on the Kmart training videos, they're so perfect. I highly doubt they're real employees. I wish I could find the videos on Youtube or something to show y'all.

[bigjimaz]

K-mart has always had an issue with holding on to employees. They have (or at one time had) a higher employee turnover rate than Wal-mart. They treat their employees like crap. No wonder the company is going slowly into the crapper.

Get out while you can. No use going down with a sinking ship.

My local K-mart is a perfect example. When I first moved here 5 years ago, K-mart was THE place to shop. There were almost always 5 - 7 registers open to take care of the volume of business. All of a sudden (or at least it seemed like it) there were 1 or 2 registers open, nobody working there looked satisfied. I hardly ever saw the same face twice. The store went from being open 24 hours a day to 8am to 11pm and now they are 10am to 9pm. Half the lights are never turned on and they closed the garden center. My son in Arizona tells me that K-mart has closed 2 of the 3 K-marts where he lives.

You can't blame Wal-mart for everything. Poor management will cause just as many problems as good competition.

When will corporate realize that if they can't keep the employees happy, they're eventually going to lose?

[queenbb]

i know how you feel, i work for your sister company, and it seems that everyone has been takeing asshole pills before they come in to the store.

i also hate the 10ft rule, and when ever im in my department i will greet people when they come in, and let them know i will be with them as soon as i can, but when i am walking through the store, i just smile and nod at customers, as they are usually not even paying attention to me at all. also when im walking through the store i normaly am getting change for my drawer, so i dont really want to pull attention torward my self so they notice i have a bag of money since there is a rule that all money must be in the bag and we have to go where the cameras are, (which is a bummer when the escalator is busted cause i have to get an escort from lp or a manger to go down with me.

in this area we dont even have kmarts any more. they all went away, i guess walmart is takeign over, and i absolutly hate shopping there. my dad worked for kmart for a while when he was in the navy as a second job. he liked it ok, he worked in the sporting goods section.

[Catwoman2965]

I know.. I absolutely HATE scripts. I think it's better to make natural conversation with customers. Yeah, at Kmart we have the "10 Foot Rule," which is if you see a customer within 10 feet of you, you have to make eye contact, greet them, and if they look like they are looking for something, ask them if they need help. I think it's stupid, because people just want to be left alone when they shop. And if they do need help, trust me, they WILL let you know!

I agree with you on that; there's nothing i hate more than having to listen to an employee who is clearly using a script...just say hi, how are you, and that's it. I absolutely can't stand it when they follow you around, asking can i help you, do you need anything? Um, no, i JUST walked in, haven't had a chance to look around! I ususally will just say, no, but if I do, I'll let you know.

We have to do that in my store as well, but ive got it down where I will greet the customer, and then kind of watch. If they look like they need help, I will offer it, if not, I leave them alone, knowing they will come to me. But to ask the minute they set foot in the store is just silly - and half of them don't even bother to say hello back to you! Ok, whatever...

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Ugh, I hate it when stores require you use scripted greetings/closings for every person you encounter that are completely unwieldy to use in normal conversation without sounding like riveted-on corporate robospeak.

At my store we are supposed to be doing the same thing. I never do. When I would do it most customers either would not respond or start acting all surprised, like somebody they know was trying to start a conversation with them.

I'd probably react the same way. I expect a hello from the cashier and nobody else.

Seriously, why can't the suits figure out most people want to get their shit and get the hell out, without being harassed by a bunch of employees spewing corporate-scripted greetings?

[Becks]

because people just want to be left alone when they shop. And if they do need help, trust me, they WILL let you know!

Heh. When I actually NEED help, all the employees seem to disappear. No wonder KMart is my third choice...and I've hated Target most of my life, to boot.

[Catwoman2965]

Heh. When I actually NEED help, all the employees seem to disappear. No wonder KMart is my third choice...and I've hated Target most of my life, to boot.

well, yes, that is true. That happens to me more often than not....I guess I meant in a perfect world, that's what I would want, be close enough that if I DO need help, someone is there, but not be up my butt every 3 seconds.

I've actually avoided stores because of that; i was in the body shop one time, just browsing, and this young guy associate came up, greeted me, asked if i needed anything, and then told me about some sale items. Ok, fine, but then would not quit, almost followed me around, saying this is nice, that is nice, etc etc...i finally just left to get away from him, and have never gone back to that particular location.

[FuzzyKitten99]

RammsteinGirl ... do you get any kind of bonus or incentive if any of the customers DO actually apply for the credit card?

[queenbb]

at my store if you apply for a sears card you get like 2$ incentive on your commission statement after you have sent in a few, but i dont know if that is per month or from the beginning, i dont get many applications and when i do most of them dont go through, out of the 8 months i have worked there i think maybe 2 of the applications i sent in actually went through.

[AirHostess]

Sounds like a horrible day, I used to have days where I used to go home and cry due to the sheer nastiness of customers!

I don't think anyone could blame you for job hunting.

[Catwoman2965]

at my store if you apply for a sears card you get like 2$ incentive on your commission statement after you have sent in a few, but i dont know if that is per month or from the beginning, i dont get many applications and when i do most of them dont go through, out of the 8 months i have worked there i think maybe 2 of the applications i sent in actually went through.

That's just stupid; so you're saying you won't get credit for the apps if they aren't approved? As if you have any control over how someone's credit is! When we open instant credit apps, we have to enter our info, so whether or not they are approved on the spot, or have to go for further review, we get credit for it, but its just points on your review.