Help me, I'm dreaming about SCs!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I had the weirdest dream this morning, and the sad thing is I can totally see it happening.

First some background...my store occasionally runs doorbuster sales, in which the store opens an hour early, at 7 instead of 8 AM. Also, at 7 the manager will sometimes leave one set of doors open for employees coming in.

So anyhow, in this dream I was at work yet, it was 7 in the morning, I was with some other employees, and there was a doorbuster sale the following day. Well, lots of people pulled up and entered the store at 7, even though it was closed, and tried to do their shopping!

The manager first had somebody page over the PA that the store was still closed, and the doorbuster sale was tomorrow. Nobody left, they just kept shopping.

Then the manager decided we all had to go drag all the customers out ourselves. They didn't take kindly to being physically escorted out, and some of them started fighting us. Some of them re-entered the store after being pushed out while we were busy with other people.

Finally, we managed to get everybody out, but somebody we had escorted out before was approaching the entrance, reaching into her bag for something. We thought it was a gun, and somebody yelled to me "LOCK THAT DOOR!"

Then I woke up.

[friendofjimmyk]

Ahh...work dreams! I had them all the time when I was a server! They sucked!

When you get busy as a server, you call it being "in the weeds". Weed dreams sucked! Usually, I was the only server for an entire restaurant. Any other servers who were there were usually the equivalent of zombies - you know, walking around drooling on themselves or they spoke another language and couldn't understand me. The restaurant would fill all at once and I'd be running around like crazy.

People would order but it was never anything that was on our menu...i.e. - ordering Chinese when I was working at an Italian place and ordering buckets of fried chicken if I was at an Italian place.

(Edited - had to leave work yesterday and didn't get a chance to finish this)

Sometimes, I would have a uniform on from a different restuarant than the one that was in the dream and yes, sometimes, I would be naked but no one but me noticed.

The best weeds dream I ever heard came from a co-worker a few years back who had a habit of sleep walking. She said her husband told her that one night, she sprung from bed and hurried towards the kitchen...when asked what she was doing, she told him, "I have to get these nachos out."

[MadMike]

I used to get these all the time, and for some reason, I usually had them on my day off.

I'd be on a register, and absolutely swamped with irate customers. At some point, I'd realize that not only was it my day off, but the store wasn't even open that day (we were closed on Sundays.) Knowing that I couldn't possibly be working for real, I'd realize I was dreaming, and the dream would suddenly end.

[ArenaBoy]

I hate those dreams. The worse one was a few days ago actually. I dreamt that it was a basketball game, the game was oversold and there were people coming in left and right without stop. I'm dodging psychos trying to run me over because they can't get a spot and one customer actually chucks an ipod at me. I woke up after that in a sweat. Mike, I also get them on my days off too.

[Jester]

Ahh...work dreams! I had them all the time when I was a server! They sucked!

There is an actual word for those, at least for those of us in the food service industry. They are called "waitmares." Having worked in the industry in 17 different states in one capacity or another, I can tell you that that is not a localized or regional thing....I have heard that phrase bandied about in many places around the U.S. (Can't comment on whether or not it is used in other countries, though.)

Typically, they will involve you being so far in the weeds that you can't get caught up, and things just keep piling up, people keep complaining, the cooks are not getting anything cooked, etc.

The "amusing" thing for me is that, these being dreams, they often seem to combine two or more jobs I have had into one big establishment. Sometimes, if I am really lucky, a personal dilemma, emergency, or drama will throw itself into the middle of this waitmare, making it that much more insane.

I am guessing non-food service industry people have those, though I imagine they would not then be called "waitmares." "Salesmares" perhaps?

[XCashier]

"Waitmares" and "Salesmares", good words for the problem!

I hate work dreams. You feel like you're actually working, and you wake up all tense and worn out, and more tired than you felt when you went to sleep. It doesn't make for a restful night's sleep, that's for sure.

[karma_gypsy]

I saw the title and thought, "oh no!" I feel so sorry for you (and anyone else who's had SC dreams!) That's terrible . . . I hadn't had any SC dreams, probably more likely sucky co-worker/boss dreams . . .

[Luna]

Wow, I thought I was the only strange person to have these! Mine tend to combine workplaces too. I'll be ringing register at B&N, with my old Suncoast manager screaming at me, trying to make drinks in the music department - but the registers are Borders registers so they aren't working. It's always something crazy. I wake up sweating and cranky, near tears and exhausted as if I'd really just worked it.

So strange.

So what are we going to name them officially? Any ideas? I think the masses of CS should make an offical term.
*Salesmares?
*?

[Brighid45]

I call 'em workmares, and I've had them about every job I've ever worked.

[Kiwi]

I once had a dream that the craft department had opened up shop on my bed....

so the customers were calling me lazy because I wanted to sleep instead of serve them.... the other co workers just started cutting fabric right over me...counting out buttons and everything!

it was a true nightmare

[powerboy]

I had a dream the other night. In that dream, I was the only one working, and of course, the store was filled with customers. Everyone was paying with $500 dollar bills, for little things like soda and candy, which is 50 cents each. After the store closed, we counted something like 15 million dollars. After we got done counting the money, the owners gave me half of it, which was cool, on that part.

[susan]

Nowadays I usually dream that I am helping a customer at the register and different customers come up and interrupt what I am doing, so that I can help them. I usually end up speaking very sternly to at least one of the SCs.

When I worked at a coffeehouse, I had the same dream over and over. I would be microwaving a muffin for a customer and there would be a huge line, so I would get sucked into making drinks for the other customers. Every time I tried to get the muffin a new customer would come up and demand something. Occasionally I would be yelled at by the muffin customer and I know at least once I ended up crying in the dream. I am so glad I don't have those dreams anymore!

[Jester]

Wow, I thought I was the only strange person to have these! Mine tend to combine workplaces too. I'll be ringing register at B&N, with my old Suncoast manager screaming at me, trying to make drinks in the music department - but the registers are Borders registers so they aren't working. It's always something crazy. I wake up sweating and cranky, near tears and exhausted as if I'd really just worked it.

So strange.

So what are we going to name them officially? Any ideas? I think the masses of CS should make an offical term.
*Salesmares?
*?

You are not atl all the only one, and it is not strange, and you are not alone. I think that the vast majority of people in the food service industry that I have talked to about this have admitted to having "waitmares," some more often than others. I am sure it is not confined to the food service industry, or even retail, but probably many people have them for their jobs. The difference is, with OUR workmares/waitmares/salesmares, we have assholes to deal with, and we can never run fast enough or do enough of the right thing or kiss ass enough to make it work, and...the shift never ends!

I think the worst is the occasional one I will get where I am running around the restaurant trying to wait on more people than I can keep up with...and I am wearing only one strategically placed sock, having somehow forgotten my uniform at home. No, this is not a joke, I have had this dream before, and in the true sense of dream non-logic logic, no one notices, but I am scared that they will.

And people think we don't have stressful jobs?!?!??

[purplecat41877]

I've also had work dreams but they don't involve customers. In my work dreams, I come across a certain item in a certain area but don't always remember seeing the certain item in the store I work at.

[draftermatt]

I once had a dream about work that was bad. I was in the catalog room of the warehouse (old job).

I woke up and decided I would start looking for a new job.