and one day YOU might work in retail

[AdvancedFlea]

One day the shoe will be on the other foot

So, I’m standing behind our tech desk today and let’s just say I am NOT in the best of moods because of KiBob. This woman comes up to the desk with a kodak digital camera that’s been dropped so the lens won’t pop out. I gave the thing to Ade, as he’s our electronics engineer, he said “Nah. Thats been dropped. It’s de-railed the bit the controls the zoom on the lens, so that won’t pop out anymore. Sorry Kid”

Anyway, I go back out and tell them what’s been said...

CW: Camera Woman
CM: Camera Man (Husband)
Me: Over-worked, under paid Tech

Me: Okay, sorry about your wait. Whats been done to this is not covered by the warranty. It’s damage. The camera’s been dropped on something which has de-railed the lens carriage.
CM: No it hasn’t
Me: Yes, it has. We can see chip damage on the lens
CW: Well, we’re telling you it hasn’t.
Me: So you’re telling me, a person with years of experience around these things that I am wrong, and I’m just imaging the blatant chip damage on the camera
CW: Years of experience? You can’t be more than 25 years old

(Thats pretty close. 22 but I still have a few years under my belt. I have been in the job for 4 years now...not one year. The fact it’s more than one year says I can say “Years” )

Me: My age is not the issue here
CM: well, you have to do something
Me: on the contrary, since you broke it, I don’t have to do anything.
CM: yes you do, it’s under 12 months old. It still has a warranty
Me: A manufacturers warranty does not cover you for damage. Only breakdowns
CW: It’s broken down
Me: As a result of YOU dropping it
CW: well you know what, this is just Shit *Grabs her camera* You seem to forget that we pay your wages
Me: Thats funny. I thought my wage slip said “[company name] stores” on the top but what would I know? I only get one every month. That argument doesn’t work with me
CW: It’s all word of mouth. It may not work with you but we know plenty of people who shop in here all the time. They’ll stop coming. When you’re out of a job next year, you’ll think on this and you’ll be sorry *Grabs her belongings and walks off* One day, the shoe will be on the other foot
Me: And one day, god willing, You’ll work in retail.
Next Customer: What was their problem?
Me: Stupidity.
Next customer: Heh at least you’re honest
Me: *Smiles* Thanks

[Dilorenzo]

Heh, ballsy. And, karma willing, next time you walk into a fast food place, you'll be served by miss "I control all!" there.

[RetailWorkhorse]

Dammit, Flea-bit, for a minute I thought someone was wrangled into Career Day at school!

*RW stands on a desk pointing at the children and giving them the Evil Eye (German Version 3.7) and telling them all the horrible things that have happened in the past week alone in a dreadfully cheerful tone of voice*

And, someday Children, the Great Fuzzy Slobbering Dog in the Sky willing, YOU might work in Retail, recreating you into the very Masochist that you fear of becoming! You will be smacked on the ass by old men with no teeth that reeks of BO, garbage, and mold. You will be yelled at by women wearing diamonds and college kids from rich families that think college is a place to PLAY at and being told that you, yes YOU my darlings, are the very scum of the earth because you are a lowly cashier that knows nothing.

And you will smile and ask "Thank You, Ma'am/Sir/Master, May I Please Have Another?"

*Coughs* Ahem. Uhm.....I wasn't here you only THINK you saw me! *slinks off*

[Demonoid Phenomenon]

Gag.
I absolutely LOATHE that crap about "I'm going to tell everyone I know not to shop here!"
I would imagine anyone who spouts that kind of self-important tripe doesn't have many friends to begin with.

[earl colby pottinger]

Knowledge

I hate people who when dealing with high tech think you have to be older to have the needed experience with the item in question.

Use to see it all the time in the earlier years in the computer store, I start learning microcomputers from the mid 1970's when the very first ones came out. By the mid 1980's computer boom I had over a decade's knowledge on programming/building/repairing all the hardware we sold and still older customers claimed they thought they wanted someone older who would know more .... how could anyone know more regardless their age? The first mass produced designs only came out in 1974/5.

You should see their faces when directed to a teenage for advice on the latest software. But if the software was only out for the last year, and the teenager bought the very first copy we sold who do you think knows more about than anyone else?


Now Kodak was a late comer to the digital camera market. I see no reason not to believe that someone with four years experience knows *EVERYTHING* there is to know on the retail level about a one year old model. How is being older going to give you more experience with something that has only been on the market for 1-2 years?

[AdvancedFlea]

Dammit, Flea-bit, for a minute I thought someone was wrangled into Career Day at school!

...

heh. No, as far as I know, we don't have that kind of thing over here

I absolutely LOATHE that crap about "I'm going to tell everyone I know not to shop here!"

it allways amuses me since people actullay think it's going to work. My dad's tried it before too lol

I hate people who when dealing with high tech think you have to be older to have the needed experience with the item in question.

...

How is being older going to give you more experience with something that has only been on the market for 1-2 years?

I dunno. it only seems to be the older folk who believe in this sterotype of "you are young, therefore you are inexperienced and don't know what you are on about"

I thihk next time, I am going to tell them they are descrimintating against me on the grouns of age

[bloodrose]

I thihk next time, I am going to tell them they are descrimintating against me on the grouns of age

Aww man, hate to break it to you, but there is no law at all protecting the young from age discrimination. If you are under 40, no age discrimination laws for you - you could be a 28 year old model who is told she is too old, but nope, no protection. You could be told you're too young for a promotion, nope, no protection. And if you are over 40 and the person discriminating against you based on being too old is older than you, then it isn't age discrimination under the law.

Young people have no rights.

[AdvancedFlea]

awh, bollocks :\

that said, I would not use the descrimination card. I hate people who do that. Hell, I don't even play the gay rights card even when my rights as a gay guy are being infringed lol

[cinema guy]

There is in the UK.

The cinema used to not employee anyone under the age of 18, because we show 18 certificate films. However when the age discrimination law was passed a couple of years ago, we could no longer stop 16 or 17 year olds from working. Although they apparently are not allowed to watch the 18 certificate films, but are allowed to enter the auditoria and observe the film for the purposes of checking the film is running okay.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

*RW stands on a desk pointing at the children and giving them the Evil Eye (German Version 3.7) and telling them all the horrible things that have happened in the past week alone in a dreadfully cheerful tone of voice*

And, someday Children, the Great Fuzzy Slobbering Dog in the Sky willing, YOU might work in Retail, recreating you into the very Masochist that you fear of becoming! You will be smacked on the ass by old men with no teeth that reeks of BO, garbage, and mold. You will be yelled at by women wearing diamonds and college kids from rich families that think college is a place to PLAY at and being told that you, yes YOU my darlings, are the very scum of the earth because you are a lowly cashier that knows nothing.


And you will smile and ask "Thank You, Ma'am/Sir/Master, May I Please Have Another?"

I so would go along with you as a co-speaker, if you will.

"You will be given tasks that would take 2 people working 8 hours each, and be expected to complete them in only 6 hours or less! And you will be expected to do backup cashiering in between as well!"

"Instead of raises, profit-sharing and employee discounts, you will be expected to have your morale boosted by silly slogans such as "I Luv Big Store!"

"Soon, you won't even know if you are dead or simply envying the dead!"

[tropicsgoddess]

Flea, you are awesome! I would love to work under your tutelage.

[AdvancedFlea]

There is in the UK.

The cinema used to not employee anyone under the age of 18, because we show 18 certificate films. ...but are allowed to enter the auditoria and observe the film for the purposes of checking the film is running okay.

we are not allowed to let the "Kids" in our store set up direct debits for the extended warrenty OR finance agreements. It sucks because the managers tend to get someone from Tech (Me) service (Tony) or Operations (Gaz) to "mentor" them

I so would go along with you as a co-speaker, if you will.

...

Behave, you two! XD

Flea, you are awesome! I would love to work under your tutelage.

heh, no need for the worshiping ^^;

*Notices your title* this is probibly the point where you find out you are MY area manager and have to deal with the crap I tend to cause because of my particular brand of customer ownage XD

I actually had a good one last week too. Woman asked me a question, when I answered it she said "Well, you clearly don't know what you are talking about" so I reply with "You know what, if that's your attitude, don;t ever come up to my counter again. you are telling somone who CLEARLY knows more than you that he doesn't know what he's on about...how would you like it if I did that to you?!" So she ofcourse storms off and tells my manager. He comes over and says "Flea, what did you say to that customer?" so I tell him and he says "Fair enough. Just do me a favor and use some TACT next time. if you're a bit more diplomatic with customers, they tend not to storm out vowing never to come here again"

Tommo and I actually get on very well...which I think has been my saving grace with him on more than one occasion.

[Imogene]

Dammit, Flea-bit, for a minute I thought someone was wrangled into Career Day at school!

"First, you learn to make fries, then you make burgers..."
"And when do I get to rule the wooorld?"
"Ah... er... ah... not until you become management."

[mattm04]

I love the "we/I pay you/your wages line." Yeah, until I see you sign my paycheck and/or the direct deposit funds come from you bank account, <company> pays me. As such I will follow <company's> polices and guidelines, not yous.

Now only If I could say that to a customer.

[nomorecarts]

Aww man, hate to break it to you, but there is no law at all protecting the young from age discrimination. If you are under 40, no age discrimination laws for you - you could be a 28 year old model who is told she is too old, but nope, no protection. You could be told you're too young for a promotion, nope, no protection. And if you are over 40 and the person discriminating against you based on being too old is older than you, then it isn't age discrimination under the law.

Young people have no rights.

PREACH!

LOL, at least the only things I'm waiting for are the the ability to legally sell tobacco, and possibly alcohol. my employer has policies regarding how many hours you can work if you're under 18, and won't let me go to the floor though, so I can't be a dept mgr for awhile. I think it has to do with not wanting unsupervised minors(dept mgrs all work 7-4 there, but the front end is always supervised) even though I've more than proven to store level management that I can be left unsupervised and still get shit done, corporate is afraid of letting their managers manage their stores