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Several Tales and Rants About Being a Movie Rental Slave
Note: Long and Language.
Lately work has been a real bitch and I have no idea why. I’m having customer after customer trying to send me over the brink and honestly, my pills don’t seem to be having the same effects on my homicidal urges as they used to.
That's why I'm here, to blow off a little steam. It's going to be long because I've had several little incidents and complaints and I’ve been storing them up.
To start off, a story:
Little Miss Thang
Me: The beautiful, the fabulous, the delusional
SC: Little Miss Bitch
F: Little Miss Bitch's Friend
MOM: Little Miss Bitch's Mother
If anyone has ever worked at a rental store, you probably know that there are accounts made by a specific person, and then on those accounts are extra names (kids, spouse, girl/boyfriend). The rule is if your name isn't on the account, you can't rent on it.
This rule has gone rather unnoticed as of late, but because the manager is finally get annoyed with the complaints she decided to start getting upset with us about it. So I'm trying to keep up with the rules and, of course, this just draws out the SCs.
A young woman (probably 18 to 22) walks up, trailed by her friend.
I take the movies and unlock them and then get into the account. I asked for the girl's name.
SC: Little Miss Bitch
Me: Your name isn't on this account. I can't rent to you.
SC: What?! But I've rented on this account before!!!!11!!2!
Me: Well I'm sorry ma'am, but that's the rules.
F: *turning to her friend* Well I'll just call the manager in the other town, you know the one I used to work at, and get her to over ride this.
I did not tell the young lady (as I knew it would be pointless) that it didn't matter what the manager in another town says, she's not MY manager. If it were MY manager, I would have to, but since she doesn't work here, she has no authority.
Well the friend, luckily, couldn't find the number for this woman so I luckily didn't have to try and jump through that hoop.
SC: WELL I'll just call my mom and get her to say its okay!
Me: You can do that.
SC: *gets out her phone and dials her mother* MOM! I'm at Movie Gallery and I'm trying to rent some movies and the woman here says I'm not on the account when I've had no trouble ever before! You need to say it's okay! *she then puts her mother on speakerphone.*
MOM: Uh, well Little Miss Bitch and my son's names are both supposed to be on the account.
Me: Well I'm sorry ma'am, I don't know what happened, but the account says...
SC: *pulling phone away.* So can we rent these movies or not?!
Me: Yes, just as long as you're mother says it's okay.
MOM: Well ye-
SC: You know what?!! Just FORGET it! We'll just go somewhere else! *she says, stomping towards the door.*
Me: That's fine by me. Bye.
*takes the movies, locks them, and puts them back onto the shelf.*
I'm a friendly person, rather laid back, hey if she hadn't copped an attitude with me, I might have asked for her ID to prove who she was and gone ahead and let her rent, but my thought is, be a bitch, get a bitch. Besides someone needed to tell her no at some point in her life
My Space!!
This is partially just because I have a serious personal space issue, but a part of it is just because I think it's rude.
If you've been into a Movie Gallery within the last.....since the company started maybe, you probably know that there is a high overlapping ledge on the counter where the customers can stand, place their movies, check book, lean against, whatever, and a little bit lower than this ledge, all in white, is the counter for us lowly CSA's (Customer Sales Associate).
I constantly get customers who lean over the counter to look at the computer, to grab up my papers, pens, anything. I don't understand this. If you need a pen, I will hand one to you, if there is a paper around there that is ANY of your business I will hand it to you, if there is something on the computer screen that you need to know about, I will read it to you!
I learned my ABCs and 123s, you don't have to look over my shoulder to make sure I didn't get the date of 12/02/08 wrong, when you swear you brought it back 11/19/62. Believe it or not all this college educatin’ I’s been gettin’ is worth somethin’.
I had one co-worker tell me that she had customers leaning over the ledge to see the movies that we were checking in and even FIGHTING over them! Grown people apparently, though I’ve been wondering if it wasn’t four 8 year olds in adult trench coats, mustaches, and bowler hats.
I think there is something seriously wrong with people who don’t remember their mother slapping their hand and saying “That’s not yours! Put it back!” I’m hoping that it’s really just that they didn’t have a mother around or their mother was neglectful, as at least then they could be taught because as Ron White says “you can’t fix stupid.”
Another story:
I is Psychic….apparently
Two men walk in, they could be brothers, friends, son and father, I have no idea and honestly I don’t care. They start wandering around and I pay them little mind as I’m standing behind the counter, doing my thing, trying to get things done, filed, put away, whatever comes to mind to pass time as close doesn’t come early enough.
My manager had set up for the next day, Tuesday, when we would be putting out our new movies. Gran Torino was one of them. So one of the men notices this and asks if I have any behind the counter.
Me: “Gran Torino comes out tomorrow. That’s just for me tonight when I put them out.”
Man goes silent, I go back to work. Well then this man’s friend comes to me after they’ve been looking around for another 10 minutes or so. He asks for Left for Dead. I go to the computer and look it up. It’s in horror, I lead him over, annoyed that he isn’t following as, of course, it is my dying wish to walk all the way back to the store, get you a movie, bring it back to the front of the store.
He finally realizes he needs to follow, comes over and I hand him the movie.
Friend: “Oh well I wanted the game.”
And before I could stop myself I said, “Well you should have said that.”
WTF?! I’m not psychic! I do not have enough brain power in my head to keep a rolodex catalogue of every single item in the store and besides that, while a gamer myself, not every name is going to automatically click as “game” instead of movie. Generally, unless the title is Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Grand Theft Auto or some other big named title that’s had two or three sequels, I’m going to think you’re asking for a movie!
The man gets angry over this, why I don’t know, maybe his fuse just really is that short or maybe somehow this man has gotten every single thing in his life exactly when, where, and how he wanted it, but forget him I’m not Burger King, you don’t get to have it your way. He says “Just forget it” stomps out of the store, slamming his movies down on the counter and then walking out of the store.
I resisted the urge to grab him, drag him back into the store and make him put the movies he had gotten out back in their right spots. You may not believe it, but pretty much my entire job is and revolves around inventory which is tedious, time-consuming, and can even end up being hard work. You try lugging 30 DVDs at a time, trying to get movies up on a 6 and a half foot shelf when your only 5 feet tall. Now do it nine more times without stopping and having just finished a hour shift.
9 o’clock means 9 f*ing o’clock
Recently movie gallery changed its hours so that Monday through Thursday we close at 9 pm. We’ve been doing this for several months now and yet people still can’t seem to get their head wrapped around this simple concept.
We’ve had customers calling in and complaining about the 9 pm close because they get there too late to check in and have to pay late fees. Now I promise you at our store we do not hide our closing time. We had HUGE block lettering beside the door telling customers when we open and close. For about a month before we even made the change, we had signs posted around the store and on the doors for as you come in and as you go out. We even TELL our customers as they are leaving what day and time you have to have it back by.
And when we say “they are due back before 9 o’clock” we mean it. It doesn’t have to be long, just a few minutes though the earlier the better. At 9 I am locking doors, closing out my card machine, and all this other nighttime crap and I will tell you I don’t have time to wait for you to get your movies in 30 minutes late. I am only allowed by the company 30 minutes for my close and I’ve been at that hellhole long enough without having to deal with the fact that you’re too lazy to get off your butt and get things in on time.
Also don’t come into the store at 8:57 unless you truly think you’re going t have your butt out of their in three minutes. We need customers, I get that, but like I said before, I have too much to do and can’t wait an hour for you to pick out one movie. Most of the time, I’ve been there for 5 hours, I’m ready to go home, I’m tired, my feet hurt, and I’ve been dealing with customers all day. At that point I wanna crawl into bed and sleep, not deal with your crap
Kindergarten wasn’t on your list of to do's, was it?
People, reading and listening isn’t something you were taught in kindergarten just t pass the time. There are signs all over the store that no one seems to pay any attention to!
Despite the fact that we have a sign on the door saying “Toilet out of order. Sorry for the inconvience, Mgmt” someone went it and did a nice, big nasty-smelling number two and then didn’t flush. I understand you didn’t want to crap your pants, but really, you couldn’t have done that before you left home? And if you really are that desperate, there’s another one right next to it!
There is a sign on our inside drop box that says “For your protection, please place all returned movie rentals into the drop box.” And it even has a little arrow and yet STILL people just walk in, lay there movies somewhere, turn around, and walk back out! People, if someone comes along and grabs those, I probably won’t know and it will not be my liability, it’s yours.
They also stand there, holding their returns until we come to take them for no other reason than just to stand there. I’m busy! I’m checking in customers, cleaning, I don’t have time to come and take them from you!
Also LISTEN! We don’t tell you things to be meanies! I promise!
A co-worker told me that a customer was digging through our night drop box, which, unfortunately is not blocked off by anything and sits right next to the exit door. My co-worker told the man to stop and he said “I’m just looking” and then ignored her.
WTH?! You’re not 5! You only say things like that to your mom whenever she’s telling you to stop! The adult thing to do was to have not even done that in the first place! This place doesn’t belong to you, don’t mess with our movies!
Control the brats!
I don’t really like kids in the first place. They’re cute and sweet, but they’re loud, damaging, often smelly, and inconsiderate. I’ve taken child psychology, I understand, they don’t really have control of this stuff because they don’t really think about it as an adult does so, while I find it really annoying, I don’t hold it against the kid. Instead I look to the parents, after all, its mommy and daddy’s job to make sure your kid learns not to be loud, keep their hands to themselves, and be considerate.
I’ve had kids shout and scream and cry. I’ve had kids come into the store in roller skates and bang against the windows. I’ve even had one kid push movies at me so hard on the counter that it flew up and hit me! Not painfully, but still had it been my mom she would have been terribly embarrassed and I’d be in for a spanking when I got home, and yet all these kids have not had a single glance or word from their parents.
There is No Need to be Mean
I can’t remember what all happened, it passed by in a blur, but recently I had a very long day at work and I was stressed and tired and it seemed like every person having a bad day was coming into the store and taking it out on me.
As the title say there is no need to be mean. I’m not fulfilled by your happiness, but I do like happy customers, and I do try my best to comply with the wishes of people as long as they’re nice to me. People, and this applies to everyone, we don’t know what’s going on in a person’s life. We don’t know what’s happened that day or the day before or even the week before. By the end of that day I was ready to cry.
Someone with a less stable mind might have gone home and put a bullet through their eyes. There are some people behind the counter that really are very clueless and don’t care, but I do. I’m a shy young woman who doesn’t deal well with confrontation, trust me, I’m not malicious and I’m not causing your problem! Just give me a little patience and I’ll do everything I can for you.
Okay, I’ll get off the soapbox.
I’m tired and I’ve gone on too long. Sorry. I shall see you later. I’m gonna g and become insane now. And rememeber, friends don’t let friends dance with cats.
Lately work has been a real bitch and I have no idea why. I’m having customer after customer trying to send me over the brink and honestly, my pills don’t seem to be having the same effects on my homicidal urges as they used to.
That's why I'm here, to blow off a little steam. It's going to be long because I've had several little incidents and complaints and I’ve been storing them up.
To start off, a story:
Little Miss Thang
Me: The beautiful, the fabulous, the delusional
SC: Little Miss Bitch
F: Little Miss Bitch's Friend
MOM: Little Miss Bitch's Mother
If anyone has ever worked at a rental store, you probably know that there are accounts made by a specific person, and then on those accounts are extra names (kids, spouse, girl/boyfriend). The rule is if your name isn't on the account, you can't rent on it.
This rule has gone rather unnoticed as of late, but because the manager is finally get annoyed with the complaints she decided to start getting upset with us about it. So I'm trying to keep up with the rules and, of course, this just draws out the SCs.
A young woman (probably 18 to 22) walks up, trailed by her friend.
I take the movies and unlock them and then get into the account. I asked for the girl's name.
SC: Little Miss Bitch
Me: Your name isn't on this account. I can't rent to you.
SC: What?! But I've rented on this account before!!!!11!!2!
Me: Well I'm sorry ma'am, but that's the rules.
F: *turning to her friend* Well I'll just call the manager in the other town, you know the one I used to work at, and get her to over ride this.
I did not tell the young lady (as I knew it would be pointless) that it didn't matter what the manager in another town says, she's not MY manager. If it were MY manager, I would have to, but since she doesn't work here, she has no authority.
Well the friend, luckily, couldn't find the number for this woman so I luckily didn't have to try and jump through that hoop.
SC: WELL I'll just call my mom and get her to say its okay!
Me: You can do that.
SC: *gets out her phone and dials her mother* MOM! I'm at Movie Gallery and I'm trying to rent some movies and the woman here says I'm not on the account when I've had no trouble ever before! You need to say it's okay! *she then puts her mother on speakerphone.*
MOM: Uh, well Little Miss Bitch and my son's names are both supposed to be on the account.
Me: Well I'm sorry ma'am, I don't know what happened, but the account says...
SC: *pulling phone away.* So can we rent these movies or not?!
Me: Yes, just as long as you're mother says it's okay.
MOM: Well ye-
SC: You know what?!! Just FORGET it! We'll just go somewhere else! *she says, stomping towards the door.*
Me: That's fine by me. Bye.
*takes the movies, locks them, and puts them back onto the shelf.*I'm a friendly person, rather laid back, hey if she hadn't copped an attitude with me, I might have asked for her ID to prove who she was and gone ahead and let her rent, but my thought is, be a bitch, get a bitch. Besides someone needed to tell her no at some point in her life
My Space!!
This is partially just because I have a serious personal space issue, but a part of it is just because I think it's rude.
If you've been into a Movie Gallery within the last.....since the company started maybe, you probably know that there is a high overlapping ledge on the counter where the customers can stand, place their movies, check book, lean against, whatever, and a little bit lower than this ledge, all in white, is the counter for us lowly CSA's (Customer Sales Associate).
I constantly get customers who lean over the counter to look at the computer, to grab up my papers, pens, anything. I don't understand this. If you need a pen, I will hand one to you, if there is a paper around there that is ANY of your business I will hand it to you, if there is something on the computer screen that you need to know about, I will read it to you!
I learned my ABCs and 123s, you don't have to look over my shoulder to make sure I didn't get the date of 12/02/08 wrong, when you swear you brought it back 11/19/62. Believe it or not all this college educatin’ I’s been gettin’ is worth somethin’.
I had one co-worker tell me that she had customers leaning over the ledge to see the movies that we were checking in and even FIGHTING over them! Grown people apparently, though I’ve been wondering if it wasn’t four 8 year olds in adult trench coats, mustaches, and bowler hats.
I think there is something seriously wrong with people who don’t remember their mother slapping their hand and saying “That’s not yours! Put it back!” I’m hoping that it’s really just that they didn’t have a mother around or their mother was neglectful, as at least then they could be taught because as Ron White says “you can’t fix stupid.”
Another story:
I is Psychic….apparently
Two men walk in, they could be brothers, friends, son and father, I have no idea and honestly I don’t care. They start wandering around and I pay them little mind as I’m standing behind the counter, doing my thing, trying to get things done, filed, put away, whatever comes to mind to pass time as close doesn’t come early enough.
My manager had set up for the next day, Tuesday, when we would be putting out our new movies. Gran Torino was one of them. So one of the men notices this and asks if I have any behind the counter.
Me: “Gran Torino comes out tomorrow. That’s just for me tonight when I put them out.”
Man goes silent, I go back to work. Well then this man’s friend comes to me after they’ve been looking around for another 10 minutes or so. He asks for Left for Dead. I go to the computer and look it up. It’s in horror, I lead him over, annoyed that he isn’t following as, of course, it is my dying wish to walk all the way back to the store, get you a movie, bring it back to the front of the store.
He finally realizes he needs to follow, comes over and I hand him the movie.
Friend: “Oh well I wanted the game.”
And before I could stop myself I said, “Well you should have said that.”
WTF?! I’m not psychic! I do not have enough brain power in my head to keep a rolodex catalogue of every single item in the store and besides that, while a gamer myself, not every name is going to automatically click as “game” instead of movie. Generally, unless the title is Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Grand Theft Auto or some other big named title that’s had two or three sequels, I’m going to think you’re asking for a movie!
The man gets angry over this, why I don’t know, maybe his fuse just really is that short or maybe somehow this man has gotten every single thing in his life exactly when, where, and how he wanted it, but forget him I’m not Burger King, you don’t get to have it your way. He says “Just forget it” stomps out of the store, slamming his movies down on the counter and then walking out of the store.
I resisted the urge to grab him, drag him back into the store and make him put the movies he had gotten out back in their right spots. You may not believe it, but pretty much my entire job is and revolves around inventory which is tedious, time-consuming, and can even end up being hard work. You try lugging 30 DVDs at a time, trying to get movies up on a 6 and a half foot shelf when your only 5 feet tall. Now do it nine more times without stopping and having just finished a hour shift.
9 o’clock means 9 f*ing o’clock
Recently movie gallery changed its hours so that Monday through Thursday we close at 9 pm. We’ve been doing this for several months now and yet people still can’t seem to get their head wrapped around this simple concept.
We’ve had customers calling in and complaining about the 9 pm close because they get there too late to check in and have to pay late fees. Now I promise you at our store we do not hide our closing time. We had HUGE block lettering beside the door telling customers when we open and close. For about a month before we even made the change, we had signs posted around the store and on the doors for as you come in and as you go out. We even TELL our customers as they are leaving what day and time you have to have it back by.
And when we say “they are due back before 9 o’clock” we mean it. It doesn’t have to be long, just a few minutes though the earlier the better. At 9 I am locking doors, closing out my card machine, and all this other nighttime crap and I will tell you I don’t have time to wait for you to get your movies in 30 minutes late. I am only allowed by the company 30 minutes for my close and I’ve been at that hellhole long enough without having to deal with the fact that you’re too lazy to get off your butt and get things in on time.
Also don’t come into the store at 8:57 unless you truly think you’re going t have your butt out of their in three minutes. We need customers, I get that, but like I said before, I have too much to do and can’t wait an hour for you to pick out one movie. Most of the time, I’ve been there for 5 hours, I’m ready to go home, I’m tired, my feet hurt, and I’ve been dealing with customers all day. At that point I wanna crawl into bed and sleep, not deal with your crap
Kindergarten wasn’t on your list of to do's, was it?
People, reading and listening isn’t something you were taught in kindergarten just t pass the time. There are signs all over the store that no one seems to pay any attention to!
Despite the fact that we have a sign on the door saying “Toilet out of order. Sorry for the inconvience, Mgmt” someone went it and did a nice, big nasty-smelling number two and then didn’t flush. I understand you didn’t want to crap your pants, but really, you couldn’t have done that before you left home? And if you really are that desperate, there’s another one right next to it!
There is a sign on our inside drop box that says “For your protection, please place all returned movie rentals into the drop box.” And it even has a little arrow and yet STILL people just walk in, lay there movies somewhere, turn around, and walk back out! People, if someone comes along and grabs those, I probably won’t know and it will not be my liability, it’s yours.
They also stand there, holding their returns until we come to take them for no other reason than just to stand there. I’m busy! I’m checking in customers, cleaning, I don’t have time to come and take them from you!
Also LISTEN! We don’t tell you things to be meanies! I promise!
A co-worker told me that a customer was digging through our night drop box, which, unfortunately is not blocked off by anything and sits right next to the exit door. My co-worker told the man to stop and he said “I’m just looking” and then ignored her.
WTH?! You’re not 5! You only say things like that to your mom whenever she’s telling you to stop! The adult thing to do was to have not even done that in the first place! This place doesn’t belong to you, don’t mess with our movies!
Control the brats!
I don’t really like kids in the first place. They’re cute and sweet, but they’re loud, damaging, often smelly, and inconsiderate. I’ve taken child psychology, I understand, they don’t really have control of this stuff because they don’t really think about it as an adult does so, while I find it really annoying, I don’t hold it against the kid. Instead I look to the parents, after all, its mommy and daddy’s job to make sure your kid learns not to be loud, keep their hands to themselves, and be considerate.
I’ve had kids shout and scream and cry. I’ve had kids come into the store in roller skates and bang against the windows. I’ve even had one kid push movies at me so hard on the counter that it flew up and hit me! Not painfully, but still had it been my mom she would have been terribly embarrassed and I’d be in for a spanking when I got home, and yet all these kids have not had a single glance or word from their parents.
There is No Need to be Mean
I can’t remember what all happened, it passed by in a blur, but recently I had a very long day at work and I was stressed and tired and it seemed like every person having a bad day was coming into the store and taking it out on me.
As the title say there is no need to be mean. I’m not fulfilled by your happiness, but I do like happy customers, and I do try my best to comply with the wishes of people as long as they’re nice to me. People, and this applies to everyone, we don’t know what’s going on in a person’s life. We don’t know what’s happened that day or the day before or even the week before. By the end of that day I was ready to cry.
Someone with a less stable mind might have gone home and put a bullet through their eyes. There are some people behind the counter that really are very clueless and don’t care, but I do. I’m a shy young woman who doesn’t deal well with confrontation, trust me, I’m not malicious and I’m not causing your problem! Just give me a little patience and I’ll do everything I can for you.Okay, I’ll get off the soapbox.
I’m tired and I’ve gone on too long. Sorry. I shall see you later. I’m gonna g and become insane now. And rememeber, friends don’t let friends dance with cats.
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