Got all of my regular crazies today, at the same time

[flutes_and_fabric]

Let me start out by saying whichever manager scheduled me and four new people all on their first days yesterday is going to get a stern talking to. I was told to keep an eye on all of them, but since I'm younger than they all are no one wanted to ask me questions or listen to what I told them. I had fabric in all the wrong places, rules being broken left and right, lines out the door, and general craziness. And then 3 of our regular nutcases came in today.

Our fabric specialist comes in once a week to clean up and check stock and all that. She chased off one of the new girls who kept putting stuff away in the wrong place. I even filled the cart with all the stuff to go on the back wall and told her it only goes there, place it by color, labels out. How hard it that? She didn't even go near that wall.

Number One: Hat Lady

I've posted about her before. Last time I saw her was a few months ago when she screamed that she was never going to come back. She comes back, nothing is right. The fabrics are not marked the right price, she knows this for a fact. I had to cut her fabric even though I'm not supposed to cut anything because of major hand problems, because she didn't trust the new girls. The coupons didn't come off right. Nothing was right.

Number 2: Banana Bread Lady

I've posted about her also. Look at my older posts to find out why she's called banana bread lady (basically she tried to trade banana bread for products)

SC: This is damaged, can I have it
Me: No
SC: Can I have some money?
Me: No
SC: The "sewing machine company" woman said I could have some needles, so I'm just gonna take these
Me: I'm calling the cops
SC: Ok, bye

I wonder when she'll be back again.

Number 3: Shop for me Lady

I don't think I've ever posted about her before

SC: Can you help me?
Me: Well, we're really very busy right now (I hate when people just walk through the door and ask me to walk them places without even looking. Come on, I'm not your personal shopper)
SC: I'll get in line
Me: Ok
SC: What color is cream?
Me:...
SC: My pattern calls for cream fabric, what is cream. Can you come show me
Me: Well, it's very similar to off white, but really it's a matter of opinion. The type of fabric is more important than the color when it comes to patterns. You can choose whatever color suits you.
SC: Ok

4 friggen hours later

SC: Which one of these reds is closer to blood?
Me: Is this for a Halloween costume?
SC: Why would you think that?
Me:...
SC: I'm making a payer shawl, which is closer to blood?
Me: Well, those're the same fabric...so there's no difference
SC: Ok

1 hour later

SC: Which one is closer to blood (tosses 12 different reds on the counter)
Me: Well, I really think it has to do more with what you're wearing it with
SC: Which is closer to blood though?
Me:...(point to a random fabric)
SC: Really, I don't know if I like that one
Me: Well, you should really go with the one you like. I'm not the one wearing it.
SC: Which do you like
Me: (point to random fabric)
SC: I don't know...
Me: I'm color blind (and I walk away. I'm really not...it was ten minutes to closing and I didn't want to deal with her. She finally got her fabric and then followed me around as I cleaned up asking random questions. My manager actually told me to ignore her and maybe she'll go away. Actually, it worked. She finally left 5 minutes after closing.)

[EvilEmpryss]

Me: I'm color blind

In a fabric store!!!

[Supermarket Slave Girl]

I'm shocked she shopped for 5 bloody hours, the woman has no life.

[hinakiba777]

Wow 5 hours in a fabric store. That has to be some sort of record, no?

The Banana Bread lady should probably be watched closely

[fireheart]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't BBL banned?

[Shamus]

In a fabric store!!!

Hey, don't laugh - I actually am colorblind and hold an art degree - that kind of thing does happen.

Though, I must agree that was a terrific deflection on your part, flutes. You've got a horrible customer base right up there with VRS.

[XCashier]

I even filled the cart with all the stuff to go on the back wall and told her it only goes there, place it by color, labels out. How hard it that? She didn't even go near that wall.

Let me guess: the calicos? I find that stuff the easiest to deal with. No draping, no figuring out if it's one brand or another. And it cuts nicely, too!

I recently got a job in another store in the chain, though on the other side of the country. I've had a few less-than-splendid customers, though not on the scale of yours (the folks in this town are generally pretty laid-back). I will, however, be glad to see the end of those stupid animatronic Halloween dolls!

[flutes_and_fabric]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't BBL banned?

Indeed she was. That was months ago and with all the new people to keep track of I didn't catch her coming in.

Let me guess: the calicos? I find that stuff the easiest to deal with. No draping, no figuring out if it's one brand or another. And it cuts nicely, too!

I recently got a job in another store in the chain, though on the other side of the country. I've had a few less-than-splendid customers, though not on the scale of yours (the folks in this town are generally pretty laid-back). I will, however, be glad to see the end of those stupid animatronic Halloween dolls!

I love the back wall. It always looks so pretty when everything's put away nicely. I think I get a lot of crazies because we're in the middle of two very very large towns, for all the weirdos we get we get plenty of perfectly pleasant people. Lots of Ps in that one.

I love the mummy cat one, he just looks so cute. I do hate the songs though. Everytime one goes off I find myself analyzing the chord structure, which is of coarse very boring and simple. When they all go off at once (which happens every ten minutes) I want to kill something.

Is yours a super store?

[Hermione]

I'm so excited Banana Bread Lady came back!

You should write a book flutesandfabric, lol

[XCashier]

I love the mummy cat one, he just looks so cute. I do hate the songs though. Everytime one goes off I find myself analyzing the chord structure, which is of coarse very boring and simple. When they all go off at once (which happens every ten minutes) I want to kill something.

Is yours a super store?

No, mine's just a regular store. I wish it was a super store, I'd love a bigger fabric cutting area.

I liked the black cat in the witch's hat holding the pumpkin, the one that sang "Black Magic Woman". That one sold out quickly. The rest...yikes. If I never hear "Who Let The Dogs Out" or "I Want Candy" or "Ring Of Fire" again, it'll be too soon! And yes, the kids just love playing them all at once. And the batteries are getting weak, which distorts the music. Joy.

[fireheart]

The rest...yikes. If I never hear "Who Let The Dogs Out" or "I Want Candy" or "Ring Of Fire" again, it'll be too soon! And yes, the kids just love playing them all at once. And the batteries are getting weak, which distorts the music. Joy.

The ones that we have sing either nursery rhymes or Elvis songs.

And then there's the Christmas ones....

[HawaiianShirts]

Wow 5 hours in a fabric store. That has to be some sort of record, no?

I doubt it. Four hours was par for the course for my mother when I was young enough to be forced to go shopping for craft supplies with her. I would play in the button bin for a while, get bored, wander to a quiet corner of the store, and find an empty bottom shelf on which to take a nap. Eventually, the store manager took pity on me. She set me up on the far end of the cutting table with a pricing gun and a box of ribbon spools, and, in exchange for two dollars and a Twix bar, I would do that kind of work for her while my mom shopped.

[Sheldonrs]

Something I've always wanted to know. If a crime is committed in a fabric store, do you get called in as a material witness?

[flutes_and_fabric]

Something I've always wanted to know. If a crime is committed in a fabric store, do you get called in as a material witness?

ha ha (to be said exactly like that)

I doubt it. Four hours was par for the course for my mother when I was young enough to be forced to go shopping for craft supplies with her. I would play in the button bin for a while, get bored, wander to a quiet corner of the store, and find an empty bottom shelf on which to take a nap. Eventually, the store manager took pity on me. She set me up on the far end of the cutting table with a pricing gun and a box of ribbon spools, and, in exchange for two dollars and a Twix bar, I would do that kind of work for her while my mom shopped.

We have people like that who always bring there kids in and just leave them. I had a bunch of them putting away the ribbon spools on the lower shelves once as if it were a game. At least it kept them from making a mess. Some candy can go a long way. (A the parents didn't seem to mind cause it got the kids out of their hair)

No, mine's just a regular store. I wish it was a super store, I'd love a bigger fabric cutting area.

I liked the black cat in the witch's hat holding the pumpkin, the one that sang "Black Magic Woman". That one sold out quickly. The rest...yikes. If I never hear "Who Let The Dogs Out" or "I Want Candy" or "Ring Of Fire" again, it'll be too soon! And yes, the kids just love playing them all at once. And the batteries are getting weak, which distorts the music. Joy.

I'm in a regular store also. We always get people coming down from the super store b/c their usual wait is now an hour or more for fabric (they have a ticket system so you can at least shop until they call your number), but a lot of the people tell us that we actually have a better selection of fabrics than the bigger stores. They also say we're much nicer than they are, but I can't vouch for that last shift. Things were getting crazy.

We try to put a lot of the toys like that on the top shelf, and then put one of each on the bottom with a "try me" sign in front of them. It's worked pretty well, the top shelves one still have good batteries.

[XCashier]

I'm in a regular store also. We always get people coming down from the super store b/c their usual wait is now an hour or more for fabric (they have a ticket system so you can at least shop until they call your number), but a lot of the people tell us that we actually have a better selection of fabrics than the bigger stores. They also say we're much nicer than they are, but I can't vouch for that last shift. Things were getting crazy.

We try to put a lot of the toys like that on the top shelf, and then put one of each on the bottom with a "try me" sign in front of them. It's worked pretty well, the top shelves one still have good batteries.

I've been to a super store, and they have a freaking HUGE selection of fabrics; at least twice what we've got. Not to mention three times the craft supplies and sewing notions, three times as many registers and cutting stations, and public restrooms.

Yes, we're constantly being asked if we have a restroom, and we have to tell them we have no public restrooms (our restrooms are in the backstock area, it's a liability to let the public back there). Never mind that there are several fast food restaurants just a short walk away, they get very upset if we don't let them use our restroom.

Now that we're down to the last few toys, they are on the top shelves, which has helped. But we didn't have the room to do that before (this is a small store in a very old building, we don't have as much room as we'd like).