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  • Tales from the smoke counter

    So apparaently following a decision this weekend, I'm now allowed to serve cigarettes provided that the supervisor is there or that a manager is nearby. And already I've come up with a few minor pet peeves...

    You're asking for what?

    Thanks to this board, I've been made aware of the nicknames people use for various cigarette brands i.e. Marbos for Marlboros, Pale Males for Pall Mall's etc. (It took me a while to figure out what they meant by "styvies" last night)
    However, if you mumble your sentence or ask me for "Golds, 30's" I will give you a look until you tell me what brand you're after. There are several brands with "Gold" types. (Holidays, Horizons, Dunhill, Choice, Peter Jacksons, John Player Special, Winfield, Marbos...the list goes on) Ditto for "Menthols". (they're easier at least to find since not all brands sell them)

    I need to double-check
    Please don't give me a look like I'm stupid when I fish out the pack and hold it up to you. There are two reasons why I do this: 1) they can't claim I gave them the wrong flavour/brand AFTER I've put the money through. 2) I'm still learning my way through the racks.

    ID

    This one's a combo of praising and sucky.

    THANK you to the kid a year older than me who fished out his ID when I asked for it. I know you since I went to you school with you, but I need to check anyway.

    On the other hand, telling me "I'm 21" does not endear me to you. I need to see actual proof. Drivers License, Proof of Age card or passport only. (Passport covers the "we don't take international drivers licenses" scenario)

    I'm getting the hang of eyeballing though...slowly.

    Yes, we can do that

    Slightly frustrating and this is whenever I'm NOT doing smokes. Our system allows us to suspend transactions and take them to the smoke counter. So if I ask you if you want to come to my register, you can come-I'm trying to shorten the lines. I can do it from a larger lane, it doesn't make a difference. Just I'm not the one serving you the cigarettes.

    Finally...

    What I CAN do from the smoke counter...

    -Sell cigarettes, tobacco and cigarette-related items (papers and filters-I use the papers on my flute)
    -Sell phone credit, iTunes credit, gift cards etc.
    -Answer enquiries about our loyalty programs.
    -Answer most general enquiries.

    What I CANNOT do from the smoke counter...

    -Sell mobile phones (we do sell them, but there's this eternally frustrating system in place that we're required to do. I'm not trained)
    -Handle complaints (not a supervisor and I have not had conflict resolution training...speaking of which, can I get some advice on how to deal with complaints for when the time rolls around?)
    -Handle refunds and exchanges (not trained)
    -Hire out our carpet cleaning machines (not trained, however I can sell customers the shampoos and such since you buy them outright)
    -Answer questions that require a manager's knowledge.
    -Answer phones (I can do internal calls, but not external calls.)
    The best professors are mad scientists! -Zoom

    Now queen of USSR-Land...

  • #2
    Heh. Whenever I was on the cig lane, I'd always ask "What color are they?". I could find the Newports and the Marlboros. Anything else was a scavenger hunt.
    A lion however, will only devour your corpse, whereas an SC is not sated until they have destroyed your soul. (Quote per infinitemonkies)

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    • #3
      I had a lady pull me up to the customer service/smoke counter the other day when I was shopping for a couple things... which turned into a bunch of things and I had no basket, because she had no one to serve. I was very appreciative that I didn't have to stand in line with my arms over flowing.
      Getting offended is a great way to avoid answering questions that make you sound dumb. - exmocaptainmoroni

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      • #4
        First of all, reading all this made me wanna smoke REAL BAD. I'm down to a pack a WEEK, I was a pack a day up untill about 3 months ago, so this is a great change, however... yep. Definitely want one now

        Quoth fireheart17

        You're asking for what?

        Thanks to this board, I've been made aware of the nicknames people use for various cigarette brands i.e. Marbos for Marlboros, Pale Males for Pall Mall's etc. (It took me a while to figure out what they meant by "styvies" last night)
        However, if you mumble your sentence or ask me for "Golds, 30's" I will give you a look until you tell me what brand you're after. There are several brands with "Gold" types. (Holidays, Horizons, Dunhill, Choice, Peter Jacksons, John Player Special, Winfield, Marbos...the list goes on) Ditto for "Menthols". (they're easier at least to find since not all brands sell them)
        I got this all the time when I worked at the gas station. Aside from gas, our main revenue came from smokes (and lotto, which confused me even more, because I'm a smoker, not a gambler). There were like 6 different kinds of Export-A, and some people called them by their actual names (like "Rich" or whatever), but most people referred to them by colour, thankfully (green, red, blue, light blue, grey, gold..)

        Quoth fireheart17
        I need to double-check
        Please don't give me a look like I'm stupid when I fish out the pack and hold it up to you. There are two reasons why I do this: 1) they can't claim I gave them the wrong flavour/brand AFTER I've put the money through. 2) I'm still learning my way through the racks.
        SO MANY RACKS! And so many packs that look similar! Let them back there to try and figure it out if they're going to give you funny looks.


        Quoth fireheart17
        Finally...

        What I CAN do from the smoke counter...

        -Sell cigarettes, tobacco and cigarette-related items (papers and filters-I use the papers on my flute)
        -Sell phone credit, iTunes credit, gift cards etc.
        -Answer enquiries about our loyalty programs.
        -Answer most general enquiries.
        We sold the gift cards/phone cards by the smokes too.

        The nickname thing is probably the worst, however. People really expect you to be clairvoyant.
        "All god does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring." - Invisible Monsters

        "The only thing stronger than fear is hope." - Suzanne Collins

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        • #5
          What I hate is when people come up to my till and say, "I want some cigarettes." *face palm*

          Or when you say, "Hi, how can I help?" and they bark at you, "Marb Reds!" as tho it's a kind of greeting; maybe it's stupidese for hello?
          People who don't like cats were probably mice in an earlier life.
          My DeviantArt.

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          • #6
            Quoth Lace Neil Singer View Post
            What I hate is when people come up to my till and say, "I want some cigarettes." *face palm*

            Or when you say, "Hi, how can I help?" and they bark at you, "Marb Reds!" as tho it's a kind of greeting; maybe it's stupidese for hello?
            I get that too, although it might be due to my greeting of "What can I get for you?"

            Most of the customers have been good though and will tell me where it is as a start.
            The best professors are mad scientists! -Zoom

            Now queen of USSR-Land...

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            • #7
              And all of that is why I begged to be moved out my store's smoke shop. My best story yet:

              The smoke shop has been open maybe a week or two at most. I should note that I don't smoke. I've picked up that reds are regular, blue is light, 100s are longs, and king=short. So this older guy comes up and demands "Cowboy Killers in a box." I just blink at him and ask him to repeat. So he says it louder. I'm still confused and say that I'm still not sure what he wants. To which he repeats himself a third time, looking at me like I'm an idiot. At this point I say, "Sir, I don't smoke. What brand do you want?" He finally, still looking at me like I'm an idiot, tells me he wants Marlboro Reds.
              My NaNo page

              My author blog

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              • #8
                Quoth Kheldarson View Post

                "Cowboy Killers in a box." ..... Marlboro Reds.
                WHAT? My brain just tried to commit suicide to try and find a connection between the two of those....
                "I'm not smiling because I'm happy. I'm smiling because every time I blink your head explodes!"
                -Red

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                • #9
                  The Marlboro Man was a cowboy who died of lung cancer, so "Cowboy Killers" would almost have to refer to Marlboros. Not sure how that defines the Reds, specifically, though, since I don't really pay much attention to cigarette related stuff.

                  ^-.-^
                  Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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                  • #10
                    This is why I try to be as descriptive as possible. Now, I sort of have a slight accent from my dad's side of the family, a combo of Ohio accent and Virginia accent, on top of which i naturally sound like I'm mumbling when I talk normally, stems from sinus problems. I sometimes get the, "What did you say?"
                    Normally, I get Camel #9's, the black and pink box which are a form of lights, but differ because they have pipe tobacco mixed in (which gives it a sort of fruity flavors, depending on how much pipe tob. is in there). Whenever I say it, it sometimes sounds like Camel 99's, which aren't too bad, but not what I want. The clerk usually repeats it back to me before reaching for a pack and I'll correct them as best as I can. To my knowledge, my brand is the only brand that's in a black and pink box, so they find it much easier when i tell them the color. I also apologize to them about the mumbling, since I really can not help it unless I'm shouting really.
                    Must work on pronunciation lol.
                    Just because they serve you, doesn't mean they like you. And just because they smile and act polite doesn't mean they aren't planning to destroy you.

                    "I put the laughter in slaughter."

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                    • #11
                      Never have that problem. XD At the moment, I smoke Pall Mall menthols (unless my boyf is paying, then it's Superking Menthols) and I've never had anyone serve me who's not put their hand right on the box straight away. XD Maybe I'm the only one who buys them.
                      People who don't like cats were probably mice in an earlier life.
                      My DeviantArt.

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                      • #12
                        Quoth Tithera View Post
                        Must work on pronunciation lol.
                        More likely an issue of enunciation.

                        ^-.-^
                        Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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                        • #13
                          I now have people that come in and just point at the rack. WTF? I just look and ask what they want and tell them I don't do the pointing thing.

                          Had a guy just stand there after he pointed and I asked what he wanted and said I didn't do the pointing thing. After what felt like a few minutes he told me I knew what he got. I told him no I don't and he just stands there looking at me. My co-worker knew and got them. If that co-worker wasn't working he would have been standing there all night.

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                          • #14
                            Quoth Kheldarson View Post
                            "Cowboy Killers in a box."
                            Quoth Andara Bledin View Post
                            The Marlboro Man was a cowboy who died of lung cancer, so "Cowboy Killers" would almost have to refer to Marlboros. Not sure how that defines the Reds, specifically, though, since I don't really pay much attention to cigarette related stuff.

                            ^-.-^
                            *Points at Andara*

                            What she said.

                            Dad smoked Marlboros in a red box when I was a kid. When Camel had their Camel Dollars EQ and I made him buy those (we thought the dollars were cute, shutup). He's stuck with Winston in the white pack, now it's Pall Mall (long, Ar-Dubya, LONG) in the red box.

                            We're switching him from regular cigarettes to the e-cigarettes when we get the money for the initial purchase.
                            Now a member of that alien race called Management.

                            Yeah, you see that right. Pink. Harness.

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                            • #15
                              What is even more frustrating at our store is going out to our gas station to work. They carry more brands, and their system is totally different. It is always a hunt to find the right thing. Some Camels and Marlboros are in the overhead racks, others in the upright display behind the counter.

                              Marlboro recently came out with "Specials" where the package looks exactly the same of Marlboro Lights, except for a colored line around the triangle under the name. Some genius decided to stock these right next to the Marlboro Lights, and the rack they are in covers the part of the pack with the triangle and the word "Special" or "Lights".

                              I was out at the gas station the other night giving a break and someone came to the window wanting Camel Lights. I looked where they normally were and didn't see them. I had to go ask the girl I was relieving...turns out they are changing the package and Camel Lights are now Camel "Blues".

                              But at least the gas station normally HAS cigarettes. For some reason our gas station is considered a separate entity from the main store, and they order from a different supplier. They manage to keep cigarettes in stock, we are constantly running out of the most popular cigarettes (Reds, Lights, Camel Lights and Turkish Silver) and we have some really obscure stuff that I can't recall selling a single pack of the entire 5 years I have worked at the store. It is really frustrating to have to tell customers "Sorry, we are out of Reds" and then go thru and pull expired stock and have a cartload of stuff that either goes back for credit or is a writeoff. When they remodeled a couple years back and moved the cigarettes from the Service Desk to the Tobacco Pit we went thru and pulled expired stock..THREE grocery carts piled up with stock..some of which was there from when we opened the store 3 years earlier!

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