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I know when I interviewed for my last job, the manager made a big deal out of the fact that I listed my availability as basically anytime. And yes I ended up becoming the person they always called whenever they needed help. It could also be the area you live in. In my hometown, retail jobs are drat near impossible to get because it's a college town and competition for flexible part-time work is fierce.
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Feb 27, 2013 01:47
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gently caress anyone who tries to insult your intelligence by claiming you are a moron because you cant process a math problem in half a second. What matters is knowing the logic behind the operation, not how fast you can process it on the fly. If someone is able to process 27.86-13.72 instantly, then cool. Most people cant. Most people that are really really good at math cant either. Why? Because calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and the like don't give a gently caress if you can compute a subtraction problem out to the 5th decimal place. Logic is much more power and informative than route computation. That's why we invented calculators. "Hey awesome, you can subtract relatively big numbers in your head. Cool. Can you do this integral for me too? Wait, you don't even know what an integral is? What about a derivative? No? Hey! I thought you were claiming you really know your math!"
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Feb 27, 2013 03:49
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Avalanche posted:gently caress anyone who tries to insult your intelligence by claiming you are a moron because you cant process a math problem in half a second. What matters is knowing the logic behind the operation, not how fast you can process it on the fly. If someone is able to process 27.86-13.72 instantly, then cool. Most people cant. Most people that are really really good at math cant either. Why? Because calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and the like don't give a gently caress if you can compute a subtraction problem out to the 5th decimal place. Logic is much more power and informative than route computation. That's why we invented calculators. While I generally agree with you, there is something to be said for repetition. When I did drive through at a fast food place, I knew with a good 80% accuracy what I was probably going to be given and what change I should have ready, as well as the amount for "even" change I would need to be handed. It's fun to have the change ready as they're paying, get some funny looks. I think anyone who's paying attention and cares at all about figuring out change amounts on the fly can get pretty good at it, as you say it doesn't take a math genius to do.
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Feb 27, 2013 06:21
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baquerd posted:While I generally agree with you, there is something to be said for repetition. When I did drive through at a fast food place, I knew with a good 80% accuracy what I was probably going to be given and what change I should have ready, as well as the amount for "even" change I would need to be handed. It's fun to have the change ready as they're paying, get some funny looks. I think anyone who's paying attention and cares at all about figuring out change amounts on the fly can get pretty good at it, as you say it doesn't take a math genius to do. Yeah, it took me about a good month or so on the job before I was able to calculate change for most orders before the customer has come up to the drive-thru window. Now I can get a handful of change, swipe through it a bit and know exactly how much I'm holding (unless they've done something like give me a shitload of change). My bosses set up one of those change dispensers, and I hate using it. It takes me less time to assess how much is in my hand, hit "Round to next dollar" (because we don't have an "Exact change" button for some silly reason), and grab the change out of the drawer than it does to type in exactly how much is in my hand into the computer. Getting rid of the penny has hosed with it a bit, as well. Still, I much prefer not having to deal with those contemptuous shits anymore.
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Feb 27, 2013 10:07
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The retail job I have right now has a drive-through with a sign posted saying something a long the lines of "If you need something other than a prescription we'll go get it for you." For some reason this has customers thinking they can hand me a 200+ item list and tell me to go get it all. I handed the list back and shut the window when they started on their "the customer is always right" tirade. All those people in line behind you are customers too, the drive-through is specifically for prescriptions and I'm not making them wait an hour while someone does a shopping list you clearly need to come inside for.
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Feb 27, 2013 16:03
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Avalanche posted:gently caress anyone who tries to insult your intelligence by claiming you are a moron because you cant process a math problem in half a second. What matters is knowing the logic behind the operation, not how fast you can process it on the fly. If someone is able to process 27.86-13.72 instantly, then cool. Most people cant. Most people that are really really good at math cant either. Why? Because calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and the like don't give a gently caress if you can compute a subtraction problem out to the 5th decimal place. Logic is much more power and informative than route computation. That's why we invented calculators. I don't get the point of this post. Basic subtraction is basic subtraction; even the example doesn't require you to carry anything; just do the drat math. And no, people who are good at math are not necessarily rapid calculators - but no one in retail is required to do calculus. They are required to do basic subtraction. It's not a hard skill, and it's something we literally expect 8 year olds to do. The concern is when people chuck a handful of change at you and get mad that you're not Rain Man. Honestly anyone who carries pennies at all is a loving rear end in a top hat.
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Feb 27, 2013 17:11
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For me, it's just hard to line up 3 or 4 digit numbers in my head to subtract as I'm used to doing it on paper where I can keep track of each digit.
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Feb 27, 2013 17:33
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"Reasons I No Longer Desire to Work in Retail Social Media Support" Apologies if this doesn't entirely fit the thread topic, but after a few years of working in the retails stores, one of my current jobs is responding to comments, questions and concerns from the retail customers via social media. Based on those years in the stores, the posts really shouldn't surprise me, but they manage to do so each and every day. Being able to shout out unreasonable demands or baseless complaints without having to face a store employee face to face seems to up the intensity. I die inside every time a customer posts every derogatory expletive under the sun followed by "#EpicFail" about how we're "being rude" because we didn't immediately meet the impossible with a smile and free product.
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Feb 28, 2013 07:49
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SimplyCosmic posted:Being able to shout out unreasonable demands or baseless complaints without having to face a store employee face to face seems to up the intensity. I die inside every time a customer posts every derogatory expletive under the sun followed by "#EpicFail" about how we're "being rude" because we didn't immediately meet the impossible with a smile and free product. Wait, you mean you won't give me something for FREE because I'm a CUSTOMER!?!? Well I *NEVER* have heard of such bad customer service! *Rep Presses button that launches customer into an active Volcano* And now the world is a better place. Oh, If only I could be the guy to invent that button...
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Feb 28, 2013 10:03
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SimplyCosmic posted:"Reasons I No Longer Desire to Work in Retail Social Media Support" I definitely don't envy you. Considering some of the poo poo I've seen/heard people pull face to face in a store, I can't even imagine what it would be like to deal with one of these people emboldened by anonymity.
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Feb 28, 2013 10:37
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Tiny posted:Wait, you mean you won't give me something for FREE because I'm a CUSTOMER!?!? Well I *NEVER* have heard of such bad customer service! Speaking of inventions, I would very much like to fellate whoever invented paywave/paypass. For the first time ever there is a payment system simple enough that 90% of customers can figure out how to do it without needing to be led around by the nose like cattle.
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Feb 28, 2013 13:24
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Got a call this morning asking if I was planning on coming to work today. Why no, I most certainly was not, considering that the meastly 10 1/2 hours listed for me this week on the schedule I last checked Sunday were Sunday 3:00-8:30 and Friday 5:30-10:30. So I called back. What's that? The schedule for this week was only finalize YESTERDAY? Why, I've been off all week and was never made aware of any changes. So no, I will not be coming in. Then I got a call a few minutes later. Apparently the schedule was not changed at all. I must have written it down wrong. Bull-loving-poo poo. I checked it three times, I know very goddamn well what hours I am supposed to loving work this week. It's a fireable offense? Let me save you the loving trouble. I am out and away from Dollar Tree and I feel so very liberated. It'll be one retail hell into another, but I doubt any place could grate on me quite so much as this two-bit rinky-dink operation where they hire district managers fresh out of college, giving them a whole two months of experience as a store manager to go on. Or they make you fill out stupid little forms that never get looked at again at best, filed in the trash can at work. I doubt you could find a statistic on them that's really necessary. And half the statistics on the Appleseed documents get transferred to other documents which are also filed right along with their idiotic counterparts. No more of that stupid-rear end PIN pad that doesn't ask credit or debit, but instead presents you with a PIN screen right away with no indication that you have to inform the cashier if you wish to use a debit card as credit. So when you hit the red button thinking you're using credit that way, you just cancel using the card, so I have to tell you to dig it all the way back out of your loving wallet when there's a goddamn line 8 people deep behind you because it's a Friday night and only two people are scheduled. No more dealing with the registers freezing for minutes at a time whenever the gently caress they feel like it, causing massive delays, but only when there's a huge line! No more dealing with a disorganized stockroom where everything is stacked on top of everything else in a space not big enough to handle the amount of stock we get at certain times of year. No more. I'm sure I'll think of more gripes later, and I may edit to reflect them for posterity, but for now, I have washed my hands of Dollar Tree and will leave it for a corporation with more than one price point, standardized and written procedures, and equally moronic but hopefully more tolerable management. For the time being, I'm free. Time to poo poo out job apps left and right. 
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Feb 28, 2013 14:59
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D34THROW posted:Got a call this morning asking if I was planning on coming to work today. Why no, I most certainly was not, considering that the meastly 10 1/2 hours listed for me this week on the schedule I last checked Sunday were Sunday 3:00-8:30 and Friday 5:30-10:30. Congratulations, I guess. Luckily we get our rosters online, so I can print out a pdf as proof if need be. We have a new employee who has no call/no showed two shifts in a row, and nobody has been able to contact him since. His next shift is tomorrow, and if he misses his third shift in a row we'll be able to fire him.
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Feb 28, 2013 16:03
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Well congratulations I can honestly say I'm jealous. I can't really afford to quit my toy store job right now but I will definitely not be there after this October. If my last day was Halloween that would suit me just fine. If I don't have something better by then I think I may  I am NOT spending another Christmas season working at the biggest toy store around. I'm going to start putting applications out there again and either have two 15 hour/week jobs, or quit the toy store and work more hours at a new place. I'm just getting so burnt out there. The coworkers are nice and the policies aren't all that bad, I just don't get enough hours and the customers are gigantic idiots. I do earn paid vacation and get some limited health benefits even though I'm part-time so that's nice. I'm just tired of the monotony.
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Feb 28, 2013 16:18
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The Lord Bude posted:Speaking of inventions, I would very much like to fellate whoever invented paywave/paypass. For the first time ever there is a payment system simple enough that 90% of customers can figure out how to do it without needing to be led around by the nose like cattle. Meanwhile I'd like to castrate whoever decided this was worthy enough for a news piece so I wouldn't have to keep going "No, no it's not transmitting your information... no it won't give you cancer, no nobody can wave a reader by it and steal your identity..." 
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Feb 28, 2013 17:55
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But if everyone is using paypass, who will tell the cashiers that they have the 'magic touch' when they swipe the customer's card?
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Feb 28, 2013 19:04
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The Lord Bude posted:Speaking of inventions, I would very much like to fellate whoever invented paywave/paypass. For the first time ever there is a payment system simple enough that 90% of customers can figure out how to do it without needing to be led around by the nose like cattle. It's a great idea, but 90% of the local stores that have the card readers with the paywave/pass reader on top have the feature disabled. I suspect there's an additional cost involved. The only place I've seen have it working locally here in Ohio is Sheets gas stations. 
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Feb 28, 2013 20:42
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Paywave/pass is amazing, but it's always funny that the commercials have people taking the cards out of their wallet, so now 95% of people think it won't work unless it's out of their wallet. I've only ever seen a few people tap their wallet on the reader. Obviously if you have multiple cards, you'll want to take it out, but why have the extra step? I should see about getting one of those Flash-enabled debit cards.
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Feb 28, 2013 20:52
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Initio posted:But if everyone is using paypass, who will tell the cashiers that they have the 'magic touch' when they swipe the customer's card? For me it's the plastic bag trick. I've heard so many comments about how people have never seen it before. It reached the point where I barely grunted in acknowledgement.
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Feb 28, 2013 22:07
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BigGayLogan posted:Customers often ask me if I'm a student, especially because I look a lot younger than I really am, and I'm still relatively new to retail. Only about a year and a half's experience, or just 10 months if you take away my old deli job. When I tell them that I actually graduated with my BS in 2011, they look at me like I have three heads, or pity me because I "could do better". Nevermind the lovely economy, or personal reasons why I'm not in my studied career field, or you know, if not for the occasional rear end in a top hat customer maybe I actually like my job? This is a couple of days old, but I had almost the same experience with the opposite problem when I was still in retail (up until a year ago at a UPS Store, ended up being let go going into my 5th year there and doing a mostly lateral move to an office job where I only have to deal with other employees). I'd commonly be asked if I was in school and, up until~6 or so months before I was let go, I could only answer in the negative because I simply had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Suddenly, the nicest person turns into the ugliest piece of poo poo. I could see it in their faces, and hear it in their voice tones: I'd essentially become some disgusting, worthless husk of a human being in their eyes. They dropped any sense of friendliness they'd previously displayed and just went into "get this transaction over with" mode. It was incredibly disheartening the first few times it happened, but it eventually turned into something that just annoyed the poo poo out of me.
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Feb 28, 2013 23:10
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Chicken Doodle posted:Meanwhile I'd like to castrate whoever decided this was worthy enough for a news piece so I wouldn't have to keep going "No, no it's not transmitting your information... no it won't give you cancer, no nobody can wave a reader by it and steal your identity..." I guess tin foil hats just never caught on in our climate. I've had maybe 3 people ever express reservations, and it's always been along the lines of 'You mean people can just spend $100 without needing to know my pin number? That's not safe I'm never using paywave again.' At which point I explain that: 1. Regardless of whether or not you choose to use the paywave functionality of your card, anyone who steals it is going to anyway, and 2. This is why paywave transactions spend 3 days as 'pending' so that you can check your statement regularly for fraudulent transactions.
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Mar 1, 2013 00:26
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D34THROW posted:For me it's the plastic bag trick. I've heard so many comments about how people have never seen it before. It reached the point where I barely grunted in acknowledgement. Oh god, I had to do that so many times. The best part was when they would stand there wiping off their card like that was going to make a difference. Then they would stick the card into the slot like halfway before they moved it, run it through really slowly, or just kind of "saw" their card back and forth through the slot. Which would just gently caress things up and guarantee we have to try it again. Then they would get all pissy with me because "it never does this anywhere else!" Which is possible since our card readers were pretty lovely, but still that isn't my fault. I think the most  moment was some guy whose card wouldn't work and then said something like "I have to get a new card every few months because they all stop working since I had this computer put in my back." He just kept talking about this computer in his back deactivating his cards. It sounded so batshit insane that I didn't ask him to elaborate.
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Mar 1, 2013 01:18
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NaturalLow posted:Oh god, I had to do that so many times. The best part was when they would stand there wiping off their card like that was going to make a difference. Then they would stick the card into the slot like halfway before they moved it, run it through really slowly, or just kind of "saw" their card back and forth through the slot. Which would just gently caress things up and guarantee we have to try it again. Then they would get all pissy with me because "it never does this anywhere else!" Which is possible since our card readers were pretty lovely, but still that isn't my fault. I love the nutjob  customers, I really do.  I had one old homeless guy harp on the government consipiring to increase retail prices to kill off bums or some poo poo for a good 5 minutes once. I just nodded and offered neutral input, then filed it in my mental funny poo poo folder.
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Mar 1, 2013 01:28
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D34THROW posted:I love the nutjob Yeah I kind of regret not asking him to clarify now. At the time I was just so stunned like "Did he just say he had a computer in his back?  "
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Mar 1, 2013 01:35
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NaturalLow posted:Yeah I kind of regret not asking him to clarify now. At the time I was just so stunned like "Did he just say he had a computer in his back? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinal_cord_stimulator I doubt that it really has enough juice to induce a card effecting magnetic field though.
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Mar 1, 2013 01:40
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My landlord has one of those as well. I believe that his does have a reasonably strong magnet in it, but I still doubt that it's going to have all that much effect on one's magnetic cards. And part of what might make him call it a computer, specifically, is that at least one version of the device that I'm aware of uses an externalized plug to interface and charge from (USB, I think).
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Mar 1, 2013 02:59
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Shady Amish Terror posted:My landlord has one of those as well. I believe that his does have a reasonably strong magnet in it, but I still doubt that it's going to have all that much effect on one's magnetic cards. Are you saying that there are people with USB slots in their back so that they can charge their spines?
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Mar 1, 2013 04:00
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Sankis posted:Are you saying that there are people with USB slots in their back so that they can charge their spines? Dues Ex is becoming reality.
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Mar 1, 2013 05:01
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Shady Amish Terror posted:My landlord has one of those as well. I believe that his does have a reasonably strong magnet in it, but I still doubt that it's going to have all that much effect on one's magnetic cards. This is probably the closest I'll get to a reasonable explanation since the guy seemed pretty in touch with reality otherwise. Then again a lot of our customers behaved and looked perfectly normal, but would buy crazy survivalist magazines about stuff like FEMA concentration camps/the New World Order and then tell me about how they didn't have a computer because "They" were watching.
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Mar 1, 2013 06:47
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I got out of retail in November (yay!!!) but the store I worked at still hasn't sent me my tax stuff. Everyone else who works/worked there got their forms in the mail, and every time I call the store headquarters/HR, it just goes right to voicemail. What the hell am I supposed to do? Has this happened to anyone else?
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Mar 1, 2013 16:56
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pug wearing a hat posted:I got out of retail in November (yay!!!) but the store I worked at still hasn't sent me my tax stuff. Everyone else who works/worked there got their forms in the mail, and every time I call the store headquarters/HR, it just goes right to voicemail. What the hell am I supposed to do? Has this happened to anyone else?
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Mar 1, 2013 17:12
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pug wearing a hat posted:Has this happened to anyone else? Is it possible they have a previous address on file and thats where it was mailed to? I think its law that they have to send it to you by a certain point.
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Mar 1, 2013 19:27
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HiHo ChiRho posted:Is it possible they have a previous address on file and thats where it was mailed to? I think its law that they have to send it to you by a certain point. No, I've lived at the same place for 2 years, and they sent it to me last year. I will just send out some more emails and hope one gets read.
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Mar 1, 2013 20:32
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pug wearing a hat posted:No, I've lived at the same place for 2 years, and they sent it to me last year. http://www.irs.gov/uac/Here-is-What-to-do-If-You-Are-Missing-a-W-2 quote:If you haven’t received your W-2, follow these four steps:
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Mar 1, 2013 21:04
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Our store has a small basket of free lollipops in each checkout lane. After about a month into working there, a very obese and toad-like black woman with three children (5-12ish years old) came through my lane near closing time. Her kids were behaving in all sorts of hosed up manners; they were loud as hell, hyperactive, and were actually trying to stuff candybars and other junk right into their own pockets from those candy shelves you always see at a register. They gave no shits that I was right there looking at them in disbelief. One of the kids looked up at the lollipops, then looked at me and asked, "are these free?" I said that they were. The toad-bitch mother, for whatever reason (likely from being loving insane and racist) took such great offence to this that she started screaming at me. I can't remember everything she said but it was about 1 minute of something like "you ain't they fuckin father, gently caress you, you can't say what lollipops they can and cant get." She also called me several variations of a "piece of poo poo cracker mother-fucker" about six times. I didn't get angry or shout back at her, I was just very surprised the entire time because I didn't think my first bad customer would be so hosed. Another, more amusing incident happened just yesterday in fact. I had gotten off work and was walking over to my car when a middle-aged guy approached me. He didn't have dementia and wasn't playing a joke, he was just one of those occasional customers you get that ask very stupid questions:  : Excuse me, do you work here? : Yes, I work here (while wearing my employee uniform).: Do you know if I leave from the far side of the parking lot (our lot has 3 entrances for pulling off/onto the main road) will it lead back out the main road or is there a dead end or a sidewalk in the way?: Sir, have you looked? If you the follow the direction of that exit (I'm pointing with my index finger) you can see how it goes right up and meets with the main road. So yes you can exit from that side of the parking lot.: Alright, thanks!Anyone in northwestern Florida should watch out, this man is probably out driving even right now. IAMKOREA posted:Haha yeah stupid toad negro, what a racist! Somehow I knew that mentioning she was black would attract a poster like you. Shut up! 
buy a hotdog! fucked around with this message at 01:40 on Mar 3, 2013 |
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Mar 2, 2013 06:36
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Haha yeah stupid toad negro, what a racist!
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Mar 3, 2013 00:19
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1. Are we not allowed to mention race? 2. Why did you tell them the candy was free? In your second story it doesn't seem that bad and you come off harsh.
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Mar 3, 2013 03:47
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baquerd posted:While I generally agree with you, there is something to be said for repetition. When I did drive through at a fast food place, I knew with a good 80% accuracy what I was probably going to be given and what change I should have ready, as well as the amount for "even" change I would need to be handed. It's fun to have the change ready as they're paying, get some funny looks. I think anyone who's paying attention and cares at all about figuring out change amounts on the fly can get pretty good at it, as you say it doesn't take a math genius to do. You Sir are a gem. I think there is something to be said about someone who is willing to apply intellect to a "simple" job to do it well and make some fun of it.
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Mar 3, 2013 05:07
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ONEMANWOLFPACK posted:2. Why did you tell them the candy was free? The kid was asking me about the lollipops being free, which they are. I didn't tell him that the actual candy bars and stuff was free and the manager made them put those back. The second story wasn't that bad, that's why I described it as amusing. He asked me two absurdly obvious questions and so I answered both of them.
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Mar 3, 2013 06:27
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buy a hotdog! posted:Somehow I knew that mentioning she was black would attract a poster like you. Shut up! When you include someone's skin color in your complaint, it can look like you're complaining about their skin color. If their race isn't relevant, it's probably best best to leave it out of your complaint. Would that customer have been any less annoying if she were white?
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Mar 3, 2013 16:51
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