Retail Thread: I'M A BALLET DANCER! I HOPE YOU ALL SHIT YOURSELVES TO DEATH!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Retail Thread: I'M A BALLET DANCER! I HOPE YOU ALL SHIT YOURSELVES TO DEATH!

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Ashye: Jul 29, 2013

Nitramster posted:

TL/DR: [retail store] is loving it's store employees hard and it looks to continue into next year.

A tale as old as time.

# ? Jan 4, 2021 20:38

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# ? Jun 2, 2024 11:00

Rainbow Knight: Apr 19, 2006; We die.
We pray.
To live.
We serve

Nitramster posted:

It's looking like Best Buy has been taking notes and believes that they can continue to run on a minimal floor employee strategy going forward.

Oh buddy lemme tell you somesing about "notes" and their influence on "strategy"

# ? Jan 5, 2021 00:58

Coasterphreak: May 29, 2007; I like cookies.

Nitramster posted:

This is Best Buy hard-core right now. in Q3 when we hired the Occasional/Seasonals (OS's) we took on a lot, most of them got to work MAYBE a half shift a week. Sure most of them were crap, and we were expecting with people losing jobs that we might get some decent workers but, weirdly, that wasn't true. And with the idea that we would have people sick more often we would need more backup ranks. Made sense. But our hours were cut so drastically to save operating costs that none of these OS's even had a chance to train. Then on black friday weekend about half of them really couldn't even find items in the store or properly ring a person up. Last week I saw a new face in the store, it's wk5 and we are dropping our OS's in wk2 of Jan... and I just saw someone for the first time that we hired in september. Hilarious.

Anyways, in my department I hired an amazing employee and usually I get to know my headcounts before we drop the OS's. Now I have to tell him today that he's going to lose his job and I won't know for a couple weeks if I'll be able to bring him back on. I've been learning that as a manager I need to keep things to myself until they are concrete, hope he understands and is patient, I'll find a way to bring him back.

It's looking like Best Buy has been taking notes and believes that they can continue to run on a minimal floor employee strategy going forward. Unfortunately what the numbers don't show is that people are being run ragged, and they're only putting up with it now because of the fear of not having a job and health insurance during the pandemic. All the good employees will leave if the current strategy ends.

BTW the traditional strategy is to have a few people in each department to help shoppers as they browse and have questions, they have time to downstock between customers if everyone says they're good for now, clean, organize, maybe even do some trainings or read sales numbers or company emails. The current model is there is a host at the door that has to explain how the store works to every single person as they enter, and tell them right there that if theyare going to need an employee for ANYTHING they need to be entered into a queue. Then inside there is like 3-5 floor employees, a sales leader working the Q and pairing people up the second the sales employee is free, and hopefully, a manager to deal with overrides and MOD calls. Basically the sales team has 0 downtime, the customers are pissed because they can't ask simple questions to anyone (they have to go back outside and in the line at my store) if they didn't understand the hosts directions. There is no time for sales employees to downstock, organize, clean, do anything. Lunches have to be planned to the minute to minimize the loss of 2 employees at the same time. Breaks aren't even considered.

TL/DR: Best Buy is loving it's store employees hard and it looks to continue into next year.

so what you're saying is best buy is loving up the one thing that sets them apart from amazon

this seems like a good plan

# ? Jan 5, 2021 01:05

Cowslips Warren: Oct 29, 2005; What use had they for tricks and cunning, living in the enemy's warren and paying his price?; Grimey Drawer

But imagine the quarterly profits for the district manager!

I can't recall the source, but it was on Tumblr and Twitter: anyone else ever notice how when the stock market goes up, nothing happens, but when it dips or drops, we all lose our jobs?

# ? Jan 5, 2021 01:11

Yawgmoth: Sep 10, 2003; This post is cursed!

You might think that pharmacy techs, being retail employees, might be a little more understanding about poo poo like "I don't make the rules" and "we can't negotiate your fees because they are literally laws", but no. So many of them are most Karen piles of talking hazmat dumps I've experienced in the last 5 years. Did you know it's "bad customer service" to tell someone they have to pay their late fees, including the renewal fee they should have paid last year and could be fined for not paying if we chose to investigate them at all to find out if they've been doing work they need said registration active for? It's also apparently "rude" to tell someone they have to send us A Document to renew, which they have been told no less than seven times they will have an entire loving year to provide.

We go through this poo poo every loving year, and to make matters worse my boss is like the living embodiment of middle management center-right neolib, so all these idiots bitching couldn't possibly be because they're stupid lovely assholes who act like DT whenever they can, it must be our fault! If only we used the right tone, they'd be falling over themselves to pay their fees and fines and fork over their goddamned training forms. :downs:

# ? Jan 5, 2021 01:19

Star Man: Jun 1, 2008; There's a star maaaaaan
Over the rainbow

I like to think that while the district manager is doing everything they can to shore up as much money as possible for themselves, it's still nothing compared to what their bosses make. They're just as disposable.

# ? Jan 5, 2021 01:25

Preechr: May 19, 2009; Proud member of the Pony-Brony Alliance for Obama as President

Yawgmoth posted:

You might think that pharmacy techs, being retail employees, might be a little more understanding about poo poo like "I don't make the rules" and "we can't negotiate your fees because they are literally laws", but no. So many of them are most Karen piles of talking hazmat dumps I've experienced in the last 5 years. Did you know it's "bad customer service" to tell someone they have to pay their late fees, including the renewal fee they should have paid last year and could be fined for not paying if we chose to investigate them at all to find out if they've been doing work they need said registration active for? It's also apparently "rude" to tell someone they have to send us A Document to renew, which they have been told no less than seven times they will have an entire loving year to provide.

We go through this poo poo every loving year, and to make matters worse my boss is like the living embodiment of middle management center-right neolib, so all these idiots bitching couldn't possibly be because they're stupid lovely assholes who act like DT whenever they can, it must be our fault! If only we used the right tone, they'd be falling over themselves to pay their fees and fines and fork over their goddamned training forms.

My fees keep going up, but my state finally implemented online renewal so it�s a loving breeze now. There is no excuse for not renewing on time, you even get the renewal notice months in advance.

# ? Jan 5, 2021 07:41

Coasterphreak: May 29, 2007; I like cookies.

I am seriously considering a position at amazon

# ? Jan 5, 2021 10:25

Nitramster: Mar 10, 2006; THERE'S NO TIME!!!

Ashye posted:

A tale as old as time.

Honestly, I know how lovely most retail is, I've been with best buy for close to 5 years now and I thought we had it pretty good up until the middle of the year when we came back from being curbside only.

New CEO is making the calls now, pretty easy to put it all on her, especially considering the previous one effectively saved the company.

# ? Jan 5, 2021 18:58

Bomrek: Oct 9, 2012

Went to a meeting today where everyone at my position got told we can give people verbal warnings now. Okay.

Cue two hours of roleplaying various ways to do this??? I can pretty much guarantee I'm never going to do any of this lol, my current strategy of 1: telling people what to do and 2: making them do it with a combination of positive reinforcement and peer pressure seems to work so far. God I'm so lovely at all this fakeass leadership stuff, but all my people I'm in charge of do their jobs and seem to want to do their jobs well so I think it's okay.

Got a raise for this, so whatever I'll take it. I'm just not sure why they want a human disaster to have more power.

# ? Jan 6, 2021 12:57

JackSplater: Nov 20, 2014; Metal Coat? It's already active?!

Bomrek posted:

I'm just not sure why they want a human disaster to have more power.

Doesn't this describe pretty much all management, though?

# ? Jan 6, 2021 17:07

Rainbow Knight: Apr 19, 2006; We die.
We pray.
To live.
We serve

Bomrek posted:

Went to a meeting today where everyone at my position got told we can give people verbal warnings now. Okay.

Cue two hours of roleplaying various ways to do this??? I can pretty much guarantee I'm never going to do any of this lol, my current strategy of 1: telling people what to do and 2: making them do it with a combination of positive reinforcement and peer pressure seems to work so far. God I'm so lovely at all this fakeass leadership stuff, but all my people I'm in charge of do their jobs and seem to want to do their jobs well so I think it's okay.

Got a raise for this, so whatever I'll take it. I'm just not sure why they want a human disaster to have more power.

Yeah you never need to manage by the book because the book fuggin sucks.

# ? Jan 6, 2021 17:31

Cowslips Warren: Oct 29, 2005; What use had they for tricks and cunning, living in the enemy's warren and paying his price?; Grimey Drawer

DC goons, hope you guys have stayed safe. on the other hand, this might be the perfect time to be rude to customers because they're already riot mode.

# ? Jan 6, 2021 23:55

Leal: Oct 2, 2009

Beyond losing my sunday pay, this week is an ad week and 3 employees were given a sixth day. Store director did not want this at all, and didn't care that it'll be back to 5 days after the ad runs. They are being extremely picky with hours again, and to top it off there might be a new person getting added to the department, just so we don't have 6 days on ad week. Which means outside of ad week we'll lose a day. So on top of already losing 2k this year cause of the sunday pay being cut, I may very well get a 20% pay cut from them hiring another person.

I guess on the upside the schedule change that had to happen gives me friday off, when my valve index is coming in. I'll be the first SA VR LPer and make all the money, watch out for my LP of Forklift Simulator. It'll be more ethical then working retail

# ? Jan 7, 2021 00:04

KTS: Jun 22, 2004; I wax my rocket every day!

Got a bit of enjoyment today.

Got a manager call to the print department this morning, something about a job we couldn't print. Got there to find out that it's a job we WONT print, not can't. We have a policy of refusing service printing offensive materials, and this alt right gently caress wanted posters that had swastika's, pro IRA stuff etc over them. He tried to argue with me and do the rational hitler act, threatening to complain and close his business account with the company. I got to happily tell him that I didn't care, it isn't a debate and he was welcome to leave and find somewhere else to print his poo poo and never come back.
Felt good being able to tell a customer no, go away and I'm backed 100%

# ? Jan 7, 2021 13:09

Trastion: Jul 24, 2003; The one and only.

KTS posted:

Got a bit of enjoyment today.

Got a manager call to the print department this morning, something about a job we couldn't print. Got there to find out that it's a job we WONT print, not can't. We have a policy of refusing service printing offensive materials, and this alt right gently caress wanted posters that had swastika's, pro IRA stuff etc over them. He tried to argue with me and do the rational hitler act, threatening to complain and close his business account with the company. I got to happily tell him that I didn't care, it isn't a debate and he was welcome to leave and find somewhere else to print his poo poo and never come back.
Felt good being able to tell a customer no, go away and I'm backed 100%

Next time ask him for his account info and do him the "favor" of closing his account for him...

# ? Jan 7, 2021 15:12

Yawgmoth: Sep 10, 2003; This post is cursed!

Trastion posted:

Next time ask him for his account info and do him the "favor" of closing his account for him...

I got to do that last year with a fuckhead tech who for some reason thought we gave a poo poo about his registration in particular and demanded that we waive our requirements, including the late fee he owed, so he could keep being a tech in this state. When he dropped the "I don't need to be registered here, I can move and work anywhere because I am in such high demand" I was very pleased to inform him that since he has told us he no longer needs his registration, we would be locking his account and he would no longer need to worry about renewals since we would also be putting a note on it to not offer reinstatement.

# ? Jan 7, 2021 16:11

NerdyMcNerdNerd: Aug 3, 2004

Nothing pisses me off more than being scheduled a short shift and then being expected to stay until everything is as close to perfect as you can get it. Big nah. Hard pass.

# ? Jan 8, 2021 02:37

Cowslips Warren: Oct 29, 2005; What use had they for tricks and cunning, living in the enemy's warren and paying his price?; Grimey Drawer

My manager has said that the end time of any shift is always flexible. Not the start, only the end. Somehow she never gets people saying yes when she asks us to stay late.

I wonder if she knows that everyone despises her.

# ? Jan 8, 2021 03:00

ErKeL: Jun 18, 2013

I used to do that all the time. Rock up for 5 hours and end up staying for 12-13 hours.
Can't be hosed doing that anymore; nothing worse than it. Always got asked to hang back as I'm about to go clock off. It's just not enough time to psyche yourself back up.

# ? Jan 8, 2021 03:11

dovetaile: Jul 8, 2011; Grimey Drawer

Love to be juuust about 1k in the red for payroll on the 7th day of the month!

# ? Jan 8, 2021 03:53

Democratic Pirate: Feb 17, 2010

dovetaile posted:

Love to be juuust about 1k in the red for payroll on the 7th day of the month!

You�re paying your job $1k?

# ? Jan 8, 2021 06:20

The Lord Bude: May 23, 2007; ASK ME ABOUT MY SHITTY, BOUGIE INTERIOR DECORATING ADVICE

I live in Brisbane, Australia; a city of a couple million people. Yesterday we discovered a case of Covid in the city; so this morning the state government announced a snap lockdown for everyone in the Greater Brisbane area. From 6pm tonight through to 6pm Monday night nobody is permitted to leave their home unless they are buying groceries; visiting the doctor, or performing essential work, and it�s mandatory to wear a mask outside your home. No more than 2 guests allowed into your home.

Police are going to be out in force; any breach of regulations is a 4 digit fine. We�ve got signs up saying you won�t be allowed to set foot in the store without a mask. Today has been hosed beyond belief. As soon as the lockdown was announced everyone lost their loving minds. Work is insane. There�s been a 200m queue to get in the store (we have to limit numbers inside) and the queue for self serve registers did a full 360 loop of the supermarket. Typical queue time 1 hour. We aren�t going to be closed! Supermarkets are essential! Yet we were stripped
bare by 11am. People are so loving stupid.

# ? Jan 8, 2021 06:38

ErKeL: Jun 18, 2013

I live in Victoria and my store still has 15 pallets of TP out the back from the last panic buying. It's been sitting there for 6months and will probably continue to sit there.
People are loving idiots.

I hope everyone that hoards poo poo in the hopes of scalping it off to people in need get hosed over like they almost always do when the panic rush subsides.

# ? Jan 8, 2021 08:16

The Lord Bude: May 23, 2007; ASK ME ABOUT MY SHITTY, BOUGIE INTERIOR DECORATING ADVICE

ErKeL posted:

I live in Victoria and my store still has 15 pallets of TP out the back from the last panic buying. It's been sitting there for 6months and will probably continue to sit there.
People are loving idiots.

I hope everyone that hoards poo poo in the hopes of scalping it off to people in need get hosed over like they almost always do when the panic rush subsides.

Cool can you send some up to me please. Tia.

Edit: 6:49pm and there are now police patrolling the store hunting the maskless. We have someone on guard at the door to keep the maskless out but so far we haven�t had a single one. I made an announcement at 5:50 to remind people the restrictions were coming into effect in 10 mins and to offer a free mask to anyone who needed it; and the handful of maskless in the store promptly wandered over to collect one and put it on like good boys and girls.

The Lord Bude fucked around with this message at 09:42 on Jan 8, 2021

# ? Jan 8, 2021 09:04

Duckman2008: Jan 6, 2010; TFW you see Flyers goaltending.; Grimey Drawer

Sorry to hear about the chaos; but that all sounds like a lovely problem to have compared to here in the United States.

# ? Jan 8, 2021 13:39

The Lord Bude: May 23, 2007; ASK ME ABOUT MY SHITTY, BOUGIE INTERIOR DECORATING ADVICE

Oh certainly it�s a trivial problem. The worst thing that happened to me today was I kicked a lady out of the store for yelling at me because the shelves were picked clean.

# ? Jan 8, 2021 15:19

NerdyMcNerdNerd: Aug 3, 2004

"I can't believe you want to just up and leave when the shift is over, we can't sell things if they aren't on the shelf."

Also

"hey do you wanna come in today some people called out"

lol

# ? Jan 8, 2021 18:54

Cowslips Warren: Oct 29, 2005; What use had they for tricks and cunning, living in the enemy's warren and paying his price?; Grimey Drawer

Text from boss an hour into shift: please call or text me if you can stay late, we are short-staffed.

Boss a few weeks ago: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN PRODUCTIVITY THERE IS NO REASON YOU SHOULD NOT BE DOING 30 ORDERS A DAY

Boss in same email: WE WILL BE RECONSIDERING SHIFT START AND END TIMES AND LOCATIONS.

Gee I wonder why people take a random day off.

# ? Jan 9, 2021 00:56

Alkydere: Jun 7, 2010; Capitol: A building or complex of buildings in which any legislature meets.
Capital: A city designated as a legislative seat by the government or some other authority, often the city in which the government is located; otherwise the most important city within a country or a subdivision of it.

Go to the eye doctor for yearly glasses prescription. End result: hooray after being a blind as gently caress kid who's eyes got worse every year, my eyesight has stabilized in my 30's.

Anyways he asked me what I did.
"Work at Amazon."
Doing what?
"putting stuff in boxes and teaching people to build boxes and then put stuff in the boxes."
Oh so you teach them to put the sticky side of the tape down.
"...you think you're joking but you're not."

# ? Jan 9, 2021 01:15

NerdyMcNerdNerd: Aug 3, 2004

As a retail worker I am constantly torn between worker solidarity and wanting to strangle my co-workers.

Ultimately I realize that the vast majority of my problems are a function of the system and I understand y'all calling out and not wanting to come in, but I would really like it if more than half the department didn't call out.

# ? Jan 9, 2021 17:40

Funktastic: Jul 23, 2013

dovetaile posted:

Love to be juuust about 1k in the red for payroll on the 7th day of the month!

Our dm came in and tried to make me call people in for coverage despite us barely being in the green even with two month long call outs and a manager indefinitely out.

Granted he also truly believes that people would actually answer their phone if I needed to come in at 6 am so who knows.

# ? Jan 9, 2021 17:59

Eric the Mauve: May 8, 2012; Making you happy for a buck since 199X

NerdyMcNerdNerd posted:

As a retail worker I am constantly torn between worker solidarity and wanting to strangle my co-workers.

Ultimately I realize that the vast majority of my problems are a function of the system and I understand y'all calling out and not wanting to come in, but I would really like it if more than half the department didn't call out.

Remind me, what are the repercussions for calling out all the time?

# ? Jan 9, 2021 18:04

NerdyMcNerdNerd: Aug 3, 2004

Eric the Mauve posted:

Remind me, what are the repercussions for calling out all the time?

Depends on how many open positions we have. Right now we have 'a shitload'.

# ? Jan 9, 2021 18:07

hambeef: Aug 21, 2004

Today, a man who earlier today bought ink for his inkjet printer, was looking for laser printer alternative. I went up to him and asked what he was looking for, in hopes of finding the best possible printer for him. After roughly 10-15 mintues of friendly back-and-forth, he showed me THIS!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4UwHaa-o5Y

# ? Jan 9, 2021 19:03

Star Man: Jun 1, 2008; There's a star maaaaaan
Over the rainbow

I would have called the police if someone showed me that.

# ? Jan 9, 2021 19:48

Rainbow Knight: Apr 19, 2006; We die.
We pray.
To live.
We serve

what the gently caress

# ? Jan 9, 2021 20:12

Mill Village: Jul 27, 2007

My work has given up on the mask policy, for both employees and customers. Social distancing is virtually nonexistent, too. I had a guy with no mask get right in my face to ask me a question. I try backing up and he just gets closer. A corporate guy comes in and I ask him why we�re not enforcing masks anymore and he tells me to talk to my manager. My manager who doesn�t wear a mask half the time. :rolleyes:

# ? Jan 9, 2021 20:16

NerdyMcNerdNerd: Aug 3, 2004

My store is currently playing kerplunk with employees, pulling them out one by one to see how many it can lose before marbles just get poo poo all over the floor.

# ? Jan 10, 2021 02:36

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# ? Jun 2, 2024 11:00

Alkydere: Jun 7, 2010; Capitol: A building or complex of buildings in which any legislature meets.
Capital: A city designated as a legislative seat by the government or some other authority, often the city in which the government is located; otherwise the most important city within a country or a subdivision of it.

NerdyMcNerdNerd posted:

My store is currently playing kerplunk with employees, pulling them out one by one to see how many it can lose before marbles just get poo poo all over the floor.

I feel it's more of a Human Jenga Tower. Pull out as many as you can from the bottom while piling more and more work on the remaining elements.

Same end result: eventually poo poo just collapses.

# ? Jan 10, 2021 11:12

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Retail Thread: I'M A BALLET DANCER! I HOPE YOU ALL SHIT YOURSELVES TO DEATH!

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