Retail Hell

[curtoid]

So, is anyone working Retail this holiday season? How bad/good does it look? Any war stories?

I worked a few years a second job doing retail at Pentagon City, and it was the pits. I hated every second of it, and have nothing but respect for people who do it full time - forget about "AmeriCore," I think every American should be forced to work retail at some point in their life!

To remind myself how much I hate it, I did work during the Labor Day weekend at a friend's shop in Georgetown, which was one of their busiest times of the year, what with the colleges, Georgetown and George Washington, both starting.

[KOP]

[Spank Daddy]

Woman Trampled in Fla. Shopping Rush

ORANGE CITY, Fla. (AP) - A mob of shoppers rushing for a sale on DVD players trampled the first woman in line and knocked her unconscious as they scrambled for the shelves at a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Patricia VanLester had her eye on a $29 DVD player, but when the siren blared at 6 a.m. Friday announcing the start to the post-Thanksgiving sale, the 41-year-old was knocked to the ground by the frenzy of shoppers behind her.

"She got pushed down, and they walked over her like a herd of elephants," said VanLester's sister, Linda Ellzey. "I told them, `Stop stepping on my sister! She's on the ground!"'

Ellzey said some shoppers tried to help VanLester, and one employee helped Ellzey reach her sister, but most people just continued their rush for deals.

"All they cared about was a stupid DVD player," she said Saturday.

Paramedics called to the store found VanLester unconscious on top of a DVD player, surrounded by shoppers seemingly oblivious to her, said Mark O'Keefe, a spokesman for EVAC Ambulance.

She was flown to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, where doctors told the family VanLester had a seizure after she was knocked down and would likely remain hospitalized through the weekend, Ellzey said. Hospital officials said Saturday they did not have any information on her condition.

"She's all black and blue," Ellzey said. "Patty doesn't remember anything. She still can't believe it all happened."

Ellzey said Wal-Mart officials called later Friday to ask about her sister, and the store apologized and offered to put a DVD player on hold for her.

Wal-Mart Stores spokeswoman Karen Burk said she had never heard of a such a melee during a sale.

"We are very disappointed this happened," Burk said. "We want her to come back as a shopper."

[high fly]

Do the "greeters" at the door greet an unruly mob any differently than other folks?

" and they ask me why I drink"

[badorties]

i work in the corporate sales office where we do 80% of our business in a eight week period between halloween and x-mas eve with thanksgiving being my only day off during that period .....

this is my third year here, and all the joy, merriement and festivities have been destroyed, devalued and reduced to a series of spreadsheets tracking and projecting fourth quarter goals .....

holiday parties and after work drinks have to be put on hold, and there's no time for friends or family .....

the best part is that i'm straight salary, no overtime or comission for my troubles .....

but for the remaining 44 weeks out of the year, it's not so bad .....


+|+|+|+|+

"And it's winter in New Jersey and it's Christmas in New York" - Dean Wareham

[AngelAmy]

i work overnigghts at target. its a whole different hell than the day time people get. we get 2 trucks on mondays, wednesdays and fridays. so many christmas and toys coming in. AHHHHHHHHHHH. toooo maaaannnnnnnnny bbbboooxxxxeeeeeeeessss.

<center>You can speak your mind but not on my time.
C*U*N*T
[b]I'm doing the happy dance, I'm doing the happy dance.
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<font color=blue>110% Shenannigans</font>

[Reephdweller]

Thankfully I haven't worked retail in years, this time of year is always the absolute worst. It's good if you're looking to work lots of hours get o/t and make commissions. I made very good money doing it, but it's a killer. Last year was the closest I came when I got a job temporarily at Borders around this time....it was nice for extra cash but it also sucked having to work lots and lots of hours.

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[AngelAmy]

It's good if you're looking to work lots of hours get o/t and make commissions. I made very good money doing it, but it's a killer.


tell me about it. tonight i decided to work 6 days a week and going in 2 hours early for 3 of those days for when we get two trucks.

when this is all done i think i will pass out for a few weeks.

this is what my schedule will look like from now til christmas...
Sunday: 10pm-6am
Monday: 8pm-6am
Tuesday: 10pm-6am
Wednesday: 8pm-6am
Thursday: 10pm-6am
Friday: 8pm-6am
Saturday: Off
...We always wind up staying past 6am to get everything done and sometimes they ask me to come in early on the other days too, but you get the idea.

<center>You can speak your mind but not on my time.
C*U*N*T
[b]I'm doing the happy dance, I'm doing the happy dance.
<img src="http://wnewsgirl.homestead.com/files/treysig.gif">
<font color=blue>110% Shenannigans</font>

This message was edited by AngelAmy on 12-1-03 @ 7:15 AM

[curtoid]

I've always thought that I would love working over nights, but I think the reality of it (after too long) would just beat the hell out of me.

What kind of discounts do you get??

[KOP]

[high fly]

I say from now on, AngelAmy gets extra slack around here....

" and they ask me why I drink"

[Tenbatsuzen]

I worked at a restaurant during the Christmas season.

I amend that.


I worked at a SHITTY restaurant during the Christmas season.

Tips were OK during lunch, awful at night.



<center><img src="http://tenbatsuzen.homestead.com/files/psychosig03.jpg"></center>

[pinkyfloyd]

I work in the juniors section of a department store. HELL. These people bring 30 things into the fitting room and just throw it all over the floor. They don't even bother to turn the clothes right side out. To me, that is so rude and inconsiderate. There are signs all over the place, asking customers to please bring only 5 items in at a time, and to HANG THE SHIT UP. These assholes don't stop to think about the poor sonofabitch (me) who has to put all this crap away. Oh, and shoplifting has been a big deal at my store. Every day, people are just walking out the door with shit they didn't buy. I think last year, the store's loss due to stealing was something like $600,000. Yep, it's the holidays!!!

Oh, by the way, which one's pinky?

The more I know, the stupider I know I am. - Gary Busey

[Steels]

I worked at a restaurant during the Christmas season.

The maitre d' at Canal Bar?

<Img src=http://members.aol.com/tromatizedtodd/sigpics/steels3.gif>

[dingo]

I hate everyone this week sux and it is only tuesday. Wendsays are my day off and the store is closed cause i am the only one who works there but the owner wants the store to be opened 7 days a week for christmas. i don't see the logic in this we don't advertize so no one know s that we are now opened on wensdays cause we are closed every wensday all year long so no one showns up on wensdays. the owner comes in on wensdays to my store and works just so it will be opened, now i can get mad for this but his cousin just pasted away and he is gettinf burried this wensday so he asked me to come in I can't say no cause that would be wrong. But instead of letting me take friday off which is the day he takes off in one of his other stores he is also going to keep his friday off. So my last day off was the 10th and my next day off is christmas cause i have to come in on christmas eve casue that is the day everyone is picking up their layaways.

And to top it off I sponser a raceing team, we went through management changes last christmas so when i was promoted i didn't have time to get the jerseys printed intime for the start of the season. there was nothing wrong with the jerseys that we had except that their were a few guys on the team that didn't like them cause they were to loud and bright (Hello thats my adveritizement) and they didn't want to help out with the cost of the jerseys smal quannity custom printing is expensive, but they felt that they are raceing for me that they should get it for free, I'm sorry but they don't generate enough sales to warrent that too, they already get free labor my cost on parts+shipping and proform prices on frames. My point to this is i just found out from a customer that i lost members of my race team. I was talking about them and the customer goes they don't race for you I saw them at the race in so and so's jersey. So what did i do i went to the others shops web cite and wouldn't you know their profiles are up on their page say that their old team folded a few months ago so they are now on this team. I've spoke to one of the guys as recent as thanksgiving on the phone twice and once he was even in the store and i did work on his bike but he didn't tell me that they left my team. This is why i hate people

NJ's Sexiest Bicycle Mechanic

[high fly]

Well, my suspicions have been confirmed.
Last night, while listening to that Colmes guy (of Hannity and Colmes) on the radio, he talked about a story that should interest anyone in retail at this time of year.

A union in Australia has declared that the playing of Christmas music in stores is not just detrimental to employees, oh no, it's bigger than that,
THEY CLAIMED IT TO BE 'PSYCHO-TERRORISM!




No shit.







" and they ask me why I drink"

[JohnnyCash]

I actually caved today and went to the mall. What a clusterfuck.For any of you working retail-you must be crazy.

Thanks to Reefdwella for the great Sig Pic.
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[Tenbatsuzen]

I worked at a restaurant during the Christmas season.

The maitre d' at Canal Bar?



You're Abe Frohman. The Sausage King of Chicago.



<center><img src="http://tenbatsuzen.homestead.com/files/psychosig03.jpg"></center>

[MizzleTizzle]

A union in Australia has declared that the playing of Christmas music in stores is not just detrimental to employees...


I think people who make frivilous lawsuits are assholes.

I would not like a job, however, where I'd have to hear 'Joy to the World' etc. 39 times during my eight hour shift.

Malls are just becoming bearable for me again. Literally. There was a time when, during christmas season especially, stepping into one was a sure-fire anxiety attack. The noise level is absolutely fucking unbearable. They pump that shit music in loud, and the big crowds drown in out, so they crack it up [it seems]; it's just way too much sense stimulation. For me.

[MizzleTizzle]

OK my finger slipped and I heard to distinct clicks; hence, double post. If I was really shaky, is a triple possible? A quad? Is it like olympic figure skating jumps? I only got a double...

This message was edited by MizzleTizzle on 12-20-03 @ 8:36 PM

[high fly]

Let's go to the judges:

9.5

9.5

9.6

9.4

9.5

9.0


That Russian judge always fucks things up, doesn't he?

" and they ask me why I drink"

[MizzleTizzle]

The news outlets are reporting the retail outlets did 'so-so' business today, not as much as anticipated. Bummer for those wishing to be trampled to sue the local GiGundo-Mart.

Went into a liquor store to get booze for Xmas people coming over. Holy shit did the memories flood back. I worked at Liquor stores, most recognizably a Buy-Rite for years. Loved that job, and not coz of the booze. It was a good job. You stocked your stuff, you rang up people, few gave me shit about being underage, and it was safe.

But the days approaching christmas and then new year's eve were so bad I remember going home and trying to sleep and I couldn't because everytime I went into that 'lucid dreaming' half-awake half-asleep moment BOOM! there I was, staring from behind a register at a huge line of people, all who will be amateurs, meaning they don't know booze, so they think nothing of asking to giftwrap a bottle of Andre that they just paid $2.49 for... [shudder].

This is why I am that really polite guy who looks you in the eye and says 'Thank a lot.' when someone rings me up and doesnt treat me like a sub-human. Sadly, my sincere thanks are more and more looked at with a look of absolute astonishment, and, once in a while, a 'you're the only person who's said that all morning.'

Really? Shit.

This message was edited by MizzleTizzle on 12-22-03 @ 5:47 PM