What I Would Like to Focus On for the Month of June

Before I get into what I am going to focus on in June I just wanted to share a situation that I am sure others have had at work. I really did get very upset especially with one of my managers. He is one of the newer managers at my store who came in right before we relocated. Last week he did the schedule because the person who usually does it was on vacation. Well, every week since I can remember I have been scheduled on Monday. But the one Monday that we would be getting time-and-a-half because of it being a holiday (Memorial Day) this manager does not schedule me. So the Friday before Memorial Day I saw him before work and when he asked me how I was doing he knew I was upset by the way I answered though I did not have a chance to tell him why at that time. So what happened later is kind of weird. Almost as if he could read my mind or feel the bad vibes I had he calls me later that day and asks if I want to work on Monday. So after expending all that energy on being upset it turned out I ended up working anyway.

I will be glad when I can get this affiliate marketing thing up and working so I will not have to deal with these kind of upsets anymore. I was thinking at all my previous jobs (except for the first few jobs when I started working) I paid more in taxes than what I am paid now. But there are quite a few people in the same situation. It goes to show that we all do what we have to do to make ends meet. And we do this until we find a way to change things for the better. I have decided that I am definitely going to do just that within the next few months. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I have decided that for awhile I am going to focus on one subject per week with. Today I will give a synopsis of the next few weeks and what the subjects are. I thought that this would keep what I am writing about a bit more interesting and also keep me somewhat more organized.

For the first week the topic I would like to focus on is So different aspects of How We Treat Each Other. So, starting Monday June 1st, I am going to focus on How Customers Treat the People Working At the Places We Go to Shop and vice-versa (how the workers treat the customers). In my many years of working I have already experienced how wonderful or how very terrible we can be to one another and there is much to be said about how we treat each other and how we should treat each other. Since this site is about work I will also try to stay mainly on how we treat one another when we come in contact and interact on our jobs.

The following week, starting Monday, June 8th, I am going to focus on different characteristics of our co-workers and how we interact with them on the job. Are we straight-out about business or do we get personal with the people we work with? How much do we really know about them and how much do we let them know about ourselves? I have some humorous stories and some not-so-humorous stories to tell. I am sure everyone has quite as few of each in their memories.

The third week, which will be around June 15th, I am looking forward to sharing how we get along with the boss (or bosses) and how they treat us. Now this can be a very touchy subject. Much of the day may depend on our interaction with the person or persons in charge (and also the people who think they are in charge). How many of us have been down that road of too many Chiefs and not enough Indians? Or the one where one manager tells you to do something one way and another gives you totally different directions. Who do you listen to or how do we remedy a situation like that?

I have more ideas for the next couple of weeks in June, but for now these are the subjects for the first three weeks. Don't want to get too far ahead of myself.

Thanks for checking in and taking the time to read this today. Please feel free to leave a comment or share a story or two which you have from the job.

In The Fitting Room - The Beginning

My daughter has urged me to write about my most recent or present job. Right now I am working in a retail store. It is going to be almost a year in June that I have been at this job. It may not seem that long but I feel good about it after having been out of work for a few years (but that is a whole other story) and also since this is not the type of work I am used to doing. All I can say is that it is quite a change from working in an office.

I have constant contact with the public at the store and situations which arise are unlimited. As I said before I have never had a job quite like this. Of course much of my time is spent checking the clothes people are thinking of buying as they come in and out of the fitting room. I must say it is very enlightening as to the character of people. It has definitely been a new way of getting to know people on a very personal basis. People quite frequently open up and tell me a lot about themselves and their lives. After all, being around people as they change and try on clothing can be quite an intimate situation if you think about it. Even seeing the type of clothing and also lingerie that are chosen can tell me quite a bit about the individual.

My eyes have definitely been opened to the fact that some people are addicted to shopping, but now I find how addictive just trying on clothes can be to many a customer. Some will bring a whole cart full, and since we only allow 8 items at a time, they will make 2, 3, up to 4 and even 5 trips into the fitting room. Sometimes instead of just bringing a cart with the clothes, they will just come back and forth from the floor and bring 8 items each time. But what really amazed me was how many of them will not even buy one item they have tried on. And these are people who are regular customers. They will come in a few times a week and do the same thing every time they come in the store - try on mounds of clothes and never buy one piece.

Right now, with the economy the way it is, we are being more careful than ever to keep an eye on and check what is going in and coming out of the fitting room because theft is way up. So with that being part of my job also, there are many reactions when I tell them I need to check the clothes. I get reactions anywhere from “hey, no problem, that’s your job” to customers who give you this look like you have already accused them of stealing. Some people are so very nice about it and others can be really nasty.

I am always appreciative when the first customers of the day just let me do my job and show their appreciation for the job that I am doing. I always try to be courteous and friendly. And I must say that much of the time the customers are really great.

So this is what this blog is about. I really want to share with you that part of my life and the time that I spend with my customers as I relay some of the stories of what happens in the fitting room; along with other tales of working in retail. I hope for this to be entertaining along with giving some insight to the character of people when they are shopping. Some are quite humorous and can be comical. Others will be of those customers that are just plain rude and even nasty. It is really amazing how much of a person can be seen and learned in such a very short time, in the minutes (or sometimes hours) spent shopping along with trying on clothes.

So stick with me from day to day and I hope you will enjoy what I have to offer.