Up The 'Creek Without A Paddle

Hello all!

If it doesn't stop raining soon,  I will need to get a paddle!  Only in Ohio... drought one week, monsoon the next.  Have you ever heard the saying "madder than an ol' wet hen?"  Well, I faced 10 of them yesterday when I got home from work.  They marched single file back to their pen, then into their house and sulked.

As I mentioned in another post, I want to be sure I maintain the quality you would expect for my blog posts (ok, maybe quality isn't the right word...)  So, I don't always have one I feel ready to publish.  Anyway, I promise to post a new topic within a week.  That said, I would like to ask your opinion on a few things if you would be so kind...

I'd greatly appreciate it if you took a moment to help me by typing in your answers in the comment section at the bottom of this post.   If you have a problem with the comment thingy letting you do it, please let me know by email.  All responders will be entered in a drawing for a Starbuck's gift card if they comment by October 10th, 2012.

1)  I know several of you have tried to follow me, but the Google button hasn't worked since the get-go.  Are you one of these folks?  What happens when you try?  If you haven't tried, could you let me know why?  (There is now another way to follow if you scroll clear down to bottom of the page.)

2)  I need an idea of what you've come to expect in my blog.  Are you disappointed when the posts aren't always humor ones?

3) Have you checked out the "Index By Topic" page?  Is it helpful and working?

4) Are you a crafter?  If so, is there a craft you would like to know more about?

Looking forward to hearing from you and see ya next week!

Gale

There Should Be A 'Be Kind To Sales Clerk's Week!'

Hello!

Probably the most stringent self-imposed boundary for this blog is vowing to never talk about my work either with the school district or now selling appliances.  I intend to stick to that although, trust me, some of the characters that walk through the door are certainly worth writing about!

But since the stock room is filling up with Christmas lights (which we are placing across the aisle from Grim Reaper) I am reminded that "Black Friday" isn't far off (though far enough we shouldn't be putting out Christmas lights--I like to have Halloween and Thanksgiving first.)

That said...

I just want to make a blanket apology to any clerk to whom I may have been less than patient and kind during my entire life.  I am sure there are at least one or two.  (Sometimes my voice inflections sound angrier than I am, but that's no excuse.)

Nobody goes to work (I hope) and intends to purposely "!@#$ up" your day.  However, many things beyond one's control can and do happen.  That's life.  Sometimes you have just cause to be annoyed, but really, in the scheme of life it's minor.  As they say, "we aren't curing cancer."  If I make a mistake,  I need to own it and take care of the problem.  I can deal with that as I have had plenty of practice.

But when someone comes walking in and is rude/obnoxious right off the bat, they might think clerks are at a disadvantage because we have to be helpful and friendly.  Don't view that as a weakness.  Folks that have chips on their shoulders or poor manners will be treated honestly and fairly (possibly out of fear), but let me assure you that if you are friendly and patient, we will go through hoops to try to help (even in out-of-the-box circumstances.)

Believe it or not all of us don't know everything there is to know about everything in the store.  For instance, I am a sales specialist in appliances, not plumbing.  I will do my best to help or get you someone who can if at all possible.  However, that doesn't make me a moron (though I do other things that do) so comments to that effect aren't necessary.   Specialists specialize...  It's no different then thinking a brain surgeon can fix your car!

Shopping costs money.  Expensive items cost more money.  That is life.  Yelling at the clerk about prices is a dumb as yelling at a gas station attendant (basically a sales clerk) about the cost of gas.  Like they can do anything about it??  The store has to keep the lights on, pay their employees and show a little profit to their shareholders in order to be able to provide you with the goods, services and conveniences you want.  I get tired of customers who want something for nothing.  If that's the case, I want that too!!!

So please be kind to us and we will return the favor.  Do your homework, have concrete ideas of what you want, have a budget and focused questions.  (and for Pete's sake if you are buying an item that needs to fit certain measurements, HAVE THE MEASUREMENTS!)  Think about the clerk when you hold up the line because you want to pay with 20 gift cards.  (That just happened to me!)  There were some mad people behind her as all those pin numbers take time to scratch and type in.  Did that person get the dirty looks???  Nope, just me.  That's what I get for jumping on a register to try and help...

Now that I think about it, "Be Kind To Sales Clerk's Week" should never end!

Until next time,
Gale