Working a grocery store the days before Thanksgiving..

[Alicnwondrln]

all i say is WOW!!!!!!! I closed last night and it was well in a word RIDICULOUS we close at 11pm people were still trying to come in and we were still ringing people up at after 1130
then i had several cashiers who if were smart and they arent needed to grab a milk for a few things and not its midnight
the checkout then needs to be cleaned and preped for the next day
i know tonight is gonna be worse
last night i had a woman who comes in all the time she has had time walking because she is soo heavy she uses one of our carts to get around usually she has one of her kids with her last night she didnt
she is very demanding and we are all used to it
help her and she is in adn out faster and everyone including her is happier
she proclaimed i need an assoiate to pull all my items
and hands her list with about 10 rainchecks to another manager and says she'll wait by the service desk
i was shocked she expected this
especially since she wasnted 10 cases of rain checked cokes and 10 butters, 10 huge sodas i mean it was a huge huge order that filled 3 carriages
of course many of her rainchecks were expired and as a regular she knows if you have a raincheck and we are out of the itme you get signed by a manger so that it wont expire
of course none of hers were signed but many were expired, she was screaming at the manager that it wasnt her fault and demanded the items
i just dont understand the feeling of entitlement that i see so many having
finally we get everything together and she comes to pay
her EBT card is rejected and we spend 30 minutes on the phone with the food stamp people trying to get her approved as according to her she has no other way to pay
i felt bad for the staff directly dealing with her
they were going outta there way to get her a voucher adn approval number and she was just like i cant believe this is taking so long and complaining the whole time
after it was all said and done she never said thank you to the manager who helped her, the young woman who spent 40 minutes gathering her groceries or the young man who brought everything to her car and loaded it for her
we do stuff like this all the time for people and i have to say i am glad to help but she was sooo rude it was crazy
ok off my soap box thanks for letting me vent
sad part i have 5 or 6 other stories from last night that would leave you shaking your head

 

[Kimberle]

You have my deepest sympathy. I hope you get "combat" pay.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

ha combat pay no i dont get that
ahh i cant wait to go in tonight
i told dh not wait up

 

[pattyT]

aah thats where you have been Kelli -
I didn't realize you wne and got a job on us

Sorry to hear that it was so horid last night...
I agree that people like that are amazing to me - so she was using expried food stamps to use expired rain checks on SODA
and people wonder what is wrong with the system!

I did the retail thing for a number of years - and you have deepest sympathy -

 

[Alicnwondrln]

aah thats where you have been Kelli -
I didn't realize you wne and got a job on us

Sorry to hear that it was so horid last night...
I agree that people like that are amazing to me - so she was using expried food stamps to use expired rain checks on SODA
and people wonder what is wrong with the system!

I did the retail thing for a number of years - and you have deepest sympathy -

yeah i love styaing home with my boys but i need to do something besides be home so i started working as a part time cashier
then about 2 months ago after being there alittle over a month they promoted me to a CSR kinda like a mini managerwho runs the front end
its fine
with all my years in retail (10) its fine i can handle myself
but last night i was having flash back back to my mall days
it was like the twilight zone

 

[malibuconlee]

I feel for you. Try working at a Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve. People are cranky, rude, and they REFUSE to leave. When the store says it closes at 6, that doesn't mean to come in at 5:30 and do all of your holiday shopping. I mean, Christmas is on the SAME DAY EVERY YEAR!!! It's not like it sneaks up on you.

People don't realize that the associates working at the stores have families to go home and celebrate the holiday with. I know my step-brother and I were over an hour late getting to our Christmas because of the people that wouldn't leave the store that year. (We both worked there right after high school.)

 

[luvflorida]

I mean, Christmas is on the SAME DAY EVERY YEAR!!! It's not like it sneaks up on you.

This made me laugh!!

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Yeow... that woman sounds like a customer from you-know-where! I could understand asking for assistance and inquiring on whether she could use the expired rainchecks... but demanding. Hopefully, this is now her usual way of shopping.

 

[Rafikifan]

I worked in retail many years and I have symapthy for you. When I worked at the mall and we closed at 10 p.m. around the holidays we would start to lower the gate to the store just a little bit around 9:35, then a little lower at 9:45 and finally one night it was 9:58 and we still had one or two people left to check out and so the manager closed the gate almost completely and then would raise it when the customer needed to leave. One night these 2 women come up at 9:58 and saw the gate almost completely to the floor and they literally got down on their stomachs and crawled under the gate to come in. We couldn't believe it! The manager nicely told them we were closing in 2 minutes and they gave her flak about then they could still come in. They grabbed a bunch of clothes and went to try them on. I know they did this just to be aggravating. They stayed 15 minutes, didn't buy a thing and left all the clothes in a heap on the floor in the dressing room.

On the flip side though I had one Christmas Eve experience where I was the customer. As always I start to worry I didn't get as much for so and so as someone else and running out to get a couple last minute things. I was on my way home to do some cooking for the next day so I REALLY wasn't in the mood to cook dinner, clean up and start the holiday coking so as I past McDonald's I saw on the sign under the arches "Close at 9 p.m. on Dec. 24, closed on Christmas Day." It was only 6:45 and there were cars in the drive thru so I go through, order, and while I'm waiting for my food their window was open and this young female worker is fixing our drinks right there within a foot of my car window and loudly and a beligerent tone says, "What is it with these people, are they crazy? They don't have anything better to do on Christmas Eve. I wish they'd just go home!" I can see if it was 8:45 but it was 6:45 - she had 2 hours left. I couldn't help it I said, "Excuse me but "these people" as you put it are called customers and without us you wouldn't have a job. If you have a grip about working Christmas Eve I suggest you take it up with your supervisor and not take it out on the customers."

 

[CharityLynn]

Ok i too have tons of horrible stories from working in retail. But I'll tell the story that was absolutely wonderful.

A gentleman came in and asked me and a co-worker what some of the (#1) toy's were, I had one child and my friend had 3 so we were able to help. We took him to the toy section and I kid you not everything we showed him he put in his cart. He ended up with 8 carts full of toys, we actually got a flat bed to help move this stuff out to his car, we had to call for another worker to help us load it. I had a little dumptruck in the back that was big time clearanced and I gave it to him to buy once I heard who he was buying this all for.

He was donating all of the toys to Toy for Tots in honor and I think as a christmas gift for his parents! I was so amazed that he was spending hundreds of dollars it was a wonderful thing to be a part of and wouldn't you know it just before he got in his car he gave me the dump truck lego thing and told me to wish my son a merry christmas.

Wow teary eyed writing this.

 

[jedi_librarian]

Ah, yes, *recalling my retail days around the holidays*. Been there, done that. Never ever again!!!!!!!!! I like the library. We close early the night before Thanksgiving and are closed on Thanksgiving.

I have to go to Costco after work today and I begged DH to go for me, but he couldn't. UGH. I only have to buy 1 stupid thing, too.

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

I'm a CSM in a grocery chain and I can really sympathize with you! And boy could I tell the stories too! I was lucky this year to only have to work Monday, I was off yesterday, today and I'm off tomorrow. Our store is open regular hours tomorrow. I hate that these stores stay open all day on holidays...can't miss making a buck. Least they could do is pay time and a half or give some sort of incentive to those that have to work!

 

[Kteacher]

I dread this time of year too I once had a customer in the dept. store I work for p/t throw a stuffed Santa Claus toy at me at closing time on Christmas Eve because we were out of stock of something he was looking for

 

[MinnieM3]

DD20 is working at the Pig as a cashier today and I feel for her! USually people here are pretty nice, though.

 

[marlasmom]

Did I read that right? She is buying soda with food Stamps?????

 

[Poohnatic]

Kelly,

My condolences. Am I anywhere close in thinking that people bought so much food for thansgiving that the next few days after *might* be a little quieter? I bought enough so that I only need to go back for milk and bread on Monday!

The fun has begun for me. I've put in lots of hours the past few days and I'm headed back in when DH gets home. Have to have all the stuff opened and ready for those 5am shoppers. Me, I'll be sleeping at 5am on Friday!

Loved the comment about Christmas being the same day every year. I want to know why if Billy or Janie told Santa they wanted XYZ toy, those responsible for passing this info onto Santa wait until the 23rd to get it?

Suzanne

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

I totally feel your pain. I work in a bakery, it was CRAZY today! Luckily we closed at 6:00, and we're closed tomorrow. It's scary to think that it's only beginning......

 

[summerrluvv]

Did I read that right? She is buying soda with food Stamps?????

This made me chuckle. Poor people shouldn't be allowed to buy soda? LOL Just like they shouldn't be allowed to buy birthday cakes either (as per another board). If I've learned anything from all my years on various boards, it's to not judge a book by it's cover. Maybe the woman was buying soda for her Thanksgiving day feast. Maybe she was having a bday party for her child. Orrrr maybe she was just thirsty and likes soda It's cheaper than a gallon of milk that's for sure!

 

[Nancy]

Did I read that right? She is buying soda with food Stamps?????

Sure, you can pretty much buy anything with foodstamps. If it is for human consumption; as long as it is not hot, alcohol or medicinal it is allowed.

My store is 24 hours...I used to hate the late night before a holiday. "what do you mean there is no pie crust left?" "Why don't you have any more bread for stuffing?"...tons of stuff that if they would have shopped anytime before 3am they could have got. It happens before every single holiday...they want all the basic trimmings for turkey day and can't understand why the store is our less than 12 hours before most people are cooking their dinners. We will close at 5pm tomorrow, I'm sure we will have those shoppers that need one more thing at 10 minutes to 5.

Plus all I heard today were complaints about how our turkeys (frozen) weren't on sale this week. We had them on sale for 29 cents a pound for 2 weeks, customers thought they were still on sale today!

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Did I read that right? She is buying soda with food Stamps?????

yup
i love that