The Retail Experience

[greenstorm]

So yesterday I gave my notice preparatory to starting up landscaping again in March. Lady Fate did a double-take, and said: she hasn't had the full retail experience yet, better get on that.

She did, right away.

So my boss fires the manager in the middle of the day, potentially without just cause and certainly without warning. The boss goes home. The manager, who is supposed to close with me and the trainee, gets upset and goes home. This leaves me to finish the day and close-- usually it takes three people for this, but there's just me and the other girl who's done cash a few times, never done showcase, speaks some English but not fluently, and at least has stick-to-it-ness. Let's add some factors: cash is out by a lot of money, it was a super-busy day, and it's a 'hard close'-- there's a lot of soup to freeze and no freezer space, so there's about an extra hour of tetris-like work in the freezers. Oh, did I forget the customers who show up to complain right at closing time, and locking the keys to close the store in the safe?

We got out of there about forty minutes late, everything fine for morning (I hope, and I think) and everything done, which is good. I have between six and ten shifts left there, which is good, cause this will be enough really. I'm expecting a call from my boss at seven-thirty-five, when she gets in and takes a look around, to say I did something wrong (not to congratulate me for sticking out a tough and unexpected situation that we weren't really ready for) but I could be wrong there. I am looking forward to a job where
1) when I put in a hard day's work I feel like I've accomplished something
2) a job where pay is commensurate with skill and effort put in
3) a job where I don't work weekends and have a fixed schedule
4) a job where I don't have to stay late, but have some daytime after work to pick up rat litter and
5) a job that makes me happy, outdoors, so I don't come home to my lovely boy having made me brownies and supper and just stare at the wall like a stress-zombie and dissociate.

You people who do this regularly? You win. I'll stop daydreaming about working indoors when it's cold out now.

Oh, and good morning, peoples. ;P

Anyone coming to the rat show in March?

Comments

[anna-would.livejournal.com]

I used to do that regularly. I've had a plethora of retail jobs, from when I got my first job while I was in high school, till about 2 years ago. There were varying levels of responsibility, from the place I not only closed, but did the books and bank deposit, to places I showed up and rang shit through a register for 4-8 hours.

I'm glad to be done with it. I like learning new skills, I like being able to see what I've accomplished and I like not having to be nice to everybody all the time. Some days, I'm just not that cheerful.

Good morning, nice to see I'm not the only one up. :)

[koppermoon.livejournal.com]

There is a lot of 1), 2) and 3) at my place, plus 4) once you're on the early shift) but it's 100% inside work.
But it makes me happy; I've got a shift and a commute I can live with.

[algae-al-fresco.livejournal.com]

gmorning. Some inside jobs are alright - depends on the people - if you're ever doing retail again you should consider working in either paperya or the place I used to work for: Mesa - they're nice people and you don't have to deal with food. Also: office work can be fun (if a bit repetitive after a while ;) )

[dw00.livejournal.com]

Bring a new understanding to some of my shitty, angsty days when I was slightly less pleasant company? Looking forward to hearing about more gardening days, soon.

[greenstorm.livejournal.com]

Like you wouldn't believe, it does.