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Feb
8

RETAIL EMPLOYEES AND THE JERKS WE SERVE

Category: Chistmas time, confessions, Retail Stories Tags: confessions, retail stories Leave a Comment

Tis the season for the Great American Shopping Frenzy, also know as the Holiday/Christmas season (depending on the level of political correctness you maintain). We have made our lists, checked the sale circulars twice, but we often forget that even shoppers can be naughty, and I am here to tell you how to be nice.

Unless you have worked retail, you have no clue what we go through in those stores. Before I went back to school in my early 30’s to pursue my undergraduate degree, I worked in apparel retail for nearly 14 long and excruciating years, the bulk of that experience as a General Manager for companies like Gap, Express and NY&Co. Throughout those many holiday seasons working on the front lines, I have seen it all, and, after getting the hell out a few years back, I can’t help but notice customers haven’t gotten any better, and unfortunately some don’t even know what they are doing wrong.

So, don’t want to be an asshole customer this holiday season? Here is how:

Don’t Shop On Thanksgiving Day – Shopping on this day not only facilitates corporate greed, it makes you the biggest asshole of them all. This holiday was one of the last guaranteed days off in retail. Most retail employees work on all the major holidays, such as Labor Day, July Fourth, Memorial Day, etc. Now, employees are pretty much forced into work, since not many people actually “volunteer” to work this day. Many of those who work retail can not afford to take many days off, so having a day with family is evermore important on a holiday that celebrates togetherness and gratitude.

Don’t Correct The Holiday Greeting – If you have a problem with the saying “Happy Holidays,” which only serves to be cheerful, then the problem is with you, and not us. Many retailers went to the “Happy Holidays” mantra because it is all encompassing, non-religious, and includes the entire Bermuda Triangle of Holidays where countless souls of retail workers have been lost: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year. So, if you are trying to put the Christ back in Christmas, do so at church or in your community, and not while shopping for socks at Target.

Don’t Knock On The Front Door 1 Minute Before Opening Time – Employees know it is almost opening time, and they are aware of your presence since you have been giving the stare of death for about 10 minutes. There is a lot to do to get a store ready for opening time, including having a small rally with your employees to kick off the day and communicate any important information (propaganda). You knocking and staring is not cute and only causes a disruption, and makes us hate you even more.

Don’t Run In 1 Minute To Closing Time – Closing Hours are not suggestions, and while many retailers will allow you to come in right up until closing time, it doesn’t mean you should meander and browse for another 45 minutes. You do realize these employees not only need to clean up, from the day’s mess, but are under strict time constraints to do so? Do you know how hard it is to refold a table of pocket tee’s with you picking through them? If you come in right at closing, make it a quick in and out situation, because the employees would like to make it out by 2am.

No, We Can’t Open Another Register – I know it seems silly that there can be a wretched line of people with only a few register open. Unfortunately, being a raging bitch about the line to the cashier will not help you. You think we haven’t thought of opening another register already?

Understand this: large companies tell the store exactly how much payroll they can spend, and it is up to each store to apply that payroll as effectively as possible within those limits. This means everything from cashiers, to management, to stock, and sales. And, if they don’t consistently hit those payroll targets, they will lose their jobs. So, the next time you are annoyed, trust that there really is not much they can do at the store level, and instead you can smile and try to empathize with the cashiers as they are standing at that register, ringing up sales for hours at a time. You think your feet hurt from walking the mall? Try standing in one spot for 8 hours asking every other asshole out there to open a credit card that you know is all lies filled with a crazy high APR that will completely offset the meager 15% you saved.

Don’t Make Major Life Decisions While Checking Out – The price is the same as it was on the sign ten minutes ago, and as the one on the price tag. Can’t decide on a color? What were you doing in line for the past 10 minutes? Forgot your coupon at home? So did everyone else. Move it or lose it.

No, We Don’t Have a Public Restroom – And, no you cannot use the one in the back. Why? First, if you come to the back, we have to stand there while you piss/poop/both, which means we are also listening to you, much to our chagrin. Secondly, it takes an employee off the floor/register. Lastly, someone has to clean it there, and, well, customers are gross. Use the public restroom in the mall.

If We Are Out Of Stock, We Are Out Of Stock – Yes, I know it is frustrating, but once we are out, we are out until the next shipment comes in, and most likely, we don’t know if what you need will be coming. You asking me a second time, or better yet, another employee, will not make it magically appear. Next time try Amazon.

Don’t Ever Swear At The Staff – I can’t count on both hands the amount of times I had to kick customers out of a store, and in some instances, call the police. There is a lot of crap retail workers have to put up with, but once that line is crossed, it’s “Bye Felicia” for you. Freedom of speech is protected on public property, but in the store, you are on private property, and therefore can be removed. I mean, do you really think saying nasty things to an employee will get you anywhere?

Leave The Kids At Home – This is not a daycare center, and we will not watch your kids. However, if you MUST take your toddler with you, please keep it in a stroller or on a leash, because when that mannequin topples on him or her, it’s going to hurt like a bitch, and it will not be our fault. Also, other customers will hate you, too.

Don’t Fight With Other Customers – Although, when you do, it is entertainment for us. I have seen women physically fight one another over pajama sets and velour track suits to the point of losing acrylic nails and false eyelashes, and it is hilarious. But seriously, don’t fight.

You’re Not The Only One – As in, there are 100 other customers who are in the store too. If you want a personal shopper, go to Bloomingdale’s, otherwise be patient and share.

Don’t Be Disappointed on Christmas Eve – Stores will undoubtedly be out of stock with only slim-pickings left. And, all of those slim-pickings will be heavily discounted and thrown out to the vultures. Stores will be a disaster and busy. Employees will have reached the end of their line and no longer give two shits about you. The store will close at 6 and you will need to get the fuck out. This was probably the only day of the year I would walk around and tell customers they had to check out immediately. Employees have families too, you know. You need a gift? Should have though about that before 10 minutes ago.

So, in conclusion, I recognize that this list is harsh, but so are customers, and unfortunately most employees have to shut their mouths to avoid termination or disciplinary action. So this Holiday Season as you are shopping, smile and be understanding of the struggle retail employees go through. And, if you do any of these things listed above, you can trust me when I say: We are totally talking shit about you in the backroom and over those Madonna inspired headset we are wearing.

Sourced from boogybuggy.com

Feb
8

By IHWIR Admin

Why People Who Don’t Tip Their Server Are Actually Assh*les

Category: Life as a Server, Retail Stories Tags: life of a server, retail stories Leave a Comment

If you don’t tip service industry workers, it doesn’t matter how good of a person you are in every other aspect of life, you’re being a scumbag.

There’s really no other way of putting it. On second thought, there is, but let’s keep this discussion relatively civil for the sake of productivity.

In my experience, bad tippers are rarely people you’d want to be associated with. They’re often very entitled, ignorant or narcissistic people who have never worked in the service industry and quite possibly haven’t worked a day in their lives. In essence, being a bad tipper is a sign of poor character.

Throughout both college and grad school, I had multiple jobs in the service industry. I’ve been a pizza delivery guy, a waiter and a bartender at various establishments. When I didn’t receive tips, it was hard not to take it personally.

Anyone who’s ever worked in service can tell you that venting about the job is both necessary and somewhat of a pastime amongst fellow workers. At the end of a shift, you get together with coworkers, have a drink and let it all out.

The majority of the time, these conversations evolve into anecdotes about rude or unruly customers.

These cathartic narratives almost always feature customers who were difficult and condescending the entire time, and had the audacity to leave without tipping to top it off.

There is nothing that enrages people in the service industry more than this, and they’re completely justified.

If you’re going to order food for delivery, drink in a bar or eat at a restaurant, make sure you tip. Plain and simple.

By Not Tipping, You’re Depriving People Of Their Livelihood

The minimum wage in the United States is pathetically low. People should be paid a living wage. No one should have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet.

The cost of living is getting increasingly higher, especially in cities, and the minimum wage should be adjusted to accommodate it. It’scommon sense and both a sound and humane economic policy.

To put this into context: In New York City, one of the most expensive urban centers in the country, the minimum wage is $8.75 an hour. Yet, a living wage for one adult in NYC is $12.75. Multiply that number by more than two if this hypothetical adult has a child.

Far too many people are not getting paid enough, and they’re struggling to survive as a consequence.

People in the service industry have it even worse in many ways because they aren’t guaranteed the same wage as everyone else. Due to the tipping culture in the United States, their hourly wage has been adjusted and is often less than half of the standard minimum wage in many states.

In NYC, the food service minimum wage is $5.00, and for other service industry workers, it’s $5.65. Thus, even if people in this industry work full-time, for 40-hours-a-week, after taxes their monthly paycheck will barely provide enough to pay for a week of groceries.

Indeed, tips are service industry workers’ salaries. If customers don’t tip them, they won’t be able to cover any of their basic expenses.

I know what you’re thinking: What if the service is awful?

There’s a very simple answer to this question: You should still tip them. You made the decision to have other people make your food or drink and bring it to you, and if they fulfill that basic requirement then you need to pay them for doing their job. Always tip at least 15 to 20 percent. If the service is outstanding, tip even more.

If you don’t agree with that policy and believe that tipping is degrading or shouldn’t be necessary, here’s another solution: Call up your local representative and pressure them to push for a living wage for every American worker.

Given the contentious nature of the debate surrounding the minimum wage, however, that’s probably not going to happen any time soon.

Service Industry Workers Aren’t Always Perfect, But Neither Are You

It’s true that we go out to eat and drink because we want to have a comfortable and enjoyable experience. If your server or bartender is slow, rude, inattentive or incompetent, you could feel justified in not tipping him or her.

Yet, consider the fact that these people are only humans and that all people have their off-days. Perhaps their significant others dumped them right before their shift, or they just got a call and learned a family member is in the hospital.

It’s incredibly difficult to fake a smile in these situations and be polite to patronizing customers who treat their servers like actual servants instead of human beings.

Even if you’re an amiable customer who doesn’t fall into this category, remain cognizant of the fact that your server or bartender probably dealt with a difficult customer at some point that day.

When you’re running on empty, and struggling in other aspects of life, one moment and one customer can ruin an entire shift and your demeanor during it. If you’ve never worked in service, it can be difficult to understand this.

A lot of service workers are facing major obstacles in their day-to-day lives. Many of them are poor students or struggling single parents. In essence, you never know what kind of personal battles a stranger might be fighting, so be kind.

Not to mention, a lot of what goes wrong in restaurants or bars is completely out of the control of servers. When food comes out slow, it’s often the kitchen’s fault.

When the bar isn’t properly stocked, it’s because the manager didn’t place the correct orders, or the bar-back is lazy and isn’t bringing the bartenders what they need.

This is precisely why the best tippers are often people who currently work or have worked in the service industry. They know we’re all only human and that restaurants and bars can be hectic and inefficient places.

Likewise, people’s perceptions of “bad service” are inherently subjective and often a product of a disproportionate sense of entitlement.

We should all be glad we are privileged enough to live in a country that’s safe and prosperous enough for us to go out and enjoy a meal or drink made by someone else.

Do the right thing, and always tip. Don’t deprive people of their livelihood.

Sourced from elitedaily.com

Jan
25

By IHWIR Admin

13 Secrets of Amazon Warehouse Employees

Category: Amazon, Retail Articles, Retail Stories Tags: Amazon, retail stories Leave a Comment

In 2014, Amazon sold two billion items worldwide. All those products, from phone cases to car seats, are stored inside Amazon’s fulfillment centers and then sorted and wrapped by warehouse workers. In the U.S. alone there are more than 50 of these gigantic buildings with 40,000 workers toiling away inside them, and that’s not counting the tens of thousands of part-time workers who join during busy seasons.

These are the people who make sure your package, no matter how big or small, gets to your doorstep. We spoke to a few of these employees about what it’s like to be part of the Amazon machine.

1. Not everyone has a horror story

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There have been dozens of stories portraying Amazon warehouses as inhumane, hellish workplaces, and while some workers may have been subject to these conditions, the ones I spoke to hadn’t. “It is certainly hard work,” said Brant Ivey, who spent six months in one of Amazon’s hubs lifting oversized objects. But “the conditions at the warehouse were on par or better than most other warehouses that I have been in.” One of the biggest complaints is that the warehouses are too hot. In 2012, after a lengthy expose revealed brutally hot summertime conditions, Amazon announced plans to spend $52 million to install air conditioning in its U.S. warehouses.

One Reddit user put it bluntly: “The work does suck, but all warehouse work sucks. I have experienced FAR worse conditions and been treated terrible by other Fortune 500 companies.”

2. They leave everything at the door

Amazon workers aren’t allowed to bring anything with them to the warehouse floor, including cell phones. They arrive empty-handed and leave empty-handed. “If you brought in your phone and you weren’t management, security would confiscate it and at end of night you had to go to security to pick it up,” says Charlee Mided, who worked in a warehouse in Phoenix, Arizona in 2013. “Then you’d get home late. So everyone knows not to do it.”

3. They hate the metal detectors

As an added layer of security, workers are subject to airport-style security checkpoints each time they leave the floor, including lunch break. According to Mided, when the lunch buzzer rings, there’s a mad rush to avoid the lines. “If you’re way over on one side of the warehouse and lunch is called, you have 30 minutes from that point to clock out, eat, and come back. You’re spending half your time waiting to be scanned out so you can be sure you’re not stealing anything. It leaves you with about 10 minutes for food.” The same lines form at the end of the day when workers pour out of the building. And workers don’t get paid to stand in line, thanks to a Supreme Court decision at the end of 2014 that ruled businesses like Amazon don’t have to pay employees for the time they spend waiting to be scanned.

4. They have strict quotas

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Workers who pull items from shelves to fulfill your orders are known as “pickers,” and they are monitored for their speed and accuracy. “My only job was to grab two large, yellow plastic bins, put them on my double decker shopping cart, and fill them with the items that my scanner told me to find,” a former picker said during a Reddit AMA.

“At my peak, I was picking 120+ items per hour, and it was just good enough.”

5. And they walk. A lot.

Amazon fulfillment centers are colossal. One warehouse in Baltimore covers one million square feet, or roughly 23 acres. That’s a lot of land to cover on foot. One employee, who worked in Amazon warehouses for 14 years, told us he walked 13 miles a day when picking. “That’s over a 10 hour period, so its like 1.3 miles per hour, which isn’t bad,” he says. “But doing it for 10 hours straight, by the third or fourth day your legs are almost like jelly.”

6. The shelves are chaos

When items arrive at the warehouse, they’re scanned and placed in cubby holes on one of hundreds of rows of shelves. But there’s no rhyme or reason to where they’re stored, and even seasoned warehouse employees can’t make sense of it. “Each cubby hole is filled with an assortment of items,” according to a former worker.

“There might be a book, a toothbrush, a copy of a Barbie VHS tape from 1993, and a pair of moccasins. And you’ll only pick one of the items.” There’s a term for this: chaotic storage.

Amazon’s database knows where there’s empty shelf space and fills it as quickly as possible to maximize efficiency. Electronic scanners tell workers where to find the items they’re looking for. Video shows shelving chaos:

7. They have to do group exercises

“Every night, twice a night, when we showed up and when we came back from lunch we had to do calisthenics,” says Mided. “Jumping jacks, reacharounds, swinging our arms. It limbers you up and it really is helpful for the job, but it’s just… it kinda makes you feel like you’re five.”

8. And bubble wrap is their entertainment

Mided says occasionally the machine that distributed bubble wrap at her warehouse cut too much, but workers didn’t mind. “They’d be like, ‘Oh look! Bubble wrap!’ You’d see people just sitting around popping bubble wrap. Everyone wanted to be on bubble wrap detail.” Amazon workers: They’re just like us!

9. The warehouse cafeteria is a war zone

Workers have two lunch options: Bring your own, or buy a meal from one of dozens of vending machines stocked with mediocre microwavable meals like burgers and hot dogs. “You’d buy a hamburger and it didn’t taste like real beef,” one former worker told us. And good luck heating up your food. Mided’s warehouse cafeteria had about 20 microwaves, and the fight for zap time was fierce. “It was a war zone trying to get enough time to heat your food and then get out without being run over,” she says. “You would see people fight. The smartest thing to do was to pack something that doesn’t need microwaving, because that was killer.”

10. The warehouses have their own nurse’s office

“It’s very much like a school nurse’s office,” says Mided. “You sit down, they tell you to ice this or that. You tell them on a scale of one to 10 which face matches your pain. They really can’t treat you much. They can give you ice and aspirin, that’s about it.”

11. And fakers get put on broom duty

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“A lot of people would make up stuff just to get off the floor,” a former worker says. “Some people would just confuse being tired with being hurt. They’d say, ‘My legs hurt!’ No, you’ve just been walking around forever.” If the nurse can’t find anything wrong with you but you insist you’re unwell, the supervisors will find an easy job for you to do that doesn’t require any heavy lifting. More often than not, this means broom duty. “That’s only good for the first hour,” Mided says. “Twelve hours of pushing a broom is the most mind-numbing thing on the planet. But that still doesn’t prevent people from faking.”

12. “Problem solver” is a warehouse job

It’s their responsibility to fix other people’s mistakes. If a warehouse packer screws up on the assembly line, the Amazon machine knows it. Scales weigh each package, and if the weight is off, the box gets pulled and a “problem solver” is called over to inspect it. “If there is an error during any stage of the process, I find it, correct it, and provide the feedback to the person or cause of the error,” explains one problem solver in a recent Reddit AMA.

13. They see some crazy orders

If there’s one thing all Amazon warehouse workers will tell you, it’s that people order some weird things. “The amount of stand-up life-size Justin Biebers I saw was unnecessary,” Mided says. “And a lot more sex toys than you would think. Really odd ones. Even grown men or women warehouse workers are still kinda like a 12-year-old when they see that. Amazon really does sell everything.”

Sourced from mentalfloss

RETAIL EMPLOYEES AND THE JERKS WE SERVE

Why People Who Don’t Tip Their Server Are Actually Assh*les

By Not Tipping, You’re Depriving People Of Their Livelihood

Service Industry Workers Aren’t Always Perfect, But Neither Are You