Been a long time. . .

I shouldn't have left you without. . .
Some savory bits to munch on in my absence. . .forgive me.

School is over for the semester and I did as I thought I would (an A and a C). I am in the process of registering for 2 more classes, although they are already full and I will most likely be wait-listed :-(
But I guess that is better than not trying at all. . .
Work is. . . Well work is, ummm where do I start?

It is 12/21/2009 and I can not wait for the holiday season to be OVER. I am not usually a SCROOGE but working as a retail slave I have become very bitter in the past two years. I have been subjected to all kinds of low lives that get to treat me as if I am nothing, just because it is assumed that my purpose is to submit myself to the will of the customer.
I am OVER it!!! I am SOOO ready to move on to a field outside of retail and customer service. I am so over an industry that legalizes one sided verbal abuse, all because the customer is supposed to be number one. Where I work it seems as if the rules change based on the customer, I am to do whatever I can to accommodate the customer and avoid confrontation. REALLY?!?!? If I walk into a store and start raising kane because I feel like it, they are not gonna bow down and give me what I want but instead they will most likely call security after asking me to vacate the premises.
I was recently written up because a older embitter black woman customer wanted extra shopping bags to transport her purchase in, I showed her the options we offer (with and with/out cost) and she rejected them and insisted that I give her more shopping bags because she wanted them (she purchased one 8oz bottle of anti-bacterial hand soap, and 2 pairs of shea infused socks. . . for a GRAND total of $12!!!) and told me that if she had separated her purchase she would have received 2 bags anyway. I explained to her that yes, indeed she would have received 2 bags but one would have been the bag that I had previously offered her or I would have asked, for the environment's sake, to put everything into the already over-sized bag that her items were in. She kept going on and I said fine, here's your bag, have a GREAT day!!! She complained to my manager, and then walked up behind me with "Merry Christmas to you too, but you NEED to learn to watch your attitude with customers!". I said ma'am, have a good day and the door is that way!
My manager attempted to cool down and then called me to the back room where he began to YELL at me as if he had lost his ever loving mind! She's a customer, lose the attitude, give then what they want, you need them they don't need you, if you can't do your job quit, this is it. . . and the like. I was sent home to "think about my actions". Come to find out customers and associates on the sales floor as well as people near the service door heard the assault!!!

I am supposed to take that day in and day out and NEVER crack? I think not! When and where do I get to release all of my pent up anger? Why is it that I have to shrug off the rudeness and crudeness of customers because I do not know what they are going through (my favorite line from my manager- because people are apprehensive about spending money because most people don't have it) when they could give 2 shits about what I am going through? Am I not a person as well with a beating heart pumping blood through veins to keep organs functioning? Or does my apron, uniform, name tag, position behind the cash register automatically make me a drone?

I wish that EVERYONE was required to work in the retail/ customer service industry for one year early on in life, so that they would have a greater understanding and respect for those of us that are there right now!
More importantly I wish that I could organize all people that work in customer service/ retail across the board and organize a strike!!! Not only would we not work, but we would refuse to shop!!! We have to hit their pockets!!!
Enough thoughts of anarchy today. . . but stay tuned!!!


Just remember that not everyone that is working in retail is trying to make retail a career. Keep pushing someone that feels they have no way out no options, no say, and they will snap and break. It's gonna come down to you or them. . . One day, sooner or later, that associate that you accused of having an attitude,or not smiling enough, not shucking and jiving enough or that employee that you lost your cool with, is going to be the one that holds YOUR LIFE in the balance (as the cop that pulls you over for a DUI, the doctor in the ER, the public defender in your court case, the coroner that is doing the autopsy. . .) in one way or another!!!