Today was an interesting day at work. I polished silver for almost 4 hours, but the few seconds that I didn’t were the most important.
I read a letter today, written by parents to send out to everyone they knew (1,000 copies needed). It was to thank them for all of their help, a year after their sons death. That was a painful letter to read – all of the parents emotions were right on that page, their hearts spilled on paper.
I also helped a lady pick out an invitation for a tea party. But this tea party was different. 3 years ago, her friend passed away. What her friend was known for was her yearly tea parties, so as she slowly dead (I think it was cancer), she passed her tea pots, cups, and her legend to the women.
I loved talking to this particular women. Even though these parties are somewhat sad, they are out of respect to her friend. We talked about what teas she would choose, the silverware passed down to her.
I hope that whenever I pass away, I’ll have touched people so deeply that they want to do what they can to keep my memory living on.
The Dixie Gun and Knife Show occurs about every 5 or so months within the Raleigh location. Though I’ve had numerous friends who have gone, this weekend is the first opportunity that I’ve actually had to go. What I saw and what I was prepared for were two different things. I thought that the gun show would be completely dominated by either 300-lb redneck hunters, or gang members. What I saw was a lovely mixture of families and women who had braved the monsoon that was hitting Raleigh.
Even though I started to get bored about halfway through the show, I did enjoy holding various guns and seeing the different styles. I have to admit, I fell in love with a gorgeous pink Smith and Wesson – retail price? $550, and that was actually one of the mid-priced guns. There was a large amount of war memorabilia, which was pretty cool to look at. My favorite part was, of course, the free samples. I tried all sorts of jerky, though I usually can’t stand the thought of jerky. But the most amazing sample was the no-bake cheesecake by Catamount Specialties of NC. I tried tiramisu, pumpkin spice, and creme brulee flavors, so I broke down and purchased those flavors to recreate it at home. Though you can prepare it as a cheesecake, the vendor had created dips with whipped cream and cream cheese. It was amazing – completely mouthwatering.
Sadly, I only saw one traditional bow, surrounded by dozens of cross bows. No flame throwers, and no desert eagles, even though my friend tried as hard as possible to hunt one down.
All in all, it was a very interesting experience that I recommend everyone try at least once. If anything, you’ll have some inspiration for your novels!
I’ve worked in retail for the past 18 months and have been in the customer service industry since I was 16. Throughout my experience, I have seen many things that are unbelievable. From theft to unnecessary bitchiness to customers who I absolutely adore and remember their names every time they shop with us. While I’m not always the perfect worker, or the chipper-est, I try my hardest to provide a good experience for the customer because they are the ones that keep us in business. But there are a few issues that need to be address, especially for those that have NOT worked in retail before. This is spurned solely by the need to get this off my chest.
1) If a store’s hours are listed as 10-7, that does not mean you can come in at 6:58 and spend 20 minutes wandering around the store. Many of us are students (well, not be anymore), but we often have tons of homework to do, papers to right, group meetings, even classes. A few weeks ago, a couple came in at 6:30 to order their wedding invitations. They had not looked at the books before, but were not leaving without ordering. At 7:30, I had to leave for a meeting, but told the other sales associate to text me when she left, so I could make sure she was okay. That poor girl did not leave until 8:30 and ended up missing one of her classes. So when you are shopping, keep an eye on the time. It’s disrepectful to think that us clerks have no lives outside of work, especially when we’ve worked 8 hour shifts without food.
2) Store policy is store policy. If it states on the receipt that all returns must be accompanied by the receipt, do not show up without one expecting to return your item. Especially don’t bitch at the sales clerk who says that we cannot except your return. We did not make up the rules, the owner did. We are also a small boutique, not a chain store, so we will not have the same policies. If you have a problem, then we would prefer to not have your business.
3) Don’t get mad at us for your own stupidity. This past week, we had a 12-year old girl come to our counter, wanting to buy a $18 bag with a gift card. The sales clerk told her that unless we have the exact amount on the card, it will be declined. The girl said that it was $20. We tried – declined. We tried $15 – declined. $10? Declined. Pouting, the girl left. A few minutes later her mom stomped over. “My daughter just got that card for her birthday and it had not been used. I don’t know what is wrong with your machines, but you need to do something about this.” That was her exact words, no lie. The sales clerk nodded, then dialed the 1-800 number on the back of the card. This next part makes me still giddy to remember. The balance on the card? $5. Of course the mom was shocked and started yelling at her daughter, wanting to know what she had bought. The kid just rolled her eyes.
4) Keep an eye on your child. Don’t let s/he run around the store like a maniac and do not let your child drool on our merchandise.
I think that’s enough for now. I hope you all keep these points in mind. Even if you’re having a bad day, do not bring it upon someone else.
If you’ve worked in retail, do you have a horror story or a rant to share?
For customers, do you a story about a horrible shopping experience that you want to share? Leave a comment!!
