1st Sunday

It's my 1st Sunday working. Boring as usual. Missed excitement last night. Person attempted to steal some hats at the store next door. Manager chases person into the parking lot where person turns into our store. Lady with a baby got punched as she was leaving our store, she blocked his path. Our security rushes over after manager tackled said person in our store.My coworker saw the shoplifter in cuffs while police and security are exchanging notes. The guy had a child running loose in the mall so the police had to go find the child.

Had several people ask for sales, then specifically 70% off. No. Then had a jerk ask me to take more off cuz he didn't like the price. Oh hell no. Even worse he said he will take the shoes anyway and after ringing them up, he wants to think about it but doesn't want me to hold them for him. Voided transaction and put shoes away. My manager has been moving stuff around so it is harder to find stuff. When it takes less than 5 min. to find a shoes, I'm certain I will sell more shoes as my manager demands. In short, if we have any cheap shoes I won't be telling people about them. Cheap does not fill my quota. Later.

Happy Black Friday

Today we retailers get out of the red ($ losses) and get into the black ($ gains). Right away the send me to Ladies shoes. There were 3 stockboys, the store manager, shoes manager, me, and 4 Ladies shoe people there helping customers. I hate their stockroom, I can't find anything. I told the stockboy their stockroom design is retarded. People got upset we were taking so long and hate getting in line. Then don't shop the busiest day of the year. Then went back to my place when customers disappeared.My area was less hectic. Men don't need shoes of each color. But we had arguments over what our ads say. Sorry we don't have copies of what you saw. You know, if people are going to be so bitchy about our ads then they need to bring the ad in to prove their case. How do I know you didn't read another store's ad instead?

People ask about my Thanksgiving. Fine. My niece wanted to give me a present so my sister had her put their leftover Halloween candy in a gift bag she got from her birthday party two weeks ago. Yum, month old candy. Found out my sister has menopause and she is only 3 months away from turning 40. Niece was excited about getting her bedroom painted pink.

Then off to Mom's for xmas decor. As usual it was nonstop criticism and people in general can't figure out why we have difficulty getting along. Let's see, my glasses are too small to see out of (that's the fashion now), why did I get them if my line of vision is smaller, why can't you get big glasses like hers, I have too many decorations, they won't all fit in my apartment, I should leave some behind (my reply: let me worry about that), don't fall down the stairs from the large box I'm carrying, and finally my purse is open and everything is going to fall out onto the ground (it doesn't).

I got some of my things up. I have so many it does take days to get them all up. What can I say, I love Christmas. Later.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day to one and all. I am thankful for uh, um, oh, give me a minute, ah, uh, I know, My Cats who miss me and a warm apartment to sleep in. My rest of my life sucks. Oh yeah, I am thankful for hot water when I want it. I will visit my sister's family and brother and then off to my parents' house for my Christmas decorations. Then spend the rest of the day putting them up.

Too bad my mall is closed. I told my old car rental managers that sometimes I prefer to work holidays cuz sometimes I need a vacation from my family. They understood perfectly. What's so bad? The "When you getting married?", "Any boyfriends yet?", "When are you having kids?", "Are you going to adopt if you can't find a man?", "When are you getting a better paying job?", "When are you buying a house, apartments just waste your money?", "When are you getting health insurance?", and my favorite rude question, "When are you getting rid of your cats?". The answer is always the same, "I'll let know when it happens." I hate the cat question the most and it drive my sister crazy. We understand certain people hate cats, but we did not get our cats to be decorations in our homes. We love our cats and will get rid of them when they die. Allergic to cat people are capable of taking Benadryl before they come over. I take it all the time and I know it works, and can be bought over the counter w/out a prescription.

Well, Happy Thanksgiving. Frodo needs attention. Later.

Worse that I thought

My trainer compliments how my guitar pick as a necklace pendant was so coool. It is a seashell. He takes a closer look. Ok, he sees it is a seashell.

My trainer tries to explain how we get paid here and I still don't get it. OK, we don't have sales goal cuz we get commission. Got that. Then if we are in deficit, our hourly wage is severely cut, like $4 less an hour. Our real sales goal to keep from going into deficit is how much you make per day. The hourly wage is like a loan (excuse me?) where you give it back to the company by selling the same amount of goods. And if you don't pay back your wages they pay you less. Are you following this?Today I learned to stretch shoes and sell a gift card. Gift card lady brought in 4 print outs of shoes for her son. I found 3 out of the 4. The item number on the paper didn't match the ones on the boxes and she questions if they are the same thing. Worse, one has a bootstrap that is not in the pic. She wants one w/out bootstrap. They all have them. She can't decide. Then she sees a scuff on the other shoe in the box. Bring out another and the glue holding on the sole is exposed. I have no more in desired size. So she buys a gift card instead. You mean to tell me that dealing with people like that is not worth my hourly wages. Tonight I will be by myself after my trainer leaves and closing by myself w/out knowing how. The shoes manager said to ask someone for help. Plus, since a women's shoe person quit we are scheduled to cover that area too. Never worked Women's dep either. I asked if I was the extra help around here. Yes. I hope I find another job soon.

Turns out I was not alone closing. The part-time student worker is here with me and came when the other guy left. I asked if I may help him and he replied he works here. He figured out I was the new girl. He is much quieter than the other. He is in a local college studying pyschology. He has a big family. Didn't wish to pester him with too many questions. He taught me the routine to close. When we were leaving a gal from either Juniors or Women's presented a pair of jeans. The were the old disgusting jeans from the shoplifter who wore the new jeans out and the clerk found the old pair in the dressing room, on the hanger as if the clerk wouldn't know the difference. When her buddy came looking for her the clerk blurted out her friend just stole a pair of her jeans. The buddy was tongue tied and sleeked away. It might have been the girl that was stopped by the clerk and waited for secuirty to come. The security guy who walked by called them little witches. Post later.

They gave us donuts, milk, juice for our graduation. The assistant manager came in with our completion certificates and business cards of our assigned departments. I was assigned Men's Shoes cuz I worked for a shoe store (yeah, 4 years ago). She said if we don't like our departments we can switch at our review time in 3 months. 2 got in their desired departments and I with another girl went to departments we never worked in before/and didn't like. I ran into a regular customer from the airport and he was surprised they didn't put me in fragrances like they said. I will be quitting as soon as I can. It took 2 weeks and 4 interviews to get this job, so I can get another. I didn't go to California, spend a fortune on make up supplies (4 bags plus an air brush in a box to make 5), work 14 hour days during my 2 week notice, and take a pay cut to work in Men's shoes. I told everybody if they put me anywhere but fragrances, I'm leaving. I am past the following the carrot believing their b.s. stage. I filled out an application at Sephora on my lunch break. They have cashier and night stock available. Tomorrow I will apply at the Merle Normans at the malls and then call the movie person who rented a car and a event planner since I finally can breathe.

In Men's Shoes, I tossed the business cards and graduation certificate in the garbage. I won't be around for long. My trainer was upset they said we were placed where help was most needed. They didn't need me, if fact me makes them over staffed and will cut into their sales. They get commission here, 9%, but the trainer showed on the computer he sells about $100 on weekdays ($9) and $500 on the weekends ($45), but that doesn't make up for the lies. My trainer is 28, oldest of 6 kids, not married, no kids, and asked to close for him so he can babysit his nephew. I never closed so I was really uneasy doing it by myself, and working by myself too. He said someone will help me close so I finally consented. He felt so guilty he decided to stay and I sent me home. Then the assistant manager called me to the kids shoe department twice to help out. The gal was so unhappy they didn't send me to her, she needs help. The second time the sole worker asked me to cover her 2 hours lunch break (overtime is not allowed so they are making them take 2 hours lunch breaks when they are scheduled over 40 hours). My trainer said no to covering the break, I'm needed here and it is not my job to cover their breaks. Ok. When he took lunch I got busy with 4 people wanting shoes (full service in a fancy department store) and the guy in the next section came over to help me. I had a lady on the phone reciting shoe numbers off the internet, which mean nothing to me, cause we have a sale going on and she wants to get them from us so would be cheaper than the internet. The next section guy took her name and number so I could help the present people. People standing in front of me always go first before phone calls. Then why do they not have a hold button? My trainer called her back and explained the internet sales do not take place in the stores and the store sales do not roll over into the internet. Then looked for her shoes since he knew what she was talking about. Well now Precious snoring on my feet and Frodo is on the cat tower since I am not playing with them. Don't worry, in an hour they will be ready to play. Later.

Runaway flamingo

We had an escaped Flamingo flying away from the zoo with TV crew following the zookeepers. They tracked it and it flew away a few times before trying to land on top of the fence where there is barbed wire, fell to the ground where it was restrained to be returned to the exhibit. The End.

Had a lovely morning in Men's with assisting with markdowns, he scanned and I stickered. He asked if I were to work in this section. No. Apparently, they have done different training techiques. Once training was a week, and then 30 days, and also 2 weeks, now it is 3 weeks. Then some watched videos before attending the salesfloor while others didn't view any at all, Now we see a video on shoplifting and safety and just the extra help so I don't learn much cause every department is different. Hence my frustration at hating this job so much. Once I get into my assigned department and learn where everything is, I'll like it better. Then the store manager had the brillant idea of making our sale signs red cuz people notice red. So now customers think anything with a red tag is on sale. Actually, the sale price sticker is not red.

Then after lunch I went to Kids to have the manager take a minute on what I should do. A couple asked if this is my section not realizing I'm still a trainee. They would love to have me. So would Men's and Housewares. Assessories and Juniors were too busy with marking sales than chatting with me, though they chat with each other. I did learn the Assessories people cover Juniors when nobody is assigned there and they hate it. The one girl is so bitchy how things should be done and where things go, when they are doing them a favor just being there and customers mess things up anyway. So anyway Kids. I followed the manager around learning the brands and her frustration of all the things they send her when she has no room, and everything must follow the plan the corporate office makes up for all the stores. She ordered a new round circle thing (I forget the word she used) to put hoodies on from the storage area. Then straighten shelf areas that are messes. Corporate is coming tomorrow so everything must be right. I put on shoes on dummies and in my quest for shoes I was told I picked the wrong ones. She said casual for the urban brand and I grabbed sneakers. She didn't mean sporty. OK, I don't know what cool, hip, and urban mean. My nieces don't wear urban, hip, and cool. She gave a brand name I never heard of, and they don't carry. Brown/black casual shoes. Ok, I get the picture. Even worse I keep picking boy shoes for a girl display, Don't you know the difference between girls and boys shoes?, she demands. Not when girls wear boys shoes. At a shoe I worked in long ago, girls were grabbing the boy shoes leaving the butterflies and flowers behind. One dispaly for Mens sandals had women complaining these are not the right size and we had to say go 2 sizes down. Then she ran out of things for me to do. I took my 15 minute break for her think of something.

I spent whole 15 minutes standing at the breakroom computer trying to figure out to access my shedule and paycheck stub from last week. I accomplished neither cause I forgot my username. We signed on usernames and passwords to access this stuff last week Monday. I used a password I use for a website to help recall it, but can't recall which cat I used in the username. Maybe my own name. I had no pen and paper to write this down at the time. Return and she has me organize the racks to place things in their proper place (fat chance) and put sizes smalls in front and bigger to the back. Then it was time to go. Anyway, time for bed. Later.

Catching shoplifters

We managed to stop some shoplifters today. One must be shoplifter in training cuz the person was on their cell with somone in another department telling this person what sizes to get. This person had a pile of things, then saw the security person coming, put down the pile, and ran away.

Another person took items into another department, went into a fitting room, and the items disappeared. This time a manager was standing outside the fitting room so the person went back to the fitting room, came back to lay the items on the counter, and left. These people must know who the managers and security people are if we clerks don't frighten them like that.

Yet another person took items in the fitting room and stuffed them in a new purse, and left it behind in the fitting room. The clerk went in the fitting room and found the items this person stashed.

I spent the day in Junior's (teen clothes). Then they left me alone and of course I have problems cause I don't know hardly anything. Lady asked when a certain brand will be coming in and I explained they send whatever stuff gets sold, but she can always try our website. We can order stuff but I don't know how and no regular clerks were there. Then I get a lady wanting to know the price on something and it doesn't scan at the register, and the portable scanner was locked on someone and I couldn't change the name. Had to hunt down someone in Men's cuz the perfume lady didn't know how to use the scanner. He took out the battery and while it was heating up my other trainee came back from lunch so I let her help the lady. I had to take lunch before we did another training session in the back room. In the back room, they told us to never, ever confront a shoplifter, call security. Always a manager and/or security will handle a shoplifter, never a clerk. Probably why we don't frighten shoplifters cuz we just call security to stalk them with the cameras. Well, better go, Frodo needs attention.

Day 5

I come in and get sent to the children's section. I ring up my first sale and then a few more by myselfcuz the associates keep disappearing. I don't like being left alone when I know very little about this section. Lady asked where winter coats for boys were and saw them behind me before I could say, Let me ask somebody. Another lady asked the price on something on the sale rack, but it is not marked on sale. I go tothe register and attempt to recall how to look up a price w/out ringing it up. I have to ring it up to get the priceand then can't figure out how to void the transaction when price is not on file. Next I hunt down one associate, who sends me to another cuz she's busy with a customer and she doesn't have a scanner I need with her. Go find this other associate who scans it and tells me the price. Tell customer the price hoping it is the right customer. People tend to move and look alike after a while. Another customer asks about tights and then shoes, and the phone rings when the associate is helping her. I don't know the proper greeting so I say whatever comes in my head. It is for the busy associate so I help customer in shoe section. So in the shoe section, lady wants a size. I go into their stock room and ask where to find these shoes. Associate completely ignores me and complains she can't find the shoe she is looking for to the associate walking by. Walking by girl points out where the shoe I need is. Ok, find shoes, put on stockings for the little girl's dress shoes since girl doesn't know how to put these on. How much do they cost. Price is not on the box, or the shoes. Try to ask busy associate how to find the price and she walks away from me. It is on the shoe's heel. No, it is not. I think she meant the display shoe when I found them and put them back. Try to check on cash register. Too busy for my questions associate wants me to wait ringing up so she can check a price. Sure, go ahead. Get the price and return. Lady needs to buy a few more things so I place her stuff by the register. Tell associate these the lady will come back for these.

Let's see, the manager walks by a few times and they tell me to walk around looking busy (I notice this action happens frquently whatever section they put me in). I straighten their stuff animals and put dresses in a clothes bag instead of a sack. Then I rearrange a sale rack to place all small, med, and large sizes together. They are put on racks by style, not size. Complete that and it is about time to go. The associates are dumbfounded I have another job, it is part-time? No, full-time and this new job here is full-time. Then I have to go into the definition of two weeks notice (even this store has this policy so this should not be a foreign concept). Oh, ok, they finally get it. Time to go and I run into the manager who thinks I'm leaving for lunch. No, my other job. She cops an attitude how as full-time we work open to 6 cuz that is how it is done here. I explain back that my other job is 34 hours until the two week notice is complete, then I'm free as a bird. She telling the store manager on me that I'm leaving early. The associates were all worked up about how I'm getting into trouble over this. I answered that I will simply explain that I flat out refuse to work 74 hours a week and it is not my fault they fail to comprehend two week notice means that I am working another job the first 2 weeks I am here (and BTW they are not training me to do anything). What are they going to do, fire a trainee cuz she has to give her prior employer 2 week notice? I made this clear at the interview.

Anyhow, I go to the airport and an owner's friend is coming in tonight and got on another flight that will be coming in after we close. Sure I can wait for owner's friend (I need every penny I can get my hands on). The guy gave me a twenty for staying for him. I told him that I'm getting paid extra for waiting so I'm not gonna start complaining about it. He laughed. Get home and cats are starved. I noticed they have been eating more food, maybe cause I feed them earlier in the morning. Tomorrow I can sleep in a little, no store on Sunday. Precious keeps jumping up at the doorknob to go out. Poor kitty.

Day 4

Day 4 of my training. Today I helped put stock away in Housewares. My fellow trainee actually did a sale. We change bedspreads on 2 beds. There is 2 mattresses and a boxspring underneath. Though I never figured out why 8 pillows belong on a bed. Today was customer pampering day with snacks and goodie bags. They handed out these bingo stampers to stamp passport papers with different departments. When they passport is covered with stamps they go to customer service and pick up their goodie bag. One associate warned me on how nobody likes a certain person who is mean to everyone she comes across. She said, Just smile and act happy. My fellow trainee thought she was nice, but I know since we are trainees of course said person will be nice to us. Just wait until said person bites your face off when you make a mistake and see if you still think her as "nice".

I got my pics from the make-up school. Everybody thinks they are beautiful. I noticed a few tan lines I wished wasn't there. One looker said the male actors need to fix up their bushy eyebrows. Another looker asked what will I do if my new job doesn't work out, you will out of work. I told her that my sister told me: I work jobs that any moron can do so I will have no problem finding a job. She thought my sister was a b----, but that's the way my sister is. I can get another job, I have good references. Later.

2nd day

I woke up early today for my 2nd day of training. They had a morning meeting and new people were called forth. I turned in my direct deposit slip in so I don't have to worry about cashing in paychecks every week. This job pays every week. We began finishing the Chirstmas decor since the stockroom guys tried to be helpful by putting them out for us, but they displayed them in a helter skelter manner when the decor manager wanted it uniform (same wreaths hung in the same department instead of every wreath different in a department). Then when completed we split among children's department to help with marking sale items. When finished took lunch. Came back to be shuffled to the men's department. Clerk there had no idea what to do with us since nothing needed to be done. Lady came by seeing us standing around chatting. Suddenly we were given wax paper to rub against clothing rods. No purpose of this activity was explained but the clerk blurted out how smoothly the hangers slide back and forth now. Ok. When that was done we took our short break and given to lingerie who was opening to boxes. As I was finding the place for tabled panties (no hangers so they had to go on a table), a few clerks asked if they could help me find something. One new gal was given the task to take the roller clothing rack around and put things away. She had no idea where stuff went so she stood frozen on the carpet. We were moved to sleepwear next door where more boxes were being opened. She decided to open the packags and I hang them and place them on the rack. Good assembly line until we ran out of room and hangers. I noticed the robes we were hanging had shoulder pads. Shoulder pads for robes, how queer (retarded, weird, whatever) is that?

Then I had to leave to pick up my niece from daycare. The new people asked if I was scheduled to leave now. No, but no one consulted me about the schedule before they handed it to me. Tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday I am scheduled to work the day shift overlapping into the time I need to work at my other job where I work until midnight, so I will be working nearly 14 hour days right in a row. My cats will feel so neglected, but have to run myself ragged to pay the bills. At least it will only last 2 weeks.

I am beginning to have past job flashbacks of not so nice experiences in retail. The worst customer I ever had asked what the price of a shoe she liked cuz the one next to it had a different price. Shoes are together by style, not price. I tell her the price and later notice a sale tag on a displayed box missing. I replace it. Cashier calls asking the price cuz the torn off tag sitting in the box doesn't match the shoes. The customer switched tags so I tell her the correct price and theory on what happened. Customer comes back screaming at me claiming I lied to her and then her daughter jumps in with claiming false advertisement and the usual insults (incompetent, retarded, unprofessional). The daughter demanded to speak to a manager to lodge a complaint against me. I explain I will get her one. As I walk to the phone something hits the back of me head, but can't figure out what hit me. Turn around grabbing the phone and the customer is throwing shoes at me and all over the department. Ever better, the manager who answers my page doesn't feel like coming over cuz he is has a cup of coffee in his hand. I tell him I don't care if he spills coffee all over his pants, I Need a Manager Here Now. Then add that I don't care who comes over. Then a loud bong sound is heard and the manager asks what that noise was. A shoe just hit the central pole the phone is attached to. He will send someone over. Daughter started her loud stand off as if she is facing Laila Ali in a boxing ring and I simply answer a manager is coming and walk away. After discussions with the customer and I, I spend 20 minutes picking up shoes and placing them where they belong. I did have proof of her switching cuz the shoes on display had tags printed from the computer, my replaced one was done in marker. One lady I asked if she needed any help shouted in my face how it is my job to make all customers happy (Yeah, I'm sure shoplifters are more unhappy than tag switchers when they don't get away with it). It turns out the customer was banned from the store which didn't stop her from asking the next day my name, address, and phone number from my coworker cuz she was going to sue me cuz it was all my fault she was banned (never mind the manager called the security center after talking to me to swerve the cameras over towards me to tape her throwing shoes). Tip: Banned customers always come back claiming they didn't know they were banned and ask what they did wrong.
Better go to bed. I'm exhausted. Later.

Joy to the World

Joy to the World. All the boys and girls. Joy to me cuz I got a new job. Joy to you and me.

That's right. I am singing my heart out cuz I got a new job in a department store where they sell make-up and do makeovers, full time. It is a requirement to sell elsewhere before being promoted to Cosmetics where I want to be so I will be there for 3 months and move on to make-up. I'm sure Mom will be happy knowing I am putting my Make-up School in Burbank to good use (and the store is closed major holidays too). Freelance make-up artist is hard business to get into when you are an unknown.

Oh, I forgot to mention the other day when a coworker was looking at my proof sheets from my make-up school. A lady who rented a car cuz she is making a movie here returned it while we were talking. The guy actor in it is suppose to be famous butI never heard of him. Ray Leoni??? Anyhow, I show a proof sheet saying I just graduated make-up school and I know youneed experience for movies so I'm not applying for a job with her. She blurts out they need assistants. I got her number and asked a good time to call her. She said Friday. I hope she remembers me when I call Friday. I would love to work on a movie even if it is just cleaning the key make-up artist's brushes. I got seize opportunites to get my toes in the door.

I am positive my current workplace will not take news well, but they will get over it. I am an accomplished email pal if they wish tokeep in touch. Wish me luck. Post later.