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.