Code of Conduct

Why is it that shop assistants are trained to be patient, friendly and considerate, just to have it all thrown in our faces? Recently I had a customer ask me a question about the location of an item. I gave her an answer and she told me I was wrong. I explained my answer and she told me, again, that I was wrong. I apologised and told her that once I had dealt with the customer I was just about to go give an answer to (who just wanted to know when the store closes on a Sunday) I would find another employee and see if they can get her the answer she needed.

I was told not only that she needed an answer NOW but that if I didn't know I should have just said so... Which, by the way a) we are trained not to do and b) would have more than likely caused more frustration, ESP as the shop floor tends to be rather short staffed.

Why does she get away with taking a tone with me like I'm useless, when she's not willing to listen to me while I am being patient, friendly and considerate? Why is there not a way to discipline them and, if this is ineffective, fire them from shopping?

Shop online if you're going to be like this. Thank you very much, have a nice life.

Yay

Blogger got an app!

I've been wanting an app I can use to update with simple text only posts when I'm on the move. I'm now back in a retail job and would like to share my stories as soon as possible... And now I can! :D

Watch this space

Wurrzag Ud Ura Zahubu

AKA Da Great Green Prophet

Arachnarok Spider

So, I have decided that I no longer have the patience to continue with my Arachnarok Spider. His decking area keeps falling apart and so I am lacking faith in my goblins (who are not painted) or even the Flinga itself staying together if I bother finishing them. As a result, I am going to post photos of him as he is, with the bits that will sit on top, sat on top!

Et voila;

Checkout Etiquette

At my place of work we are small enough to have what is known as a "kiosk" instead of the normal type of tills with the conveyor belt-type set up. There is a bay on the customers' right of each till which is big enough to place baskets in. Similar to the set-up of a self-service point. Of course this does mean that there is one on either side of certain tills, due to the set-up of the kiosk, but that I might save for another rant. Today we are here to discuss etiquette when you do not have a basket.

Ok, so. If you have gone around and collected, say, your milk and bread without a basket (understandable, just two items in a small shop) why does it not still stand to reason to put the items in this area? Why is it suddenly so unclear as to which side of the till you should place your items? (This does more specifically apply to those of you who have the brain to approach the tills from the correct direction… there is no help for those of you who somehow manage to still approach from the front of the store despite clearly being old enough to know better.) You walk over, I turn to greet you and there is a bay on the same side I greet you! What do you think that extra bay is even for on the far right? Just to make it look pretty? This happens with basket people, too, but it seems to be those with loose items who seem the most confused and I just don't understand.

Further more, I know that the dip is not at the same level as the till, but it really is not that far down. Just put the items there for me, rather than trying to put them on the area right on front of me. My weighing scales are there so if you have items that need weighing I will then have to clear everything back off and that is just hassle that I do not need. It is really not making my life any easier and it is quite clearly not helping yours, either, as you are attempting to balance all of your shopping right on the edge of my till. I have now taken to politely asking customers to "just pop them there, for me", but it does not take much to realise that this is the more logical plan, surely?

And finally, I can understand handing them to the member of staff behind the tills, that's fine. We appreciate it, if you are happy to wait between scans and whatnot. But please, please, please commit to that decision, ok? We do not appreciate following the item as you slowly get bored and lower them to wherever you feel fit to place it as we are trying to retrieve them from your grasp. Thank you.

The Eden Trilogy

Just a quick post to advertise my lovely friend's book being published on Kindle. The blurb reads thusly;

"Evangeline Cass saw the man who murdered her parents, she knows he is a vampire, and she has spent her life trying to find him. A Professor in Literature she spends her time teaching the subject she is most afraid of, the Gothic, using her job as a cover for her desire to learn about vampires. But Eve's life is more entwined with the dark and unknown world of the supernatural than she realises. When Eve meets Dante, a beautiful and intelligent young man, who sweeps her off her feet, she finds herself learning all about the real world she lives in. The secret that her neighbour and friend Rafael has kept from her for her whole life, and the reason why he holds such deep fear and hatred for Dante are one in the same."

You can find out further details by going to her website or just buying her book on Amazon. If it's not for you, but you think that you know someone who would be interested, pass it along.

Finecast

Ok, so I just bothered looking at these new "Finecast" models and I'm now quite excited about buying a few and about the fact that there are several Orcs and Goblin models I wanted but was scared of buying metals models of... well, mainly just Azhag the Slaughterer but then they've done a Gorbad and it sounds like a a good excuse to paint him again!

It will be interesting when I get a chance to take a peek at my 'local hobby centre' (as I believe they like to be called now!) and see how much clearer the detail is... but the fact I can get a big Orcy dragon without the hassle of a metal model is a good thing on its own!

On another note, I know I've not been updating much, I've been busy with other things. My Arachnarok Spider is nearly finished but I am determined to finish him rather than upload a Work in Progress image and ruin the surprise, so say tuned!

[UPDATE | 24/06/11] I have now got my own set of paints, which means that the journey to getting Mr Arachnarok finished is nearing its conclusion. Don't turn that dial, watchers!

[UPDATE | 20/09/11] Ok, so his Flinga is now completed, but keeps falling apart :( And I need to invest in a knife to get the goblins sorted out. He doesn't really NEED a crew, right? I reckon the little spider would do a good job all on their own... ... right?