happy holidays
Dec. 17th, 2003 04:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gfrancieIt is Wednesday. *takes a deep breath* I survived another long day at work where there were lines and lines and lines.
Suddenly I am reminded of a few words from David Sedaris genius work, "Santaland Diaries"
It was a large group of retarded people and after watching them for a few minutes I could not begin to guess where the retarded people ended and the regular New Yorkers began. Everyone looks retarded once you set your mind to it.
It was quite a bit like that. People would be completely oblivious and come up the the counter and not even see the long line of fifteen people waiting to check out. I would politely point out the line and they would say, "yeah but I will be real quick." Too bad bucko.
Then for two minutes I was all by myself ringing up people because two other people ran to take care of some people. This ass-face comes up and says, "You are the only clerk for this huge line? What kind of place is this?" I would like to point out the fact that I was in the midst of helping someone so he earned further ass-face points by interrupting.
I don't know how the rest of the world was raised but my Mother made it clear fairly early on that unless there was an emergency you did not interrupt. You waited until there was an appropriate pause in the conversation and said, "excuse me".
I said, "I can help you in a moment sir." He didn't understand that sentence for some reason. He just kept bitching about the line. He didn't get in the line. Nothing. I just smiled and said. "Appearances are often deceiving" (under my breath I said, "like your humanity")
Anyways...I made it through the day. I am going to eat some chocolate. Mmmmm.
Okay for funny things I have seen lately...
Yesterday I was waiting for the bus and the stop is near this embankment. A man was attempting to walk down the embankment but it was wet out and he was talking on his cell phone. He proceeded to fall flat on his ass, feet up in the air. That wasn't terribly funny in itself. I have been in that situation and it can be quite painful. What made it so funny was the fact that he kept talking on the phone even as he fell. He got up...still talking.
Perseverance folks! That is the lesson learned here.
I am slightly shuddering at the prospect of returning to work tomorrow. People calling up asking for books that are quite popular and are out of stock because people bought them up early. Then I have to face their anger when being told that the book won't be available until after the holidays.
See people...This is why customer service people are on edge.
I will leave you with another piece of David Sedaris.
The Manager was at the cash register, screaming at a customer. She was, in fact, calling this customer a bitch. I touched her arm and said, "I have to go now." She laid her hand on my shoulder, squeezed it gently and continued her conversation saying, "Don't tell the store president I called you a bitch. Tell him I called you a fucking bitch because that's exactly what you are. Now get out of my sight before I do something we both regret."
Suddenly I am reminded of a few words from David Sedaris genius work, "Santaland Diaries"
It was a large group of retarded people and after watching them for a few minutes I could not begin to guess where the retarded people ended and the regular New Yorkers began. Everyone looks retarded once you set your mind to it.
It was quite a bit like that. People would be completely oblivious and come up the the counter and not even see the long line of fifteen people waiting to check out. I would politely point out the line and they would say, "yeah but I will be real quick." Too bad bucko.
Then for two minutes I was all by myself ringing up people because two other people ran to take care of some people. This ass-face comes up and says, "You are the only clerk for this huge line? What kind of place is this?" I would like to point out the fact that I was in the midst of helping someone so he earned further ass-face points by interrupting.
I don't know how the rest of the world was raised but my Mother made it clear fairly early on that unless there was an emergency you did not interrupt. You waited until there was an appropriate pause in the conversation and said, "excuse me".
I said, "I can help you in a moment sir." He didn't understand that sentence for some reason. He just kept bitching about the line. He didn't get in the line. Nothing. I just smiled and said. "Appearances are often deceiving" (under my breath I said, "like your humanity")
Anyways...I made it through the day. I am going to eat some chocolate. Mmmmm.
Okay for funny things I have seen lately...
Yesterday I was waiting for the bus and the stop is near this embankment. A man was attempting to walk down the embankment but it was wet out and he was talking on his cell phone. He proceeded to fall flat on his ass, feet up in the air. That wasn't terribly funny in itself. I have been in that situation and it can be quite painful. What made it so funny was the fact that he kept talking on the phone even as he fell. He got up...still talking.
Perseverance folks! That is the lesson learned here.
I am slightly shuddering at the prospect of returning to work tomorrow. People calling up asking for books that are quite popular and are out of stock because people bought them up early. Then I have to face their anger when being told that the book won't be available until after the holidays.
See people...This is why customer service people are on edge.
I will leave you with another piece of David Sedaris.
The Manager was at the cash register, screaming at a customer. She was, in fact, calling this customer a bitch. I touched her arm and said, "I have to go now." She laid her hand on my shoulder, squeezed it gently and continued her conversation saying, "Don't tell the store president I called you a bitch. Tell him I called you a fucking bitch because that's exactly what you are. Now get out of my sight before I do something we both regret."
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no subject
Date: 2003-12-17 06:02 pm (UTC)Your job almost makes me actually want to work in retail merely so I could verbally slap someone with a snarky reply if they pulled the kind of crap you speak of. Granted, these tend to be the types of things that get one fired, but man... so tempting.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-17 06:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-17 06:56 pm (UTC)He also has an article in the current New Yorker. How cool is that.
If you wanted to be snarky and work in retail my advice is to someday get a holiday job and then on your last day say, "I am sorry you are too stupid...please leave." That is my plan.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-17 10:24 pm (UTC);)
no subject
Date: 2003-12-18 05:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-18 05:34 pm (UTC)Lucky.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-18 06:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-18 07:08 pm (UTC)@_@
no subject
Date: 2003-12-18 01:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-18 06:07 pm (UTC)