Why is management so STUPID ?

Remember a couple of weeks ago that there was a late afternoon shift I worked where they had the girl on express and myself working? No other 'regular' cashiers. Sure there were the head cashier and the customer service girl but they have lots of other stuff to do besides help us out.

What had happened is that a girl who was supposed to come in called in sick and the powers that be decided not to replace her. It being summer and all, hours are being cut.

Okay, but how stupid do you have to be to cut them over the supper rush????

Anyway, I get a phone call yesterday afternoon, could I come in ASAP? I told them the earliest I could make it and that was okay. I show up and it was just like the last time. They had, only two cashiers, a snobby girl on express, and a newbie on regular cash. So I was called in for backup. When I get there and am talking to head cashier, come to find out that they will probably be in trouble for even calling me in.

One customer was smart enough to see me heading for the register so he was already there, waiting. So I get to my register, open up, and .... it starts. In no time the customers caught on and from then until three hours later it was nuts. Customer after customer.

I had said at the beginning of the shift that I would prefer to only stay until I wasn't 'needed' any more. That was fine as long as it was my choice. Legally they have to offer me 4 hours minimum. But I was okay with just staying as long as needed. After two hours or so, even though I am only staying three I was 'supposed' to take a break. I looked up and there were so many customers lined up, I asked if I could stay. I didn't need a break for that short of a time and I really, really can't leave with all those people waiting. It is part of my work ethic I guess.

So, in spite of me staying, we actually had two people leave. Two lost customers ! ! ! ? ?  They only have to do the 'tell two people, who'll tell two people' thing before management kills off our customer base. Its freaking summer time. We need every customer we can get. The university and high schools and college near us have pretty much closed down for the summer. That represents a huge amount of customers.

I am not there many hours anymore but I have actually in the past two shifts talked to three people who were in our store for the first time, two of them last night ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

So what kind of an impression do they get if they have to wait a lllloooonnnngggg time to be served?
What kind of impression do they get if the cashiers are so overworked that they are rude, frustrated, and slow?
What kind of impression do they get if there are mistakes at the register and we call to have a price check and no one answers?
What kind of impression do they get when they want to find something, or ask a question or, for that matter, just get customer service and they can't because she is on a register with a huge line up?

A bad one, that's what.

I was able to talk to several people and explained that they need to fill out customer comment cards in order for the management to listen. We can tell them all we want but they don't put any value to our input. Bottom line is the big thing. That is what they care about and apparently all they care about. No wonder more and more people are going to the store over the highway and paying more for the same products and having to deal with rude cashiers as well.

I really wish I could get somewhere there to listen to me. And this stupid place has still not made a move to build a store in the area I told them would be a sure winner. (a vacant lot and no grocery stores for a long stretch of road)

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And the answer to the question is: I just don't know.
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After all, I am ONLY an employee. What could I know? 

Karma's a BITCH ! ! ! ! !

So there I am, minding my own business, checking through groceries and talking to the customer. Things are pretty good until . . . . .

 An older lady comes through and, as is typical, had her purse in the spot you'd put a child in. Down below her purse is an envelope, just sitting there. We are asked to clean out flyers etc, from the buggies as they go through our lanes, in order that the papers don't blow all over the parking lot. I picked up the envelope and asked the lady if it was hers. She said no, double checked her purse and again said no. I am about to throw the envelope out when I think maybe I should look inside. WOW ! ! !  $100.00 bill.

I asked the woman again if she was sure. I even showed her what was in the envelope, Again she said no. Very honest!

So I call over head cashier dujour and tell her what happened. She asked me a couple of times how it "went down" and then said that I should be getting it back if no one claimed it within two weeks. I thought that was good timing as I have been wondering why I even work anymore.

Sidebar: It used to be that what I made paid for the insurance, fuel and groceries for us. Now it is barely enough to pay for fuel only 


I mean where and when the hell does it stop.! ! ! ! ! ! ! Its at the point where, if I quit, we don't really lose anything other than transportation for me. 


So anyway, that happened one evening. The next shift I worked I was told that the money would not come to me. That it was considered 'found' money and belonged to the store.

WTF???????

I don't think that is fair or a very good idea. I think it will just teach people to keep their mouth shut and pocket it. That's what I plan on doing. I STILL get paid minimum wage after over 4 years working there. And now, because I was HONEST, you tell me I don't even get that little reward!!!!!????

If it happens again, in the pocket it goes. If its a large amount like I found this time I will tell someone and then take it to the police station and give it to them along with the story.

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Not two days later on, one of the young cashiers took a P H O N Y  $100.00 bill. I had a chance to touch it and knew right away that it was a fake. Then I did my eye ball test. There is some very finely written words at the very bottom of the swirl that goes across the bill. Now they are very, very tiny but can be read with the naked eye. That is one of the first things to deteriorate when they photo shop it. That line was just a blotch of ink when you looked at it closely. Plus the paper did not feel the way it should. It was too soft, like old, old blue jeans.

So I'm not sure what happened to that cashier. Whether they'll be red-boxed, (audit for next time you work) or green boxed (you are audited every shift you work for two weeks), will be interesting.

Anyway, I think it is really great that the company that made over eighty MILLION last year is losing their $100.00 'gain'. And I still make minimum wage ! ! ! And WE are unionized! ! ! !

Karma IS a BITCH.

By the way, why did I not even receive a thank you from SOMEone???? Not really a nice way to treat your employees. Also, I know for a fact that several customers have told the boss how much they think of me as a cashier, mainly because they tell me they talked to him. So why is it that I have not heard a word about this; but you accidentally forget to give a customer their money for cash back, the powers that be are calling you in to the office for 'counseling'.