I had a day off today and I did nothing. All I did was run to the bank so I could pay rent. I didn't do laundry. I didn't clean my room, or the kitchen or write the newsletter. It looks like I get friday off too so they won't be put off too much longer hopefully and it was nice to have a day completely to relax and be lazy but when I do that and there is so much to be done, I just end up feeling guilty.
This was good for me. I'm sure. I only have to convince myself of that first. Good for me. It's good to not do anything sometimes. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tips on Being a Customer
Both the jobs I work at deal with customer service. One of my jobs is a salesgirl at a florist and then I work concessions at a movie theatre. So I deal with a lot of people on a weekly basis.
People do such weird things, at least in my opinion. It's like people have lost the ability to be a good customer.
I'm willing and able to answer your questions, and if I don't know, I'm willing to find out the answer. It's kind of my job and I don't mind you asking. But please speak up. Because if I can't hear you, I'm not going to answer and if I didn't hear you, you have no right to get pissy and think I'm ignoring you. If you talk to me while my back is turned, why do you assume I heard you? WHY? Especially if there is a lot of noise nearby. I do not have supersonic hearing. On the rare chance I do hear you and acknowledge that with a nod, I might still have to ask you to repeat it. Because I was in the middle of doing something else at the time.
If you are running late, it is not my fault. I'm am doing my job and I'm going to be doing my job at the same speed I always do my job. I'm pretty fast, but I'm not superhuman, nor am I paid enough to run around like a chicken with my head cut off simply because you couldn't be tossed to show up to your movie five minutes earlier, or because you happened to forget you needed flowers until the last minute. Please don't get snippy with me because YOU didn't have your stuff together.
Do not bitch at me because I had to help other customers before you. I did not purposefully move slower to make your life miserable. I help everyone at the same speed. Sometimes you are going to end up in the line that moves slowest. Usually it is not because the person helping the customers is slow, usually it's because a customer is indecisive, or needs a lot of stuff. This is life. Please deal with it in a mature manner. Don't complain to me.
Do have patience. Remember the person who is helping you is a person not your slave. I do my best to help you get the best deal, there isn't really any need to be rude to me unless I'm actually screwing up, which is pretty rare. Even then, I'm much more likely to be helpful and fix the matter if you are polite. If I'm having trouble figuring out your order, politeness will earn you my gratitude and perhaps a little free thank you (if I have any means of doing so) rather than my hatred. I'm not perfect, neither are my co-workers and none of us do either job 24/7 which means someone else can screw up a pre order, or spell a name wrong, or ms-hear me and get me the wrong thing. Most things can be solved pretty quickly. If it can't, I'm loyal enough to both my employers that I will try to make your inconvenience worth your while.
In terms of politeness, you don't have to say please to me when I'm getting your popcorn/drinks/anything. And please don't bother if it's going to be an after thought. If it flows out of you as a natural asking method, I'm fine with that, but when it gets tacked on half a minute after you ask for what you want you don't mean it. I can tell you don't mean it and you should just not bother. It's actually my job to help you.
Don't tell me your life story. When I ask if you want a bigger size/upgrade, it's because I'm required, not because I want to hear why you hate your kids and never would want to bring popcorn back to them. If I'm making small talk, go ahead, we can chat, but when I just want to know if you would like to spend a dollar more to get 40 more ounces of popcorn, or if you have a points account with us, there is no need for any other information other than yes or no.
Don't ask me to give you free stuff. This pisses me off the most. And I don't understand it. People are always asking me for free candy, free flowers, etc etc. Are you trying to get me fired? What the hell. If a big arrangement is too expensive for you, I will not under any circumstances add half a dozen roses (which even at their cheapest is 29.99) to the arrangement. I will not comp you a vase. Or sneak you any candy. You may not use my employee discount. Don't ask.
If there is something I can do for you, the best chance of you getting a freebie of any kind is going to be you being nice and polite. If you are on a budget but you are doing something nice for someone else, I might find a way to save you a few dollars. My choices might be limited, especially if most of our things are inventoried, but there are a few things I can do. I'm not going to do it if you are an asshole, or if you have been complaining to me. The only people I cut breaks are either other employees, people the owner say to, or those people who it has been a real pleasure to help.
Don't bother complaining about price to me if I'm a low level employee. I've heard it many many many times before, I don't actually care because I've gotten used to the prices and I don't have to pay the price you do anyhow. All you do is annoy me. I don't set prices, I can't do anything about the prices and you are wasting your air.
If your kid is old enough to be dating, he/she can buy his/her own corsage or boutonniere. They can also pick it up themselves. Teach them some time management. Or at least bring them with you.
I am not a flower expert because I work at a florist. Nor will I know for certain what the person you are buying for will like. I don't know them. YOU know them. I can wrap flowers pretty and I can pick out a nice color scheme, but I'm not a miracle worker. And I can't read your girlfriend's mind from fifty miles away. Also, just because I work in a movie theatre doesn't mean I've seen all the movies. If I liked a movie or not has no indication if you will like it or not. We aren't the same people.
I feel like I should offer classes in how to be a good customer. I feel like I've gotten better as a customer now that I've worked in customer service but the majority of people either have never worked in customer service, feel entitled, or something. I don't know. But it's ridiculous.
People do such weird things, at least in my opinion. It's like people have lost the ability to be a good customer.
I'm willing and able to answer your questions, and if I don't know, I'm willing to find out the answer. It's kind of my job and I don't mind you asking. But please speak up. Because if I can't hear you, I'm not going to answer and if I didn't hear you, you have no right to get pissy and think I'm ignoring you. If you talk to me while my back is turned, why do you assume I heard you? WHY? Especially if there is a lot of noise nearby. I do not have supersonic hearing. On the rare chance I do hear you and acknowledge that with a nod, I might still have to ask you to repeat it. Because I was in the middle of doing something else at the time.
If you are running late, it is not my fault. I'm am doing my job and I'm going to be doing my job at the same speed I always do my job. I'm pretty fast, but I'm not superhuman, nor am I paid enough to run around like a chicken with my head cut off simply because you couldn't be tossed to show up to your movie five minutes earlier, or because you happened to forget you needed flowers until the last minute. Please don't get snippy with me because YOU didn't have your stuff together.
Do not bitch at me because I had to help other customers before you. I did not purposefully move slower to make your life miserable. I help everyone at the same speed. Sometimes you are going to end up in the line that moves slowest. Usually it is not because the person helping the customers is slow, usually it's because a customer is indecisive, or needs a lot of stuff. This is life. Please deal with it in a mature manner. Don't complain to me.
Do have patience. Remember the person who is helping you is a person not your slave. I do my best to help you get the best deal, there isn't really any need to be rude to me unless I'm actually screwing up, which is pretty rare. Even then, I'm much more likely to be helpful and fix the matter if you are polite. If I'm having trouble figuring out your order, politeness will earn you my gratitude and perhaps a little free thank you (if I have any means of doing so) rather than my hatred. I'm not perfect, neither are my co-workers and none of us do either job 24/7 which means someone else can screw up a pre order, or spell a name wrong, or ms-hear me and get me the wrong thing. Most things can be solved pretty quickly. If it can't, I'm loyal enough to both my employers that I will try to make your inconvenience worth your while.
In terms of politeness, you don't have to say please to me when I'm getting your popcorn/drinks/anything. And please don't bother if it's going to be an after thought. If it flows out of you as a natural asking method, I'm fine with that, but when it gets tacked on half a minute after you ask for what you want you don't mean it. I can tell you don't mean it and you should just not bother. It's actually my job to help you.
Don't tell me your life story. When I ask if you want a bigger size/upgrade, it's because I'm required, not because I want to hear why you hate your kids and never would want to bring popcorn back to them. If I'm making small talk, go ahead, we can chat, but when I just want to know if you would like to spend a dollar more to get 40 more ounces of popcorn, or if you have a points account with us, there is no need for any other information other than yes or no.
Don't ask me to give you free stuff. This pisses me off the most. And I don't understand it. People are always asking me for free candy, free flowers, etc etc. Are you trying to get me fired? What the hell. If a big arrangement is too expensive for you, I will not under any circumstances add half a dozen roses (which even at their cheapest is 29.99) to the arrangement. I will not comp you a vase. Or sneak you any candy. You may not use my employee discount. Don't ask.
If there is something I can do for you, the best chance of you getting a freebie of any kind is going to be you being nice and polite. If you are on a budget but you are doing something nice for someone else, I might find a way to save you a few dollars. My choices might be limited, especially if most of our things are inventoried, but there are a few things I can do. I'm not going to do it if you are an asshole, or if you have been complaining to me. The only people I cut breaks are either other employees, people the owner say to, or those people who it has been a real pleasure to help.
Don't bother complaining about price to me if I'm a low level employee. I've heard it many many many times before, I don't actually care because I've gotten used to the prices and I don't have to pay the price you do anyhow. All you do is annoy me. I don't set prices, I can't do anything about the prices and you are wasting your air.
If your kid is old enough to be dating, he/she can buy his/her own corsage or boutonniere. They can also pick it up themselves. Teach them some time management. Or at least bring them with you.
I am not a flower expert because I work at a florist. Nor will I know for certain what the person you are buying for will like. I don't know them. YOU know them. I can wrap flowers pretty and I can pick out a nice color scheme, but I'm not a miracle worker. And I can't read your girlfriend's mind from fifty miles away. Also, just because I work in a movie theatre doesn't mean I've seen all the movies. If I liked a movie or not has no indication if you will like it or not. We aren't the same people.
I feel like I should offer classes in how to be a good customer. I feel like I've gotten better as a customer now that I've worked in customer service but the majority of people either have never worked in customer service, feel entitled, or something. I don't know. But it's ridiculous.
Starting Over... Again
The purpose of this blog was to be a chronicle in an entire year. Meaning every day, and I totally failed at that. That's something I'm trying to work on. Sticking to the goals I hold important to myself. As opposed to just promises I make to other people. I hold those quite well. But when it comes to something I want to do with me, I often stick it on the back burner. I vowed to turn over a new leaf this year. It was supposed to correspond with the new year/new decade but starting today on the first of February will do as well. Better now than later, right?
Blog for 365 days a year. Chronicle my failures of the year as well as my successes. My sadnesses with my joys. My opinions on everything. Even when I have nothing to say I'm supposed to say something. Get my mind rolling and keep myself in touch with myself. That's another thing I feel I have a problem with, sometimes I feel so out of touch with me I get into these moods where all I want to do is cry and be destructive. And there has GOT to be a better thing to do than that.
So I'm starting over, again. It's a new leaf, on a non traditional new leaf day. But that might make it more successful. People often fail in their new year resolutions, but how many people have failed in their new february resolutions? How many people even make new February resolutions?
Alright, here we go.
Blog for 365 days a year. Chronicle my failures of the year as well as my successes. My sadnesses with my joys. My opinions on everything. Even when I have nothing to say I'm supposed to say something. Get my mind rolling and keep myself in touch with myself. That's another thing I feel I have a problem with, sometimes I feel so out of touch with me I get into these moods where all I want to do is cry and be destructive. And there has GOT to be a better thing to do than that.
So I'm starting over, again. It's a new leaf, on a non traditional new leaf day. But that might make it more successful. People often fail in their new year resolutions, but how many people have failed in their new february resolutions? How many people even make new February resolutions?
Alright, here we go.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
I think it's still 2009
So I was pretty certain that 2009 hated me. Do you ever have those years where you swear fate is just giving you the middle finger and laughing? That was pretty much 2009. It was like a list of things going wrong. One after another. Day one of 2010 was alright but today was in the toilet and I'm working 12 hours total tomorrow, combined from both jobs, so I'm guessing it won't be all that and a bag of chips. Plus my phone went missing. I had it on my break at work when I was checking to see how much more time I had left before I clocked back in and now God only knows where it is. I'm going to call this lag from 2009 and on Monday, which is my day off, THAT'S when I'm going to start a new year.
I'll get the last little shit holes of 2009 cleaned up-rent, missing phone, the fact my room looks like pigs live in it, see if the pretty burn on my arm from work can go around without the gauze and ace bandage that makes me look like a victim of violence or tragedy and then it really will be a clean slate. I really do want to start afresh. Not in the, make resolutions I won't keep, but things that are actually doable. Set some year goals, make some plans, budget in a trip. I might make resolutions, but I couldn't even keep the one I made last year and it was REALLY easy. Although I could technically blame that on 2009 too and make the same resolution this year. It was a good resolution. It just wasn't a time of my life in which I could reasonably follow it.
Once these things are cleared up, then I will feel better, because I certainly feel pretty crappy today.
I'm going to go make myself some black eyed peas and cabbage in order to change this luck around. Even though it's getting towards 10pm. I have to eat anyway. Might as well make something that is suppose to bring me luck. Plus alcohol. I feel the need to get a little fuzzy.
I'll get the last little shit holes of 2009 cleaned up-rent, missing phone, the fact my room looks like pigs live in it, see if the pretty burn on my arm from work can go around without the gauze and ace bandage that makes me look like a victim of violence or tragedy and then it really will be a clean slate. I really do want to start afresh. Not in the, make resolutions I won't keep, but things that are actually doable. Set some year goals, make some plans, budget in a trip. I might make resolutions, but I couldn't even keep the one I made last year and it was REALLY easy. Although I could technically blame that on 2009 too and make the same resolution this year. It was a good resolution. It just wasn't a time of my life in which I could reasonably follow it.
Once these things are cleared up, then I will feel better, because I certainly feel pretty crappy today.
I'm going to go make myself some black eyed peas and cabbage in order to change this luck around. Even though it's getting towards 10pm. I have to eat anyway. Might as well make something that is suppose to bring me luck. Plus alcohol. I feel the need to get a little fuzzy.
Friday, January 1, 2010
A New Slate
The thing I've always liked about the New Year is the feeling you get of starting over. A whole year stretches before you, with endless possibilities. Anything could happen.
With 2010 being the start of a new decade as well, I feel an especially strong sense of this this year. This year will be the first year I'm supporting myself. The first year where I'm not falling back on my parents to help me out when I don't know what to do or where to turn.
I guess it's really my first year of being an actual grown up. College is over, the real world has begun.
To commemorate the start of a new leaf I dyed my hair back to the color I prefer it at. And then started this blog. A year to sink or swim, chronicled here.
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