LAG Returns

I am trying REALLY HARD to be positive during my last two weeks on the job. But in the 1.4 seconds that it took for the news of my departure to spread, other dissatisfied employees flocked to me.

One of the junior managers (formally known as "Duh Boy") thinks it will be "weird" with me gone and is thinking about leaving the store himself. He often knocks heads with another of the senior-level managers (my level) who is well-known for being a hypocritical bitch.......I've had to intervene on several occasions because I was afraid things were going to come to physical blows. With me gone, it might be full-out war between the two.

Another employee came to me with a problem about how the shelves are being stocked. "Have you heard that I'm leaving soon?" Yes. "OK, so tell Boss because I can't do anything about it." Which is how it's been all along, really.......as essentially a shift manager I can only do so much while I'm working. If Boss doesn't care and doesn't do anything about sub-standard work on ALL shifts, then trying to change standards on just my shift is pointless.

LAG is returning to the store to fill my position. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA She originally left the store because she couldn't get along with the hypocritical bitch manager (HBM). LAG and I had our difficulties, but we acted like adults and took problems into the office and rationally discussed them until we came up with a solution. Sometimes the peace was tenuous, but we acted professionally most of the time.

LAG has a very strong personality that I GUARANTEE will rub lots of people, both customers and employees, the wrong way. How Boss thinks LAG and HBM will function as equals when Boss provides no leadership......I see a total staff change coming soon. And I don't think staffing will become stable again until either LAG or HBM leaves, or Boss leaves and a stronger or more involved manager comes to run the store. This should be very interesting……I'm glad I won't be around to witness it firsthand!! I'll have my spies update me on the progress of the war. : )

Loud Attitude Girl

The store manager is freaking out that we're short a manager. It's no big deal—we have plenty of managers to cover the shifts. The junior managers will just be in charge more often. That's OK; they're competent. The day after the sort-of manager quit, the store manager talked with an employee (Loud Attitude Girl) about promoting her. She had this talk before mentioning it to the current managers. Initially LAG wasn't that interested, but I guess the idea grew on her. Before long, she was telling everyone, even while not sure that she would pass the background check.

LAG wouldn't be much better than the sort-of manager who just left. When she's in a bad mood, watch out! She shares way too much with customers…..her perceptions of other employees not doing their jobs, her frustrations at the workload, etc. Customers don't want to hear all that! She has been verbally reprimanded several times for inappropriate conversations with customers. And sales figures do not need to be discussed outside of the office. That is confidential company information. She's "always" right; even when proven wrong, she won't admit it. She frequently argues with other employees……..that's not the kind of person we want as a manager!

Further, LAG also frequently questions company policies. Yes, I know several of them are not well thought-out and some are downright stupid, but nevertheless, we have no power to change them. As managers, we must follow them, support the company, and as far as our employees are concerned, we think the rules are the greatest thing ever and we wouldn't even think about not following them.

The latest mystery shopper report was BAD. And guess who it was on? Yep. LAG. Not even demonstrating basic customer service, and we want to make her a manager?! Great example for the rest of the employees! Provide bad service, and you'll get promoted!

I discussed my worries with the store manager, who agreed with my points yet still is very concerned about filling the open position. I showed her how we'd be just fine with our current managers. The manager who just quit was an example of an employee promoted too quickly because there wasn't any other choice at the time. LAG might, and I mean MIGHT, eventually make an OK manager, but not right now. We don't want to make the same mistake of promoting LAG too quickly. Let's try it for a few weeks like it is and if we feel like another manager is needed, pursue the promotion then. We don't need a manager who's going to make all the employees quit because of her attitude. We have enough employees quitting because of the hard work and low pay.

Hiring; LAG gets the promotion

We were short-handed all morning (damn the tattletale!) so I ended up cashiering for several hours. It took all day to finish what I usually do in a half-day or less. Then in the afternoon I conducted interviews. Of 3 interviews I hired 2 people. One was GREAT, while the other was OK. The OK one worked at one of our competitors for a few months so I wasn't too keen on hiring her (that store has a bad reputation) but I REALLY needed someone to work mornings so I took the chance. They're both really outgoing and enthusiastic and I think they'll fit into our work environment really well. Hooray!

LAG did pass the background check, but so far she's listening and has a teachable attitude. As I explained things, she accepted my explanation that some things are stupid but they must be done a special certain way or the office freaks out and starts taking money away from the managers. The store manager is letting LAG learn things very slowly…..it will be a while before she's left in charge without another manager nearby. As long as she remembers that being a junior manager doesn't mean she's a real manager (like, as long as she still listens to me!) and continues to work on her attitude with other employees and customers, maybe it'll be OK.

I must say, it is nice to have another member of management in the building. Now if I want to run to the corner store for coffee or need to pick up store supplies mid-shift, I can do so myself instead of sending one of my employees for me. Especially for personal stuff (not foreseeable stuff, but like getting cough drops to soothe a sore throat or something), I hated sending employees because it's obviously not their job to run errands for me. But at the same time, a member of management must always be in the building. Now if I need to leave for 10~15 minutes, I can, with my cell phone close by in case LAG needs help.

Missing $50

LAG was main cashier. At a busy time of day I was forced to use her register for a few transactions, including one large one which the customer paid in cash. At the end of the shift the register was exactly $50 short. Refusing to accept any responsibility whatsoever, she blamed the shortage on me (despite her register being off frequently and mine rarely being even a cent off). Realizing it MAY have been my fault, I offered to split the amount with her, thinking that was more than fair. She left pissed off, refusing to talk to me.

Overnight I rethought my original offer. Seeing that I make more money than her, should I have covered the entire shortage? It was her register and she was away from the register without proper authorization (leaving a new, slower, employee instead)…..should I charge her for the entire amount? I came back to the original decision, that because it could have been either one of us who made the error, it should be split down the middle.

In my mind I went through the transactions I had done, looking for possible errors or short change artists or anything else weird. I always double-check both the amount I put into the register and the amount of change I give out, so there's little room for error. It made me mad that LAG automatically assumed it was my fault when both our records would suggest otherwise.

The next morning before officially reporting the shortage to the office, I decided to look around a little. You see, in addition to her register being short before, LAG has also lost checks, credit card slips, coupons, etc. through carelessness. What do you know, I reached far back into the drawer, and jammed up in it was the $50 bill. I was relieved, yet still angry about her assuming it was my error.

She was off that day so I told the MOD to inform her that we found the money so she wouldn't be charged. Did she ever apologize to me? No, no mention was made of the incident. You can bet I won't EVER run her register again, regardless of how busy the store is.

LAG forgets how to work

Even though she hasn't been in charge yet, Loud Attitude Girl is becoming overly confident and is getting less and less done each shift. Just because you're part of management now DOES NOT MEAN that you can STAND AROUND AND DO NOTHING while telling everyone else what needs to be done. Yes, you must direct your employees to the tasks that need doing. Yes, you must supervise your employees to make sure they're doing the tasks correctly and not goofing off. Yes, there is paperwork for you to do. But you must also work!

As I've been learning to manage, I've learned that the best way to lead is BY EXAMPLE. I started off as a tyrant and no one liked me much so they did tasks to the minimum standard required only after a lot of threats from me. Now that I'm more comfortable in the role of manager I've backed off and allow my employees some choice in what tasks they do and how they choose to do them. They'd better stay busy, sure, but there's more freedom.

By working alongside of them I show them the proper way to do things and let them get to know me. They see the high standard that I hold myself to and the pride I take in a well-run store and well-trained employees. They know that I'm proud of them and the way they work and the things they do. They do high quality work and do the routine tasks without reminders because they want to please me, not because they're scared of me or worried about keeping their job.

No one likes to be bossed around. Until LAG learns this, she won't be a very effective manager. I realize that she has to learn this lesson for herself. HOWEVER, when the other junior manager got promoted I lost several good employees because they couldn't put up with the BS. I don't want that to happen again, and I don't want the store to go downhill, either.

Fine, don't listen to me.

I am SO MAD at the store manager right now. I thought I had her talked out of promoting Loud Attitude Girl. She decided to go ahead and put in the paperwork anyway, to see if she'll pass the background check. But if she passes the check, then she'll be a junior manager. Do you remember the problems I discussed with you?! I SO hope she doesn't pass the check. (It's basically to check if there's a criminal history or if you have a lot of unpaid debts or something—if you can't handle your own money, the company doesn't want you to have access to large amounts of cash.)

The very day that I found this out, the closing paperwork didn't add up right. What do you know, LAG undercharged a customer by a hundred bucks. I caught it so I could charge LAG for the mistake. Had I not caught it, I would have been charged. Again, she can't handle simple transactions on one cash register, yet we're going to let her handle the paperwork for the WHOLE STORE?!

Miscommunication

When I arrived at work this morning I found a message from Boss with what seemed like an easy task. A customer bought a set (on Sunday) but needed one item that we were out of in order to complete the set. I needed to call the office (now that it was Monday morning) to see if we could get the item soon. I called and got a "no" because the warehouse was out of the item. I then called all the stores within driving distance and they, also, were out of the item.

I called the customer and left a message that we were trying to get the item but it might take 2~4 weeks. Office knows we need the item; customer knows we'll call her when we get the item. The end, right? Of course not; things are rarely that easy.

The lady called back, FURIOUS. "I have this set but I'm missing the once piece and what am I supposed to do with it now?? I want the missing piece NOW and YOU WILL GET IT FOR ME!"

"We will get it for you, but it might take 2~4 weeks because our warehouse is currently out of stock so we have to wait for it to be ordered from {a far away state} and sent to the warehouse and then for it to be delivered to our store."

"THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE! I WANT IT NOW. You need to overnight it since you're out of it and you sold me the set anyway." (First of all, like the item is vital to her living another day or something; secondly, some people already have this part so they don't buy it with the set.)

"That's not how our system works. We'll get it for you as soon as possible, but it's not going to be today."

"WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?? I have the set but I'm MISSING ONE PIECE. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH IT NOW?"

I began to lose patience with the woman, but saw the potential for further problems from her. I very carefully told her what she could do with it: "Well, you can either wait a few weeks or return the set."

Then she hung up on me.

I called the office back and expressed the urgency of our needing the item. Turns out there are still money issues which means our check has to arrive at the manufacturer before they'll ship the item. Great. Not that the customer needs to know that part of the story, but it adds time to getting the item.

A few minutes later the customer's mother called (who the set was actually for, the middle-aged daughter just bought it for her). She was a little more polite, but nevertheless I had to repeat myself. The mother insisted, "We really need the set-completer. Can't you order it for us?"

"Of course. It HAS been ordered. However, it might take 2~4 weeks for it to arrive."

"But we REALLY need it!"

"I'm sorry. I'd be glad to give you your money back for the set if waiting the 2~4 weeks is too long for you. Really, I wish there was something more I could do for you. But your only options at this point are to wait or return the set."

"OK." {Big sigh} "Thank you."

The end? OF COURSE NOT!

A few hours later the VP's assistant called to ask me why we weren't making the customer happy by getting the item for her. !!!!! Yeah, I've tried. I explained to that person (who's in a completely different part of the office than the person I spoke with earlier) what I had tried and if he could get the item any quicker then do it.

All this and a busier day than normal, along with extremely weird and difficult customers ALL DAY.

I finally found out that the whole problem would not have happened if LAG hadn't PROMISED the item the next day. When I told the customer it would be 2~4 weeks the lady was (understandably?) upset. I still don't understand what she expected me to do......I can't snap my fingers and make it appear. I NEVER promise anything. I give predictions and probabilities, but NEVER promises unless the item is IN MY HANDS. I about killed LAG for the problems she caused me. But of course she doesn't care.

For the time being the customer has decided to wait while we rush the part. Now that the VP is involved they're either going to ship it directly to our store from the manufacturer, or possibly transfer it in from a store in a neighboring state. It will most likely arrive in 3~5 days, which makes it look like I wasn't trying very hard by my 2~4 weeks estimate. But that's all I have the power to do. The VP can do it a lot faster.

Receipt?

OK, LAG is really getting on my nerves lately. I was closing the store and came upon a return she had done. Big problem….she gave cash back without a receipt. Now possibly the customer had shown her a receipt, but she has to KEEP the receipt to prove that the return is legitimate and she's not stealing money or anything. Do I think she's stealing? No. Do I think she's doing her job poorly? Yes.

Double Charged

Our computer system is wonderful. Earlier this month there was a complete meltdown that caused lots of headaches but we got it taken care of.......we thought.

Today I got a phone call from a customer claiming her credit card had been charged twice. At first I thought she had misread her statement or something, but after hearing that the date was the same as the meltdown, I took down her account number and contact info and promised to look into it. I called the appropriate person in the office, explaining that the date coincided with the meltdown, and left her to investigate it.

A few hours later I received a fax with nearly FIFTY customer account numbers and expiration dates. They had ALL been overcharged on that date and I was to credit their accounts. Talk about a headache! By the time I was done I was cross-eyed from the small print and making sure I input the correct account numbers and return amounts.

I then called the customer who had brought it to our attention, apologizing for our error and informing her that her account had been credited but it might take a few days to show up on her statement. She was very understanding and polite the whole time. She also seemed surprised that we took care of it so quickly.

You see, in our initial conversation I told her it might take a few days to research the issue; by handling it the same day we surpassed what she expected of us. Had I promised it to her that day and it took two days then I would have fallen short of her expectations. Never promise anything that you can't deliver.

(LAG learned absolutely nothing from the situation I wrote about on Monday. She believes she did nothing wrong because the part COULD have arrived the next day. But the fact is, it DIDN'T and there was actually a very low probability of it coming that day and the customer was disappointed. Even though the customer has the part now, she may not shop at our store in the future, all because of a promise that was impossible to keep.)

Impatient Customers

LAG screwed up. She closed the store by herself for the first time, but she obviously wasn't ready. Not only did she not close her cash register correctly, but she also did not close the credit card machines.....AT ALL. She's semi-management and can't handle a single cash register?! And the credits--managers get in trouble if it's not done EVERY day, WITHOUT FAIL. Semi-managers don't get in trouble, not really. Does she care that she screwed up? No. Does she apologize for making the managers look bad and costing us money? No.

And customers......it's been so busy lately and they're so impatient. If all the sales employees are busy, they'll come to the cashiers to ask where something is or for help getting a heavy item. The cashiers can't do anything! They have to stay at their posts to take care of you AFTER you collect the stuff you're going to buy. If you want to be shown to a specific item, you'll have to WAIT until someone is available to help you! Don't complain about the cashier "refusing to help" you! They'll be glad to help you....AFTER you get your stuff. Further, by taking me away from what I was doing so that you could complain, you in essence made the wait longer for everyone.

Only 24 shopping days left....can I survive?

LAG fails the mystery shopper

Loud Attitude Girl got a bad service evaluation--again. She needs to lose the attitude! Again, she had tons of excuses: "My shift was over, I don't remember helping that customer, why didn't someone else help him...."

It doesn't matter that your shift was over, you must still be polite and enthusiastically help the customer or FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO HELP HER. That would have been fine. When I'm on my way out with something to do, I still ask customers if they need help. If they say yes, I say someone will be right with them. Then I IMMEDIATELY get another employee to help them and continue on my way out the door.

You don't remember helping that person?! That doesn't matter, either. How many customers do you help each week? Do you remember ALL of them?! I know I don't! What, do you think the person picked a name out of a hat and just happened to put your name on the evaluation?

Why didn't someone else help him? Because you helped him!! Or didn't help him, as the evaluation showed. Again, if you needed to leave, GET SOMEONE ELSE TO HELP THE CUSTOMER.