Needed: Attitude Adjustment (Yes, Another One)

It was a busy weekend day and my main cashier for the day started out by asking in a whiny voice, "Do I have to be cashier all day?" {Uh, yeah, you've worked here how long and you STILL don't know that when you're assigned to be cashier, you're cashier ALL DAY?}

After the long pause while I was thinking that, I said simply, "Yes." The cashier got all huffy and didn't talk to me for the next hour or so. Fine. Be a baby.

In the middle part of the day she recovered and started acting like an adult again, but later in the day she again got snippy and short-tempered because of all the customers and stress and I wouldn't allow her to take as many smoke breaks as she wanted because it was too busy.

I stayed away from her for most of the day, cleaning everything and helping customers as needed. The other employees were great and got a lot done.

That cashier has got to go. When you're already thinking about when you get a break and it's only a half hour into your shift, then you need to change your attitude or get a new job. If you don't want to be here, then I don't want you here. You're of little help to the customers, give me a headache, and make your co-workers' jobs more difficult. Go away. We don't want you here.

I'd fire her in a heartbeat. Trouble is, I have a skeleton crew as it is and I'm not interviewing any decent people. (Yes, I know I can be a tough boss. I like to think that I just have high standards. However, the real issue I can't get any good people is the low pay.) I need competent employees who can work independently, get tasks done, and help customers, all with a positive attitude. The second I can find a replacement with those qualities, this girl is gone.

Wait a Minute!

I have one employee that I have multiple problems with. Most of the problems stem from her attitude. She's always right, always knows the best way to do things (no one else can possibly have a good way to do anything), and is extremely impatient.

Her impatient-ness shows itself best when she calls me to the front for a return or when she needs someone to open a register. If we don't come IMMEDIATELY when we're called, she gets upset and starts complaining to the customers about how we never come when she calls us and we're probably in the back taking another break, etc. In reality, we're often helping customers or in the middle of a task that requires a minute or two to put on hold before coming to the front.

For example, if I'm merchandising a shelf with items spread out in the aisle, then I have to push the stuff out of the way before going to the front so that no one trips. Or if I'm pouring concrete, I can't exactly stop halfway through to come at the very second that she calls. Instead I have to quickly smooth out the concrete, hang out the "wet concrete" sign, and then go to the front.

When I arrive in the front, the employee always has some sort of smartass comment to criticize how long it took for me to come. I have explained to her, MULTIPLE TIMES, how I try to come as quickly as possible but that sometimes things keep me from coming right away. Be assured, I am coming, so BE PATIENT.

An Exciting Day

Today when I got to work I was pulled to the back by a really excited employee. What I saw excited me, too. It's the best thing that's happened in a month—we got a new VACUUM!

Yeah, big deal, you're probably thinking. But our old vacuum cleaner is straight out of the 1950s and had gotten to the point that it shot more dust out into the air than it actually cleaned off of the floor. Because of that, our floor hadn't been vacuumed in 6 months. Yes, SIX MONTHS of using a broom and dustpan for the big stuff and carpet sweeper for the rest. Those were our only methods of cleaning the carpet.

Tonight I volunteered to vacuum, concerned that my employees might not empty the vacuum often enough (given how much dirt and hair is embedded in the carpet). Every 2~3 aisles I stopped to empty the vacuum. The amount of nastiness was incredible. WOW. It will probably continue to be like that for several days.

Exceptional Customers

A woman called and asked for the store manager (SM). SM wasn't in, so I TRIED to help the woman. In a nutshell, the woman forgot her coupon when she was in last week and wanted to use it after the expiration date. (It was a little more complicated than that, but I don't want to go into detail about our store and its programs/policies.)

The customer INSISTED that she had talked with the SM and the SM was making an exception for her. Yeah. I explained how our system worked and how the SM couldn't make an exception for her. I tried THREE TIMES, but the woman did not understand. "The SM said that she was making an exception just for me." Uh huh. I'm so sure.

I called the SM, at HOME, on her DAY OFF, to check. She remembered talking with the lady, but DID NOT say that she'd make an exception. The lady is crazy.

I called the lady back and explained the situation for the FOURTH time. The lady still didn't sound very satisfied, so I told her when the SM would be in. The SM called me shortly after to get an update. I said I'd tried my best, but she might still have to deal with the customer herself. Lucky for her, she has a little more patience with stupid people than I do.

Not Good Business

This morning I was going about my normal pre-opening duties and another key-holder (who was scheduled to start work at the same time we opened) let herself into the store a few minutes early. An elderly man was waiting by the door, and was angry that she wouldn't let him in (several minutes early).

When our clock struck opening hour, I unlocked the doors. The man came in and immediately asked for a manager. "I'm the manager," I answered, knowing what he would say.

"You are?" he asked in a shocked tone of voice. "Well, it's not good business to leave customers waiting outside for 30 minutes."

"Sir, we opened on time."

"Not by my watch."

"I'm sorry, but that's what time our computers say. We have morning chores to get done before we open." {Our computers tend to run a little slow. We're constantly fixing the time to the correct time. It might have been a minute off of regular time.}

"Why couldn't she {pointing at the key-holder} let me in?"

"We were still getting ready to open."

"It's still not good business." He said this as if he, with his many years of experience, knew all about how to run a business and we young folk needed to be taught a thing or two.

I half expected him to ask for the main office phone number to complain about me not letting him in. I would have been glad to give it to him--I did nothing wrong. But he smugly got what he needed, paid, and left.

The other key-holder and I looked at each other in disbelief at the man's comments. We watched him drive off and then burst out laughing. He was the first conversation topic of the day. Or, rather, the first customer we made fun of for the day.

We're open quite a long time each day, and our hours are clearly posted. Certain tasks CAN NOT be done when customers are in the store. Among them are mopping the floors (liability), and messy tasks that require hand washing before handling anything else (like money or helping customers with products). In the morning we've got to get the computers ready to open, count the cash, go to the bank, take down old sale flyers/coupons and put up new ones, ETCETERA!!

Not good business? Please! He has no idea what's involved with running a business like mine.