Sorry for the delay in adding content to my blog but due to unforseen circumstances I have been unavailable to access my spot on the internet, Things are getting back to normal after a hectic few months including Christmas.
It has been entertaining watching senior management behaving like schoolboys who have just reached puberty at the staff Christmas parties. All I can say is that school girls must be getting desparate to let these "old" men anywhere near them. And believe me they are not much to write home about. Yet they are the ones who preach how mature we must behave to customers.. . yet it is OK for them to get legless.
On a positive note, I was pleased to see Jamie Oliver having a go at Sainsbury's in the papers this morning about not attending his conference on animal welfare in farming. Good on ya Jamie - their excuse was pretty lame if you ask me. They replied saying that a statement had already been made and therefore they did not see the need to attend. Yeah, right. I hope the customers boycott the stores then that will teach them.
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Stealing time from your employer
I did think I was alone in my opinions about the queen of milking the sytem, but I found out that I was NOT alone and that more people than I first realised felt the same as I did i.e. that it had been going on for too long, that it wasn't fair on the rest of us, that she wa also bullying me. However, when I went to management, on three occasions to complain about the bullying nothing was ever done except that it got forgotten. So much for management helping resolve issues like this. But, I refused to go once again to management and be degraded into thinking it was my fault although this time it wasn't the issue. The issue was stealing from the company which to anyone else would have been instant dismissal but to her it was just another warning. Let's face it when you are suppose to be working and manage to do other things that take forever you are clearly milking the system and stealing from your employer. Trouble is that management in these large supermarket superstores don't see things like that they seem to see things in front of their face.
I'm not hoping for miracles just for this to be resolved for once and for all but I am not holding out a lot of hope on that front either - I am realistic.
I'm not hoping for miracles just for this to be resolved for once and for all but I am not holding out a lot of hope on that front either - I am realistic.
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Bozos
Monday was a really bad day because I wasn not conforming to regulations set out by senior management who are never on checkouts anyway. Apparently, I do not great customers appropriately - whatever that means. Nor do I treat them in a patronising way. Shame on me for showing them respect and dignity. After all these bozos who are senior management haven't got a clue about how people, how to manage and what customers want. Can you blame checkout operators for not wanting to stay in a job?
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Red is for HWAID
What is an HWAID you ask? In supermarket superstore speak it is "How Well Am I Doing" which in laymens terms is suppose to be an assessment of your customer relation skills. And I had mine yesterday.
Bearing in mind I am on a till (all day) serving customers (all day) with the use of one hand (due to medical conditions preventing me from using the other.).
One of the criteria of this HWAID is being observed by some jumped up know it all . Needless to say I failed on this because I could not pack customers items. I really find it hard to take this job seriously when so many of the people I work with clearly abuse the system by disappearing off the tills for long periods of time leaving the rest of us to cope - yet they are the ones given the responsibility, they are the one given Shinning Stars and they are the ones management likes. I know this world is unfair but that just about takes the cake.
Anyway, I did badly on this HWAID because I am disabled and unforunately this is not taken into consideration. But who do I go to? Where can I turn?
Bearing in mind I am on a till (all day) serving customers (all day) with the use of one hand (due to medical conditions preventing me from using the other.).
One of the criteria of this HWAID is being observed by some jumped up know it all . Needless to say I failed on this because I could not pack customers items. I really find it hard to take this job seriously when so many of the people I work with clearly abuse the system by disappearing off the tills for long periods of time leaving the rest of us to cope - yet they are the ones given the responsibility, they are the one given Shinning Stars and they are the ones management likes. I know this world is unfair but that just about takes the cake.
Anyway, I did badly on this HWAID because I am disabled and unforunately this is not taken into consideration. But who do I go to? Where can I turn?
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Half term madness
Half term is a wonderful time of the year if you have kids - or it should be. It never ceases to amase me that parents would rather bring their kids shopping than to spend quality time with them. I know when my daughter was younger, I would look forward to being with her at half term, doing things going out for the day, making things anything but shopping.
It is such a shame that most parents seem to replace quality time for shopping time. Let's face it there is more to life than spending money.
Working on a supermarket checkout you certainly see all forms of life including very loud and unruly kids who appear bored by shopping too.
Why can't we go back to how things use to be inexpensive but meaninful?
It is such a shame that most parents seem to replace quality time for shopping time. Let's face it there is more to life than spending money.
Working on a supermarket checkout you certainly see all forms of life including very loud and unruly kids who appear bored by shopping too.
Why can't we go back to how things use to be inexpensive but meaninful?
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Celebrity Spotting
Working in a supermarket superstore you get to meet a lot of celebrities. All kinds of celebrities, TV, sportsmen and women, radio, famous people, successful business people and many American Express Black Card members but I think the highlight of my day is getting the chance to meet "normal" people who have achieved astonishing feats.
No one could make up the takes that Joe Public tell you. For instance, in the course of serving a customer - who looked pretty ordinary - I found by making a comment about the contents of their shopping that they had started a business dealing in organic baby food - making everything from raw materials and not mass producing it. It is the kind of idea that you think "I should have thought of that" because the concept is so simple - just put in pure indegrients, organic foods, no colourings etc.. and this woman has gone from strength to strength because her idea has captured a niche market.
Someone once said to me, how do you do it? I replied, I just have a sincere interest in people and am a good listener.
No one could make up the takes that Joe Public tell you. For instance, in the course of serving a customer - who looked pretty ordinary - I found by making a comment about the contents of their shopping that they had started a business dealing in organic baby food - making everything from raw materials and not mass producing it. It is the kind of idea that you think "I should have thought of that" because the concept is so simple - just put in pure indegrients, organic foods, no colourings etc.. and this woman has gone from strength to strength because her idea has captured a niche market.
Someone once said to me, how do you do it? I replied, I just have a sincere interest in people and am a good listener.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Migrant worker vs. British
I read in the Daily Mail yesterday that Sainsburys prefer migrant workers because they work harder than the British. You've got to ask yourself why is that?
Part of the reason, I think is the way management treats you. Most supermarket managers regard their staff as thick, lacking in ability, not useful for anything and never use their brain. Their employees are sub-normal and sub-standard. So it is no wonder that workers lack motivation, inspiration that transpires into just not caring. After all most managers don't care either. As far as they are concerned they are above the workers and are always right - perhaps this is what they are taught when they train as managers or maybe it is in their blood - who knows? But what is annoying is that a company like Sainsbury's who is one of the major companies who disregard their staff to the point that they either leave (after a short time), or end up on anti-depressants because they are bullied should then produce a statement along those lines. What chance is there for anyone then if this is how they think? It's not good enough if you ask me.
Part of the reason, I think is the way management treats you. Most supermarket managers regard their staff as thick, lacking in ability, not useful for anything and never use their brain. Their employees are sub-normal and sub-standard. So it is no wonder that workers lack motivation, inspiration that transpires into just not caring. After all most managers don't care either. As far as they are concerned they are above the workers and are always right - perhaps this is what they are taught when they train as managers or maybe it is in their blood - who knows? But what is annoying is that a company like Sainsbury's who is one of the major companies who disregard their staff to the point that they either leave (after a short time), or end up on anti-depressants because they are bullied should then produce a statement along those lines. What chance is there for anyone then if this is how they think? It's not good enough if you ask me.
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