I don't know what is worse - working under extreme pressure or working with people who make your life hell. They both probably are equal but on a bad day one is head and shoulders above the other.
Petrol prices are going up to £1 a litre from tommorrow night, so I have been informed by one of my colleagues. That means, in terms of work, that everybody will be buying petrol to avoid paying that extra 2p for as long as possible. Customers are probably spending more than that queueing up for the petrol in the first place not to mention putting themselves under undo stress. So guess where they are putting me . . . in the petrol station.
This is typical of how these big supermarket superstores take no notice of your personal medical conditions and simply place you wherever they want. The petrol station will certainly be very busy and people working there will be extremely stressed out because of it. And that means customers too. Customers hate queueing for long periods and sometimes get very aggressive because of it. But there is nothing we can do about it except to take it. There never is anybody who stands up for us, although the Union Reps are suppose to. But can you ever find a union rep when you need them? No? They are just like management, they hide away at times when they are most needed. At least that is the case where I work.
If only I didn't have to work in a place like that. I have tried everything I could think of to get out and find myself another job - as most people who work there do but some, like me have no choice for a host of reasons.
How I am NOT looking forward to going to work tommorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday 29 September 2007
Tuesday 25 September 2007
Some people are just evil
Yesterday, I had the worst day of my life on the checkouts - and it wasn't with a customer. I find customers are generally very nice and undersatanding.
My day started off as normal. Although I am only able to use one hand, the supermarket where I work still insist on putting me on tills where I find packing extremely difficult. However, I agreed with my manager that I would work on a less busy till and she was happy with that. The problem then came when another member of staff came in.
Orginally she was going to help the mamager do something on the shop floor but another colleague came and the manager then asked her instead which upset shall I call her the "fat blond" because she wanted a skive, like they all do. whereas I am happy to plod on. An hour into the shift and this "fat blond" wanted to do something else and this time the manager asked me to do it - bearing in mind this job was "no big deal" although it did mean that I would get off the tills for 15 minutes - which is what she wanted to do. So that upset her!
Then she starts on me saying why do I have to sit on this particular till; why can't I go on another? I told her thait my medical conditions were none of her business and told her to speak to the manager if she wasn't happy with what I did. Two fingers to her I thought.
I am normally a very placid person and would not entertain such pettiest but this "fat blond" seems to have a problem with everything.
I do the job to the best of my ability. My manager is happy with me and my work and leaves me to get on with things, so it is none of her business what I do and who is she to tell me what I can do and can't do.
I should have learned by now that most people who work on supermarket superstores do it because of a variety of reasons however, there are a few, like the "fat blond" who are not capable of working anywhere else and you can see why.
NB. I emphathise that this is not anit-fat people, I use the term "fat blond" simply as a way of describing her and nothing else. Fortunately, fat people like her are rare - just like people like her are rare. And unfortunately, we all need bad people to make us appreciate the good people in this life.
My day started off as normal. Although I am only able to use one hand, the supermarket where I work still insist on putting me on tills where I find packing extremely difficult. However, I agreed with my manager that I would work on a less busy till and she was happy with that. The problem then came when another member of staff came in.
Orginally she was going to help the mamager do something on the shop floor but another colleague came and the manager then asked her instead which upset shall I call her the "fat blond" because she wanted a skive, like they all do. whereas I am happy to plod on. An hour into the shift and this "fat blond" wanted to do something else and this time the manager asked me to do it - bearing in mind this job was "no big deal" although it did mean that I would get off the tills for 15 minutes - which is what she wanted to do. So that upset her!
Then she starts on me saying why do I have to sit on this particular till; why can't I go on another? I told her thait my medical conditions were none of her business and told her to speak to the manager if she wasn't happy with what I did. Two fingers to her I thought.
I am normally a very placid person and would not entertain such pettiest but this "fat blond" seems to have a problem with everything.
I do the job to the best of my ability. My manager is happy with me and my work and leaves me to get on with things, so it is none of her business what I do and who is she to tell me what I can do and can't do.
I should have learned by now that most people who work on supermarket superstores do it because of a variety of reasons however, there are a few, like the "fat blond" who are not capable of working anywhere else and you can see why.
NB. I emphathise that this is not anit-fat people, I use the term "fat blond" simply as a way of describing her and nothing else. Fortunately, fat people like her are rare - just like people like her are rare. And unfortunately, we all need bad people to make us appreciate the good people in this life.
Sunday 23 September 2007
Trouble brewing
Today I was asked to shift my hours forward and go in earlier. That was no problem, but I have to take medication for my ills and ails at regular intervals and with food. The problem became having breaks in order to take my medication. You would think that the company has a duty of care - well that is senior management not the ground level management i.e. supervisors who have more control and power over our life than we do.
What started out as a simple task turned out to be a major feat. Do I go off and have my medication upsetting my supervisor who would in turn make my life more hell than she does already or do I suffer and hope for the best. Should I strugglem while other totally fit people are off sciving avoiding serving customers, getting paid more than me for doing it and pretending to make themselves useful when clearly they are not.
I decided that my health and well-being was worth MORE than those stupid people - now I live with what repurcussions there could be tommorrow.
What started out as a simple task turned out to be a major feat. Do I go off and have my medication upsetting my supervisor who would in turn make my life more hell than she does already or do I suffer and hope for the best. Should I strugglem while other totally fit people are off sciving avoiding serving customers, getting paid more than me for doing it and pretending to make themselves useful when clearly they are not.
I decided that my health and well-being was worth MORE than those stupid people - now I live with what repurcussions there could be tommorrow.
Wednesday 19 September 2007
The fastest 10 ways to get promoted at work
If supervisors would only let you do your job working at a checkout would be so much easier! Unfortunately, they are usually power hungry put-downers who contribute little other than making your life as difficult as possible, simply because they are small minded and narrow thinking people who have nothing better to do.
Below are the qualities you need to be a checkout supervisor in a supermarked:
1. Brown nose managers, especially store managers
2. crack the whip
3. Make certain staff know who you are - those who shout the loudest get noticed and promoted.
4. Zap up your CV - make sure people believe you
5. Upset the workers on a regular basis
6. Make sure you keep on the right side of management and the wrong side of those who don't matter
7. Be two-faced
8. You don't have to know what you are doing as long as people believe you know what you are doing
9. Talk a lot of jibberish
10. Be more than assertive
There you go now you are a supervisor. Carry on for a bit longer and you will soon be manager. This is no place for nice people
Below are the qualities you need to be a checkout supervisor in a supermarked:
1. Brown nose managers, especially store managers
2. crack the whip
3. Make certain staff know who you are - those who shout the loudest get noticed and promoted.
4. Zap up your CV - make sure people believe you
5. Upset the workers on a regular basis
6. Make sure you keep on the right side of management and the wrong side of those who don't matter
7. Be two-faced
8. You don't have to know what you are doing as long as people believe you know what you are doing
9. Talk a lot of jibberish
10. Be more than assertive
There you go now you are a supervisor. Carry on for a bit longer and you will soon be manager. This is no place for nice people
Monday 17 September 2007
Enterprising customers
A customer came to my checkout this morning. She was mid-twenties with a few dreadnots. She looked like a new ager complete with multiple piercings - there must have been at least forty. They were up and down her ears, through and around her nose; at various places around her lips; a few in and around her eyebrows. In fact there were so many, I had difficulty in looking at her as I was serving her. Her clothes looked shabby as though she had changed in a couple of weeks. Don't get me wrong, my job is not to judge but to process people through my till. And I wasn't judging - honest!
I scanned her items and told her that would be £41.23. She then produced a cellofane bag with lots of coins and proceeded to count. She counted and counted - Forty pounds worth of counting.
"Did you do a car boot sale yesterday?" I asked her.
"No" she said "I sold shots at the Isle of Wight festival."
Being not completely with it, I asked what shots were.
"Tequilla. I sold shots of tequilla for a pound. I got all dressed up and went around asking people if they wanted to buy a shot for a pound,"
My opinion of her immediately changed to one of an enterprising person. How clever was that? I thought it was genius. Making money with little outlay. A pound a shot is not alot, something most people can afford.
It just goes to show you can sometimes misjudge people just by what they are wearing and what they look like.
I scanned her items and told her that would be £41.23. She then produced a cellofane bag with lots of coins and proceeded to count. She counted and counted - Forty pounds worth of counting.
"Did you do a car boot sale yesterday?" I asked her.
"No" she said "I sold shots at the Isle of Wight festival."
Being not completely with it, I asked what shots were.
"Tequilla. I sold shots of tequilla for a pound. I got all dressed up and went around asking people if they wanted to buy a shot for a pound,"
My opinion of her immediately changed to one of an enterprising person. How clever was that? I thought it was genius. Making money with little outlay. A pound a shot is not alot, something most people can afford.
It just goes to show you can sometimes misjudge people just by what they are wearing and what they look like.
Monday 10 September 2007
The secret life of a supermarket checkout operator
"Good morning" the checkout operator says with a pasted smile across her face. She has been told by her supervisors that if she doesn't smile, say good morning, ask if the customer would like to buy: a lottery ticket, car insurance, house insurance, pet insurance, contents insurance, stamps or have cash back she will not get her bonus???
Most customers I have spoken too just want to get out of the supermarket as quickly as possible. They are not interested in the operators trying to sell them whatever, they want to pay for their goods and get out.
Some assistants take this personally because they can't process 19 items a minute, ask all these questions, pack, smile and pass the time of day with their customers because:
1. customers are not interested
2. they (the assistants have enough on their plate already - so why should they have to put themselves into the firing line even more than before while their supervisors and managers just putter around making themselves look important. Where are they when you need them?)
3. they are unable to multi-task.
4. they are on a minimum wage - who gets the commission from all these sales anyway?
5. rather than look at the positives management always picks up negatives and doesn't seem to appreciate, know or care what goes on behind the tills unless it is something un-to-ward.
6. it is not in their job description to do these extra jobs - where are the unions?
Support your local checkout operators by writing to Supermarket Store Managers telling them what a good job the assistants are doing and how they should be financially recognised for their significant contributions.
Most customers I have spoken too just want to get out of the supermarket as quickly as possible. They are not interested in the operators trying to sell them whatever, they want to pay for their goods and get out.
Some assistants take this personally because they can't process 19 items a minute, ask all these questions, pack, smile and pass the time of day with their customers because:
1. customers are not interested
2. they (the assistants have enough on their plate already - so why should they have to put themselves into the firing line even more than before while their supervisors and managers just putter around making themselves look important. Where are they when you need them?)
3. they are unable to multi-task.
4. they are on a minimum wage - who gets the commission from all these sales anyway?
5. rather than look at the positives management always picks up negatives and doesn't seem to appreciate, know or care what goes on behind the tills unless it is something un-to-ward.
6. it is not in their job description to do these extra jobs - where are the unions?
Support your local checkout operators by writing to Supermarket Store Managers telling them what a good job the assistants are doing and how they should be financially recognised for their significant contributions.
Saturday 8 September 2007
10 ways to speed up your trip through the supermaket checkout
Have you ever wondered how to speed up your trips through the supermarket checkouts? Simply follow the following rules:
1. Smile at the checkout assistant
2, Remember the checkout assistant is always right.
3. Don't rush her/him - they have plenty of time - let them process your order at their own speed.
4. If something is unknown, doesn't have a bar code, is or gets damaged don't lose your rag with them - just accept it and say "never mind, I'll leave it."
5. When you forget to hand over your coupons or vouchers, take them to the Customer Services Desk to refund your money. Don't argue!
6. Pack yourself - if help is offered ask the help to put your shopping from the trolley onto the belt - they can't get that wrong.
7. Don't distract the checkout operator they will probably have more important things to think about than processing your order.
8. Ask to see a manager and suggest they spend a week on the checkout.
9. Lose your temper with a manager - you will probably get a voucher!
10. Take an interest in the life of your checkout assistant - it will probably be the first time someone has.
Good shopping!
1. Smile at the checkout assistant
2, Remember the checkout assistant is always right.
3. Don't rush her/him - they have plenty of time - let them process your order at their own speed.
4. If something is unknown, doesn't have a bar code, is or gets damaged don't lose your rag with them - just accept it and say "never mind, I'll leave it."
5. When you forget to hand over your coupons or vouchers, take them to the Customer Services Desk to refund your money. Don't argue!
6. Pack yourself - if help is offered ask the help to put your shopping from the trolley onto the belt - they can't get that wrong.
7. Don't distract the checkout operator they will probably have more important things to think about than processing your order.
8. Ask to see a manager and suggest they spend a week on the checkout.
9. Lose your temper with a manager - you will probably get a voucher!
10. Take an interest in the life of your checkout assistant - it will probably be the first time someone has.
Good shopping!
Wednesday 5 September 2007
Mega Mouth is Back
These past three weeks have been bliss - no Mega Mouth (outwise known as my supervisor). It has been so quiet. None of this, I can't talk to you because she doesn't like you and will not like me if I talk to you. I know what you are thinking how childish. It is! She is chronically an adult but mentally a 10 year old and she is our supervisor who we have to take orders from. It's not fair but life is not fair, is it?
However, it does make you wonder what hold she has over the company because anyone else who upset customers with her very loud foul mouth, she gets away with it. She also gets away with being off sick at the drop of a hat. Passing germs are attracted to her like a magnet.
Having said that she does have her good points - the only trouble is that I don't know what it is? But it takes all kinds of people to make up a world. It is just ashame she is in my world.
Who said being a shop assistant is easy? I think it takes a lot more than just going to work to survive. You have got to be polical otherwise you get eaten alive. And it seems that unless you milk the system, no one wants to know.
However, it does make you wonder what hold she has over the company because anyone else who upset customers with her very loud foul mouth, she gets away with it. She also gets away with being off sick at the drop of a hat. Passing germs are attracted to her like a magnet.
Having said that she does have her good points - the only trouble is that I don't know what it is? But it takes all kinds of people to make up a world. It is just ashame she is in my world.
Who said being a shop assistant is easy? I think it takes a lot more than just going to work to survive. You have got to be polical otherwise you get eaten alive. And it seems that unless you milk the system, no one wants to know.
Tuesday 4 September 2007
Different Sock Society Day - 24th October 2007
The Different Society Society (DSS) encourages the use of different socks.: wearing them, making things from them; giving them a better quality of life by adopting them.
Wearing them:
Be proud, be bold, make a statement - wear different socks - one plain - one coloour. Don't hide them wear them with pride.
Make things:
Odd socks make all kinds of useful things. There are the obvious like dusters, mittens but have you thought about car seat covers or dog jackets?
Adopt a sock
Socks that have become single through no fault of their own feel left out, unwanted and useless. Be kind to your sock. Adopt one, Give your sock a name. Provide it with a place to live. Don't forget to ensure they get out in the fresh air. Remember Christmas.
Wearing them:
Be proud, be bold, make a statement - wear different socks - one plain - one coloour. Don't hide them wear them with pride.
Make things:
Odd socks make all kinds of useful things. There are the obvious like dusters, mittens but have you thought about car seat covers or dog jackets?
Adopt a sock
Socks that have become single through no fault of their own feel left out, unwanted and useless. Be kind to your sock. Adopt one, Give your sock a name. Provide it with a place to live. Don't forget to ensure they get out in the fresh air. Remember Christmas.
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