Clusterf**k

Ok… Have been up since 5/6 AM and have accomplished little. It often seems like the earlier I wake (and thus the less sleep I have) the less I do with those ‘extra’ hours of the day.

Anyway I want to talk about the clusterfuck that’s about to happen at work. I think I’ve covered most of it but just to cross the t’s and dot the I’s.

I currently have at the gift store 1 Manager, 1 Manager in Training( henceforth called MiT), 2 Ass’t managers- Kenny and Lm, 1 Receiver who is apparently = in status to an Assistant Manager and two part time Sales Supervisors. I also have a ‘Cash Lead’ who has the management codes to do returns n’ stuff but I don’t think really is management.

When my Manager went for two week vaca recently- the only thing keeping the store together was MiT. When the Manager came back- the Receiver dropped a dime on Kenny and let the Manager know what was what… Which lead to the Manager talking to me, and me getting mad at the Manager because I felt he didn’t really listen.

Ok- that’s what I’ve mentioned BEFORE what now needs to be said is neither Kenny nor Lm can count. This is BAD for the store and for me… I say bad because these two count the registers. So if they count wrong- they end up saying that the cashier (like me) did a bad job and gave the customer the incorrect amount of change. I know that the assistant managers are doing it wrong because a) They USED to have me occasionally count in the register and the register was OFF. The register should NOT be off at the beginning of the day. You see what they do to close the register is count to $250. They put THAT money aside for the drawer for the next day- so it should have $250 exactly… No more, no less. They then count the deposit, and IF the register is wrong- either the deposit is over/under… but the drawer should be $250. So if I open and it’s not 250 either THEY counted it wrong the night before OR I’m counting in the wrong register (know that’s happened once or twice with a manager). And b)MiT and one of the sales supervisors confirm this.
The above was brought home to me yesterday during a really crappy day for me/ great day for the store. To give you an example of what things was like- in ONE HOUR- 190 transactions were rung up by I think 2 to 3 people. I say 2 to 3 as I think one of the ringers were Kenny and thus doesn’t count as much. Or another example there was about 47 fives in my co-worker’s register when it was counted out. So with all these facts- I told the MiT at about 3 that I was NOT taking responsibility for “my” register. I told him this because- as above I don’t think Kenny can count; Kenny told me while I was at break he ‘didn’t touch my register BUT he faced all my bills’- to me that means he OPENED my register and bears some responsibility for it…and when I put some singles under my register (because I’d say about ½ my transactions were for 99 cents sugar pops) I found there were singles ALREADY under my register. The MiT fully understood that Kenny can’t count and remained on top of things. The MiT later told me, because I followed things up that Kenny had thought the safe was over a bit, so the money was given to my register… It was later found out that the safe was NOT off so the MiT gave the money under my drawer back to the safe… However I can picture Kenny not doing his ‘due diligence’ and simply saying I was off the 4 bucks.
I also should note that the MiT told me that both of the registers Kenny was on (mine and the one he was suppose to ring on)… was over about a dollar or so. Right now I’m debating writing a note for the manager to put in my file/ fax to the home office stating that I don’t assume responsibility for my drawer while he’s away.

And that leads to part two of the clusterfuck… On about Friday the Manager and MiT are going on a management retreat to San Diego (corporate HQ)… leaving Kenny, Lm and the Receiver in charge. Last time the Manager left on vaca- things were ok because the MiT made sure things got done… now HE’LL be gone as well.

But wait- there’s more. I haven’t told you how Kenny has been ‘punished’ for being a jackass. The manager decided to take action by… banishing Kenny to downstairs receiving. This pissed off the Receiver because HE now has work upstairs with the brats, while Kenny fucks up at receiving. I personally think that Kenny being receiver is like a promotion for him- I mean he doesn’t have to deal with the yelling kids, he doesn’t have to tidy up the store, he can listen to whatever music he wants… oh and Kenny has access to a computer AND NO ONE can look to see if he’s using it for non work stuff. So the Receiver is acting like a spoiled child and is at Kenny’s throat. Yesterday they both told the Sales Supervisor (whom was made to do the daily schedule as to who was doing what that day) so that they both could get the cushiest job. Again the MiT was there to get things on track- and again he’ll be gone next week… Heck to the best of my knowledge, he’s not coming back… As we’ve heard he’ll go to HIS store after the management retreat.

Oh and to add to the clusterfuck that is work- Kenny vastly understaffed us yesterday. We had gobs and gobs of kids (again 190 transactions in 1 HOUR) and only SIX people… Now 1 of those people was only there for 4 hours, we had to have ONE person up by an exhibit- so that doesn’t count for the store… Likewise we also lost hours due to Kenny being needed downstairs for receiving… and fortunately, due to the law, the 5 people who worked a full day got an hour lunch- and during those lunches, we therefore had LESS the 4 people on the floor.
So the exhibit store never got restocked. The only restocking I did after hours was of the candy- as that was the bulk of what we sold… and if the place was less then a warzone when I left- it was only because I felt locked in and left about a ½ hour late…
I say ‘locked in’ because the MiT and Receiver (Ass’t Manager J?) went into the money room at about 10 minutes to 6 and didn’t come out until 6:20. I was due out at 6 and COULD have left at 6… but my sense of duty compelled me to wait until they opened a door for me- in case they wanted to check my bag or something… besides as said the place was a combat zone.

So today besides my usual complaint of being tired and having far too little sleep… I have too little voice. My throat feels like sandpaper because for at least an hour( prolly more- I’m just focused on that 190 transactions per hour) I rang up more then 1 person a minute- saying hello, that’ll be [insert dollar amount here], here’s your change. Thank you. Next person in line please…” Yes I’d often have to remind people to give me stuff and get their attention. It sux to constantly yell NEXT.
I’m not sure how loud I got at Evan’s, I know he never complained about my volume but I also know I can be loud WITHOUT yelling- but at work I have to yell because there’s SOO MUCH background noise that if I want to get a brat’s attention- I have to raise my voice on purpose (as oppose to losing control of my volume which I do with my mom).