Urm I apologize for my blog getting all retail preachy, it’s just that time of year and I have 6 years of GameStop memories during the holiday season and I can only imagine what it’s going to be like this year with PS4 and XBOX ONE and opening on Thursday and just… sigh, wow.

shinitama:

ophelia5wims:

This will be my first holiday season working in retail.  I have worked in food service or as a teacher every other year, but now that I’m at Best Buy, I get to experience the hell of the holiday season in its fullest.  Long story short, I’m still a relatively new employee, but I’m apparently the most competent cashier the store has, because I am scheduled from 5:30pm on Thanksgiving afternoon until 5am Friday morning, then again from 2pm Friday until 11 that night.  I am incredibly lucky that my family lives in the same town as me, so I will be able to spend most of the day with them, but I’m still dreading it, far more than I was dreading working on Black Friday only.

The only thing that I absolutely hope does not happen - I am praying that this does not happen - is if a single person says to me, “I’m so sorry you have to work today.”  I will absolutely lose my mind if I hear that.  If someone feels like they can empathize with me while they are part of the reason why my store decided to open at 6pm on Thanksgiving day, I will not know what to say.  I really hope that no one sees the irony in coming into my store with their family and pretending to empathize that I cannot be with my family.  They will get to eat their Thanksgiving meal whenever they feel like it, to go buy their Christmas trees, to go shopping at their leisure, and to go home at a sane hour of the night and get some sleep.  I get time and a half pay, and only for Thanksgiving day itself.

Even before I ever worked retail, I sympathized with people who had to work on retail holidays.  Last year was the first year I ever shopped ON Black Friday, and I went to the mall at 3pm.  I will never understand how people can care so little about each other and so much more about themselves.

That is my feeling exactly. I’m not sure when I’ll be working on Black Friday, but it just kills me that people will run over each other to get things they don’t need the day after they’re supposed to be grateful for what they have. 

I feel like we should be given time and a half for Black Friday, we have to put up with so much shit and barely get to see our families the day before (if at all - I won’t see my family at all this holiday season.) If someone tells me “I’m sorry you have to work today” I’ll probably say “Yeah, me too” (to keep from saying “If you’re really sorry, GET OUT.”)

I had to work Black Friday last year and it was nuts. Everywhere I went I got stopped for questions that I couldn’t answer. The store was a giant mess because people would pick through the bins we were trying to organize. It was like, why bother putting it back on the shelf? Nosy little fuckers can’t even wait that long. Ugh. @_@ I find the whole concept of Black Friday really sickening.

I hope people are civilized for your shift. You’ll have my thoughts. <3

The other thing that killed me the time I worked (when this whole Thursday thing started) was when the higher ups would try and sympathize.  We got an email that was like, “We appreciate your hard work blah blah blah,” and it was like, “Wow it must be nice that you get to sit at home right now and relax after the holiday while I stand here and deal with people who are going to bite my head off when I sell out of that PS3 or XBOX or whatever.”  And not only would we get the, “Man it sucks that you have to work today,” customers, but we’d get the, “I don’t even want to be here,” customers.  The ones who thought video games were a waste of time but they just haaaaaaaaaaaaaaad to get the new Call of Duty for their kid no matter what and they just think it’s so dumb to even be there so early and I want to say THEN DON’T COME HERE ON THURSDAY GO HOME FUCK! 

And depending on where you work, there’s no time and a half, it’s just a normal shift.  There’s no overtime, either.  And no option on what time you work (corporate sent an email on what time key holders had to work, absolutely had to).  

NOT ONLY THAT, but since we opened so early, after the mad rush it was dead for hours until the normal shoppers woke up, you know, the ones who will enjoy Thanksgiving, sleep in, wake up, take their time, maybe grab breakfast or something, and then leisurely come into your store?  So from the midnight madness until about ten a.m. it was dead.  I think the rush was done around 2 or 3 a.m. and then we literally stood there, because who cares about your B2G1 free sale at 4 in the morning if they didn’t run out to sit outside on Thursday night?  

Oh, and as for that corporate email of “you’re awesome” that we got?  Our district manager actually did go to his stores to check in… at 10 in the morning.  So you know, he slept, and relaxed, and then woke up.  I had already worked 12 hours by then.

But as a general PSA, since I’m sure some people do shop on Black Friday, please please PLEASE be nice to the employees for the love of god.  Chances are they’ve been on their feet since Thursday night, with few breaks (or if they even had any) and it’s not their fault that such and such sold out because the back room does not have an endless supply.  No they can’t call another store for you there’s no time, and no they can’t put one on hold.  And please please PLEASE make sure you have enough money in your bank account so your card isn’t declined and then you feel the need to yell at said employee about it like it’s their fault and no they can’t hold it for you while you go to the atm.  Please don’t complain about the line, don’t be all “I’m sorry you’re here” because they’re there because you’re there, and just… please don’t.  What the employee would appreciate most is just… being nice to them, o.k.?  Thank them for their help, tell them to have a good day, fuck bring them some Starbucks or something (actually had a regular customer do that for me once) I dunno, just… please?

dredsina:

YOU THINK I’M JOKING BUT I’M DEAD SERIOUS

No joke this was me when the PS3 came out.  Like, the first model.  The boxes actually had handles on them but people wanted bags, so I would awkwardly try and get the GameStop bag to fit over it.  Such a large box, that thing was  -_-  

Fun fact: you can get it to work but was much easier with a coworker’s assistance.  

magnezone:

do not antagonize people in retail or food service. if they got your order wrong or were not moving at mach 5 it was not intentional. it was not malicious. take a chill pill and be considerate. 

For the love of god, yes, please, this.  I’ve said it a thousand times before but I’ll say it again, the amount of stress in retail and food service and jobs like that is incredible for the shitty pay you get.  And no, it’s not just from customers, its from the corporate offices.  In fact I’d say this was the most stressful part of retail for me, and I’ve worked like 5 Black Fridays and holiday seasons.  With new system launches.  And midnight launch lines around the block.  And I’ve been called all sorts of names, be it over the phone or by some angry customer in line who just missed getting their precious Wii.  I’ve had a system stolen out of my hands.  I’ve had a customer get so pissed at me that I went in the back room and cried.  I had an assistant manager belittle me so much that I called someone to come cover my shift and walked out.  I’ve had to be on guard because of a string of robberies by some guy holding stores up at gun point.  I’ve had a guy call people a “faggot,” a guy follow me around the store because I commented on his Cloud Strife earring, had customers who play on the demos all day and not leave, have had kids destroy the store, climb the shelves, have been told I don’t know about video games because I’m a girl, and even after all of this CORPORATE is what made the job unbearable.  

The amount of things I had to do at GameStop was ridiculous. Subscriptions, reserves, trade ins, iphones, web surveys, just… believe me it’s not on purpose that employees get things wrong, that person is probably just tired and stressed out, trying to remember everything they’re supposed to sell to you in fear of their job, or their hours being cut because someone else on the team did a better job or hell, because corporate doesn’t give the store enough hours to begin with because the manager can just work a bunch of days, right, since their salary?  You only need 80 hours a week to split between the assistant manger, the third key, the fourth key, and the part timers, right? 

Retail/food service employees don’t get enough credit for what they do. The last thing they need is you snapping at them, they get enough of that from the higher ups.  And no, there’s no commission for getting you to reserve that game or renew your card.  It might SEEM like there is since they push so hard, but they’re pushing because they don’t want the people above them to show up, lecture them like they’re a child, and lose their job.  My manager flat out walked out because his job was posted as “available” because him and the new district manager didn’t get along.  Our store wasn’t performing so well and bam, just like that, looking for a replacement.  I’ve also seen stores close and instead of sending the employees to another store they actually have to REAPPLY at another store, and start all over again.  

So please, be nice.  Now if someone is a straight up asshole, sure, but just… they aren’t purposely trying to screw you over, believe me.  

detrea:

The premise of minimum wage, when it was introduced, was that a single wage earner should be able to own a home and support a family.  That was what it was based on; a full time job, any job, should be able to accomplish this.

The fact people scoff at this idea if presented nowadays, as though the people that ring up your groceries or hand you your burgers don’t deserve the luxury of a home and a family, is disgusting.

This.  These people work hard, real hard, and really don’t get the pay that they deserve.  Being paid to deal with customers, trying to give them want they want, being yelled at if they mess up (on BOTH sides, customer and corporate) and being worried about losing their job if they make a mistake?  Or getting their hours cut because they might not perform as well as another employee.  I worked retail for six years and it just got worse along the way.  If you walk into a store and wonder why an employee is trying so hard to get you to sign up for something, nine times out of ten it’s because they HAVE to.  Like, literally.  Their job depends on numbers and performance, and surveys, and things like that.  It’s little pay for a lot of work, and they need more love than they actually get.

Since I know that some people are going to go Black Friday shopping (and maybe even “Brown Thursday” which I will never ever like, I don’t care how you try to justify it to me, stores should be closed on the holiday, period, and that includes opening at midnight because that still means the employees have to work on Thanksgiving, they have to come in and get everything set up) 

Here’s some things I’d like you to keep in mind: 

1.  Be kind to the sales people.  A lot of them are sacrificing time with their family to sell you the things you want.  A lot of them don’t get a choice and are told what shifts they have to work, and have to work them for an incredible amount of hours.  At my old store, every single keyholder is working 12 hours, no matter what.  This is a very exhausting day for them, so please know that they are doing their best.  

2.  It’s not the salesperson’s fault.  It’s not their fault that the lines are so long and you have to sometimes wait half an hour, or longer.  It’s not their fault that they can’t get from behind the counter to help you, because there’s a ridiculous line they have to try and take care of.  And most importantly, it’s not their fault if the store is sold out of the thing you want.  Despite what some people may think, stores don’t come stocked with a million pieces of an item.  It would be nice, yes, if they have enough Wii Us and all that for everyone in the city, but they won’t.  And it’s not their fault.  So please don’t take it out on them.  Don’t yell at them, don’t complain about how long you’ve stood in line, don’t bitch about cutting time into your holiday to stand in line especially since these workers have cut time into their holiday to deal with your yelling.  Chances are, they’ll get more of that item, and you can come back.  And before you ask, no they cannot call another store to have them hold it for you, and that goes for any items on sale.  

This is the first time in seven years that I don’t have to work on Black Friday, and I’m going to enjoy it.  For those of you who have to work that day, just know that I feel for you, I’ve done that dance before, and I understand.  

Or why, after thinking about it, Yosuke Hanamura probably should’ve had a more intense shadow.  Not only does he work at a place where everyone hates him, but it’s RETAIL.  

Think about it.

Keep reading

shinitama:

iraffiruse:

frozach submitted

“SOMEONE TOLD ME I NEEDED TO USE THE STORE’S SEAMSTRESS AND I LIVE 40 MILES AWAY AND CAN I PAY BY CREDIT CARD” “Yes, you can pay by credit card over the phone.” “I’M REALLY UPSET ABOUT THE SEAMSTRESS” “I understand, Ma’am… whoever told you that you needed to use our seamstress was mistaken. We do referrals.” “WELL I WAS TOLD” “Yes I know. How about you give me the card number and we take care of this first?” “Okay.” (gives card number.) “And the confirmation code on the back?” “I DON’T KNOW IT IT STARTS WITH A 3, THE REST IS ALL SCRATCHED OFF.”

Ma’am

Ma’am you are as dumb as a box of hair

kindly get out of my life

Sooooooo many stories with THIS, but here’s the most recent:

Customer: I know you guys are probably sold out, so where can I find a Diablo 3 colletor’s edition?  

Customer:  What are the chances of someone cancelling there collector’s edition so I can buy it?

Customer:  Can you check other stores to see if they have a collector’s edition?

Customer:  What do you mean you don’t have any?

Customer:  Are you really sold out?

Customer:  How many did you have?

Customer:  Do you have any extras?

Customer:  It’s been so many years you’d think they’d make enough.

Customer:  Can you call your other locations to see if they have any collector’s editions.

Customer:  What was in the collectors?  Just curious, I know you’re sold out and I don’t want it… oh really, all of that?  That does sound good, can I buy it?

*sighs*

*looks at picture of long-haired Naoto again*

*feels good about things*