and then... depression set in

First off, I'm a big movie fan. So, when I say things like that title, I expect most of you who were born in the 1970's to know half of what I'm talking about.

Clip is NSFW.



It's been 4 hours, I'm at the half way point, for god sake, and I've had one customer. I've had two people walk in the shop.

What I was really trying to find was a clip of True Lies. Let me set the scene for you.

The nuclear bomb went off. Arnold and Jamie Lee Curtis are kissing, after making up. Harrier jets have landed, just in case of the EMP.

Tom Arnold is looking for Arnold. Jamie Lee knows her husband has work to do, so says "Go."

Arnold, just like a school kid goes "Ok, BYE!" and runs to the jets.

Well, my mom dropped me off at the shop this morning, helped me set up and then said "BYE!" just the same.

It's like the store is a leper colony.

Two women are in the store right now, going through the bargain sliced soaps. And they're complaining that they can't smell the soaps, because they are packaged in shrink-wrap.

Why isn't it possible to please everyone in retail?

You treat customers with respect. You say hello when they come into the store. When they leave, you say "Have a good day." And there are people who still think you're not only there to serve them, but do them favors (and not in the vein of customer service. It's like people have taken the idea of 'the customer is always right' and substituted that for manners, where their actions and speech count are unaccountable.)

note - this is not the first or last time I will discuss the manners of customers

It was one of my biggest problems walking into stores in NYC. It seems that the attitudes of the young people in the city have permeated the workforce. Where you once had semi-lazy people who were just tired or bored and didn't really want to be working at a grocery store or a music store, or any kind of retail store... now you get these kids who are either too busy texting someone (or calling them) to help, or they treat you with such disdain that if they help you, you feel like THEY'RE doing a favor for you.

It's such a joke, and I cannot even begin to tell you the difference in customer service outside of NYC. The people here in Florida (specifically Tampa) are friendly and helpful. They're also clean.

Anyway. More Buffy, more writing, more waiting for customers. Gonna turn the AC on, cause it's getting warm.

I'll also write later and let you know how my trip to the bathroom was. With details.

John Painz