Running late?

I just don't get some people.  Actually, I don't get a lot of people.  But I especially don't get the people who think that just because THEY'RE running late it means that they get to cut in front of other people.  Just the other night, I had a line.  There were only two registers open because there were only two employees working.  There was a woman towards the back who yelled up to me and asked me if I she could go ahead and get checked out because she was running late.

Well, not wanting to upset the customers in front of her, I told her that it was up to the other customers as to whether or not she could skip them.  The women then asked the women running the other register (aka the manager) and the manager simply restated what I had already said.  

So the customer started asking.  The first few people in front of her let her go, but at some point someone said no.  Fine with me, not my problem.  She fumed and swore every few seconds, but she wasn't being that disruptive and no one was complaining so I just ignored her.   

She gets up to my register, starts swearing a little louder, complains about how we have horrible customer service.  I'm inclined to agree with that sentiment--we should have served our customers by kicking her out.  

It's been a while...

Man, it's been a while since my last post.  And things are just as crazy as ever.  An update on Bob: He is on the verge of being fired.  I just hope he doesn't realize it.

You know, if I could have one wish, it would be that we cashiers would be allowed to tell people how idiotic they seem when they ask a stupid question, or how annoyed we are when they pay a two dollar and fourteen cent total with a twenty.  Hell, just yesterday someone called in and asked if we had kiddie pools!  Seriously lady?!  Below are some responses I wish I could give to common idiotic questions/situations:

Customer walks in and immediately asks where the batteries are:
Me: Look around you lazy bum, they're right behind you.

Customer: Walks into the store, comes up to me, and simply says (Insert product here).  No "Do you have" or anything, just  (insert product here)
Me: F you.

Customer: Pays with a twenty for their two-dollar total.
Me: I'm sorry, you must have us confused with a bank.  The bank is right across the street.  We're a freaking dollar store.

Customer: Runs to the front of the line, skipping everyone else, waves a product in my face, throws money at me, then runs out.
Me: Umm, no, lady.  You have to wait in line like everyone else.  I don't give half a damn if you're in a rush, you should have planned better.

Customer: Puts soap/other product in candy by registers.
Me: Ma'am/sir, I realize you probably didn't pass first grade, so I'm gonna help you out: That product is actually over there, what you were about to put it with was the candy.

Customer's kids are making a ruckus and customer is doing nothing to stop them.
Me: GTFO my store.

Me: Obviously helping a customer.
Another customer: Waves hands, whistles for me to come.
Me: Gives the birdie.

The other day, Bob, whom I introduced in my previous post, was scheduled to come in about an hour after I was scheduled to come in.  Bob walks up to the assistant manager on duty and asks if he is really needed that day, and if it would be alright if he didn't come to his shift (why he didn't just call is beyond us) because he had a physics project to work on.  The assistant manager said it was okay for him to miss his shift.

I was relieved that I wasn't going to have to put up with him, but I was still aggravated.  It's the principle of the matter.  The guy went home early a couple weeks ago because his back hurt.  What he doesn't seem to get is all our backs hurt sometimes while on the job, but we don't wimp out.  Secondly, he's called out sick about three times since then (keep in mind that this was just a couple of weeks ago) so he has the NERVE to ask off to finish his physics project?!

It's early Sunday evening!  What the hell was he doing all weekend?  I'm a college student, I had four exams coming up that week to study for, plus a Powerpoint presentation that I was going to have to give the next day, yet I came, didn't even think about asking off, and did my shift.  God I hope Bob gets fired.  Soon.

Breaks and new hires

Okay, so our company is very strict with breaks.  And not in the way you'd think.  We can get in a lot of trouble if we miss a break, or if our break is even a minute too short.  This is company policy.  And I wish people would realize that, no, no matter how long the line is, an associate cannot open up their register if said associate is on break.  Get over it.

On another note, we already have more employees than we really need.  My boss kept all but two of the holiday employees, so our hours now average around nine to fifteen a week.  Why he didn't let more of the holiday employees go after the holidays is beyond me.  One of them, we'll call him Bob, has the worst work ethic.  He's very slow at the register, horrible at recovery.  He's also downright annoying.  Customers routinely complain about him.  And yet my boss keeps him.

My boss is the greatest, but I don't think he makes the best choices as far as hiring is concerned.  I feel like, and I know that this sentiment is shared by at least one of the assistant managers, he hires/keeps people out of pity.  For example, you know how I just mentioned in the previous paragraph that we already have too many employees?  Well just the other day he hired ANOTHER employee.  What makes it worse is that this lady BARELY speaks English.  Ugh.