bad behavior

My favorite time of year is now.

I love everything about fall: the weather, the clothes, the new TV shows, new plays, screening season, my son's birthday and Thanksgiving.

I am busiest this time of year, basically doing two things: seeing movies and working.

During screening season, and I go to about two or three films a week. Most are pre-release. And many include Q&A's with top talent. But since I don't want this blog to be a movie review site (there are far more qualified people to do that), there's not much for me to say about what I'm doing most nights.

Work fluctuates between incredibly busy and why-are-there-so few-people here except for so many of us associates?  I've had some great customers, and that's what I love most about my job.  But there are some bad ones.

They're the ones who talk to me like I'm an idiot. Or are rude and dismissive. Or who waste my time having me run around and pick sizes and styles they have no intention of buying. But the ones that make me angriest are the ones who should know better.

In October of last year, we get an email. Now instead of getting 6 or 7% commission on employees who shop our store, we will get 1%. And, as always, we only get paid commission.

So if, for example, an item costs $1,000, I could be paid $70 in commission if bought by a regular customer. But if that same item is sold to an employee, I would get paid $6 in commission (accounting for the generous employee discount we all get). 

Said differently, I basically get paid nothing for helping employees.

When I shop, I always announce right away that I am an employee. I did this even before the change in commission. But many employees don't. 

My effort in working with non-employees and employees is exactly the same running around for sizes, same looking up items we don't have but other stores might; same re-stocking; same everything. And while I am helping either, I am not helping someone else.

Last week two young women come in. They take up a lot of my time. Ask me to get something off a mannequin, which requires calling another department and getting them to come and help. Then the two women, while both very nice, buy nothing. They ask me to put the items they want on-hold (which requires a whole other process, and is something we are not even supposed to do for employees) and promise to come back the next day. They don't. Then, the next day after they are supposed to come in,  I get an email from one of the them telling me she's an employee and apologizing for not coming back.

A few days later two women come in and begin shopping around 7pm.  I leave at 7:15, but they look promising so I stay. At 7:45 they check out. And that's when I realize they are employees. Not because they ever tell me, but because their credit cards identify them as employees. They buy little. Leave their rooms a mess. And even ask me to hold some stuff for them. I leave an hour after I'm supposed to and gross  $7 for my effort.

Where is common courtesy? 

How is it that some people can be so clueless? Or uncaring?

Fortunately, most people are respectful and kind. If only their good manners could rub off on the others...