The Wal-Mart Power Ranger
December 11, 2003, 10:59 AM
I can come up with the strangest ways of describing things sometimes. Here’s the latest gem that I’ve come up with…
When I went to clock in after lunch on Wednesday, I casually made the comment “It’s morphin time” just before I swiped my badge. I described it to say that clocking in is like putting on the Power Ranger suit (though note that the Waynesboro associates don’t have vests yet). And with the mighty register zord, my arsenal is complete to take on the customers.
My only disclaimer: I don’t look good in tights.
Still, there you go. Wal-Mart Power Ranger. What will I think of next?
Categories: Walmart
Today I was Mr. People Greeter…
December 7, 2003, 10:17 PM
That’s right, today I was the People Greeter on the General Merchandise side of the store. My job today was to pass out carts, say hello to people, and various other tasks as needed.
In a word, doing the People Greeter’s job this time of year is COLD. I started out without a jacket, and boy, did I regret it. See, you have the big automatic doors that open and let drafts in from outside, plus the door for the carts (Staunton is an older Supercenter), despite all the blowers, still lets a good amount of cold air in.
I took my winter coat with me to work and left my lighter coat in the car. Realizing that my winter coat would first of all be too heavy of a coat, and also be too bulky, I asked and was allowed to go out to the car after my first break to get my other coat. The lighter coat worked out just fine.
So all in all, being a people greeter was interesting. It was a nice change of pace from the registers, and an interesting job nonetheless.
Heartwarming moment: After I said “Good evening” to one customer, he commented to me that I was the first one to greet him like that. That made me feel good. Lets me know that I’m making the customers happy.
Categories: Walmart
As if it being a large, heavy box wasn’t enough…
December 6, 2003, 12:19 AM
Well, I bought that new office chair that I had my eye on after work today. So I came home, carried this big, bulky box from the car upstairs to my room, unwrapped it all, started putting it together, and found…
A rip in the side of the cushion. I’m thinking, “Ah, CRAP!” Because now this means that I have to return this chair and get another one, one that HOPEFULLY won’t have a rip in it. Thankfully, though, I work at the place where I got it, and I kept the receipt, and so it’s not like I’m making a special trip or anything.
Still, this means I have to tape it all up, take it back down the stairs, load it up in the car again, and load it up into a cart again, take it to the service desk, and return it. Not what I want to have to do tomorrow.
But at least I work at the place where I bought it. I figure I’ll probably return it before work, and then get another one after work.
Still, it feels so weird being a customer at Wal-Mart and being waited on right after eight hours being on the other side of the counter, waiting on paying customers. Oh, and at the register I had just vacated like 20 minutes earlier. It’s slightly amusing.
Yay for late night at Wal-Mart…
December 1, 2003, 2:52 AM
I really don’t mind the 4:30-1:30 shift at Wal-Mart… until about 11 PM. Then it starts to suck. And it’s not the employees or the working conditions or anything. It’s the customers. Or more like lack thereof.
See, working cashier at Wal-Mart is an enjoyable job. I get to interact with people, smile a lot, and it keeps me busy to the point where I lose track of time and I’m thinking, already? when the CSMs close my line to go on breaks. But around 11 PM and thereafter until I get off, the customers drop off, and it gets kind of SLOW. I’ll get maybe one customer every ten minutes or so. Maybe I’ll get two in a row if I’m lucky. But it’s slow. Thus I like days because I can stay busy and it makes the day go by quickly.
But then it’s interesting, though, what people call this little number:
Continue reading…Categories: Walmart
No turkeys!
November 29, 2003, 12:45 AM
Today marks the first day in my career with Wal-Mart that I did not ring up any turkeys. My goodness, I really did ring up a lot of turkeys in my first week, and you really get some exercise pumping turkey, since those birds are heavy, and even heavier when they’re frozen. They make a considerable “thud” sound when they touch the bottom of the bag, safely resting on that little bag carousel that we have in Staunton.
Also, something amusing: In honor of it being Black Friday, I wore all black to work today. It was a real hit with the other associates, as they agreed I dressed appropriately.
Categories: Walmart
Thank goodness for calculators…
November 28, 2003, 2:09 AM
Many of you know that math is one of my weak points (and if you didn’t know that, you do now). So I always enjoy having a calculator along when I need to do a calculation. At Wal-Mart, it calculates change, and then I give it to the customer in the largest denominations that I can, if available. Makes life easier for them, plus it makes the smaller denominations in my till last longer.
My sister told me about what the screen said when she went to the FCUK (that’s “French Connection UK”) store at Pentagon City Mall near DC. Not only did these machines tell you how much change to give, but it also said how to give the change to the customer, stating like for $5.72 in change, to give one $5 bill, two quarters, two dimes, and two pennies. I found learning about this quite amusing, since I pride myself in giving out sensible, accurate change.
One random retail tip, though. Don’t put your fingers under the drawer just as it’s about to come out. I learned through personal experience that it hurts when that drawer pops open and your fingers are under it.
So sad! I think I’m going to have to retire “the chair”!
November 25, 2003, 1:10 AM
Remember my chair from Potomac pictures and from the Web Cam archives? It’s going to go live with God soon, as it’s going to be retired sooner rather than later.
Here’s why. First of all, the chair’s been getting wobbly lately to begin with, requiring the chair to be lowered then raised again to keep it from getting too wobbly. Plus the fake-leather is starting to give out in places, and the wood on the base is starting to come off.
The thing that is making this ready for retirement, though, is that it’s really wobbly now, like noticeable tilting, at 45 degrees and instablility when you’re sitting on it. Plus the pneumatics officially gave out, as this chair will go up all of an inch before getting stuck. Fan-bloody-tastic. An inch. A whole inch.
And so, on my day off from working at Wal-Mart, I’m going to go to Wal-Mart (albeit the Harrisonburg store, not Staunton where I currently am working), and price office chairs. Considering that Wal-Mart has a pretty good selection of chairs at their “Every Day Low Prices”, coupled with my employee discount of 10%, I think I’m going to get away with a good chair for a nice little price.
Well, wish me luck. I hope I find a good chair for my money after I get paid.
It’s like a casino in there…
November 22, 2003, 10:13 PM
Day two on the registers: I kicked butt. I am definitely getting proficient at Wal-Mart’s registers.
I also can say that Wal-Mart is kind of like a casino when you get inside to work. There are no windows (and you can’t see out the doors from my vantage point), and you can’t really see out the skylights, either. Plus there are no clocks. And besides, doing checkout, it’s easy to get so absorbed in your work that you lose track of time. Makes the day go really quickly, though. Every time they close my register for breaks, I’m like, it’s time for a break already?
Needless to say, I’m adjusting to this job quite well.
Categories: Walmart
I can do this job!
November 21, 2003, 5:54 PM
Today was my first day behind the Wal-Mart register! And you know what? This is a job that I can do! (I caught on pretty quickly.) And the customers even commented about what a sunny disposition I had.
So I feel good. I’m still not used to standing up all day, but at least I know that I can do Wal-Mart cashiering. I know how to use all my zappers, make the register sing, and can organize the customers’ bags in a way that makes sense.
So there you go. I’m quite pleased with myself.
Categories: Walmart
You are looking at an EMPLOYED person!
November 8, 2003, 12:10 AM
Finally! I have a job!
So you may ask: What, pray tell, will I be doing? I will be working “front end” at Wal-Mart. Front end is things like people greeter, cashier, service desk, etc. Now, I will have a job while I’m finishing up at JMU and deciding what to do with my life, plus I can finally replace the Previa.
Which Wal-Mart? The new one in Waynesboro that’s currently going up on Lucy Lane, off of Lew Dewitt and US 340. It’s going to be GREEN! However, until the Waynesboro store opens in January, I will be working in another area Wal-Mart. Where, I don’t know. All I know is, I’m excited! I have a full-time job again!
And before you ask, no, those Schumin thongs do not make me enough money to get a car.
Categories: Walmart