Today's Vocabulary Lesson

According to dictionary.com, the following is a definition of rude:

discourteous or impolite, esp. in a deliberate way: a rude reply.

The following are examples of rudeness:

Approaching a customer and asking, "Ma'am, is that one of our display pieces?" (while pointing to the fully-assembled walker, with a tag that says, "Display unit only, not intended for sale" on it)

Checking in the stockroom for the piece the customer wants.

Apologizing to the customer because there are none in stock, and then offering to return the display piece to the shelve from which it was removed.

Responding, "No, we cannot," when asked, "You won't sell me this one?" (referring to the display piece).


The woman I was helping was kind enough to point out how rude the above behavior was to her companions and the complete strangers waiting at the layaway counter, and nearby shopping in menswear and shoes. Oh, I was also within hearing distance, and realized only then how unbearably rude I had been to this woman. She wanted to speak to a manager about how rude I was, but since she didn't ask me directly, and I was afraid of the reprimand I would receive for behaving so abominably to a customer, I did not offer to call one for her. (How rude of me!)

We live in the age of the TMI.

For the most part, I'm a techno-fan. I facebook, I blog, I text, I chat. I think it's amazing how quickly one person can touch so many lives, all through a key stroke. In addition to all of the good it can do, like spreading awareness for causes and keeping people in touch with family and friends, it can also open the door to the worst cases of TMI ever known.

There are things I am happy to see pop up in my facebook newsfeed. Things like:

You have a new boyfriend/girlfriend, you got engaged, or married, etc.
You or your significant other is pregnant or had a baby
You got a new job
You posted photos of your new house, pet, vacation, etc.
You graduated, or moved, or had a birthday party, or some other milestone occassion
Videos of you belting out Whitney Houston or Journey during karaoke

I even like to see some good sports taunting going on, or that quirky song lyric from the 90's that everyone has forgotten about, or an amusing anecdote from when you were grocery shopping. All of these are acceptable things to post on facebook for the purpose of informing or amusing your friends.

There are certain things that should never be shared on social networking sites. Among these are:

Your bowel movements
Details of your vomit (even worse, photos of your vomit)
Knock-down, drag-out fights between you and your ex
Up-to-the-minute updates while you are giving birth (or, better yet, having surgery)
Your plans to get jiggy wit' it
You just found out you have an STD
What day of your mentrual cycle you're on
An hour-by-hour rehash of your day and how bad it sucked
Photos of you, drunk, going to the bathroom
Photos of you, drunk, showing of your lady-bits
Photos of you, drunk, passed out in a bush, or on the sidewalk, or in the backseat of a complete stranger's car
Photos of you giving birth (I'm alright with, "I just had my baby, she's wrapped in a cute, warm blanket, isn't she gorgeous photos" but not okay when I can see the baby crowning or there is placenta visible)
On that note, videos of you giving birth

There are dozens of other things that I'm sure should never, ever show up in my newsfeed. Thankfully, I have yet to see them show up. Most of the aforementioned ones have, unfortunately, appeared at one point.

My philosophy is, if I don't want my parents, grandparents, brothers, boss, future employer, teachers, or students to see it, I don't put it on facebook. Usually, that keeps me from crossing the line.

I stressed less about my wedding dress than this shit.

The 'mart recently had a uniform change. Prior to October (or was it November?), we wore white polos, black pants, and black shoes. After the change went in to effect, we had to start wearing royal blue polos, black pants, and could wear any solid black, white, or brown shoe.

Okay, fine. I had to buy all new work clothes. Honestly, it was a little irritating, but it didn't upset me. What does upset me is that whoever is calling the clothing shots can't make up their mind about the little details.

First, we couldn't wear anything underneath the polos (like a long-sleeved shirt) or an undershirt (like a tank, if it would be seen) unless it was the same shade of blue. I don't know if anyone else has ever tried to find royal blue long sleeve t's, tanks, or thermals, but you'd probably be surprised how scarce the right shade of blue is. Finally, I find one at Walmart (blasphemy!) that is the correct color. I buy one. It gets freakin' cold in that store in the winter, so I knew one wouldn't be enough, but one was all I could buy. I figured they could deal with me stinky.

Then, they said we could wear white underneath (or long sleeves) but only if it was a turtleneck. I'm sorry, who wears turtlenecks under polos? Hell to the no.

We were also told that we could wear a light jacket (like a fleece or a button- or zip-up sweater) if it was, again, the same shade of blue. Again, try finding one of those (that isn't almost $30).

THEN, they change their minds again, and said that if we were something underneath our polos, it HAS to be white, and it doesn't have to be a turtleneck. Praise the LORD! I bought a couple of white thermals. Recently, I also found a really warm blue zip-up hoodie for under $15. Snagged that, and I've been wearing it for the last week or so. (Another girl in softlines has been wearing hers for about a month, and other people in the store have been wearing hoodies for that long too. This is important.)

A few days ago, someone decides to casually mention during our morning meeting that we're not supposed to wear anything with a hood. Excuse me? I honestly didn't see that in the printout they posted about the rules. There's a girl who works checkout who has spent the last 3 days watching her fingers turn blue because they won't let her wear a hoodie.

Oh, well, the morning crew who fills can wear hoodies, because they have to help unload the truck. But anyone who works on the floor cannot. So we all get to freeze.

And right now, it's done pissed me off. I don't care if the dress code is strict. That's fine. What I care about is that someone keeps changing his/her mind. I really don't know if it's corporate or if it's someone in-store. But I don't give a damn. MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND. I'm sick of spending money that I really can't spare buying clothes and wearing them for a week, and THEN being told that I can't wear them anymore. And having to spend more money on what has been deemed appropriate. Are you gonna change your mind about that next week?

I almost bought a pair of new shoes the other day, white tennis shoes, to wear. I'm glad I didn't drop the $20 on them, though, because I found out this week that, even though the new rules said black, white, OR brown, they're only letting us wear black. Let's disregard the fact that they think someone would wear solid brown shoes with black pants and a blue shirt. What's wrong with white? When did that change? They need to print out guidelines and give them to everybody. That way, we know the rules, and they can't keep changing their minds.

To whomever is making these stupid-ass decisions: Stop making me waste my money. And you know what else? If it's cold in the store, I'm going to wear my hoodie and you can shove your dress code up your ass. It's bull. And those of us that have to work the floor, we're getting damned sick of it.

The problem with dichotomies.

Today, a gentlemen came into the store. He had purchased a Christmas tree 2 weeks ago. It was quite obviously our tree. He wanted to exchange it for the exact same tree. When he had opened the tree recently to put it up, he found it to be defective. So he brought it back, wanting a different box holding, again, the same tree.

Our refund policy states that you must have a receipt for any return or exchange. Managers will, though, make exceptions if a customer used a rewards card (which allows the store to track the purchase) or if it was paid with credit card or check (again, allowing the store to track the purchase).

This gentlemen did not have a receipt. He did pay with a Sears credit card, but did not have the card with him. Our CSM called one of the managers, and they said he couldn't return it. He asked to speak with the manager. The manager called up and told the service desk to tell him he couldn't return it. They told her that he had requested to speak directly to the manager. So she paged the other one in the store and had him go up to the service desk to handle it. He, having already spoken with her on the matter, told the customer the same thing.

Needless to say, he got upset. With each time he was refused, he became more and more irate, finally leaving in a huff. He then came back in, with the tree in a cart, and rammed the cart so hard into the rows of carts by the door that it got wedged (and consequently, stuck, for quite some time) into the rows of carts. He yelled something akin to, "You can take your fucking tree and shove it up your ass!"

I have 2 problems with this experience.

First, with the customer. Who teaches people that it is okay to go into a public area and say things like that to a complete stranger? What kind of adult says something like that in a place where, more likely than not, there are children around? What does it prove to throw a temper tantrum in a store as if you are a toddler who didn't get his way? Why do people think it's okay to do this? I would be incredibly embarrassed if I was with that man, or anyone who did something similar in a store. Honestly, such violent anger does nothing, solved nothing, proves nothing, except for how unreasonable you are willing to become over some thing. Yes, it was expensive, and you didn't get your money's worth. But honestly? Employees are more willing to talk with you if you remain calm and reasonable.

My second problem with this is with the store. It was, in honesty, completely unfair to this man. Christmas trees, especially the ones I've seen in our store, are expensive. And it's not like this has never happened before. It was obviously our merchandise. He's not trying to rip us off, and if the tree was indeed defective, all we have to do is "damage" it and send it back. The store would be reimbursed and not lose money anyway. So what is the harm in letting him simply exchange it for another tree just like it on the counter? They've made exceptions for people before. So, I can understand the frustration of the gentlemen, but I also understand the managers' decision.

We have policies, and our policies are designed to protect the store's interest, not necessarily the customers. And these policies are designed by a corporation, one that doesn't have to handle day-to-day customer relations. Yes, it is wise to not allow someone to return an item without a receipt. Too many people try to return things to stores that they were not purchased from, hoping to rip the store off; or they may come in, grab something off a counter, and then try to return something they never purchased. So corporate has developed policies to protect those things, and many others, from happening.

Unfortunately for the man who came in the store this afternoon, today was not a day that the managers felt like bending the rules. It seems like nobody was a winner here. The man didn't get his tree, and, more than likely, the 'mart lost a customer (or several, considering he's probably telling this story now, too).

At least in this scenario, there wasn't really a "right" or a "wrong."