Working with the public for so long, I have found that shoppers' attitudes can have an adverse effect on the sales peoples' and vice versa. Recently I had a woman fly off the handle because our store policy is to check ID with credit card purchases and she didn't have an ID with her. "I've been shopping all day with no problems!" The associate (who is quite young and inexperienced) turned to me for assistance. I helped explain to the woman that it was our policy and it was put into place for the protection of the consumer. "I don't NEED your protection! I'm covered by the credit card company!" I told the associate to run the card to avoid any more unplesantness and I would take the blame if anything were to happen. The woman stormed off after her transaction was complete. I didn't think twice about it until I was on my lunch break and happened to overhear another woman talking with a friend about having to show ID for a purchase. It was then that I realized that some people are just dead-set against policies and proceedures. They are obviously so set in their ways that they don't care that these policies are put in place to deter credit card theft and fraud.

Another incident involved our store receiving an email complaint that we were too slow and inefficient. Translation: someone was too impatient to wait in line. We have a small store. We have only a few employees on the schedule for any given day. We only have 2 registers. If there are more than 5 people in line, it's a little crowded. I don't know any other way to make things more efficient than to have a straight line from the registers allowing shoppers to freely move about the store around the line and everyone wait their turn to be called up for assistance.

These incidents along with people rudely interrupting me while assisting another customerwith questions such as "Got any Wii's?" or "Where you keep the (insert system/game title here)?" are the purpose for today's rant. I smile at people for 8 hours straight and try to be as kind and considerate when helping find that perfect holiday gift for someone. Why? Because I've had too many bad things happen in my life recently to be able to fully enjoy the holidays like I want to and I want to make someone's day just a little bit brighter. I've been divorced this year, lost my job, totaled my truck, moved 600 miles from my daughter,lost my second child (still-born), had to move in with my parents, and work a jobmaking less than $7 an hour, but I still manage to maintain a damn smile and keep it together while some b**** gets irritated because they have to wait in line, have their ID checked, or can't get their spoiled-*** brat the hottest video game system because they wait until the last f***ing minute to shop for it. Walk a f***ing mile in my shoes andTHEN complain to me about how bad you have it because you had to park at the far end of the mall and walk through the parking lot just to get into the shopping mall only to find that we're sold out of Wii's or PSPs. Idon't think you quite have it as bad as I do right now. Sure,there are people who have it worse than I do, but I don't think they're b****ing because they can't get a Silver PSP Daxter bundle in time for Xmas. If I ask for your ID, show me your damn license. I don't give a s*** if it's ever so slightly inconvienent.

Ok, enough ranting for now. It's my day off. I'm actually enjoying a quiet day alone, playing Lost Planet (Xbox 360) and taking it slow while the world hustles around me. My sister's new boyfriend decided he was going to attempt the near-impossible and try to get a pink Nintendo DS Lite for my sister. Too bad they only got together a few weeks ago. I could have ended his search easily. But alas, he decided a day or two ago that it would be the perfect gift, so he went searching. He was ready to drive 200 miles last night to get one, but I told him to let me look around. It really is amazing how good I am at finding things for others. A couple of quick and easy calls today and I had it nailed down for him. I wouldn't do this for just anyone...it's just that my sister has finally found a man that was worth a damn. So, I did my good deed for the holidays, I'm watching the shoppers rush around frantic, and I'm just taking in the sights. I've gone through too much and I'm getting too old to be arguing with these people and quite frankly, I don't care if someone wants to b****. I leave work at work and home at home.

In continuing memory of London Rose - Sept. 16, 2007