Friday, January 2, 2009

Confessions Of A Department Store Worker

Hey you. Yeah, you. You know who you are. You're the one that goes to a department store and leaves things EVERYWHERE. You decide you don't want something and you just lay it anywhere. Or try on clothes and instead of returning the item to the rack in which you found it on, you leave it lying on the dressing room floor. No, you don't even bother to put it back on the hanger. Sometimes you even leave the clothing INSIDE OUT on the dressing room floor. You figure it's someone else's job to clean it up. Well you are right. It's MY job.

Do you even take into consideration that picking up your mess is not the ONLY thing I have to do in a day? No. Are you aware that this is a second job for me? Yep, that's right. I get to work full time all day, and then go to this department store and spend my evenings cleaning up your mess. You never thought of that before? Well, maybe you should. Did you consider that your mess determines what time I get to go home to my two children who are waiting for me? No, I didn't think so. Did you consider that if I am not able to clean up not only your mess, but the mess of everyone else who does the same thing by the time the store closes that I have to stay late and clean it up? No, cuz that's not your problem is it? It's mine.

Does your mother know what an inconsiderate slob you are? Does she know that you would go into a store and leave such a mess for someone else to clean up? No, I thought not. I bet she didn't raise you to leave clothes in the floor. As a matter of fact, I bet you don't leave clothes on the floor like that in your own home. Well, maybe you do.

Could you do me a favor? If you try something on, for love of all that is holy take the time to AT LEAST put the clothes back on the hanger. If you really want to be generous, you could even return to the rack you found it on. I promise, it won't take very long. If you and all the folks could do that, I might even get to leave early once in a while. I might even get home before my two wonderful daughters go to bed. That would be nice.

I might even have time to update this blog which has not been updated since October. Yes, October. I have not had the time to blog about anything. What our Christmas was like, or how we had a mouse infestation of epic proportions. We caught about 15 mice. It was really gross. Sometimes the trap wouldn't kill them, it caught them by the tail and left them squirming and squealing in the trap. Guess who had to remove them from my home? Me that's who.

I didn't have time to blog about all the great deals I got on Christmas presents this year because I work in this department store. Nor did I have time to mention I paid CASH for every single present this year. I did not use one credit card or borrow money.  I didn't have time to blog about my mother being hospitalized for a week or the stomach bug that stormed through my house taking no prisoners. I didn't have time to post my annual pictures of our tree decorating, or all the food we consumed, or Melissa's ticket for expired tags that we have to go to court for next week, or the electric scooter that Keri got for Christmas that she ALMOST didn't get for Christmas.

I also didn't get to post the recipe my coworker gave me for "Veggie Treats". I didn't even get one chance to whine about the fact that some weeks I have worked 70 hours between the two jobs. I didn't get to whine about how I thought my feet were going to fall after my first week.

Anyway, maybe you should think about the people you are affecting when you make such terrible messes. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but you never know how your slobbiness is going to affect the people working in that store (for very little money I might add). Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

A Department Store Worker

5 comments:

HW said...

First:
Yay!!! You're back.

Second:
Good for you - no credit cards for Christmas shopping.

Third:
I always trek all the way across the store to put something back, or give it to the cashier because my mom used to work for a store and she said they'd rather take it at the check out stand than find a pair of panties with the frozen vegetables.

Fourth:
Yay!! you're back.

Susiewearsthepants said...

LOL-I love that, panties with frozen veggies. Your mom is so right. I am glad to know what a considerate shopper you are!

Mental P Mama said...

Yay! I was starting to worry about you all. I worked in retail at Bloomingdale's in NYC. I can tell you stories about John Q Public that would make your hair fall out. Welcome back!

Farrell said...

my mom worked in retail for YEARS. And she taught me well: what to do but mostly what not to do (ie everything you listed here).
I am also the best restaurant customer around. Why? Because I worked as a hostess/waitress/bartender for YEARS!

Merrie said...

You know, I often put things back after trying them on, but always wondered if that was somehow annoying to the store, or if I was even breaking a rule somehow. lol Thank you for putting it in perspective!!
And YAY on no debt for Christmas! We didn't either, except for the Wii, which is actually covered thanks to money from my MIL. Otherwise, it was "cash on the barrel." :)
Welcome back!