The nice, friendly customers are ALWAYS a treat on days like Black Friday. So you guys are always welcome!
It is still a failure on the part of the shopper to excercise self discipline when interacting with a fellow human being in public. It is their choice to opt out and not practice common courtesy, and that has nothing to do with coporate greed. You’ll notice that I said “they are wrong too”. If they can behave, and comport themselves in a courteous way any other day, than they can (but don’t) be polite on Black Friday too. It is not the fault of the Evil, Greedy Coporate Hive Mind of Doom[SUB]TM[/SUB] that people choose to be asshats to the poor sales associates because they don’t get their way. The EGCHMoD[SUB]TM[/SUB] bears some responsibility because they are the engineers of the Super Special Sale in the first place, but they didn’t pull out their “Remote Control of Shopper’s Behavior” and press the “Curse” or “Be Rude” buttons. The shoppers chose to curse, and be rude all on their own.
Well, I guess that settles it. Since the original poster is probably the only human being on the face of the earth who is affected by the madness that is “Black Friday”, the thread clearly belongs in MPSIMS. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
I would bet Guin is completely telling the truth. I worked at Best Buy for 4 long, dreary, devastating years (over 2 years ago now), and I do still have nightmares and mental battle scars. These places suck out your soul, chew it raw, laugh uproariously while chewing it raw, spit it out, dance the tango on it, kick it across the floor a few times for good measure, gnaw on it some more, then hand it back in ridiculously gnarled shape when you leave. It takes a good while to recover, and I am not even totally over it yet. I was a GM however, and had to be responsible for everything & everyone 24/7, perhaps it is different in another position. I just recall that my entire life and every moment I drew breath was to be focused upon Best Buy’s version of Black Friday & subsequent entire weekend, if I valued myself as a human being at all. And this notwithstanding the CDs, DVDs, notebook computers, car stereos and even customer handbags/backpacks thrown at my person when items were not exactly as a treasured customer expected to find them (as a boss, I was often in the firing line between a disgruntled Black Friday customer & another employee, so better ME than my truly lovely employees!).
Nothing to haunt your dreams for years afterwards at all, my dears.
I feel for every retail person on this board to the tips of my toes!
–Beck
I posted this thread about my surprise of the behaviors of the customers. Usually, I love my customers. I enjoy talking to them and helping them and having a nice conversation. It makes me happy when I help someone find a camera they like and when I can teach them how to use it (whether they bought it from us or not - doesn’t matter to me). I knew going in I wouldn’t have time to actually converse with the customers, but did not expect to be treated like a piece of shit. Just because the CEO or whomever decided to put these cameras on sale doesn’t mean that the customers can come in and treat us like we don’t matter. I’m not a lesser person for working in retail - I’m in college for chrissakes. And it’s a HUGE college town so most people assume we’re all in school there anyway. I’m not saying people shouldn’t shop on this day - I am aware people have financial issues and the sales help - they would have helped me if I could of actually taken advantage of them. Some of the sales were great. But it does not give you license to act like an asshole.
skeptic, I’m sorry you had to deal with assholes. I know Black Friday really brings 'em out of the woodwork.
This year, for the first time, I’m trying to do all my shopping online. I’m already finished with most of it, and there have been some snags, it’s true, but overall the stress level has gone way down.
Also, for the first time in several years, I’m beginning to feel the first tiny stirrings of Christmas spirit. I think there may be some connection between these two facts.
I agree entirely. Best Buy DID plan extensively (and I do mean extensively!) to treat its shoppers on Black Friday like cattle, having actually, if the truth be known, very little respect for the type of person (read: “bargain-hunting”!) who buys “doorbusters” and does not elect to attach loads of profit-generating accessories or warranties to their purchase…but simply because Corporate Greedmongers, sadly, think this way about customers does not give customers automatic privilege to behave in a manner which confirms the CG belief.
I don’t shop on Black Friday myself to avoid reminders of that dark period of my life, but if I did, I would try to behave in a way which would not be reminiscent of herd mentality. I fail to understand why others can’t, as well.
–Beck
I’m not surprised. I’ve had bad dreams about a few crappy places I’ve worked at in the past. One was a flight kitchen. The other bad dreams usually involve retail or waitress jobs I’ve held.
Shudder, I have nothing but sympathy for anyone working in the service industry. You’ve got to be an extra special kind of stupid/inept service industry person to get me cranky at you.
bolding mine.
CS…
If you’re really interested… The part I bolded is likely part of your problem. That is, you’re not taking any time to read, understand, show interest in, or actually participate in discussions. Had you read the post, you would have realized she was talking about the OP, and not you. And that the OP’s rant had little to do with her supposed age, but a subject to which we can all relate, sucky job stuff.
Your main interest seems to be, as others have mentioned…to stop by a thread, throw out a snotty insulting comment and then either leave, or simply come back in and keep on throwing out snotty one-liners.
Others in this thread tried repeatedly to tell you how to (in your words) “be a better poster”. You have ignored them, or replied with yet more snottiness. Take a bit of time to read what people are saying, you aren’t the only person on the face of the planet, and a rant doesn’t have to be earthshaking in its importance to qualify as worthwhile, or as something others can relate to.
Your request for information on how to be a better poster is well-contained within this very thread in the form of posts directed at you from many other dopers. Take their advice, or don’t be surprised to find that this board has little use for you.
Here’s how to be a better poster - don’t be a jerk. When a whole bunch of people (including an administrator) tell you you’re being a jerk, it’s possible that you are, indeed, being a jerk.
I am not pleased to announce that some retailers in the Fort Worth (and probably Dallas, too, but I didn’t notice) area decided to open on Thanksgiving Day. Big Box retailers, not just supermarkets and drugstores and convenience stores. Black Friday wasn’t going to be exciting enough, so they had Black Thanksgiving as well. All I can do about news like this is shake my head, and resolve not to shop during that time.