The New Kid's Last Day Was Yesterday - He Finds Out Tomorrow

Because it’s still pissing me off I’m going to vent about the pile of shit I had to clean up today. As background, I am now working in a shoe repair store that has three branches, two of them inside of Big Box stores (we rent space from Big Box) and one stand-alone storefront. Most of this takes place inside a Big Box kiosk store, which is a pretty damn small space. Names and locations censored because it seems the correct thing to do.

New Kid started off just fine, showing up on time, listening attentively, etc. He has since gone down hill in a manner that makes the descent bungee jumping look boring.

Today’s litany:

  • When I entered the store the floor was strewn with boots and shoes. Now, once in awhile something falls off a rack or shelf, it happens, but said items generally fall more or less straight down (that being how gravity works) and do not fall sideways a substantial distance. Really, it was a like a carpet of boots and shoes with the occasional purse. If there was order in this chaos I could not see it. For example, the half dozen “problem items” (appended with notes and set aside for the experts to look at) were randomly distributed in the mess instead of off to one side of the work bench (either side being acceptable).

  • While cleaning up the floor I discovered that the key machine hadn’t been cleaned. There were little piles and drifts of brass shavings on it and on the floor (and the boots and shoes) underneath it. Either 50,346 people asked to have keys made yesterday, or New Kid hadn’t bothered to clean it at all since I was last in the shop judging by the quantity of metal leavings involved.

  • While stashing completed work into cubbies and cleaning up metal shavings I discovered that New Kid had NOT filed the Daily Balance Sheets (store financial record, basically) where they were supposed to go, although I know I had told him on at least three occasions where they go, and I know the Boss had also told him. They were wadded up and shoved into the slot where we store bags. Upon retrieval I noted that they were incomplete. Also, many receipts were missing.

  • I found the missing receipts strewn along the store counter… underneath under stuff like work tickets, notes, a notebook of what I think was hand-copied concert dates for techno and metal bands, and a half eaten breakfast.

  • A half eaten breakfast. He left half-eaten food lying around. Mind you, the Boss has been very clear she does NOT want food laying out - either eat it, put it in the fridge, or throw out leftovers/crumbs. Also, pretty fucking gross for whoever is working the next day.

  • [del]New Kid[/del] Fuckwit is back to not filling out the damned work tickets properly. We’ve been over this. The Boss went over it again last week. Most of the tickets from the past two days lacked complete descriptions of the items - saying “black heels” is bullshit - we easily have two dozen shoes/boots answering that description at any one time. Ditto for “brown shoes”, “men’s loafers”, and so forth. This might be a case of “not clear on the concept” but more likely “doesn’t give a shit”. Half of them lacked any indication of what needed fixing. Yes, sometimes that’s obvious, but remarkably some times it’s not, and why the fuck should the people following him have to spend time playing Guess the Defect?

  • Fuckwit is undercharging again. By a LOT. He basically charged $10 for everything, except for heels, which he charged $14 per pair. Regardless of any other damage or required fixing. So far, the champion problem with this is the two pairs of shoes requiring extensive modification where Fuckwit charged a grand total of $10 for both pairs when, in fact, the work is $45 per pair. In other words, $10 for a $90 job. This isn’t a buck or two, we are now having to call a half dozen customers to explain that [del]Fuckwit[/del] New Kid fucked up and they actually owe us more money. The only saving grace on this is that no work has actually been started, so if the customer doesn’t want to spend the bucks no harm done, they can have their shoes back as-is and their $10.

  • He is promising to get shit done in 2-3 days what will actually take a week or more. Easy for him to say, as he isn’t doing any repair work himself right now and by the time those 2-3 days are up it will be someone else working in the store who has to deal with the pissed off customers.

  • He left a cash register with no $1’s, no $5’s, no quarters, and no dimes. Nevermind that the Big Box’s customer service desk will happily make change for us. I was not amused to be issuing change in nickels and pennies for the first three customers. Fortunately, one opted for using plastic and the other two were good sports while I ran to customer service to get change for them.

  • One of the Big Box store managers came by to inform me that he had opened late, taken several very long breaks, and left early yesterday. Fuckwit apparently is clueless that even though he is “alone” in the store area he is not unobserved. If you show up late, take two hour lunch breaks several times a day, and leave early you WILL be noticed and this will get back to the Boss. This will get back to the Boss because, first of all, she’s a hell of a lot smarter than you give her credit for being, and because our lease with Big Box spells out what hours we are open and if we don’t meet that obligation Big Box talks to Boss.

That’s just one morning at one store. I spent the morning cleaning up the floor, sorting out the items (types of repair, which ones required a phone call to clarify things, etc.) and straightening out the fucked up paperwork rather than doing the shoe/boot/purse/belt/bag repair I was hired to do and, frankly, much prefer to cleaning, sorting, and math.

Meanwhile, back at the storefront store, apparently the most recent day he spent there he showed up late, apparently had several episodes of 30-40 minutes in the bathroom, took several breaks outside, an hour and a half for lunch, and couldn’t be arsed to talk to customers or, really, do anything. TWO employees there said they suspected on the job drug use (one of them being a reformed alcoholic himself) and one of them seriously asked the Boss if she wanted her to go out and get an over-the-counter drug testing kit.

Oh, and we found out Fuckwit has a dishonorable discharge from the Marines, for discipline problems and suspected drug use. Of course, it’s all someone else’s fault, he was just drunk, not high at that time. :rolleyes:

As I said upthread, his last day was yesterday. He’ll be informed of that shortly, if he hasn’t been already.

hmmm… dishonorable discharge, suspected drug issues…isn’t that the standard lead paragraph for workplace shooting stories? Think I’d prefer to be in one of the other stores when this guy gets canned.

While we’re on the subject, why is it that shoe repair places always offer key copying? I mean, they’re not exactly related disciplines. It’s like if every tax preparation place was also a travel agency.

Let’s just hope that he doesn’t ask you for a reference.

What makes you think he plans to come back Monday morning?

How old is New Kid? Please tell me he is a teen…

Very Late Teen if he has a dishonarable Discharge from the Marines.

Are you sure it is a Dishonorable, or is it an Other-Than-Honorable? It takes a HUGE amount of screwing up to get all the way to Court-Martial conviction. An OTH can be given by a military member’s immediate command. DD’s are considered the same as a felony conviction in most states.

Although I do believe that everyone deserves a second chance, I would caution anyone hiring a person with a DD to not trust them with un-supervised work for a long time…

That’d be pretty sweet, if you think about it. First you drop off your tax info; then the agent can recommend the most affordable location based on your money situation. You go on vacation, and when you come back, bam! Your taxes are done.

Typical racist bullshit.

You’re so quick to blame the human for what is clearly an elf issue.

Shoemaker indeed. :rolleyes:

Drugs would definitely be my first guess. Closely followed by running out of givashit.

Not saying that the former couldn’t lead to the latter. Or vice versa.

Hardware stores make keys too.

I actually prefer it if my tax guy has travel connections. If you know what I mean.

“What is it about people that repair shoes that makes them so good at cutting keys? Try going in there with a shoe shaped like a key and see how confused they get.” - Harry Hill.

The key rig came with the kiosk store. I have no idea. Although, from the number of people who come to us for keys who then stare in amazement saying “I didn’t know you did shoes” despite the large sign just outside the kiosk saying

SHOE REPAIR
keys made

I suspect it’s partly just to get a few more people into our store.

That’s when paychecks are handed out.

23

He himself has said both “general discharge” and “dishonorable discharge”. He also says he has a lawyer contesting it. Also much whining that he didn’t get to go to Afghanistan and bragging about how many bar fights he’s been in. Then talking about all the club drugs he’s used.

At least it doesn’t say “Key’s made” which seems to be the norm around here. God, that irks me.

How long did fuckwit actually last on the job?

Did he make any [del]key’s[/del] keys?

The shame is that somewhere out there is a 23 year old ex-marine complaining about his job he just lost.

“I’m there alone and they won’t let me eat lunch” (because boss wants him to put away dishes).

“I was hired to do, like leatherwork, not sweep.”

“They bitch about me having to take a bathroom break.”

That will end up in the Workplace Griping thread.

About three weeks. The first week he actually did stuff, cleaned up after himself, and so on.

Week two he started to slack off.

Now he’s crashing and burning.

He sort of fell off the cliff the day after he first got paid - which may be another indication of drug use. It’s classic that druggies, when sober, can function pretty well but as soon as they get their poison they turn into fuck-ups.

Yep.

Was decent with the house keys at first (car keys are a bit more tricky). Had two returns last week where the cuts had been made on the wrong side of the blank.

Have to wonder if he’s trying to get fired. Maybe he doesn’t like the job but for whatever can’t just up and quit.

See boss-style replies below:

Clean up after yourself - your mother does not work here, you do.

Part of leatherworking is cleaning up after yourself. Your mother does not work here, you do.

No healthy young man needs 30 minutes to take a piss. Or beat off, if that’s what you’re doing in there. Let me see your palms…

Actually, I have a spouse with urinary problems who needs a catheter to empty his bladder. HE doesn’t need 30 minutes to piss, either. Not even 10, actually. What’s your excuse, asshole?