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August 17, 2008

Trial by Fire

Big time. Yep, got to be resilient to survive. What on earth are you talking about, Missy? This week's experience as a "training coordinator," what else?

Let me repeat that my training has been on hold. Catch as, catch can. Can't access the systems; fumbling through the things that I can access. Reading, reading everything that is not nailed down. So I'm told to schedule interviews. I can do that. Oh, wait a minute...Wally does everything by computer. Somewhere in that mighty machine are the necessary instructions for bringing people in, preparing folders, yada yada. You know: Step one; step two; and so on. I'm still looking.

Find the right module for scheduling interviews and get cracking. Oh...you need a code to make calls outside of the area? Oh...can't print from this system? Oh...oh...oh. Interviews scheduled. Folders assembled the way I think they should be. Come in to find that the managers assigned for the interviews are on vacation or called in. Scramble time. Alternate managers are pulled in for double-duty. Some know what they're doing; others don't. And I know the least of all.

First person shows up 30 minutes early. And it goes downhill from there. Interviews in a retail operation don't go the way they do in office operations. Pages, fires to be put out, unexpected inspections. Sending applicants to McDonald's or suggesting that they browse through the store until the assistant is available. "Sit here while I find the right person." Apologizing.

Interviews are a two-step process: dept. manager, first; assistant manager, second. That means the assistant mgr. needs a separate packet which only generates after the dept. mgr. enters their rating. How would I know that? And, I'm not authorized to make the entries. Background check must be done before sending them to take the drug test. Oops! Just following instructions. A complete zoo.

You can't work the register if you're related to one of the customer service managers. In a small town like Ripley, everybody is related. Turns out that the woman being interviewed for a cashier's position is the niece of one of the CSMs. Good grief! AND, she is the Player's mama. So I need to call her back and ask if she'd be interested in another vacancy. I interviewed her and know that the likelihood of her staying around for more than a minute is slim next to none but that is not my call to make. Nor can I tell them that the young man who worked for Wally previously and quit with little notice is probably not the best choice. Trying not to step on toes, here.

The HR person comes in on Saturday and we go through everything possible in the short time that she will be there. She tells one of the assistant managers that they are not good hires. They're scheduled to come back Monday for the next phase. It's going to be interesting to see how this works out.

Since I will also act as a cashier, I ask that they download the training modules so that I can become familiar with the different types of transactions. Especially how to void purchases, etc. Just trying to serve you better. Listen to me. Do NOT decide that you don't want the merchandise AFTER it has been rung up. Please. Just trying to make you a better shopper. Woman comes through with all of these school supplies and finds out that the folders she wants are 75 cents and not 15. "I don't want them." Now, what? CSM walks me through the process of backing them out; all 10 of them. Now she wants to pay with her EBT card. What the hell is that? Call a cashier over from the service desk. Humpty-dumpty is not happy and really doesn't want to help. O-k-a-y. YOU need an attitude adjustment.

I spend the afternoon watching and failing the modules. I am obviously NOT cashier material. Heads up, Wally. You can't put in sneaky questions that have NOT been covered in the module. To be fair--the module is intended to be accompanied by the workbook and actual work on the register. But I passed them. Finally.

Looking forward to the next trial.

1 comment:

Tk421 said...

Attention Shoppers Attention Shoppers Rookie aisle 5 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!