2 posts from September 2008

So I walk into work yesterday. I pass the service counter where my supervisor stands sipping coffee. I say good morning and keep walking to the time clock that is in the back of the store. I get no reply from her again (she wouldn't say "Hi" on Monday when I worked in the pharmacy either).

I have to go right by her to get to the cash room to get my till.....still nothing.

I get out to my register and take down all my closed signs and turn on my light. I great my first customer and start scanning his groceries. From behind me I hear.... "What the hell is this about? You taking next week off to work in the pharmacy?"

Stunned, I tell her the pharmacy manager and the store manager discussed this Friday (the store manager is on vacation this week) and decided it wouldn't be a problem if I switched departments for a week (cashiering schedule for that week has not been made yet). We have more then enough cashiers to fill in the shifts. Most of them are begging for extra hours too. Meanwhile I apologize to the customer, tell him his total and collect the money. There is another lady in line behind him and I great her and start scanning her groceries.

My supervisor is flapping her arms (she is very petite and blond I couldn't help but think of a little chicken) and telling me that another cashier just came up to her today and asked for next Thursday and Friday off. (she didn't say anything to that cashier) The supervisor was going on and on about how she didn't know if she could spare me those days and how difficult I just made her job with scheduling.

I told her I can get almost 40 hours in that one week in the pharmacy. I apologized for causing her problems, but based on the store manager telling the pharmacy manager that it was OK for us to do this, we went ahead and scheduled me in the pharmacy. I told her I would have come to her with this, except she had Friday, Saturday and Sunday off, and that I thought it wasn't a problem since nothing was said Monday when I came in to work in the pharmacy.

I went back to my customer and again apologized, told her the total and collected the money. The other cashier was helping me bag the groceries and had been just standing their wide eyed during this whole exchange. My supervisor finally just went away. I was not about to give in and say I would cashier that week. If I did I would only get about 25 hours. I knew we had enough people to cover the shifts, it would just take the supervisor a little more time to make out the schedule because she wouldn't be able to just repeat mine for the week.

After she left the other cashier just said "Well that was rude of her!" The next customer in line agreed and having herd the whole conversation told me I handled myself very professionally and that it was a shame that the supervisor had to bring this out on the floor rather then take care of it in private. Again I apologized to the customer for having to be put in that situation. This customer knows the store manager and intends on telling him about this (They all say that so I am not counting on anything happening)

I went on with my day as if nothing happened. I stayed polite with my customers even though inside I was one very pissed off person. A few customers latter, I had one with a really loaded cart. More groceries then I could bag and scan myself in a timely manner. I called for a bagger. In our store cashiers just call on the intercom "Courtesy up front for bagging" (during the day that is the manager on duty) our assistant manager came up to help bag and started in on me about how this was the front end manager's job. She should be up here doing this. He was grumbling and complaining the whole time he was helping. After we had all the groceries bagged it took 2 shopping carts to get them to the customers car. I asked the customer if they wanted to drive up for the groceries and they did. So I pushed one cart to the parcel pick-up room, the assistant manger took the other one. When we where out of hearing range of the customers I turned to him and said "If you have a problem with the way Debbie is doing her job, talk to her. Leave me out and don't bring it up in front of the customers. I am sick of being chewed out in front of customers for problems that don't concern me. I don't care who comes up to assist the customer. I do my part by calling for help when it is needed. I expect some one to come up and help. Personally I don't care who it is!"

He gave me the same wide eyed look the other cashier did after our supervisor flapped around like a chicken.

I went on with the rest of my day as if none of that ever happened. even though I was pissed on the inside, I never let on with the customers. I tried to be my happy self and give them the courtesy they deserved.

Of course gossip flies thru our store faster then a miser looking for free samples and before my shift was up I was approached by several other employees remarking about the bad day I was having. I made light of the situation and would just say "Go figure, usually it's the customers that make this job miserable"

My day finally ended and I pulled my till to bring it back to the cash room. Again I had to walk past my supervisor. I decided to just go about business as if none of today had happened. She followed me into the cash room and to my surprise she apologized for jumping me earlier. She said she was upset because the store manager shouldn't talk for her and that I should have came to her with this scheduling issue. I reminded her she was gone those days or I would have gone to her with this. I then told her the pharmacy manager had also mentioned they may need me the following week too. If I have a chance to work in the pharmacy I am taking it. They can pay me more and they can offer me a full time job. If I stay on as just a cashier. I have no future in the company. Cashiers are never hired on full time and they always have to fight for their hours, not to mention they are the lowest paid employees. I told her that if there was a way to get me a full time job with the same pay they can offer in the pharmacy, I'm all hers. Until then I have to look out for myself and if that means working in another department or finding another job all together, that is what I will do.

Some how I think I may have shot myself in the foot with this one. I can see her being vindictive enough to cut my hours to "pay me back" I guess only time will tell!
 

My first day in the pharmacy started as I expected. I showed up on time and no one there knew I was coming. It is one of the biggest problems we have in our store....communication!

The dragon lady was out from 3pm to 4pm. I started at 3pm and she didn't tell anyone I was starting yesterday. The pharmacist on duty looked a little stunned that he had a new employee and no one knew who was supposed to train me. I made light of it and just said "Surprise!...you all tell me what to do and I will follow orders"

Luckily the cash register in the pharmacy is similar to the one at the service counter and the regular register, half of my job I already understood. The rest was made easier with regular customers seeing me in the pharmacy for the first time. They knew I was new to the job and where very understanding when I had to go ask questions before I could ring up their prescriptions.

I only worked with the dragon lady three hours, so I can't really make a fair judgment yet. She didn't really seam mean, just very professional. I think that has been lacking in that department.

My first hour was a bit tense. The older lady that won't sell condoms and the one that put in her notice where working. I am the one replacing them little by little. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Neither of those two where very friendly. If I had a question they just gave me a blank stare instead of an answer. I learned quickly to ask the pharmacy technician any questions and just tried to stay out of the way from the other two.

All in all I must have done pretty good! The head pharmacist (dragon lady) said she will be talking to the store manager next week (he is on vacation this week) about having me work more hours in the pharmacy!

I'm hoping I can. I see no full time future in cashiering or working the service counter....and being able to add pharmacy work to a resume has to look better to possible future employers then just saying I was a cashier!

Sadly I think I might have angered my cashiering supervisor. When I came in to the store I had to pass the service counter. I said "Hello" like I always do....and didn't get a reply. It seems a bit childish to ignore me, but I know that is her way of showing her displeasure. I told her during my review that I would be glad to stay on as just a cashier and be her puppet if she could match the hours and the pay that they can give me in the pharmacy. She said she wished she could, but all pay is decided by our corporate office. I wanted to tell her that was nice, but wishes don't pay my bills.

Sadly I didn't get the raise I was expecting. I am not officially a Pharmacy Technician. I am just a clerk. Dragon lady said she will talk to the store manager about getting me some kind of raise until I get more training and can become an official pharmacy technician. For now I am just happy to be getting more hours. As a cashier/service counter employee the most the store was scheduling me was about 25 to 30 hours a week. The pharmacy will give me about 30 to 35. Just those few extra hours make a big difference in my pay check!