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Nov. 24th, 2007 11:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
clo_againSo, so tired. Have tomorrow off, then working again for two days 9-5:30. Only it's not 9-5:30 at all, because we've been told that we're expected to get there at 8:45am to check around the shop so we know where everything is before the day starts, then we have to hang aimlessly around until 5:45pm at the end of every day while the permanent staff cash up the tills. That's half an hour a day, which would mean two hours of unpaid work every four days. Considering they haven't even paid us for the hours they're actually paying us for yet, I'm silently outraged. I'm more than happy to work my ass off during the hours they're paying me, but I'm not doing this job because I have any enduring love for it, or for Waterstones. I am, quite frankly, doing it solely because they're paying me. Expecting me to give them my free, unpaid time when they can't even stick to the promises they made in the interview about our working days over Christmas? Dream on. Also, the company's ideas about how to sell more books - as 'taught' to us in our so-called training this morning - were distinctly creepy. A member of staff stroking a book I was buying would creep me out to the point of not going back to that bookshop. And probably disinfecting the book when I got home.
Honestly, I really believe that people in bookshops want, for the most part, to be left alone. The ones who want help will ask for it; going up to everyone who seems to be looking for something and asking if you can help gets you nothing but a lot of negatives. There's a shop I avoid going in to at all, even though they sell beautiful chess sets and gifts, because I know the guy in there follows you round asking if he can help and making suggestions unprompted. Oh and smiling at everyone today got me about 60% smiles in return, 25% looking straight through me and 15% paranoid stares. That 15% probably won't be coming back to Waterstones with their creepy smiling staff. I don't blame them; in making eye contact with everyone you pass, you do give the impression that you're watching them to make sure they don't steal anything.
I really don't like big companies, at least when I'm working for them. They have all these crazy bullshit plans and ideas when simple common sense would work better 90% of the time. That said, I sold my first copy of Lolita today and knew more than Rob about why we weren't stocking any Tamora Pierce books. The little things make up for the insanity that is trying to sell extra, unwanted books to already harassed customers.
The price of Farscape has gone up again, putting paid to my idea of cancelling and reordering when I get paid by Waterstones. Though so far, everything that I've earned has either been spent on Farscape or is already owed to my parents. I'm not sure I've actually earned any *extra* money yet.
God I have to go sleep. I don't want to, because I won't be able to stay up late tomorrow night when I'm working Monday but I'm too tired to even watch BSG. This is ridiculous. No one could work this hard and often all the time. One day off at a time is just enough to catch up on a bit of sleep and then you're back in work. Again. I'm starting to think I live there.
Robin Hood was fun tonight. It's been pretty fun in general lately. Don't think I'm going to have the energy to do any more recaps this series though, or recaps on anything until January 5th.
Bed. I'm falling asleep sitting up with the laptop on my knee here.
Honestly, I really believe that people in bookshops want, for the most part, to be left alone. The ones who want help will ask for it; going up to everyone who seems to be looking for something and asking if you can help gets you nothing but a lot of negatives. There's a shop I avoid going in to at all, even though they sell beautiful chess sets and gifts, because I know the guy in there follows you round asking if he can help and making suggestions unprompted. Oh and smiling at everyone today got me about 60% smiles in return, 25% looking straight through me and 15% paranoid stares. That 15% probably won't be coming back to Waterstones with their creepy smiling staff. I don't blame them; in making eye contact with everyone you pass, you do give the impression that you're watching them to make sure they don't steal anything.
I really don't like big companies, at least when I'm working for them. They have all these crazy bullshit plans and ideas when simple common sense would work better 90% of the time. That said, I sold my first copy of Lolita today and knew more than Rob about why we weren't stocking any Tamora Pierce books. The little things make up for the insanity that is trying to sell extra, unwanted books to already harassed customers.
The price of Farscape has gone up again, putting paid to my idea of cancelling and reordering when I get paid by Waterstones. Though so far, everything that I've earned has either been spent on Farscape or is already owed to my parents. I'm not sure I've actually earned any *extra* money yet.
God I have to go sleep. I don't want to, because I won't be able to stay up late tomorrow night when I'm working Monday but I'm too tired to even watch BSG. This is ridiculous. No one could work this hard and often all the time. One day off at a time is just enough to catch up on a bit of sleep and then you're back in work. Again. I'm starting to think I live there.
Robin Hood was fun tonight. It's been pretty fun in general lately. Don't think I'm going to have the energy to do any more recaps this series though, or recaps on anything until January 5th.
Bed. I'm falling asleep sitting up with the laptop on my knee here.
