Blogmas Day 9: A Customer Service Rant

Blogmas - 2019

So, I was going to post something along these lines prior to Black Friday but thought it was a bit snarky so decided not to. A couple of things happened this weekend though that really irritated me and I have some things to say. Friday night I got off work pretty late, I decided to get some take out instead of going home and making a mess in my kitchen. Plus, I feel guilty cooking after 10 at night since I have neighbors next to me and below me but I’m not sure they’d even notice. Anyway, so I’m getting a sandwich and the line is backed up all the way to the door and I assumed that they were just having a rush. Turns out that the guy at the front of the line had requested that the sandwiches that were being made for him be thrown away and that the barista go to look for more of whatever salad he was getting on his because the stuff they had out looked dry. Aside from the fact that there are people starving all over the world, he was ordering a sandwich from a sandwich shop where the ingredients sit out, all day, in a refrigerated counter – stuff might look a little dry. The guy continued to berate the barista saying that they were going to poison someone and he’d be making a complaint to the manager. It was totally nuts and meanwhile, the line was just stacking up so these poor kids were going to be working double time to get caught up. Did I mention that this is a vegan sandwich shop?! It’s not like they had fresh meat just laying around on the counter, honestly.

The other event that set in motion something that really set me off also happened on Friday night. The cashier next to me was cashing out a lady who asked if there were any coupons out. Now, many retailers have membership programs where you can get exclusive coupons but you have to sign up for the rewards program and this lady wasn’t even signed up. We aren’t supposed to just give coupons out so it puts us in a tough spot when customers assume that we can look coupons up or just have them on hand. This lady would not let it go and finally the associate caved and gave her the exclusive discount that was currently running for rewards members. Well, you can get fired for doing this and she did. Which brings me to the topic of this blog post, how not be an asshole customer especially during the holidays.

I cannot stress this enough, it slows us down when every other customer who gets up to the register doesn’t have their coupon ready. Don’t ask what coupons are out, if we tell you then it sets an expectation that we may not be able to meet. Don’t ask for additional discounts or if we have coupons, we don’t. It just astounds me the lengths that shoppers go to for a coupon, come prepared and if you can’t afford something without a coupon then maybe you shouldn’t buy it. I understand shoppers having no regard for retail workers but have some consideration for the people behind you. Lastly, read the fine print – all coupons have exclusions so read them. Keep in mind that we have no control over what’s excluded or how clear the coupon is.

Again, it slows us down when we don’t have a receipt and usually we can’t give the full amount back without one which sucks for us and for you. Sure, you can talk to the manager but she’s going to say the same thing.

We are going just as fast as we can and usually it’s the stupid questions and unprepared shoppers that are slowing us down. Feel free to call them out for holding up the line though. It astounds me how many times I’ve apologized for the long line but rarely has someone in the line ever turned around and apologized for holding it up.

There seems to be this assumption that the role of a retail worker is to just take people’s shit. And to the people who think this, do you go to work to get shit on everyday? Our role is to provide the best customer experience possible, within our ability to do so – that’s it. Could some associates be a little more helpful? Sure, I’ve been on the receiving end of some really shitty customer service but on the whole, they do their best.

I’m so thankful that retail is not my full-time gig and that I do it for extra spending money and fun. Also though, when I worked retail full-time years ago, I don’t recall people being so consistently rude. I’m not sure what’s happened to society but just stay home and shop online if you can’t be nice. That’s my rant, I love shopping during the holidays and just want everyone to have a fun time. Is that so much to ask!? What’s been your shopping experience so far this year? Are customers becoming ruder or am I just getting old?

💙

Weekend Whirlwind

Blogoween

Let’s start with Friday because that is where the madness began. If you didn’t know Tati released a palette, I was going back and forth on whether or not I wanted the palette. If you haven’t seen the palette, it’s all neutrals in different finishes which I think is a very cool idea because I primarily wear neutrals and love a monochromatic look. They are easy, I’m usually just doing my makeup for work and I don’t often wear color. So, 12 PM rolls around and I was still on the fence. I ate my lunch, listened to some of my book and then took to Twitter to see how the launch was going. I figured that if it sold out immediately, then I didn’t need it. Well, it did sell out but not right away and I ended up ordering one when I got home that night. I’m really interested to see what the formula is like and if I enjoy it well-enough, I think it will be time to throw out my Violet Voss Holy Grail Palette which is several years old. Expiration date, who? I did not need another palette, after getting rid of 3/4 of my makeup collection, I still have about a dozen or so but I’m happy that my purchase contributed to her sell out!

Friday night, I had a Halloween party, it’s the only bash that I attend as my friend has been hosting it since college and it’s basically a lifetime commitment. I’m not feeling super Halloween’y this year, I just tossed on some green eyeshadow and an old witch costume. I usually get put to work anyway so it’s not like anyone cares what I’m wearing. The bash was fun, I don’t drink socially so when people started getting real blitzed, I snuck out. I also had to work early Saturday morning at ULTA, we unpacked so much product for the holiday – it was nuts! I cannot believe all of the sets and holiday kits that are coming out. I don’t know if I will be purchasing anything, you just never know what you’re gonna get with holiday releases. We had to be in full Halloween makeup since the store was open for a couple of hours while we were still working. I had to work that night for my day job’s Halloween event so went home, scrubbed my face and tried to sneak in a nap. The nap did not happen because my neighbors who are being evicted this week after they had a huge domestic incident (really tragic) are deciding to be assholes to all of the neighbors who spoke with the police by blasting music, banging, slamming doors, etc. Friday is their last day, we only have to make it to Friday. It’s wearing on everyone, most of the neighbors are on really good terms and we’re just burnt out on these people’s bullshit. Anyway, so I watched a movie and did some laundry then got in full makeup for the night. I had to sneak out since the asshole neighbors have also taken to accosting people in the hallway. You’d think that I live in a trap house, I don’t.

Saturday night was non-stop, it started with me picking up two 15-gallon bags of popcorn. You wouldn’t think popcorn would weigh very much but you’d be surprised. Also, if you drive a small car like myself, it isn’t going to fit in your trunk. After a moment’s panic thinking that I would have to secure the bags to the roof, I pushed my front seats forward as far as I could and peeled out. The event was fun but long and there were lots of sticky kids. Being Minnesota, it was pretty brisk but at least we didn’t get rained on. Then it was home for the evening, removing my face yet again and trying to sleep before my 7 AM shift at ULTA on Sunday. I have to say that my face was unhappy after three makeup changes in less than 24 hours, it was red and dry from the windy evening too.

Sunday was fun, we got to put out most of the holiday goodies that had been unpacked the day before. ULTA is almost totally decked out for the holidays, it does seem a bit early but the sheer volume of product that comes in kind of forces retailers to start phasing it out. I’m not ready for Christmas carols or snow but it is fun to see all of the sparkly packages and winter-themed displays. I then treated myself to some Taco John’s potato oles, my favorite cheat food and took a 10-hour nap. Today I overslept but still got work on time and think I’m sick which makes a lot of sense after a weekend of junk food and no sleep. I’m over Halloween *gasp* and will probably put out the Christmas stuff this weekend 😝 Did you go to any Halloween events this year? I am looking forward to trick or treaters but I’m tapped out otherwise.

🖤

Another Fall Tag P. 1

Blogoween

Ah! I totally blew Blogoween, the nights have just been getting away from me and I blame the fact that it’s now getting dark at 5 o’clock. I’m exaggerating (only a little) but sometimes I get home and I’m so tired that I just skip dinner and sometimes my skincare (gasp) and head right to bed. Anyway, I’m finishing strong and am striving to stay up past 7 but also not making any promises 😛

Fall rain is either cold, windy and miserable or crisp, refreshing and romantic. I hate grocery shopping in fall rain, I don’t know why but I cannot stand it. I hate grocery shopping most any time but when I’m cold and wet, it is so much worse.

When the humidity finally dissipates and the air stops smelling like manure.

I am planning on seeing at least one haunted house or haunted something this weekend. I also want to make a trip to Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store, this time of year they have apples, cider, apple butter – pretty much anything that can be made from apples, they’ve got it. Not to mention all of the glorious candy.

Windy! I love a dark, rainy night with leaves whipping through the air.

Rain, I will even take torrential downpours over fog because it just creeps me out. There is a two-lane highway that I take to get to work and it is between two fields, some mornings it is so fogged out that I take an entirely different way to work just to avoid it. The fog is so dense over the road, cars will look like they are disappearing. No thanks.

The food and baking, I love making soups and breads. The scent of the season, where I live in Minnesota the air smells like manure from about April to August so it’s a nice change. And of course, the beautiful colors.

The pumpkin spice mania, the dark mornings and the fact that is is here and gone in just a few weeks.

Probably when I started college, I went to a beautiful campus that was most stunning in fall. There was just always something about walking those old halls and holing up in the library to study, watching the rain against my dorm window.

Leaves! Yes, the B&BW candle but also just running though leaves smells so good until they start rotting but we’ve got a few weeks before that happens 😛

You’ve Got Mail, I think it starts out in the fall and that paired with her cute little bookstore gives it that perfectly cozy ambiance.

The colors, obviously but again, just the smell of leaves is so delightful.

If I had a fire, then probably a fire but I just watch them in bed now. I don’t own a television, I just watch stuff on my phone and it’s easier to be in bed while doing this.

If I had a partner…no scratch that, I enjoy doing things by myself 😀

There aren’t a ton of hiking opportunities where I live and the ones that do exist are typically plagued by too many people. I do a lot of trail running though which feels like hiking and fall/winter is the best time to do it.

I have but also, I don’t like being that close to bees and messing with the fruits of their labor. I prefer to just purchase already bagged apples at the orchard, I do like going to orchards in general though.

Cooking, baking, cleaning, reading, knitting – pretty much anything that one can do inside and avoid getting cold and wet.

Mustard.

Tough call but if I’m being honest, my love affair with winter died after that -29 degree polar vortex bullshit that happened last year. I like winter, I like snow but I don’t like it when it feels dangerous to be outside. We will see how this winter goes but I’m a fall fan as of now.

Autumn, I hate spring. Pastels, allergies, lawn mowing, all the trash hiding under the snow because people can’t put their shit in the fucking garbage, the road kill – hate it all.

Skirts, tights, boots.

I don’t really have a bad memory that I associate specifically with the season and I hope it stays that way.

It would certainly be my wedding season but any season that someone wants to get married in should be wedding season.

Cider, being the total hypocrite that I am, I picked up some pumpkin spice apple cider just this weekend and it is actually delicious.

I have and I hate the smell of pumpkin pulp, I can’t stop smelling it for days. I rarely carve pumpkins anymore.

Again, from You’ve Got Mail where Meg Ryan is walking though the streets of New York and that song by The Cranberries is playing.

That’s it for today but I will be back later with a 31 Nights of Halloween post. Do you love fall, do you get a little burnt out on it? I do, Hobby Lobby has their Christmas stuff out already and I’m not even mad about it.

🖤

Spooky Tag P. III

Blogoween

And here we are, as they say, all good things must come to an end!

I would rather be trick-or-treating but I don’t think it’s socially acceptable at my age. Also, what is the trunk-or-treating about?! There were way less street lights when I was a kid and we went house to house. Kids are getting too soft.

The choices are your cliche roles in most horror movies; final girl, the first to die, the comic relief, the skeptic, the smart one or the killer. I would definitely be the killer, it’s always the one that you least suspect.

Not usually but I’ve also watched many horror movies a ridiculous amount of times and some of the shock value has probably worn off.

The choices being; the person who yells at the characters, the person with their eyes covered or the person who falls asleep. Probably yelling or falling asleep, I’m unsure of how that works 😛

Neither, I don’t like scaring people!

The Shining is hands down the most terrifying book ever written. I honestly do not think that the film adaptation did it justice. Some of the most unsettling events aren’t even in the movie or were poorly done in comparison.

Probably too young. Kids will never know the art and thrill of conning their grandparents into getting you horror movies from Blockbuster. You just showed them the one that didn’t have the original movie sleeve and they were none the wiser.

The first one that I can remember was, you guessed it, a cat.

I am feeling a bit uninspired after the time spent on my costume last year and am seriously considering busting out the cats ears. I’ll probably come up with something else but we’ll see.

I already have my Halloween cats! I think I’m secretly a cat…

That does it for this tag, what are you dressing up as for Halloween? Are you a costume at work kinda person, let me know!

🖤

Spooky Tag P. II

Blogoween

Welcome back to spooky season on my blog! What are you doing to get into the spirit of the season? Do you have any decorations up, are you working on a costume? Let me know & let’s jump into to the second part of this Halloween themed tag!

Absolutely, I truly believe that there are multiple dimensions that we are existing in concurrently to this one. There’s just too much that humans don’t understand about the space-time continuum to believe otherwise, I think it’s the foolhardiness of the human ego that prevents us from opening our minds to phenomenons outside of our own existence. Welcome to my TED Talk 😛 I think that the doppelganger occurrence is actually tears in the space-time continuum – debate me.

Nothing comes to mind, I don’t think I would be a potion kind of bwitch – I just get this feeling that I would rely more heavily on incantations, curses, etc. Do you ever wonder what kind of witch you’d be? Are you watching that Salem show, I’m having a hard time getting into it – I find anything about the witch trials to be deeply saddening.

Not usually, even though I tend to believe in things that I can’t see, I’m pretty skeptical. Someone could kick my front door in and I’d be like – are you sure?

Yes, and it was very anti-climactic. For some reason, as a kid, I thought that the point of the game was to summon the Bloody Mary as in the Catholic queen who executed a ton of protestants. I just didn’t find it scary because I was Catholic, clearly I would be spared. I don’t think that’s what the point of the game is though…

Eh, not necessarily. I think that pure evil does exist and demons, hell, the devil are just a way of trying to separate that evil from the human existence. Some people are just evil, it’s hard to understand but creating this fantasy won’t change that. I often say that there are many things that I would sell my soul for but I just don’t believe in the devil.

Probably nothing, I can rationalize most anything and would talk myself out of hearing anything. That being said, I also live in a top floor apartment and might get more spooked alone in a house but I’m not sure.

The Birds, I love how chic everyone in that movie is and at the end of the day, they are just birds. I feel that I would have a pretty good chance at surviving. Honestly, probably any Hitchcock movie, everyone just looked so dapper.

Probably a cat, hear me out, it is a surprisingly versatile costume. It works for young and old alike, now I can wear leggings, pleather, a cute leotard and I can just dress up in some sweats and ears when I’m 80. It works on so many levels.

Been there, done that. I find graveyards to be very peaceful unless you’re in the deep south where there are such beautiful graveyards but they feel different. Nothing against the south, many tragic events in US history have taken place there. The graveyards I’ve been to felt restless, they effected me differently. Did I mention that I like to visit graveyards, mostly for the historical value.

Eh, hiding…? I have seen enough zombie movies to know that nothing works. I think I would just hide as far away from civilization as I could. Also, have you ever wondered how effective wild animals would be at taking out zombies? Like, maybe just acquire an army of bears as I don’t think they would be as susceptible to the zombie disease. Or would they be? Then your army of bears just turns on you…?

That wraps it up for par deux, I hope you enjoyed!

🖤

Happy Halloween Eve: Spooky Tag P. I

Blogoween, Random

Or, October 1st for the normies 🦇 How about getting into the spirit with a festive tag?! I love tags, I can’t help it – this one is a bit long with 30 questions, I’m breaking it up into 10 questions over three days. Let’s get started!

John Carpenter’s Halloween Theme – it’s my year round ringtone and the perfect theme for any tragedy.

A rabid deer or a human being that doesn’t look like they are exercising or otherwise supposed to be in the forest. More on the deer thing, I do a lot of trail running in densely wooded areas and one day, a deer came tearing out of the brush right in front of me. I don’t think it was rabid but ever since then, I’ve been afraid of getting clocked by a deer!

Only fools think it’s a game 😛 When I was a kid, I do recall one for instance where one showed up at a slumber party but what I remember more vividly about that night was watching The Craft when I was absolutely not supposed to be watching it!

Dracula or any blood-sucking villain but preferably ones who look like Lestat.

I’ve recounted this chilling tale a number of times and literally nobody believes me or they blame my cats. One day, in my youth, I was home alone and got out of the shower when I smelled propane. I had a gas burning stove at the time, all the burners were turned onto light and just filling my apartment with gas! I still don’t know what happened but I’ve since refused to live in dwellings with gas appliances. I mean, nothing really happened, it was just weird.

Probably. True story, my old lady neighbor passed away a little over a year ago. She wasn’t found for several days, perhaps more than a week, she apparently didn’t have any family. The weird part is that she would always say that she was going to see her kids/grand kids constantly and she had this little cart the she rolled around filled with activities for kids but apparently she wasn’t ever leaving the building! I think she’s haunting the building now, specifically my main hallway and my cats agree.

I don’t know if I have ever had the opportunity to test the theory. I mean, maybe? I think it’s human nature to believe in a little hocus-pocus to explain the inexplicable.

I don’t think so, unless I am driving at night and feel like there are creatures hiding just beyond the scope of my headlights.

Skinwalkers, because they’re real and the other members of my middle school volleyball team can confirm this!

It depends, if it’s super cheesy gore that is so obviously fake then it doesn’t bother me but if it’s super realistic body-horror then I can’t watch it. I have this weird habit of recalling the most horrifically graphic things while I’m eating and then I lose my appetite, it used to really piss my mom off. I prefer thrillers, I think it’s what’s not happening that can be more terrifying.

I hope that you enjoyed this spooky little tag & Happy October!

🖤

Best of May

Monthly Favorites

I can’t believe it’s June, spring sprung seemingly overnight after weeks of cool, rainy weather. I love the rainy weather but it’s nice to see the sun shining and we’re well on our way to Halloween 👻 My deck is almost summer ready, I spent too much time ~~and money~~ in IKEA last weekend. I had this fantastic idea to change my master bathroom from beige to white because I love hotel bathrooms. Clean ones, that is with white towels and that subtle bleach scent. What I didn’t realize is that they get cleaned everyday, I’m pretty clean but it’s misery so far 😂 I’ll post about my deck decor sooner than later. Anyway, here are some items that I was loving in May.

For the last year I’ve been trying to switch to natural deodorant, most of them have given me a rash. I picked this up recently and love it so far. It has a light, floral scent – not too rosy but just pleasant enough. The consistency is on the wet side but very moisturizing and dries down to nothing. It’s made my armpits so soft and cleared up the rash in no time. It’s on the expensive side but all of these natural deodorants are.

My skin tends to get congested as soon as the weather starts to heat up, this is a seasonal favorite since it dries my skin out too much during the winter. It’s a mild acid that keeps my back and chest clear. It smells funky like fermented fruit but it works and it’s pretty affordable.

This is one of those blue light therapy devices. It’s supposed to help kill bacteria and I could be nuts but I think it’s working. I had to stop taking oral contraceptive due to starting another medication so I’m getting some hormonal spots but I swear this is knocking them out. My skin is almost back to where it was before my change in meds. I use it for about 15 minutes each night, focusing on different quadrants. I like it because I’m not adding another chemical to my routine. I purchased this from my dermatologist but Amazon sells the exact same one.

Nature’s Bounty recently released a line of skin vitamins, I picked up this one and the moisture one. I really think that my overall skin feels firmer and smoother. I’m also trying the moisture one but can’t say that my skin feels any less dry than usual.

One day, whilst feeling sorry for myself, I ordered a bunch of Charlotte Tilbury because no brand makes me feel prettier 😝 These are the daily go-tos so far. The Peachgasm is this glowy, liquid blush that’s perfect for making pasty skin look flushed and glowy. The cream shadows in Rose Gold and Star Gold are easy to smudge on and go. Her entire summer collection is stunning.

And because I’m a total blush whore, this peachy Burt’s Bees blush has been my ‘bronzer’ of late. I like a bronzer that’s on the redder side because it looks more natural for me to be a bit burnt than actually tanned 😂 I love this formula, not terribly pigmented but easy to build and blend.

I cannot get enough true crime as of late! Yes, I purchased some books but I’m on the hunt for an e-reader. I’m also hooked on the My Favorite Murder podcast and Buzzeed Unsolved: True Crime series on YouTube. I thought the Netflix Ted Bundy movie was pleasantly tame while still being super creepy. Finally, I cannot wait for Stranger Things season three and recently binged the first two seasons. What have you been loving recently?

These goslings were also a fave this month, look at how fat they are! There are spring babies all over the place, it’s lovely. Let me know what you’ve been up to!

🖤

Schlep

A Lifestyle Trend

Thoughts

Blogmas Day 9: A Customer Service Rant

Weekend Whirlwind

Another Fall Tag P. 1

Spooky Tag P. III

Spooky Tag P. II

Happy Halloween Eve: Spooky Tag P. I

Best of May