I just had a bad day. [Bad Language Warning]2:27 a.m. - 2004-06-01
Hi. Majorly shitty day today, which is why I'm writing on here. I need to vent, because I can't sleep without letting it out.
So, yesterday, I was talking in the break room with a bunch of other cashiers. Eventually, the topic wandered to loaders, yadda yadda yadda I said something that came out wrong, and Mr. Asshole (that word will be getting a lot of play in this entry), a loader, jumped all over me. Of course, Mr. Asshole being an asshole, he didn't accept my immediate apology, and I realized he wouldn't listen to my explanation, and instead listened to the other cashiers explain how hard a loader's job is, being very nice all the while. I got home that night, and being me, had a lot of trouble falling asleep, because I said something that was so rude, and also telling myself that Mr. Asshole was an asshole for reacting in such a horrible way.
Today, after returning from my first break, I go up to the front to ask the head cashiers where to go. One of them said, "Oh, Chloe is back from her break." Mr. Asshole was standing there with them, and immediately says, "Oh, Chloe, that's that stupid bitch of a cashier (that isn't his exact words, of course, merely the meaning behind them) who said yadda yadda yadda." I say, "Hey, I'm really sorry about that, it just came out the wrong way..." Mr. Asshole, what with being a huge asshole and all, doesn't let me try to explain, rolls his eyes and walks away.
I'm sort of sensitive, a quality not well suited to a retail enviroment. I tear up a little bit (which I don't think I normally would do, but I was sleep deprived from the previous night), but I'm managing with the customers. Only about a minute later I get a customer who isn't so nice. He wants a discount, and it's no problem. I finish scanning the items, and I forget to put on the discount. (Please people, if you are getting a discount remind the cashier! We have a lot going on). Of course, he waits until after he has approved the charges before asking if I got the discount. I say, "Oh, I'm so sorry sir. I forgot to put it on there, and at this point I can't cancel the transaction and go back. Here's how to fix that (yadda yadda)." Customer Asshole completely goes off on me, which I could have dealt with normally, but with Mr. Asshole only a minute before, plus the whole sensitive state thing, was too much. The cashier next to me said, "Don't worry, he's just a jerk. Don't let it get to you." I managed to get through the next customer, but I'm crying by this point. The cashier next to me tells a head cashier, and once she realized what was going on, she told me to leave my post and go calm down. I manage to get to the bathroom (in the back of the store, of course) and sob in a stall for a few minutes. I finally stop full out crying, and figure I'll walk around the bathroom for a few minutes until my breathing goes back to normal, and then I'll return.
This doesn't work, of course. There is a steady flow of employees, all of whom ask me if I'm okay. This, unfortunately, makes me cry harder (is this just me? It's always worse when people say, "Oh, what's wrong? Can I help?"). Many assure me that crying has happened to them before, and you just have to develop a shell.
A woman in h.r. extracts the whole story (poor thing, fun to get info out of a sniffling person), and tells me that if he does it again (Mr. Asshole, that is) that I should report him immediately to her, because that is harrassment. A head cashier also finds out from me (I felt like a tattle tale, but I honestly did try not to rat out) and has a talk with him that day.
So, all in all, at least 20 members of the store found out that I was crying directly (if not the reason why, I generally would just say I was having a bad day). A few (h.r. woman) had to tell other people (head h.r. guy, so he would be aware of the situation). Somehow, the store manager also found out.
So now, almost the whole store knows that I was crying (which I hate), Mr. Asshole is still being an asshole (he is still being a prick, for lack of a better term, however I do not ever intend to speak to him except under duress, because I don't need that sort of shit), and I still am tearing up from assholish comments from both Asshole and asshole customer.
Oh, sort of funny story. When I was crying after asshole customer had left, a customer in the lane of the nice cashier next to me asked if he made me cry. She replied, "Yeah, pretty much," (she didn't know about Mr. Asshole), and he was pissed off in my behalf. She says that the customer intended to meet up with the asshole in the parking lot, and talk with him. Which is so nice, and then also made me cry.
Really, the vast majority of customers are very nice. But, the 1% can really make your day hell.
I just had a bad day.
And I'm so fucking sick of crying.
|
notes book design dland