I sometimes feel like a barman

"Svend" (svend) 12/19/2018 at 22:01 • Filed to: None

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I work nights filling shelves, granted it’s not quantum physics or brain surgery but it pays the bills (though still a pretty shit job but that’s down to shitty management).

The things customers tell you, I sometimes feel like a barman or sometimes wanting to take a time out afterwards to catch a breath.

Four days ago, a customer needed help finding a certain it em, I made light conversation of, what are you doing up this late at night, just finished work or couldn’t sleep?, as we walked to the item. Noticing he had a few alcoholic drinks in his basket I said I’d come with him to the tills approve the alcohol items through the till. As he loaded the items on the till I took two bottles of alcohol to have their security tags removed. I asked if he was having a party. Then it happened. He said, ‘yes we’re holding a small party but it may become a larger party if we get the news we are hoping for. My wife has cancer and were waiting for the news that she’s all clear. We’ve been married 30 years and I don’t know what I’d do without her. She’s my life and I’m really scared. I’ve had sleepless nights about it but if we get the all clear we’re going to have an amazing party’. We exchanged more words back and forth. As he left I felt totally drained emotionally.

Then last night a couple were in my aisle and had a baby with them. The woman saw me smiling and making funny faces at the baby and she asked how old I thought she was. I looked and said, ‘Hmm, I’m going to sa y , two months’. She said yes, in two days time. Then started telling me all ab out her pregnancy, breast feeding, the labour. The labour of her son and how the pregnancy was with him. How they were shopping for christmas and were given money from her family to get the kids some presents from them and how it came that they were also shopping for a coat as their son had just that day broken the zip on his coat.

People are just so open to telling me everything and I have no idea why.

wafflesnfalafel > Svend 12/19/2018 at 22:39

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T here absolutely is value in that.

sony1492 > Svend 12/19/2018 at 22:42

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Side note: I too work grocery, but I’ve got a 4am shift. Wake up at 3:15 to load up on coffee at 4am, Downs tack pallets and spot items for an hour, pull ba ckstock, order, throw product, then datecheck while facing for 1-3 hours. Facing for 3 hours is the height of watching paint dry.

It may be some thing about being the only customer in a store that gives them confidence.

Svend > wafflesnfalafel 12/19/2018 at 22:48

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It can be truly exhausting sometimes.

EngineerWithTools > Svend 12/19/2018 at 22:48

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The question answers itself, methinks. People are open to telling you things because you’re someone they feel is open to hearing them. That’s a rare thing, even if it’s exhausting sometimes.

Waffles is right ( when are waffles ever wrong?), there’s value in that.

Svend > EngineerWithTools 12/19/2018 at 22:52

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Waffles are good.

Though I grew up in the U.K. with potato waffles rather than Belgium waffles.

Great with beans and a fried egg. 

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Svend 12/19/2018 at 22:55

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its not your job... its you

shit mate ive never seen you say a bad word to anybody

people pick up on that right quick somehow.... its like magic

someassemblyrequired > Svend 12/19/2018 at 22:58

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I worked several years as a bank teller and this all sounds pretty familiar. Sometimes talking to the nearest customer service person is the cheapest/nearest/most effective non-judgemental therapy.

I found it could be draining at times and wonderful at others. It was great when you could work some magic and get someone’s life pointing in a better direction. It was horrible when one of your regulars came in and told you that they didn’t have much time left or that their life had been upended somehow.

I used to kind of disconnect - I’d try to always stay on the positive side of things and remember I could only control what I could control, and there was some times that I could only be a friendly waypoint on the path of life.

I do look upon that time fondly though, it was one of the best times of my working career. I had great colleagues and I felt like everyday I was doing something. Often times in salaried work I felt like I was just spinning my wheels or doing useless busywork.

Svend > sony1492 12/19/2018 at 23:03

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My shift is 10pm until 6am. There are quite a few customers in our place at night as it’s a lot quieter than the craziness that goes on during the day and the shelves are normally at their fullest or on a cage or pallet nearby ready to be put out.

Also because were are just over the border from Scotland, we don’t have the same Scottish laws of no promotions on alcohol drinks or minimum price per litre of alcohol, so people travel from quite far away to get a good deal on drink and nights are easier to move pallets and large amounts of stock about. 

Svend > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 12/19/2018 at 23:05

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Cheers mate. 

Svend > someassemblyrequired 12/19/2018 at 23:12

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Oh god, yes. Those ones.

Last year I had a guy come in wanting to celebrate a little and enjoy life as he’d been given six months to live a while back and was by essentials in his last two weeks. He’d come to terms with everything and wanted to ride the last time out.

That was emotional.

It’s great when you can offer some support and a little advice and they come back and thank you for it. 

Goggles Pizzano > Svend 12/20/2018 at 00:11

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If this makes you uncomfortable, you might want to think about moving to Vancouver.

Walking on a quiet street and cross paths with another person, they’ll do anything not to make eye contact, let alone say hello. There is almost no conversation to be had anywhere with strangers. Opening lines are shot down with smirks. Everyone’s paranoid somebody’s going to take their money, or their time that would be used to make more. Beautiful city? Yes, to look at.

You are a lucky guy.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Goggles Pizzano 12/20/2018 at 00:42

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Bang on

Svend > Goggles Pizzano 12/20/2018 at 01:12

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Lol. I live in the north of England and we’ll interact with virtually anyone.

Stood at a pedestrian crossing and the lights seem to take too long to change. We;ll start a brief conversation on how long we’ve stood there. Then which is the worst pedestrian crossing for wait time.

Stood in a queue and someone takes ages at the till, conversation.

Someone jumps the queue, conversation.

Walking down the street, ‘good morning’, ‘alright!?’, ‘hi’, ‘hello’, ‘it’s a bit cold out!?’, ‘great weather we’re having’ (sarcasm if raining, observation if sunny), etc... even if we are across the road, we’ll glance at each other, if we get eye contact, we’ll say hi. 

Goggles Pizzano > Svend 12/20/2018 at 01:21

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Wow, t hat sounds amazing.

Svend > Goggles Pizzano 12/20/2018 at 01:34

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Lol. Hal Cruttendenon the north south divide (there is a cultural and class divide between northern England and southern England.

Grimsby is in Yorkshire, considered the north while I’m in Carlisle (the red dot above the ‘n’ on the border.

Goggles Pizzano > Svend 12/20/2018 at 01:40

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Sounds like I’ll be retiring to Scotland, thank you very much. :-)x

Svend > Goggles Pizzano 12/20/2018 at 02:21

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Scotland is a different set of rules.

I’m on the English side that doesn’t have strict alcohol prices on a litre of alco hol and they aren’t allowed alcohol promotions.