I remember when I was the manager at a used record store in Tempe, I had a major local celebrity come in at five minutes before closing time.
Okay, it was Randy Johnson.
He started shopping, and saw me turn off the "Open" sign and lock the door, and then go back to my computer to type up the invoices for the day.
"How late are you open?" he asked.
"I'm here until you want to leave." I replied. "I just locked the door to keep anyone from bothering you. But normally, I would be here for another half hour or so. Just holler if you need help finding anything."
He shopped for about an hour, and I got my paperwork done, and the packages ready for mailing. Randy had really eclectic tastes in music. He was looking at some of the display stuff (high priced stuff we don't keep in with the regular stuff), and spotted the Bernie Green "Musically Mad" album that was still unopened and started doing a happy dance.
It was worth staying open for him. He spent almost $500. The boss, when he came in the next morning, went nuts.
That was very accommodating of you. If I was a celebrity I don’t think I’d feel comfortable keeping a store open an hour after closing, but it sounds like you made him feel very welcome.
The main reason he went nuts was because (a) I did a $500 sale to end the day, and (b) I had all of the day's orders ready to be shipped, so he didn't have to do them. He could sit back and enjoy his cup of coffee.
Like you, I read faster than most people talk. Skimming helps, but I haven’t figured out how to skim videos. If you ever do, let us know; we miss out on a lot of news that is never written down.
You can play newscasts a faster speed on YouTube if it’s not a live video. I haven’t tried it, but it could be less depressing hearing Alvin and the Chipmunks style voices.
Clever-sticks in tech have ruined that humorous function: increasing the speed doesn't raise the pitch of the speakers' voices, by some magic. Down with tech progress!
These days, almost every YT vid has a transcript. Reading it can be quicker, and less traumatic, than watching the vid. It's also useful for sending snippets from the transcript to those weird friends of yours who refuse to waste time watching YT vids (unlike you, who have nothing better to do) and just want the executive summary.
Every retail job I have had, there was always a 'Tabby" . Super awesome individuals who you miss on their days off. On a side note, a good milk shake has to have 7parts ice cream, 2 and 91/8 syrup and 1/8 milk. You will also need an industrial strength blender.
Often, I find out about the news by reading a comic strip. I'll be baffled by the punch line and have to research some current event to understand it. Except "Adult Children." Thank you for not being topical!
That’s how Doonesbury collections became interactive history books. You read a strip, look up the references, laugh, read another strip, laugh because it’s the same reference and you get the joke, read another strip, look up the reference….
I don't absorb news in any fashion. Having noted that the events in the dystopian novels I read in my youth are coming true, I spend my days in a fetal position underneath my bed.
This was a great post today! I find it so interesting that those of us who responded to the survey mostly read the news.
The early shoppers comic is spot on. I love it when early birds press their faces to the glass. I try not to be this person when I arrive before opening time. Sometimes I’m so adverse to even trying the door and finding it locked that I stand out there 5 minutes before I realize they opened early, before I got there.
I love that dilemma. You can try the door to see if they’re open, but then you’re an idiot tugging on a locked door. Or you can politely wait, but then you’re an idiot waiting outside of an unlocked door.
Just a couple of comments from an ex-retail peon who went into something more prestigious and better paid -- Janitorial.
I have NEVER seen a "self-checkout" register that didn't need the assistance of an actual human at least every other customer.
Also, the reason they want all employees leaving at once has nothing to do with safety, they just know whoever's left alone in an empty store will steal every damn thing that isn't nailed down and consider anything they can pry up to be not nailed down.
When I was a rookie bank manager in the mid-70's I'd often work on Sundays trying to clean up the mess of previous management. I'd turn on 1 lonely little desk lamp and leave the rest of the office dark, you know, to convey the message that it being Sunday we were not open. Invariably, at least 1 person would rattle the locked doors and ask if we were open.
People also walk past barriers into a completely darkened library when the community area is open for voting. I always thought dark buildings were a deterrent. They are not.
I worked at Cracker Barrel for a few years after retirement. I figured out I needed a part time job, but I'm fully retired now. If I had to park at the back of the store during the day, if there was a man on the porch there I'd ask him to at least follow me part way back there. I never had anybody turn me down. 🥰
There was no "not at all" button on the poll. I am informed on local politics where I can do something and I vote in national and state elections, but the news gets none of my deliberate attention. I can't do anything about it and it is bad for my mental health. If my mental health is decent, I can do helpful things in the world. News causes me to waste what little I can do to make the world better.
Right. Much of it is presented no differently than entertainment with plenty of commercials and ads to make a profit. I don’t engage in useless political discussions that are indistinguishable from playground name-calling. I vote.
I remember when I was the manager at a used record store in Tempe, I had a major local celebrity come in at five minutes before closing time.
Okay, it was Randy Johnson.
He started shopping, and saw me turn off the "Open" sign and lock the door, and then go back to my computer to type up the invoices for the day.
"How late are you open?" he asked.
"I'm here until you want to leave." I replied. "I just locked the door to keep anyone from bothering you. But normally, I would be here for another half hour or so. Just holler if you need help finding anything."
He shopped for about an hour, and I got my paperwork done, and the packages ready for mailing. Randy had really eclectic tastes in music. He was looking at some of the display stuff (high priced stuff we don't keep in with the regular stuff), and spotted the Bernie Green "Musically Mad" album that was still unopened and started doing a happy dance.
It was worth staying open for him. He spent almost $500. The boss, when he came in the next morning, went nuts.
That was very accommodating of you. If I was a celebrity I don’t think I’d feel comfortable keeping a store open an hour after closing, but it sounds like you made him feel very welcome.
And that's why you're not a celebrity.
The main reason he went nuts was because (a) I did a $500 sale to end the day, and (b) I had all of the day's orders ready to be shipped, so he didn't have to do them. He could sit back and enjoy his cup of coffee.
I miss small record stores. And small book stores. I think I miss all small stores.
I miss small locally owned businesses.
What a great story! I’ve subscribed and hope you will tell more in this vein
That is such a great story. Thank you for sharing!
Like you, I read faster than most people talk. Skimming helps, but I haven’t figured out how to skim videos. If you ever do, let us know; we miss out on a lot of news that is never written down.
You can play newscasts a faster speed on YouTube if it’s not a live video. I haven’t tried it, but it could be less depressing hearing Alvin and the Chipmunks style voices.
Clever-sticks in tech have ruined that humorous function: increasing the speed doesn't raise the pitch of the speakers' voices, by some magic. Down with tech progress!
These days, almost every YT vid has a transcript. Reading it can be quicker, and less traumatic, than watching the vid. It's also useful for sending snippets from the transcript to those weird friends of yours who refuse to waste time watching YT vids (unlike you, who have nothing better to do) and just want the executive summary.
I never appreciated an executive summary until I started reading what co-workers were writing.
Every retail job I have had, there was always a 'Tabby" . Super awesome individuals who you miss on their days off. On a side note, a good milk shake has to have 7parts ice cream, 2 and 91/8 syrup and 1/8 milk. You will also need an industrial strength blender.
I will try that.
Often, I find out about the news by reading a comic strip. I'll be baffled by the punch line and have to research some current event to understand it. Except "Adult Children." Thank you for not being topical!
That’s how Doonesbury collections became interactive history books. You read a strip, look up the references, laugh, read another strip, laugh because it’s the same reference and you get the joke, read another strip, look up the reference….
I was just starting to read Doonesbury in high school when Watergate happened. I had to follow the news to get the jokes!
I remember the line “The only thing worse than being in Doonesbury is not being in Doonesbury.” He had an amazing run.
I don't absorb news in any fashion. Having noted that the events in the dystopian novels I read in my youth are coming true, I spend my days in a fetal position underneath my bed.
This was a great post today! I find it so interesting that those of us who responded to the survey mostly read the news.
The early shoppers comic is spot on. I love it when early birds press their faces to the glass. I try not to be this person when I arrive before opening time. Sometimes I’m so adverse to even trying the door and finding it locked that I stand out there 5 minutes before I realize they opened early, before I got there.
I love that dilemma. You can try the door to see if they’re open, but then you’re an idiot tugging on a locked door. Or you can politely wait, but then you’re an idiot waiting outside of an unlocked door.
I’ve been there.
Just a couple of comments from an ex-retail peon who went into something more prestigious and better paid -- Janitorial.
I have NEVER seen a "self-checkout" register that didn't need the assistance of an actual human at least every other customer.
Also, the reason they want all employees leaving at once has nothing to do with safety, they just know whoever's left alone in an empty store will steal every damn thing that isn't nailed down and consider anything they can pry up to be not nailed down.
I have an older strip about how they work great as long as there’s an employee right there to assist.
When I was a rookie bank manager in the mid-70's I'd often work on Sundays trying to clean up the mess of previous management. I'd turn on 1 lonely little desk lamp and leave the rest of the office dark, you know, to convey the message that it being Sunday we were not open. Invariably, at least 1 person would rattle the locked doors and ask if we were open.
People also walk past barriers into a completely darkened library when the community area is open for voting. I always thought dark buildings were a deterrent. They are not.
I worked at Cracker Barrel for a few years after retirement. I figured out I needed a part time job, but I'm fully retired now. If I had to park at the back of the store during the day, if there was a man on the porch there I'd ask him to at least follow me part way back there. I never had anybody turn me down. 🥰
In five years I hope I'm not dead. This didn't go over well, but hey, they were the one's who asked!
There was no "not at all" button on the poll. I am informed on local politics where I can do something and I vote in national and state elections, but the news gets none of my deliberate attention. I can't do anything about it and it is bad for my mental health. If my mental health is decent, I can do helpful things in the world. News causes me to waste what little I can do to make the world better.
Right. Much of it is presented no differently than entertainment with plenty of commercials and ads to make a profit. I don’t engage in useless political discussions that are indistinguishable from playground name-calling. I vote.
I liked 'em !
Thanks for drawing & writing :)
I like to hear about the news when the memes start cropping up.