I'm not even sure I'm right to be upset. But recently I had one of the worst days working as a cashier. And surprisingly it had nothing to do with the customers. Though there was one angry one, it wasn't directed at me. No, it's my assistant manager.
To start with. A customer wants to return a shredder. And I say no problem. But my assistant manager must have thought she was buying it. Because lately anytime anyone comes up with an electronic that we can sell them on a protection plan. She's either asking someone else to take it or is taking it herself. Because she has no faith in me selling the plan. I'm not that great I guess. Anyways that's not the case. The customer also wants to know about another shredder and do other stores carry it. I look it up and then check our inventory. The assis manager snaps in with “You should have called someone to get you the sku.” And the tone was bordering on accusatory, like I was wasting their time. I pointed out that I had the sku when i looked it up and was checking the inventory after doing so. She makes some half hearted remark about how everyone does things differently. I simply nodded and continued helping the customer. But after that she lingers nearby watching.
This is the first twenty minutes of her arriving at work. Before that two hours passed by blissfully. Then it just keeps going. She started on me about answering the phone even when I'm already with a customer. To the point she practically demands over the radio “ANSWER THE PHONE”, which I do instinctively. Despite a co-worker being nearby and herself clearly not being that busy.
Follow this up with a line of five people forming. I ask for some help over the radio as you're supposed to. And the manager says no one is available. Fair enough. But then goes on to stay “You need to go faster.” And she's joined in by a supervisor, who is also super busy apparently, chiming in with 'you have to be faster'. And they she says it more than once.
Meanwhile. The customer has entered her card into the atm 3 times and on the third time it says “tender system offline”. But fourth time's the charm. I REALLY wanted to say this over the radio. But i didn't want the customer to feel like she was the problem. And there were other customers to help. Add to this atm spitting out errors, the transition to the receipt screen has lately been hanging for like ten seconds each time. Oh and she keeps mentioning how I gotta be faster throughout the rest of the shift.
We finally clear out the huge line of customers that this form. And I mean 'we' as in two other co-workers finally join me. It still takes a while to get people out. Despite all that BS about 'being faster'. Well, in the middle of that madness, a customer purchases a chair and wants it assembled in store to pick up the next day. I do my due diligence, write his name, and the date. I then have to move this big box to the area behind the counter where we assemble them.
The assistant manager comes out and I tell her that we got a chair for assembly. Just wanting to let her know so that it doesn't slip through the cracks. As I'm telling her this a customer walks up to the counter. And I mean just about then walks up. Suddenly they snap at me “The customer is always your priority.” Which just felt so unwarranted given I couldn't see him behind me. He was probably standing there five seconds at the most.
I kept my cool. I never responded angrily to her. I only responded “Yeah, ok, yes, etc.” At most in an impassive tone. By the end of the shift I feel miserable. I felt disheartened. Granted she had some valid points throughout the day. But the way they went about it, the tone, demeanor. Just sucked the life right out of me.
I kinda feel like this doesn't belong here. Because technically she didn't do anything wrong. But I can't help feel like we shouldn't be treated like this. I can't help feel her style of management is toxic. My feelings about the job have certainly been tainted. Before this I almost looked forward to being there. Instead I've been anxious about the next shift we might share. I definitely felt singled out that day. Perhaps because in her eyes I'm 'not good enough' and she just wants to make me sink or swim. Is this common in retail jobs? Should I just accept it as part of the job?