Day One
Damn, I'm tired.
Yesterday was my first actual day of work at DAS ÜBERBÜY and damn am I dehydrated. Seriously, I spent most of my shift shelving DVDs and while the place was air conditioned I still managed to sweat a ridiculous amount, but not enough at any one time to really notice I was sweating profusely until after my shift ended.
Oh, yeah, the shift wouldn't end either.
Last time I worked retail I was the manager of a small educational toy store. I set my own hours and I was in charge of opening and closing. I knew exactly what I had to do and when I had to do it.
Right now, everything's a mystery to me.
I just do what they tell me to do when they tell me to do it. It's a strange way for me to live as I've grown used to having more control than this. Going to work is like driving down a twisty mountain road you've never been on, at night, with your copilot giving you directions every so often. "TURN NOW!"
Yeah, I know this is what rally racers do. But I'm not a rally racer, and I'd never met my copilot before yesterday.
Apparenty I'm also subverting the training process by not wearing a white shirt as I'd been told to do. Sorry, the last time I wore a white polo shirt was when I was an 8th grader at St. Hubert's. That was the uniform and when I graduated, I left it behind.
When I asked if this non-white shirt ownership status would be a problem; I'd been told that wearing some other color would be OK and I've been doing that. But it's really throwing the rest of the staff. People that aren't in my department think I'm some strange customer that likes to shelf DVDs, cuz they're always asking me if I need help finding something.
Yeah, I really need a white polo.
the other day when i was working at osco i forgot to wear my name tag, and damn does this throw customers for a loop. people would look at me funny and then come up and ask sheepishly "do you work here?". mind you, i am waring a shirt that says on osco on it and i basically am wearing the exact thing that every other employee is wearing. so of course i always answered no when they asked if i worked there. i'm a bad ass.
when i go to target wearing a red shirt and kakhis i get asked if i work there. in fact, everywhere i go i generally get asked if i work there. i have yet assess whetehr or not these comments are compliments (yay!) or if they are insults (oh my!).
congrats on making it through your first day.
thanks, ines.
seriously, though. the uniform is important to people. if you deviate even slightly, all hell breaks loose. fascinating stuff, yo.