The Owl vs The Boar

"When life hands you lemons, make some lemonade." I am a patient person when it comes to people I work with but it is starting to take it toll, and someone needs to pay that toll fee.

Yesterday I opened at the GNC store and received an email about multi vitamins are buy one get one half off. Since I have a gold card with them I get sale updates. Well I called my manager, who like always did not answer, heaven forbid that someone should be up at that un-Godly hour of 10am.

The store received a new shipment of merchandise. I started to unpack the boxes and restocking the new items on the shelf behind the old items to keep things rotating out. An estimated three hours must have pass and it was about 12:30pm or so and the manager called me to say he is coming in. Apparently he was suppose to change all the sale ads and update all the promo signs but it just did not get around to do it. Then shortly after he called the area manager, my manager's manager called and asked if the new sale signs are up. I told her no, but I am working on it now and that my manager is on his way to finish it up. She then asked when was the last day he worked at the store.

My manager shows up and starts taking down old signs and ads and I help. I asked why did you not leave a note or call and have me and the other associate to get things ready. He said that its complicated and did not want to leave it to use and then have to come in to fix what we did wrong.

................... yes, taking down old sale signs which have expiration dates in small font and taking down old posters and setting up new posters and displays truly is nuclear physics, and guess what, a business degree makes you the only one qualified to copy planograms!

..............lets forget about the guy who has worked in health care for the past 4 1/2 years(moi)

In Greek mythology, the Owl was a symbol of wisdom and associated with the Goddess, Athena.

Once all that was finished I started stocking the new shipment in again and a shelf piece fell down. My manager told me it was my fault, I took it ask if he was playing. I replied that it was his, then he said no its not it was in-fact my fault. Continuing the joke I said it was Lisa, another associate who works there. The mood suddenly changed, the manager then questioned my ethics and professionalism. He then said its no ones fault and I should not be blaming other people for my actions. He then explained that we are a team.

Interesting, we are a team but he talks shit about Lisa and about the guy he made quite. We are a team but I have to pick up the slack because he must  take his vaca days while we are short handed..........SO MUCH FOR TEAM WORK RIGHT!

Finally my shift was over and I clocked out. He then told me he needs to talk to me despite that fact I am off now. I spent 30minutes listening to him giving me some constructional criticism. I did not take it as a bad way until he told me that he knows I am not trying to sale GNC items, that I am just trying to sale items to get bigger commission. The never, how unprofessional, how can he say I am not trying and that I am only selling non GNC items. 

I tired to explain but he did not want to listen. I explain that the customers who come in are on a budget and that they usually come in to get the same items that have been helping them. He explained to me that the customers do not know what they want, that I need to persuade them to get GNC items. I told him how do you sell a GNC multi vitamin to someone who expresses they already have a vitamin. He then said that GNC is better then the "cheap shit from Walmart." He told me I need to pick up my sales and that if its to hard GNC lets people go who can no keep up sales.

I took all this in and understood what he was trying to tell me, but I believe it all should have come out differently since he is suppose to be a manager.

I left that day thinking, this guy is full of shit, this guy is a bully, this guy is in it for his own profit not for the customers needs.

Its funny that day I had several customers call the store and wanted to know my name because they felt comfortable talking to me and that I seem like I know what I am talking about. While in the store, some customers expressed that they do not like the manager because he "hounds" the and does not let them shop around and pressures them to buying something and then to leave.


Today I worked at another GNC location in Round Rock, Tx. Today was an awesome day. The customers there wanted to shop around and wanted to listen about items and how it can benefit them. They were interested in knowing who I am and what I would recommend. The customers had a different attitude and different perspective on health. It was a breath of fresh air. 

I also went to the gym and worked out on legs and did a lot of cardio.