It takes 43 muscles to frown

Yesterday I was extremely cheerful and peppy and many of my co-workers were also in disgustingly good moods.  The customers, however, were not.  There are always a few curmudgeons, but nearly everyone I had contact with yesterday was grumpy and negative and foul.  I wrote a little note on a piece of paper:

"Everyone today is SO grumpy and negative."

I showed it discreetly to my co-worker in between customers.  She smiled and nodded in agreement.  After we closed the doors at the end of the day, we felt beat down.  Are we the only happy people in the world?  What the hell is up with all the grumpypants?

Some theories included a full moon (though I have since looked and the moon is not full; it is a waning cresent.  you know how crazy people get when there is a waning cresent moon.) and the parade happening a few blocks away.   

Lighten up people.  Your stress is killing you.  And you are stressing out over baskets, coffee makers, and house warming gifts for people you don't even like.  Therefore, it is like you are being killed slowly by baskets, coffee makers, and house warming gifts.  Embarrassing!

The "C" word (customers)

Yesterday was one of the most annoying days ever. Nearly everyone I helped treated me with some level of jerkiness. And I didn't get a morning break because we were short staffed and demoing the popcorn machine. I did stuff my face full of popcorn, discreetly, on the sales floor.

Here's the major jerks:

-The old lady freaking out about sink saddles. One of my co-workers called her to let her know that sink saddles were back in stock. So imagine her dismay when she made a trip in and discovered that they are not the sink saddle she wants! The sink saddles we have are clear with drain holes on the sides. The sink saddle she wants is white and without drain holes. No matter how many times I told her that the clear one is the only sink saddle we have, she just wouldn't except it. I looked up inventory in the computer and saw that in past we did sell another sink saddle, and though I am not sure if it was the one she wants, the description said white. But that one was discontinued and we don't have any and we haven't had any since 2004. Though I hated to do it, the only way I got the bitch to shut up was to tell her that my co-worker must have been mistaken about the sink saddles.

-Yesterday there was a St. Patrick's Day parade that went right past the store. I didn't know there was going to be one. For several personal reasons, parades sort of depress me. Plus, I just don't give a shit about parades. Before I knew there was going to be a parade, I had a customer ask me what was going on. I said I didn't know and then immediately turned to my co-worker and asked if there "was a parade or something?" Then the customer told me that I should know about such things for when people ask. Why is it my job to be the community events information booth? He lives here too and he didn't know about the parade either. Dude, you can go shove a shamrock up your ass.

-The lady who asked me what materials made up the outdoor furniture. When I told her it was wrought iron, she freaked out and went on a tirade about rust. She was bitching about something she didn't even buy at our store. I didn't mention the 37 years worth of testimonials from hundreds of other customers about how well the furniture holds up. Sometimes you just have to let them dump and leave.

-I had a customer call and ask me about our stainless steel stovetop espresso makers. She asked me the style name. I read it off of the box. "Class." And then she laughed at me. Not like, "oh, what a funny name for a stovetop espresso maker!" but "you idiot! It cannot POSSIBLY be called Class!" But you can see for yourself, via the link, that the fucking thing is indeed called Class.