Yesterday the grocery store were I work was quite busy. The impending snow and cold had'em out in droves. Good for business. It was also the day our truck delivers, so we had the groceries to put on the shelves. It was kind of a perfect storm. For the most part people were friendly and courteous. You always have a few that are in a minor panic and get a little hyper. A little pushing and shoving and sharp words were evident. That's nothing new,happens all the time.
Working with the public does have it's challenges. The customer is always right, yeah sure, but you have to smile and move on. Most people are really quite nice. The only thing is the topic of conversation is usually the same. I understand why that is. Casual conversation is almost always the weather or an exciting current event. The weather tops everything, by far. After the first four hours the stating of the obvious begins to grate on your nerves. I know it is new to you but I've heard it a hundred times by eleven o'clock. It's cold outside, yes it is, it's going to snow, that's a real news flash, and the winds blowing, really ? It is also daylight and the sky is blue ! Well I try to remain cheerful and respond politely. It is not always an easy task.
I was thinking about this, these awkward conversation starters,and wondering about a solution. Then I thought, what if we included a list of topics in the sale circular ? The shopper could just check the list and ask stuff like, what do you think, are brown eggs superior to white eggs ? Or maybe some other questions like, what is the meaning of life, or what is your favorite music. Maybe list some trivia facts for the shopper to consider. Things like, what does it mean if a green pepper has three bumps on the bottom ? What if it has four ? Don't know the answer just ask the produce person.
I'm just saying that having a conversation about the obvious is tedious at best. In this case, the current weather, I turn on the television news and what are they talking about ? You got it, the weather. A good ten minutes of local newscasters and weathermen stating the obvious over and over. I know it is cold outside,I know I need to be careful and I know I could get frostbite ! Arrg, Calgon take me away ! ( for those that remember that commercial ) if you don'r, You Tube it.
Good morning, may I help you ? You would like a bottle of soda ? That's great. Do you know what year carbonated soda was first sold in plastic bottles ? Why no, I don't. It was in 1973. A man named Nat Wyeth invented the process. Now isn't that better than, It is cold outside, yes it is.
Working with the public does have it's challenges. The customer is always right, yeah sure, but you have to smile and move on. Most people are really quite nice. The only thing is the topic of conversation is usually the same. I understand why that is. Casual conversation is almost always the weather or an exciting current event. The weather tops everything, by far. After the first four hours the stating of the obvious begins to grate on your nerves. I know it is new to you but I've heard it a hundred times by eleven o'clock. It's cold outside, yes it is, it's going to snow, that's a real news flash, and the winds blowing, really ? It is also daylight and the sky is blue ! Well I try to remain cheerful and respond politely. It is not always an easy task.
I was thinking about this, these awkward conversation starters,and wondering about a solution. Then I thought, what if we included a list of topics in the sale circular ? The shopper could just check the list and ask stuff like, what do you think, are brown eggs superior to white eggs ? Or maybe some other questions like, what is the meaning of life, or what is your favorite music. Maybe list some trivia facts for the shopper to consider. Things like, what does it mean if a green pepper has three bumps on the bottom ? What if it has four ? Don't know the answer just ask the produce person.
I'm just saying that having a conversation about the obvious is tedious at best. In this case, the current weather, I turn on the television news and what are they talking about ? You got it, the weather. A good ten minutes of local newscasters and weathermen stating the obvious over and over. I know it is cold outside,I know I need to be careful and I know I could get frostbite ! Arrg, Calgon take me away ! ( for those that remember that commercial ) if you don'r, You Tube it.
Good morning, may I help you ? You would like a bottle of soda ? That's great. Do you know what year carbonated soda was first sold in plastic bottles ? Why no, I don't. It was in 1973. A man named Nat Wyeth invented the process. Now isn't that better than, It is cold outside, yes it is.
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