Inconvenient Annoyances

What you two haven't met??  We will have to plan a coffee at The Bowery soon and we will all meet up!

Yay!  I'm for that -- but beware of the dangerous crossings in our neighbourhood 

Waking up with a rash on my shoulder that now seems to be spreading and is starting to itch.   

Hope it's nothing serious!


My IA today is thanks to a burst pipe, we have no heat in the building.  And it's only 4ºC.  Brrr. 

Working in retail. I've worked two retail jobs before but this one is giving me some anxiety   It's less about selling merchandise and more about pushing (company policy is that you have to keep pushing until they say "no" three times!) the store credit card. I think it's downright immoral to hound people to sign up for a credit card with 25-30% interest, that if declined will damage the shopper's credit or will possibly put them into (more) debt.

It really doesn't sit well with me to be constantly harassing customers who are just looking and trying to have a relaxing time with friends and family. They don't like it. I don't like it. I know what's it's like because I've stopped going to certain stores all together because of pushy sales associates. I often see customers in my own store get freaked out by pushy associates. I know it's their job--and mine--stores will only give hours to people with the most open credit cards. It's the state of retail now and I hate it  

company policy is that you have to keep pushing until they say "no" three times!

That's insane. I can see a requirement to follow a script with each customer (would you like our store card? ... Did you know that it has x benefit?) but bugging people that much seems counter-productive. If I had that customer experience I would stop shopping at that store (and I would only take the card if it was an expensive shop and it gave me a discount).

Retailers are making it more and more rewarding to shop online.

My MIL has sent my son more clothes. He is 14 months old and he now has about 30 pairs of pants. I'm not even exaggerating. She sent 2 puffy vests (he already has one that my mom gave him), so now he has 8 coats. Some of them are so warm that he'll never wear them. I've told my mom and sister not to get him clothes and I know that bums them out because they want to get him stuff too, but I have no place to store all of these things. Not to mention, I'd like to be able to get him stuff too. I've given a ton of it away. She also gets him stuff that he can wear in 3 years, which means I'll put them somewhere and forget about them. I told my husband he HAS to tell her to stop sending him clothes.

  I FOUND IT! 

Just a happy follow up to a previous post, or two, I looked down at work today and saw a glimmer on the floor. I bent down, daring to hope, and there was my missing diamond! The night shift guy is supposed to vacuum behind the counter every night, and apparently he hasn't since Thursday. For that reason, I adore him!

Happy follow up number two! I will be starting a new job soon.

Brilliant news Tama! 

I agree. Fab news Tama.

Working in retail. I've worked two retail jobs before but this one is giving me some anxiety   It's less about selling merchandise and more about pushing (company policy is that you have to keep pushing until they say "no" three times!) the store credit card. 

You sound like DS who also has been working retail for some time (a well-known US clothing and clobber store).  The mgr. is always on at him because he doesn't "push" hard enough.  He works in the men's section and is very good at helping people outfit their trek, climb, hike, whatever.  But they are never happy with those (usually sizable) sales.  Whenever a man comes in for a new shirt or whatever he has to badger them to buy a tie, belt, trousers, etc. etc.  He knows that men positively hate that kind of selling, so he doesn't do it!  And then the pushing of credit cards, loyalty cards and so on at the till 

I'd like to be able to get him stuff too. I've given a ton of it away. She also gets him stuff that he can wear in 3 years, which means I'll put them somewhere and forget about them. I told my husband he HAS to tell her to stop sending him clothes.

It's primarily because of this that we are starting 'no gift' Christmas and Birthdays. We make both about the experiences and celebration instead. We just purged at least 30% of our things and I don't want to have to do a big purge again before the move.  And I'm working toward a 'minimalist' lifestyle.  I want them to have memories, not things. 

I told my mother that they were allowed to buy them passes to places like the aquarium, the fernbank museum, stone mountain and other things that we could DO. NO MORE THINGS!  I purged down their 'keepsake clothes' to one under the bed bin, and their 'future' clothes that people have bought to an even smaller bin. Basically, I said that any toys or clothes, unless we specifically request them, were going to be donated on the way home. If they wanted their babies to use the gift, it needed to be something we could DO. Then I would send them pictures

Just try it, it might work!

It's primarily because of this that we are starting 'no gift' Christmas and Birthdays. We make both about the experiences and celebration instead. We just purged at least 30% of our things and I don't want to have to do a big purge again before the move.  And I'm working toward a 'minimalist' lifestyle.  I want them to have memories, not things. 

I told my mother that they were allowed to buy them passes to places like the aquarium, the fernbank museum, stone mountain and other things that we could DO. NO MORE THINGS!  I purged down their 'keepsake clothes' to one under the bed bin, and their 'future' clothes that people have bought to an even smaller bin. Basically, I said that any toys or clothes, unless we specifically request them, were going to be donated on the way home. If they wanted their babies to use the gift, it needed to be something we could DO. Then I would send them pictures

Just try it, it might work!

That's a nice idea for older kids, but it won't work with my MIL. Plus, my son is so young, he doesn't need tickets to get into most places and he would have no concept that his grandmother bought him the tickets. I would be happy if she just bought him 1 or 2 meaningful pieces of clothes, rather than buying out the children's section of Dunne's Stores and shipping it over to me for an enormous amount of money.

Working in retail. I've worked two retail jobs before but this one is giving me some anxiety   It's less about selling merchandise and more about pushing (company policy is that you have to keep pushing until they say "no" three times!) the store credit card. I think it's downright immoral to hound people to sign up for a credit card with 25-30% interest, that if declined will damage the shopper's credit or will possibly put them into (more) debt.

It really doesn't sit well with me to be constantly harassing customers who are just looking and trying to have a relaxing time with friends and family. They don't like it. I don't like it. I know what's it's like because I've stopped going to certain stores all together because of pushy sales associates. I often see customers in my own store get freaked out by pushy associates. I know it's their job--and mine--stores will only give hours to people with the most open credit cards. It's the state of retail now and I hate it  

This is my worst nightmare as well.. I worked for MAC Cosmetics at a luxury dept store and the goals alone were ridiculously high.. I had to obtain 2 sets of sales goals weekly, MAC's and high end retail dept store's. It was awful! Also pushing for them to buy the store credit card or much more product then they clearly wanted (what my job called "upselling") and with 19 girls at the counter almost everyday during the holidays was a nightmare for moving around AND meeting your goals. Only 3 people on average would make their goals a week and the rest that didn't would get a good talking to at the end of the week.. That's when I finally decided I would much rather use my esthetician license and skills for something better.. Like working for myself! Freelance makeup artistry is a DREAM!

Plus, my son is so young, he doesn't need tickets to get into most places and he would have no concept that his grandmother bought him the tickets. I would be happy if she just bought him 1 or 2 meaningful pieces of clothes, rather than buying out the children's section of Dunne's Stores and shipping it over to me for an enormous amount of money.

Keep in mind that he doesn't understand she's bought him clothes either

In that case, I might have a conversation with her about your values.  For us, we try to only use homemade, high quality things, or we buy second hand.  We also have a very small amount of stuff now.  We are trying to opt out of consumerism, primarily because of environmental reasons, but also because more stuff almost always equals more TIME SPENT SHOVELING stuff.  And that takes time away from what really matters: our girls and each other.

Perhaps say something to the effect of: 'We really appreciate that you are trying to keep him clothed, but he really only needs about 10 outfits in each size, and we really don't have the space to store the rest. We'd also like to make a few purchases ourselves--this is our only chance to clothe this kid. Not that we don't like it, just that we would like to have some say, and to keep the clutter down.' You are welcome to steal some of my values for your argument, even if you don't share them And don't worry too much, it took almost 5 years, but I've finally convinced everyone to stop buying my kids stuff.

I find it offensive that I have to pay £250 to the Employment Tribunal in order to claim back the unpaid wages and redundancy fees owed to me by my employer. I've just said I've not been paid for two months, where do you expect me to get £250 from?!