More importantly, I've never yet had an HD or Lowes or Fred Meyer (local grocery chain) computer come into my business to spend money.
I have had HD and Fred Meyer employees (real live human beings) come into my business to spend money, however.
So, I boycott the computer operated self service check out aisles.
Except that someone from corporate** should visit the store periodcially and make sure things are running well, especially something as obvious as a long check out line.
**Not necessarily *from* corporate. My ex-girlfriend is a mystery shopper. She doesn't leave Baltimore but works/worked for lots of companies. She checks out the store and sends a report back to the main office. It's usually a specfic set of questions*** written up the the main office of the particular compnay. She's notice that a substantial percentage of the companies she checks out go out of business within 6 months. Hirilng her is their last ditch effort to fix things. They should probably hire her earlier. Starbucks does. But the fees they pay her have gone down, and she doesn't do it much anymore. ***They often ask questions I think are not of much value. details on request.That must mean you have a good manager, but coroporate is supposed to look out for bad managers.
really loves it."
I love work. I could watch it all day.
Problem was that the employee was not trained in what to do!
Lou
But mand he must be rolling in the money if he exercised his stock options. ;)
GJ
I figured there was a way out of the programmer's snafu. It's a shame that its up to a low wage cashier to have run interference for a high waged programmer's inadequacies or lack of common sense (common sense meaning that you can't put a shovel in a 1 ft x 1.5 ft plastic bag). But bless the little cashier lady because even though she had probably never attended a day of college and probably never wrote a single line of code in her life, she knew for a fact beyond reproach that you can't get a wide blade coal type shovel with a 5 ft handle on it into a 1 ft x 1.5 ft plastic bag.
BTW and off topic for this thread but informative anyway as far as HD goes... There was a thread on here a while back about how awful the service was at HD. One never could find help and when they did, it was incorrect help. Well, I just read a message on one of the email lists that I participate in where someone found out how to get all the "Associates" in a HD to come running to you as soon as you come in the door and fight over which one gets to help you out... You put a toy poodle in the upper child seat part of the basket and go scooting up and down the isles with the poodle wagging its tail and ready to give a loving lick to all passers-by.
Another message in that same email list from a DIY lady said that she found out that her assistance went up 10 fold when she started taking her 2 year old daughter in the basket.
Well, My dog weighs 80 pounds and is about as ugly as I am and I don't have access to any babies so.......
Regards...
How do you put a shovel on a 12 to 18 inch square? Leaning won't cut it- it is like a produce scale. A sandbag of the right weight would work, like Indiana Jones used. Maybe they should attach a sandbag avatar to all the big items, to use at the checkout? The droid scale at a place like that needs a HOOK to hang big things on.
I agree with the others- screw self serve. I'll wait an extra couple of minutes to deal with a human. (and I do computers for a living, so technopobe I'm not.)
aem sends...
Lowe's has been blowin' HD away for me lately (service and pricewise). I was looking for a self retracting extension cord reel to hang on the ceiling of my garage, and Lowe's even beat Harbor Freight (19.99-on sale- for a 30 ft. with 3 outlets!)..
Even the cage type workshop light that I purchased to go with it is of better gauge and quality than anything I've found anywhere.
The only thing I've been looking for lately that seems pricey (at lowes) is a dimmer switch for a 3 way light. It has those new rocker switches and 19 dollars seems like a bit much ... HD is aways away so I have't had time to check it yet..anyone notice how much those switches are there?
Umm, I've gone thru checkout with big items, just lay them next to the bag, I can't remember any problems.
I've used self checkout at HD and StopNShop in all cases they have a person right there to assist with problems. It doesn't really work well without someone there.
Here I am, feeling all warm and fuzzy about Lowe's so I went back to get a Preval paint spray gun. Don't have them, don't know what I'm talking about but really interested. Told the clerk to check them out at H.D. So, we went on over 4 blocks to H.D., I went looking for my spray gun and hubby went looking for the clerk. Hubby found clerk, didn't know where the spray guns were so I found them - on a bottom shelf behind the sales desk (spray guns, not hubby and sales clerk) and showed the clerk where they had been. I took them all and got the heck out :o)
Our Lowe's self serve checkout machines have a button on screen that says "Skip Bagging" which one uses for large items. So there is no problem, like the one described. Hard to believe that ours is the only big box store with that feature.
The word has nothing to do with political correctness, as the phrase is used by either side. It has to do with maximizing profits, by trying to make the employees fell important.
You didn't use the word negatively afaict, but there are those who do, and I just want to remind people of the first application of the phrase in the US, and that was to say that it was no longer acceptable for people to use the terms n****rs, kikes, and spics, or to portray oneself as one who hates those people for the groups they belong to. The phrase has been applied to a lot of other groups in the years following, but it still seems to me that those people who deride political correctness allign themselves with and probably are the ones who would be still be talking about n****rs, kikes, and spics if they could get away with it, and might well be lynching the first group when the spirit moved them.
Oh, bullshit, get over yourself. Calling a clerk an "associate" is just a useless word. There is nothing wrong with having a job as a retail clerk in a department store, matter of fact, they were usually good people that helped the customer and made you welcome in the store.
What happened to being deaf? Now deaf people are "hearing impaired" and while it may be more politically correct, they don't hear any better. No shame in being crippled either.
Where I work I'm considered an employee, not a "human resource" and I like that.
Honesty requires the use of proper descriptive words, not hiding behind some weasel words that make incompetent people feel god about themselves.
I didn't say anything to that effect. Next time you quote something, please be kind enough to attribute it to the correct person.
Right you are........ I'm so tired of these political correct types coming up with these warm and fuzzy "New" words to make, as you said, "incompetent people feel [good] about themselves" or take attention away from the true filth of something by calling it something clean and sweet or call something by some new friendly name that has before been known as corrupt.
While I write this I hear one on a debate on network news between two politicians right now.... Some politician lying through its teeth while the other politician is saying that the other is "Deviating From The Truth". Wonder what its "associates" would think about that?
Regards,
Why did you snip what I said in my first two lines? "The word has nothing to do with political correctness, as the phrase is used by either side. It has to do with maximizing profits, by trying to make the employees fell important." Do you disagree with any of that? You don't seem to.
I didn't say whether using the term "Associate" was good or bad. I don't know why you are arguing with me.
The rest of my post was about the origin of the term "political correctness", and people who attack any use of the term. It wasn't about possible specific current uses like the ones you list.
Sorry. I selected the line out of the middle of your post, and clicked on Reply, but you had quoted someone else. The two > signs instead of one should have made it clear to most people that you hadn't said it.
>
I know; I hate that phony "courtesy" like poison, but it's the norm in the U.S. Congress. (Except when former Speaker Dennis Hastert told a colleague "f*ck you" right on the floor of the House!)
It's a classic you-scratch-my-back; I'll scratch yours game.
By contrast, the British Parliament (I watch Question Time religiously) is raucous and undisciplined; lotsa fun to watch. Another difference is that the Brits can utter clear and complete English sentences; are not dependent on mumbling aloud what their aides wrote for them. (Gawd I hate those committee hearings. Someone said that one should not watch how laws and sausages are made.)
The Brits are also expert at delivering most delicious darts and ripostes, clothed in elegant but short, direct statements.
Making employees feel important by using special terms is another form of political correctness. Same thing, fancy words. Retail clerks are just as important as "associates". They are clerks, so call them that. Truck drivers, grave diggers, garbage men, are all importnat jobs that people do and they can be just as proud doing a good job as a banker or chemist.
You did say:
Now that sounds like you are voicing your opinion of people that deride political correctness. People like me. Perhaps you have a different meaning?
Way to go Edwin!!!
How about undocumented worker. That would be an illegal alien.
This BS has to stop some where.
Colbyt
And be sure to tell your Senator how you really feel. One of mine is a weasel.
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