What's he on about now?

In case the articles, essays and opinions throughtout this site just weren't enough for you, here's my online diary (a.k.a. 'blog'). It's as close as you'll come to the inside of my head, so don't say I didn't warn you
(and remember, you can always e-mail me if you love or loathe anything you're about to read)...


   Thursday, February 12, 2004

RIDING IT OUT

The Sunrise Records Operations Manager popped by yesterday. I know it's a cliché to go on about the oily evil of corporate head office people but, really, talking to this guy is like standing in front of a KFC fat fryer. His level of helpful advice for our flagship Yonge Street store was to tell our beloved Ruby to alphabetize the wall of sale DVDs because, and she quotes, "the customers and staff aren't smart enough" to find individual titles. "Well, I would alphabetize everything," she replied to him, "but I'm not smart enough." Ah, a big wet kiss for Ruby!

I can't stand this kind of garbage but it seems to be everywhere. My friend James told me last night that he wishes I'd quit because working for these people is making me bitter. "Fuck you," I said.

No, James is exactly right. Our poor little record shop gets nothing but grief from the brothers who own it because the sales are lower than they'd like. Anyone with a brain, however, can see that this is an industry-wide problem (thanks, Napster!) and that this particular chain is so badly run that its demise seems all but inevitable.

Right now, DVD counts for nearly 70% of the store's sales but, when our store buyer pleads for more support and flexibility in ordering, he's told that "we're a music chain." Not for long you're not. Every memo we get screams for better customer service but everything we try to get for our customers takes weeks if not months to arrive -- and that's all the customer service they're concerned with, ultimately.

Yes, I'm indeed bitter. I can say without ego that I'm very good at my job and I love being there but I'm sick of working for morons who make a decent living while giving their workers little respect and less pay. Nevertheless, I'm possessed of some sick determination to keep their leaking ship afloat. I've invested too much effort and caring to just walk away. Plus, I think I get some perverse kick out of catching their mistakes.

I talked to our guy at Universal Home Video today about an order gone wrong. The owner's son -- oh sorry, "Sunrise DVD buyer" -- apparently only faxed him page two of our order. How do you manage that? Especially when it's almost all he does? "He seems to have trouble with that fax machine," said Stan, "Maybe you guys should send him over a manual." The owner's son is the ultimate example of the crime of nepotism -- a scarecrow with a head full of money not straw. Watching him in action is a recipe for bitterness, it's true, but I'll ride it out.

I guess I'm just too curious to see how much water this ship can take in.

Labels: friends, insanity, working girl