Warning! RANT!
I am late for work today because it took more than 15 minutes to get a price for an item I wanted to buy. I was there early, I got what I wanted and then could not leave on time. Eventually I left said item, paid for the other and left – very pissed.
There is this misconception in SA that retail is not really working. Never mind that it is the oldest profession (okay, prostitution probably is). Many call retail the informal sector – I’m sure Woolworths thinks of themselves as informal. Retail is a important job; if the shops doesn’t open people can’t buy stuff – I mean simple stuff like food. And owing to this misconception many staff members, of all kinds of retail, consider working to be a time for socialising and flirting. They shuffle around as if they are in their living rooms; dirty uniforms and course language all round. And when they are any good for someone is on their back, how they complain! In front of customers. Working is for working otherwise it would be called something else.
I am so angry – my shop is not doing well and I’m attempting to rectify it but I can’t buy the items I need. Bad management and lack of training, not to mention no product knowledge and even less interest in learning. But they learn the rules for tea breaks and lunches real quick. It would appear the owners of retail outlets would rather loose a customer than pay a little extra for decent staff – which strangely would invite more customers in.
