Last Saturday23:46 Jun 25 2011
Times Read: 653
I felt really bad about having to call my boss in last Saturday, it was his weekend off and Father's day and all, but the way it started out, well....he just had to be there to see it.
I was waiting outside for his daughter to arrive, because I wanted her to see exactly what happens when we open, from the minute we unlock the door, so eventually this summer she can open on her own. It's not hard really, just unlock the door, switch off the alarm, turn on some lights, and do the opening procedure on the cash register.
Little Miss Thang arrived, sulky because her dad had bought her the uniform she had to wear, a plain dark colored polo shirt and some khaki shorts. She had shown up the day before in a tube top that said "ROCK PRINCESS" on it and some daisy dukes so short I could see more of her cooter when she bent over than I EVER want to see. Her dad went into his office and brought out the outfit for her to wear...his rules: No boobs, no butt, no belly (that showed). I don't care if it is the style for young people to wear, in a buisness where you are making people's clothes look good, you need to look professional and neat.
So I showed her how to unlock the door and we got the alarm turned off and were starting to step into the store when I hollered HOLD EVERYTHING, STAND STILL. She about dropped her cell phone. I could smell smoke....cigar smoke. What the hell? As I stepped forward I banged into a chair which fell over, scaring the shit out of me. What is a chair doing in the doorway? I asked her to call her dad and get him down here pronto. Something happened inside and I didn't want to go in there to see what it was until he got there. We closed the door and waited outside.
Boss arrived, screeching up the street about 10 minutes later. He went in, we waited outside, till I heard "GET IN HERE! LOOK AT THIS!"
We went in. There were chairs everywhere, in sort of a semi-circle, and the place reeked of cigar and cigarette smoke. I followed my boss back into the kitchen, and looked wide eyed to see that the door was open via a busted lock, and inside....chaos.
Dirty dishes EVERYWHERE, on every conceivable surface, even the floor. Cutlery all over. Hunks of food on the tabletop, with a stream of ants all over the place. Glasses everywhere, some tipped over and the contents...wine...spilled on the floor and table. Cupboard doors opened, to reveal empty shelves. When my boss opened the fridge he exploded. Every single bit of food we had in there was gone. Roast beef for sandwiches, salads, fruit, water, pop, bread...everything gone. It looked like a war zone.
He stormed into his office and played back the security tape of the night before. It showed his parents leading a party of six people through the store and into the kitchen, and after a time lapse of about two hours, they all came out, grabbed the folding chairs we had stashed in a corner, and made a circle. They all sat down to chat, drink, and horror of horrors...smoke.
You do NOT smoke inside in most businesses nowadays. Especially in a dry cleaners, where there are clean clothes! We had a load of freshly pressed clothes hanging up that I was planning on letting my co-hort sort out and bag. Now everything reeked of cigar smoke. ashes and butts on the floor too.
My boss'language was saltier than anything I've ever heard. He tore upstairs and we opened windows and doors to get the smell out, started the exhaust fan and sprayed some room freshener around. The daughter was scared stiff, and did exactly what I told her too. Boss ripped his parents a new asshole, for letting people in the shop after hours, busting the lock on the kitchen door, feeding them all our food, and then smoking out in the middle of the shop. I mean he was ROYALLY pissed. There was a shouting match that must have been heard on the next block.
Daughter and myself got the place looking better by the time customers came. We had to sweep and mop the floor, re-clean all the clothes that were hanging up, and completely scour out the kitchen. Come to find out, the door had been damaged when the lock was broke, so my boss got a guy to come out later and get us a new door with a better lock.
His parents are being shipped out to their daughter's in San Diego next week. While they are away, the family is having a conference to figure out where to put these two. They can't live by themselves any longer, but no one wants them to move in with them, so I guess assisted living is the next best move.
The daughter actually did well, I think she was so startled to see her dad so damn mad that she behaved herself. She had a hard time counting money (at age 20!) back to the customer, but she was nice to them and got them their clothes quickly, which was about all I could ask for for a first day.
At least it will be quiet next week. No little gremlins poking around and giving all our food away.
Oh, and Boss recognized who all the people were from the video tape, they were relatives from the Chicago area who "just happened" to drive up here to visit. He phoned them and ripped them a new asshole too. He was literally shaking he was so mad. His parents kept coming downstairs to see what I was doing with the daughter and everytime they got shoved right back upstairs. They had absolutely no shame and didn't understand what "all dis fuss" was about.
Pfft. So that was last week.
COMMENTS
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RedQueen
23:56 Jun 29 2011
It's nice to know someone understands how some of this makes me feel- like I told Lady C, right now, I'm fighting to keep my job. Soon as I feel more like I have the upper hand, things are going to change.