While I know this is my first post to this blog, I am unable to think of any other topic I would like to discuss.
Yesterday was the cherished holiday of Thanksgiving. I say 'cherished' because it is a holiday I have always looked
forward to. Traditionally, the Thanksgiving meal is held at our home. This being the first year at our new home,
it made the occassion just a little bit more special. However, I work in retail.
My current employer (who shall remain nameless, except to say that it is a major pharmacy retailer) decided to try to
increase sales on Thanksgiving by being open until 6 P.M. On the past two Thanksgiving holidays that I spent at this
company, the stores remained open until 2 P.M. While everyone would love to have the entire day to be with family and
friends, there was very little complaints as to the short day. This gave customers who waited until the last minute
a chance to get presciptions filled. As an Assistant Manager with said company, I drew the short straw and was 'blessed'
with the opportunity to serve the public.
While the 2 P.M. closing time of years past allowed for meals to be moved and plans to be changed, the 6 P.M. closing
time allowed for no such conveniences. My parents had their meal at noon to allow them time to clean up and get on the
road, as they were leaving that night to visit my sister in Ohio. This meant that not only did I miss the meal, but
I also came home to an empty house.
I should note here that there were a total of 26 customers from 2 P.M. to 6 P.M., totaling approximately $400 worth of
sales. The pharmacy, which was also open, totaled 3 customers for the same time period.
Somewhere in the recent past, the big corporate machine has lost its way. Most would argue that it never
knew its way. The $400 dollars that were run through the register yesterday not only failed to cover the overhead (lights,
staffing, cost of goods, etc.), but also it failed to cover the cost of employee morale. Do the powers that be not realize
how a standard thing such as customer service can suffer from these decisions? Do they not realize that without
their dedicated employees, their business is nothing? Were they in the office crunching numbers and making 'important'
decisions until 6 P.M.?
When asked these questions, upper management personnel will only make excuses and tow the company chain. They talk
of the hardships that corporate executives must face. They cite all expense paid business trips to Florida and corporate
jet rides to and from New York City. These are the 'hardships' that remove our corporate leaders from the responsibility
of working the holidays they force their indentured servants to work.
As I drove home from work, I noticed the desertedness of my reality. Railroads were quiet, 24 hour diners darkened,
gas stations without their neon glow, and grocery stores closed to allow families to be together. The only lights that
could be seen were in the windows of family homes where kin were gathered to celebrate in their festive traditions.
I was so disgusted by the events of the day that I found a bowl of cold macaroni and cheese, leftovers of a family meal
I was able to previously attend, and ate that as my Thanksgiving 'feast'. I then retreated to bed, tired and weary,
to get some sleep before my 3:30 A.M. wakeup call.
It is true that this is a Thanksgiving that I will never forget. I will always remember the bitterness and disappointment
I feel towards the circumstances that kept me from seeing the one constant thing in my life, family.
I wonder how high on the corporate ladder you have to climb until you start to forget where you came from. Is there
a point where you look down and are unable to see the bottom? I hope that is a height I never reach.
