So I went down to Menards this week to get some flooring and windows.
First I went over to the flooring department. A young woman, I would guess she is still under 30 years old, was stacking some cases. I asked if she had any more of that brand. There were only about 12 cartons she was unloading and I needed 27. She didn't appear to hear me, so I asked again. She said, "I will have to check the back of the store, sir." She has always been very helpful in the past so I was kind of surprised she kept unloading the last cartons off the dolly. She then started to leave and I asked again if there was anymore of that flooring. (I knew there was because online it told me there were 61 cases available). She repeated "sir I will have to check the back of the store."
Ok like I said she has always been helpful in the past so I started wandering over to where I knew they kept the flooring not on display. I was a bit concerned when she was no where in sight. Another young sales woman asked if I had been helped.
"yes , some one is looking for the flooring I need." But I did not see that someone anywhere around, so I quickly said" Maybe you could help me, here is the skew number and I need 27 cases".
As she was printing the order, she told another worker that the young woman I had first asked had gone on break. I am thinking, WHAT? she tells me she is going to look and goes on break! Really? Then it occurred to me she did not tell me she was going to look she just said she would have to look. See it is all in the details. Always be precise in your language.
Then I went over and ordered some windows
After I had the order sheets, I paid and then had to go back to door number 9, You know the one, its, by the Pepsi machine, or is it a Coke machine. I should know that because they tell me every time I go through the gate to the back.
So I get to door number 9 and a young man is just starting his shift. I have been very fortunate the last few times I loaded out at Menards. Just a few minutes and I am headed back toward the gate. Oh it was not meant to be this week. The young man told me it would be just a minute because he still had to clock in. That means he had to stand and stare at the time clock for several minutes. I am guessing he could not clock in early so he was waiting for just the right moment. Now being a naturally patient man this was just what I wanted in my day, watching the back of someones head as they watched a clock.
Finally the correct minute must have arrived because he clocked in and was ready and raring to go to work. He took my load out sheets and looked around the warehouse. Then he wisely said "it doesn't look like your order is here yet". Yea, I saw that when I got out of the pickup and it was not making my mood any more pleasant I can tell you that.
"This might take a bit" He said as he headed toward the flooring department. I am thinking, it shouldn't take too long, but you should have taken a forklift. There was a whole pallet of it setting in the staging area. 2 minutes and you could be back. Why didn't you take a forklift.
Well 40 minutes later here he comes with a hand cart and my 27 cases of flooring. See that is only 1 and 3/4 minute per case. Not bad eh? So he pulls that cart out by my pickup and we are ready to load. I started putting cases on the pickup and noticed he was not loading quite as fast as I was. I am sure he is less than half my age. I loaded 17 cases while he loaded 10. That might explain why it took a while to load them in the store.
Now we needed to windows yet. I am thinking I will be at Menards when the sun sets, but just then the window department showed up with the windows.
Well, he rolled that cart with the windows right out to my pickup and prepared to load them. While he was preparing I put a window on the pickup. Then another, then another. They only had 5 of the windows I needed. I loaded 4 and then took the last window out of his hands, because he was not getting it high enough to get it onto the pickup and I was concerned he was going to break it. He looked like he was in good shape, but I am not sure he is in the right job.
So all loaded I headed for the gate to check out. I pull up and the woman, (another 20 something age) is sitting in the shack. She does not look up. I thought maybe she is catching up on data entry, but from where i was sitting it looked like she was reading on her cell phone.
I tried turning up my radio, calling out "hello". I didn't want to be too much of a pain if she was doing data entry for her job, but it still looked like a cell phone to me. Finally I stepped out of the pickup and slammed the door kinda loud.
Boy did she jump. "Oh I didn't see you, I was reading about these 3 bucks that locked their antlers and drowned in a creek." That's right she was on facebook while on the job. I am thinking employee of the year material here.
She continued to tell me about the three bucks and how they were going to mount the antlers. Yea , you know what? I could care less. Check the load and let me out the gate.
So I am thinking there might be an issue this week with younger workers. Christmas is coming and they have already left on vacation.
Speaking of on vacation. The house I am working on now has some interesting electrical work in it.
This was inside one of the closets. Uhm. you could have run the wires in the wall. The wires that run up to the top box were just going there... because, I guess. 2 of the wires just ran to the top box and back down to the bottom box.
One of the wires did run over to this wonderful receptacle. No switch, not even a pull switch on the receptacle. Were they turning the bulb in and out to turn it on and off. Inquiring minds want to know.
After this week I am beginning to wonder about the work ethic and capabilities of the work force out there.
Hey it's Christmas and everyone is open to talking about Jesus. Don't waste the opportunities to tell that Jesus was born to save sinners. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him. Tell It!
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