Monday, November 28, 2011

The Shark Encounter

Have you ever met someone for the first time and instantly felt like you were going have a negative encounter?

As though something about their ‘vibe’ made your intuition say, WARNING! WARNING!

I have.

In fact, I met someone like that last week at work.

Often during this time of the year in cosmetic retail, vendors will send in additional support in the way of hiring seasonal freelance workers to help out in the store, promoting their particular line of cosmetics or fragrances.

Let me start off by saying that it’s challenging for a seasonal freelance worker to come into a new and unfamiliar store to work for a brief period of time, because most cosmetic departments have a certain rhythm in which they run, therefore the freelancer has to learn how to quickly adapted to the rhythm and abide by it.

Whenever a seasonal worker comes into our store, I will always introduce myself by welcoming them to our department, and letting them know that if they have any questions or need help, to just ask me. I try to put them at ease, and convey to them that ’we’ in our department work as a team; helping one another.

I can honestly say, that most everyone I work with in my department is a joy.

Sure, we do have a couple of SHARKS, but on the whole, it‘s a pretty tame department.

And trust me, I’ve worked with some people in several cosmetic departments over the past 26 years, that makes Sea Worlds’ Shark Encounter look like a fish bowl full of gobies.

The cosmetic industry is a tough and competitive business, therefore it attracts a lot of aggressive people. And with the economy the way that it is, people are afraid they’ll lose their jobs if they don’t PRODUCE, which makes them get desperate for sales….and at times, just plain NASTY.

However, I don’t play this way. I’m fair and honest, and would never try to intercept someone else’s sale by butting in and pushing my own goods.

Everyone at work knows this about me, and reciprocates the same respect.

Except, seasonal freelance workers will often times try to “test me” because they assume I’m nice and easy. In other words, a pushover.

That is, until they PUSH me.

Such as it was last week, when a seasonal worker (shark) came into our store to help out with one of the cosmetic lines.

As soon as I saw her, I knew she was trouble - the hair on my neck stood up. She had a perpetual scowl on her face, as if she hadn't taken a bowel movement in over a month. Yet, I did what I normally do and greeted her politely, and welcomed her to our department.

However, throughout the day, I noticed that whenever a customer came over to my counter (while I was busy helping another customer) she would swim over and PRETEND to help them with my line, but was SHARKLY trying to push her own products in the hopes that the customer would choose hers over mine.

I let her first and second interceptions go, but when she did it to me a THIRD time I immediately walked over and introduced myself to the customer; informing them that I was the representative for the line and that if they had any questions they could ask ME. And as the customer was busy looking at my products, I gave the SHARK a look with my eyes that said, “YO, HO.…BACK OFF!”

Many of my other fellow employees began to notice that she was doing the same thing to them.

We all eventually got together and spoke to the department manager, explaining to her what was going on with the SHARK, and asked her to speak with her; letting her know that she needed to stay at her own counter and mind her own business.

I watched, as the manager spoke to her, being very stern about how we work in the department and that her way of selling would not be tolerated.

Of course, the SHARK defensively explained that she was only trying to help.

HELP??? HA! Yeah….helping herself to a SALE!

The SHARK got very upset at being reprimanded and said that she would not accept being spoken to that way, then grabbed her coat and stormed out of the store.

Gee, I hated to see her go.

*tee, hee*

Bye-bye, SHARK….