Like a Barber
We were talking the other night about how the layaway associate is somewhat similar to a barber. People see the layaway associate regularly, because there aren’t that many, and once they make their first visit, they are committing to at least one more visit. Getting to know names and faces happens on both sides of the counter. As a result, the layaway associate knows a lot of things about a lot of people. For instance, who’s cheating on who, the status of a marriage, what government officials have visited the house recently, boyfriends, girlfriends, pets, birthdays, and so much more. Of course, you never share this information, but one certanly hears it. Some customers won’t even use layaway if their preferred associate is not working.
I have a few that when they come in on Sundays, they ask where I am if I’m not the one at the counter. I’ve been told that if I wasn’t around that they’ve actually left to come back in another week to transact. It’s not so much loyalty in a business sense, but that these people like the consistency.
Yesterday, I had to leave work early because I was sick. My stomach felt odd in the morning, but it was no biggie. Maybe I just hadn’t eaten. At about 3:30, I couldn’t take it anymore. I was running a fever and couldn’t get anything done at all. I went home and went to bed at 4:00. I slept until just before six and decided that I wouldn’t be able to work in the store that night, either. All in all, I slept from about 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. the next morning with an hour-and-a-half interlude where I woke up and moved from my bed to the futon. I feel much better today.
I had one other neat thought in my brain this afternoon, but it is escaping me right now. Dean is here to pick me up so I will have to try and remember it later.