Previous month:
August 2010
Next month:
October 2010

4 Rules For Pawn Shop Custys

Arant21 Hey guys, it's Pawn Warrior.

I thought I'd rant a bit and give some advice on dealing with the custys in the pawn shop. Thanks to some reality television and a failing economy, a lot of people are putting things in pawn.

However, there are somethings that bug me and I thought I give a list of how to pawn smart.

1. Don't expect us to take in anything for anything.

I've seen all kinds of useless junk get plopped on the counter and several custys get upset when I have to tell them I can't take it in let alone offer so much.

Even if they just want a loan, we do factor in the possibility to sell it ourselves to make a profit for business. Some items won't sell at all.

Also, we also must make sure that if something is sold, it also works cause no one likes damaged goods. If you are thinking about pawning or selling, call us ahead and if we can't take it in, don't take it personal.

2. Pawn tickets, use them!

Nothing gets to me more than when a custy gets upset when he/she comes in and gets upset over the fact that the item is past it's due date and we sell it.

When you pawn or sell an item, you get a piece of paper saying how much you owe to get it out and the due date.

It's that simple and if you lose that ticket, we can print you a new one or we can tell you through our computer.

3. Sob stories do not work.

Hate to be a heartless bastard but I get plenty of sorry stories.

I hear everything from a parent dying to a sick child. Most of these stories are highly exaggerated if not completely false.

The honest truth is that a Pawn Shop is a business, it's not a charity or a social service. We have bills, food and rent to take care of ourselves. We're happy if we can make a loan or a sale that can help your situation but we have to keep to our standards.

4. If you suspect stolen property, file a police report.

We are in complete cooperation with the local authorities. Cause of privacy laws, we can't tell anyone who bright what in. If you had something stolen and think the thief pawned or sold it here, call the boys in blue first.

Every pawn shop takes in the identity of the person that's selling/loaning, holds onto the merchandise and sends a report of the items to the police. If one of those items matches the description of something reported stolen not only will the cops get it back but also get info on the thieving bastard that took your shit.

I think I've ranted enough for now and I got a 11 hour shift ahead of me.

Pawn Warrior out!

--Pawn Warrior


Crazy Lady Encounter At Hellmart

Jason 056 Hi, I discovered this website a few months ago, at a Bowling Event where I was bored waiting to see people I knew do their Bowling Thing, and I have visited almost daily since then. 

I worked Cashier/Bagger, then Customer Service, at a Midwestern Grocery store. I got demoted, and I quit because I knew I deserved better. 

Now I am student teaching high school English, getting ready to get my license. 

This is my first post, and I had to share it because I was terrified of being attacked by the Crazy lady in Camping at Hellmart, when all I wanted was a cold salad for lunch me Fluffymankillr.

I went to Hellmart today with my mother, just buying regular stuff; a few groceries, laundry soap, nothing unusual.  I went off by myself to find a lunchbox, because I had been eating warm salads for lunch every day at my job, and it was not appetizing. 

Anyway, I thought to myself "There are almost certainly going to be lunchbox-type-devices in the camping area!"

And so I began to head in that direction. As I passed the Electronics section I began to notice the woman in front of me glancing around/over her shoulder. 

I thought maybe she had a tic, or was looking for an item and didn't know where it was. 

I was behind her all the way to the Camping Supplies, when she whirled around and literally shrieked "ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME?!"

And I, who had just turned because I finally spotted some lunchboxes, turned and felt very uncomfortable and confused. 


She turned down the aisle, and walked toward a man who I took to be a boyfriend/husband, casting dirty looks at me over her shoulder on her way, and I heard her whisper, as I tried to ignore the situation, "She is FOLLOWING ME". 

There were more whispers. 

I risked a glance that way and saw Boyfriend staring at me over Crazy's shoulder. 

I decided to look for lunchboxes near TupperWare, far away from these guys. 

I was so stunned at the time, and so I didn't realize until later, but she was probably shoplifting and assumed I had caught her and was following her for that reason. 

There was no way I could be confused as an employee, or even a plainclothes security guard. 

I was wearing a floor-length hot pink skirt with sequins on it, and a bright blue, striped teeshirt.  (I was feeling flamboyant) I could not have stood out more. 

I don't know what she was thinking. 

Guilty conscience must over-ride Common Sense in crazyland.



Crazy Manager Antics Remembered

RHSEPT 500 Hey there!

A recent post reminded of me of my old boss.

She is batshit crazy, but in a delightful way...usually.

She has some opinions about different races that I wish she'd kept to herself, but other than that, I delighted in her crazy antics and comments.

I really miss working for her. It was a demanding job (sampling and selling food products at trade shows, so I could be demo-ing for a group of fifteen people while ringing in sales and maintaining stock at the same time) and I made less than minimum wage at the end (minimum wage went up a dollar, but I guess she didn't hear) but I didn't care because it was paid in cash and under the table ;)

PLUS I got 25 cents for every product I sold. Not a lot, but on a regular day, I can easily sell 100 products, so it was a nice little bonus.

Anyways, she is an older lady, batshit crazy like I said, and her voice just CARRIES.

This one time, it was later at night on the last day of the show and it had been a really slow all weekend.

I called out to a man pushing a stroller to ask if he wanted to sample our product. He turned and said no thanks and kept walking.

Well, my boss was a little pissed that we hadn't sold out of product like we normally did, so she was in a crusty mood.

As he was walking away, she said "WHY NOT, FATASS?"

Now, anyone else would make that comment under their breath, or in a quiet voice.

She does not have a quiet voice. She meant it to be an aside to me, but it carried across the whole venue.

I froze, sample still held out in front of me.

The man turned, aghast. "Are you talking to me?" he asked tentatively, and I could see that his feelings were hurt.

(He wasn't even really fat, but he did have a bit of a bum on him.)

My boss, surprised that he heard her, said "No, I was talking to HER!" and jerked her thumb at my coworker, who is quick on her feet and just smiled and nodded like it was a joke between the two.

The man walked off, but I'm not sure if he believed the ruse.

I thought my boss pointed to me (I'm the only fatty who worked in the booth that day) but when I realized she was pointing to my skinny coworker, I doubled over in a fit of laughter.

Thankfully the guy was out of sight by then.

That was a memorable show.

--Halfhearted Sales Ninja


RHU Custy Asks For Help

Blogskull11From Caring Custy:

My favorite cashier at the store where I do my weekly grocery shopping just got moved off registers and onto stocking shelves-she tells me that it's because the guy stocking was basically too dumb to put things with other of the same things.

This girl is awesome, she's kind of obsessive like me, I sort stuff onto the conveyor so items that go together get packed together, and she packs stuff that way. 

She's quick, efficient, friendly, if she was 15 or so years older I'd consider proposing.

Anyway, she LIKES being on the register, and makes grocery shoping something other than a drudge chore.  Is there any way to ask the manager to switch her back without getting her in trouble?

Thanks for the advice guys, and thanks for what you do for us every day.

-- Caring Custy


Bullseye Shoe Custy Hell In The Land Down Under

Target 006 Hi! I'm seriously addicted to this website since a fellow retail slave turned me onto it, anywho I work at an Australian version of 'bulls-eye hell' (an earlier post), and once I read the post about the red department store I thought I should share some of my stories.

Until I can think of a better name I'll go with Aussie Bullseye. I work in the shoe department of this store and I actually like my job, but like every place it'd be better without the odd customer to screw up your day.

For example as ALOTof you guys would know, the shoe department is a usual gathering spot for piggy customers.

Usually if I see the customer I make a point of following them around so they eventually realize I don't like picking up after them.

This one particular day this one lady decided she didn't want a pair of horrendous open toe silver sequined ballet flats and went to kick them under the rack.

When I went up to the rack and picked them up right in front of her she got all huffy and said 'Oh sorry I didn't realise they went there.' but in THAT tone where you wanna smack them over the head.

This REALLY annoys me. I'm not OCD but the same time I don't dump things on the floor especially if there's an employee right next to me.

Another example of Australian custy insanity happened just the other day, I was feeling happy to be at work....hell I was even smiling when I walked out to start my shift.

When an older lady with a walker yells from across the department 'DO YOU WORK HERE?'

I don't know about you guys but if someone is wearing a uniform saying the company's name and a name tag I don't ask that question *facepalm*

Me: Yes mam, how can I help you? (in my most pleasant voice)

Custy: How many more things are going to be thrown on the floor?!

She was personally blaming me for the crap on the floor!

Usually if a customer said they were having trouble with getting around the department I'm happy to personally serve them. We had one sweet old lady who had crippled feet and we got her to sit on one of the benches while we practically brought every shoe of her size over and helped her try it on. I'm happy to help awesome custys like that, she even said thank you. But the old lady in front of me was grumpy and rude so I just apologized and walked away -.-

My last story for the day comes from my recent stint in the layby department, we have one particular sale a year which sparks utter chaos. Target 004

Seriously we have lines going completely around the store. On the first  day I was answering phones whilst processing layby's (didn't have any face to face customers which was awesome).

The first angry call I got was from a lady in another state (As many of you know living in another state in Australia is a fair distance) Anyways she called at ten a.m. Should probably also tell you guys our store doesn't do mail orders, ever. We're not a designated store so we actually have to pass custys onto other stores.

Me: Good morning this is bullseye how can I help?

Phone Custy: Yes I want to place a mail order for the sale?

Me: I'm sorry Maam we're not able to process any mail order's today as we're quiet busy.

Phone Custy: Well I'm a paying customer, calling from (a city far away from the one the stores in)...

Me: Maam I'm sorry but we're quiet busy today there is no one available to take your order.

Phone custy: What about me, I'm just as important as anyone who walks through your doors, I should get preference...

This rant continues for I kid you not the length of time it took me to process a layby.

Me: I'm sorry maam, if you could call back tomorrow or the next day we'll be happy to assist you then or you could try the (other) store in town...

Custy: WHAT?! no you can call me back, I'm calling from (her city where there is probably a million bullseyes in between)..
So I took down her details and left them on the counter, when I told my awesome supervisor she literally said 'oops' as she threw it in the bin.
I have a million other stories but I need to get some sleep for my retail hell shift tomorrow.

--Aussie Bullseye