As my last update pointed out, I overheard a conversation at the airport that was entertaining from the reference the guy made to someone else. The guy said the person in question was an Indian (take your pick) and that his name was Jeff Fernandez. Oxymoron anyone? Whether it's just from luck, from boredom, or from picking up a new habit I overheared a few other conversations this weekend.
I went to the Belcourt on Friday to see "The Host". It was advertised as one of the best monster movies ever made. Though I'm not schooled in the monster movie genre, I have to concur with the assessment. There's nothing scary per se, not once did I jump in my seat. I thought the CG was obvious in places but otherwise well done. Note: the movie is in subtitles. "I can tell if he's a B- or an A+". If you see the movie you'll know what I'm talking about.
Afterwards I waited in the bathroom line and overheard two hipsters discussing the movie. One said he liked it. Fair enough. The other liked it as well, but then came the kicker: "I thought the laughter from the audience took away from it". Let's get this straight: you came to a theater that was nearly full and then wanted them to sit in silence like they're watching some atrocity movie? A movie that was supposed to be funny? I filed that one away, headed over to Kazu to see PDS spin, and ended the evening with a patty melt from the Awful Waffle. A nice way to start the weekend.
I headed over to Target today to pick up a few necessities. Two things happened that gave me pause. I'll start with the second one first since the other is a bit of a rant. While heading towards the registers (Team Target going on, more on that in a moment, hoping the worst was over) I caught a conversation a wife was having with her husband. At a music kiosk located near the health and beauty products there was classical music cranked loud enough that I could hear it 30ft away. The wife said "That's music to sleep to". The husband responds "No it's not". I had to laugh. The wife was right: it was Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
I've done several tours of duty in retail: the defunct Grandpa's (a STL area chain ala K-Mart), Wild Birds Unlimited (small store: two bosses and a co-worker), and the also defunct Service Merchandise (store across from the corporate offices, joy). I learned the art of checkout line selection while working at Grandpa's. Those secrets are closely guarded, I'm not about to turn loose the art of picking the fast line. I will let you in on one secret: Express lines are some of the slowest lines in the store. But you already knew that. WBU taught me that while working in small companies has some benefits, it's also too close at times. The boss tried to get me to speak to customers in certain ways. Not that I was giving them bad information or putting it in some crude manner. I gave the customers the information they needed without dancing around using flowery language. Service Merchandise is a story (stories) for another day. From them I learned the best way to drive your employees insane, nevermind your customers, is to force sell extended warranties (especially as a competition). Many companies resort to these and other addons (ie, credit cards) to increase their bottom line. Retailing is about having the lowest price, sometimes selling at a loss, so it's imperative for these companies to find other revenue.
Back to Target. Witnessing many a bad page over a PA system, nevermind abusing store PA systems myself, I understand why Target started using radios. It's silly to announce to the entire store you need information from one area. However, if you've ever carried a radio clipped to your belt you know that in order to hear it you have to turn up the volume. Thus, you have an entire store full of employees carrying radios with volumes cranked up. Which is more annoying? The store PA system or the chatter over distorted radio speakers cranked to the max?
What makes Target's use annoying is the fact they're used for communication that the customer often should not hear. Of course, the customer hears it and often from aisles over because the radio volumes are cranked. I'm always aware when there's a lot of customers at the checkouts because crackling over the radios is the phrase "Team Target", their cute phrase requesting help at the registers (cause it's a team at Target). Target also has tied their customer service request system to their radio's, in addition to hourly generated pages dealing with "who is going to clean the bathroom?" type administrivia.
The radio chatter today that set me off on this rant seemed to be a discussion about an employee "selling" a Target credit card. Whatever, I thought. I've been there before. At Service we were supposed to announce a code over the PA whenever we sold an extended warranty. Cause it was team building, bragging, and all sorts things that employees truly loathe. A few minutes later I hear a manager squawking over the radio how the employees "should not miss the opportunity to save our guests 10% by offering the Target credit card". I was offended to hear I was an opportunity. Sure, they might save me 10% (not much considering TN's +9% sales tax), but the opportunity was trying to lock me into debt to their company. I feel like the word opportunity in business is equivalent to being prey. Considering the opportunity was a Target CC then yes, I'm a fish and they're a shark.
I'm tired of being called a guest. A guest implies that you invited me in and presumably you, the host, will offer me hospitality without cost. Technically, this is what Target does. However, Target is not a guest/host relationship. Target is a customer/business relationship. Target offers me hospitality because they want me to buy from them. If I'm a guest I'm at someone's house? If they're nice enough, they'll offer a drink and they might feed me, without cost. This is not the relationship I have with Target. Target opens their doors without a formal invitation. There is an implied understanding that if I behave they won't kick me out and if they behave I'll buy something.
I'm sure Target paid their cultural studies consultants good money to dream up how the customer experience can be improved. These are the same people that suggest improving their customer relationships by using customer names. This easily done when a customer pays by credit card. The employee starts referring to the customer by M(r/s/rs) last name. It's creepy and destroys the anonymity that a customer should enjoy. In my retail days I always addressed my customers by sir or ma'am. Although a few women thought I was implying they were old it was simply a courtesy and out of respect. What else was I supposed to call them (despite what I was thinking)?
As I checked out (a fast line of course) the inevitable was asked: "Would you like to save 10% by opening a Target credit card?" I felt sorry for the lady. She was friendly but clearly seemed to not care one way or the other, despite the fact her managers were putting the pressure on. I knew exactly how she felt. Nine years before I was asking those same questions, each time becoming more demoralized with each "No". Unfortunately I was to be another one in a long line of rejection she'd receive that day. I concluded my stay as Target's guest and walked out into a beautiful day, thankful that, for now, my retail days are over.
Overheard by Rick and I at the Nashville airport. One of many strange things we overheard during this guy's cell phone conversation.
Rick and I flew up to Cleveland to hang with Allen and take in the first round of March Madness. I was doing good until Sunday. Texas and Wisconsin really screwed things up. Ohio State is not looking good and that has me scared: I have them taking it all. Not sure that was the brightest of idea. I did have the Illini out in the first round, with SIUC and Vandy exactly where they're at right now. I'd like to see them go further but I'm not going to hold my breath.
Other notes of interest: Got a heads up from a classmate to head over to The End to check out Monotonix. Of course I show up late only to find the opener (The Apes) is putting on a great set. That said, Monotonix is not to be missed, though be prepared to be assaulted: aurally and physically. If this is indicative of the kind of rock they're making in Isreal we've got serious problems. One of the craziest shows I've seen in a long time. I also checked out The Clutters at the Basement before they headed to SXSW, they again rocked out and put a nice end to my Saturday night.
Class is still going well, I'm getting prepared to write my paper for the class. It's going to be over too soon I'm afraid.
Running and swimming are going ok, though my back started acting up and I had to take it easy for a bit. The weather is great for running and it's nice to be able to run the loop again.
Not too much else to report. Memphis Jon is getting married, I'll be heading to that in April. Neko Case is playing Knoxville and Memphis... and totally missing Nashville. Figures.
And most important... Naked Dave comes back!
Made up Band Name of the Day: The Cheapskates