Archive for June, 2006

I’m not, for now at least, going to be able to move to merch at work. The general manager is focusing on Home Theater and does not want to lose me during this crap. The inventory manager told me to sit tight and be patient, but I’m so pissed off right now. Why am I being punished for doing a good job? It seems like an inevitable catch-22. If I don’t do my job well, they’ll get on my case and I won’t be happy. If I do perform well, they won’t let me change positions and I won’t be happy. Mother fucker. I really want more hours, but I simply refuse to get more working in Home Theater. I can’t take the crap we have to deal with day in and day out. I’d work 40 hours a week in Merch with no complaints, but Home Theater is a wreck and is only getting worse. Someone shoot me.

Needless to say, that shit ruined my day. I was really looking forward to doing a job I like, getting more hours,and, thus, making more money. It was something that seemed so right for me. Fuck! God damn I hate that son of a bitch. Sorry…

Oh yeah, it gets worse, though. The Magnolia project was pushed back indefinitely due to lack of space in our store. They keep trying to buy another store right next to us, but the owners refuse to sell, so now I’m really fucked.

This was a day from hell. Maybe I should consider at least moving to appliances. No one gives a shit about that department.

So it looks like my pessimism was a little over done. I got in to work today and instantly started asking the people from Merch/Inventory whether or not my move back there was going to happen. They both agreed that I needed to talk to a sales managers because, simply put, they might not want to take someone like me off the sales floor. I managed to pull thesales manager off to the side and explained my situation. I told him I wanted to get off the sales floor for a bit and was tired of being the guys who has to fix everyone else’s mistakes. I could tell he wasn’t thrilled, but he said he’d think about it. As I was leaving, I asked him if he came to a conclusion and he said “I really don’t want to lose you because you’re probably our most knowledgeable sales guy, but if this is what you want and it’ll make you happy, I’m ok with it.” I told him I was sure and he said he’d talk to the inventory manager and figure out how to squeeze me back there.

It’s funny, though. I had a good day at work today. Sure I had to fix two big sales mistakes before noon time, but it was easy for me. The customers were nice, the managers stayed out of the way, and time seemed to fly by. However, I’m not going to let one day change my mind. I know what I’ve been feeling and I know how miserable every other day has been for me. It’s a dilemma. I really love working with home theater equipment, but I’m sick of working with people who don’t give a shit. I try to defend the company when people use the stereotype that the sales people don’t know and don’t care, but it’s too true. Plus, we’re getting a different supervisor in Home Theater. The guy who’s coming in to take over was there once before and was basically forced to leave because no one could tolerate him any longer. I actually wound up snapping on him once and screamed out this entire diatribe about how he needs to stop talking to me like I’m his kid and show some damn respect. It was pretty bad, so I know I can’t work with him again. Once he gets the position officially, the power will flood his brain and I’d be screwed.

I’m not going to lie and say I’m not anxious, though. I’m comfortable in Home Theater. I know more than anyone else and I’m the go to guy. It’s easy, even if it is depressing to be there. Merch is going to offer a new challenge. I have to learn more about the planogram system and how to go about a new daily job. I’m nervous and anxious and part of me keeps whispering to “stay in home theater and deal”. The fact is, though, I can’t. I need more hours and I need to go full time. I need to be a man and grow up. I’d wind up killing someone if I had to spend 35+ hours in Home Theater a week and that’s what I keep reminding myself. You have to be happy and you have to be sane. However, any words of encouragement from you wonderful people would be much appreciated. Thanks

Yeah, no poems yet, so you’re stuck.

I’ve actually come across a tough problem when it comes to my rhyming. My bets material has been coming to me when I can’t get a chance to write it down and flesh it out. I’ve had some amazing excerpts come to me while walking to work, at work, coming home from work, going out for food, etc. The problem is that my memory sucks and I forget the whole thing ten minutes later. I’m going to keep trying, so bare with me.

I actually have hours at work again this week. That’s good from the financial aspect, but otherwise, I’m already bummed out about it. The problem is, I don’t really work with people who care. You know what I mean? Customers have commented me time and time again about how I really seem passionate about home theater equipment. Unfortunately, none of my co-workers really share this interest. Not only do they not share the passion, they also seemingly refuse to learn much about anything. No, don’t get me wrong, there are two guys, off the top of my head, that actually do try, but you can tell it’s still not their thing. However, everyone else is so uncaring and nonchalant. I even try helping out by pointing out mistakes and, even the most major mistakes, get shrugged off. I’m tired of being the only one to know anything and I’m tired of apologizing to every customer who winds up getting the wrong wires or something that results in them getting screwed over a bit.

I really want to go to merch. I just need a break from everything. I don’t think it’s going to happen, though. I can feel it. It would make me happy and that just never happens at Best Buy. Mean, fuck, the last time I was happy there was when I was working with Toni and that happiness has nothing to do with the job, lol.

I don’t really mean to keep bitching, but I’ve just been in a rotten mood. With Maria falling off the face of the earth and various other people just annoying me with their stupidity, I have to either bitch or punch something. For my safety, being a skinny guy and all, I choose the former most of the time.

By the way, I never got to post about it, but we did release the podcast last week. You can download it from Neowin and listen whenever you want. We’re still working on refining it and making it as good as possible and any criticism, as long as it’s constructive, is very much appreciated. We’ll be recording our next show tomorrow night, so get through last week’s one quickly.

I feel like Rodney Dangerfield. No respect, I tell you.

Anyways, work pushed me over the line the other day. Due to crazy circumstances, I wound up working the morning by myself. I did pretty well, too. What bugs me about that is the fact that I am the most reliable sales person and yet I’m the only person with less than 20 hours this week. How much less? Try 6 total hours. What in the world is that about? Are you kidding me? Screw that.

After calming myself down, I pulled the merchandising supervisor to the side and told him to give me a ring if he needs extra man power this week because I need work. He asked me if I ever thought about coming over to merch permanently. I said yes, because honestly, I have many times. Turns out there may be a spot opening and both he and the manager have brought my name up in the past as someone they needed to get back there. Nothing is set in stone, but I’m hoping that, in a week or two, I’ll be away from Home Theater and working behind the scenes for a bit. I get respect from the people back there and I’m tight with a few of them so it should work out. Here’s hoping for the best.

For those of you wondering, I will still be applying for the Magnolia position when it opens up. I figure this will simply be a break from the customers and the lack of respect from my department co-workers (and manager) in general. Plus, I’d be able to get more hours and get health insurance. Sweetness.

It’s weird having this much free time, so I’ve just been trying to figure out what to do. Joe and I had a baseball catch before, first in a few weeks. Holy crap I’ve never been so out of whack, mechanically, than I was today. It took me almost 40 minutes to realize my arm was dropping out of it’s slot and I was going into more of a 3/4 motion than the full overhand that better suits my style. Don’t get me wrong, when quick fielding requires it, I can go sideways, but it’s just not as accurate a throw. Once I figured it out, I felt a bit better, though Joe got stuck running after a few wild throws.

After that, I joined my usual group of misfits to record the NeowinCAST (podcast). The show went very well and there’s only one cut that needs to be made in post editing after someone slipped with the language. For those of you wondering: No, it wasn’t me.

Hang in there boys and girls. Summer is here. Summer is freaking great.