votivesoul
03-28-2020, 07:38 PM
Every once in a while throughout my earthly tenure someone says something that strikes me as quite profound and worth remembering, as the statement made, while meaningful in the context in which it was uttered, also applies in many other scenarios, thus showing the multivalency of its inherent truth.
About 6 years ago, I worked as the General Cashier in the Accounting Department for a very large, fairly famous four-diamond standard resort in WI.
Every March, this resort hosted the final race in a professional snowmobiling circuit. For three days, the entire accounting staff up to and including the Resort Controller, worked 18 plus hours a day, taking in and counting all the cash from the event (Nearly $200,000/day), and I was the man of the hour. We were guarded by several county sheriffs at all times in a locked room on-site at the race.
During all of this, one of the servers working the event came to us to ask me a cash-handling policy question, and I gave the official answer, but then made an off-hand comment about how unofficially, it didn't actually matter one way or the other.
My boss, the Resort Controller, upon hearing me, chided me and said "Don't tell her that. Most of our controls are illusions". Basically, the controls in place were carefully crafted deceptions meant to keep cash-handling associates in check so they didn't get sneaky with the resort's money.
I had never realized!
I work at my local Walmart as the Autocare Center Department Manager.
I've seen all the panic-buying first hand in real-time before even the media was reporting on it or it showed up on social media.
Things have calmed here in WI and we are slowly getting the store stocked with even the worst-hit items, especially over-nights since the store now closes at 8:30 PM and reopens at 7:00 AM instead of being 24 hours. Many shoppers are coming in with masks and gloves and we are pouring out hand-sanitizers by the gallon every day. We have stations by every entrance where customers can spray their carts with an industrial-strength multi-level disinfectant and dry them off with some paper towel. We are only opening every other register so more distance between customers at check-outs can be maintained.
We are soon to get sneeze guards for all of the registers, too. The Autocare Center has been closed to keep us from handling car keys and going into and out of people's vehicles. The Doctor of Optometry has had to cancel all her appointments because the Vision Center has been closed except for 4 hours a day for very limited needs.
Our store and Walmarts across the world are doing everything they can to contain this virus while maintaining operations as best as possible because we are considered an "essential" business. I even got my letter saying so!
"Most of our controls are an illusion..."
Right before 7:00 AM, customers gather outside the door by the dozens, shoulder to shoulder, waiting to be let in. Sometimes a local police officer is parked nearby to keep an eye on the crowds before the store opens.
The day unfolds like normal after that.
During the first two weeks of panic buying, we had nearly 1,000 customers and associates in the store at any one given time. Total sales were up over 38%. Check out lines were long. Self-check outs were packed. Our first senior shopping day had more people in the store than during the first two weeks of panic buying. The senior hour is now being opened up to not just seniors, but also to those most "at-risk", whoever they might be???
In the breakroom, all the associate cliques continue to gather and sit together at tables no one is cleaning or disinfecting. Door handles aren't being cleaned or disinfected, either. The Fastenal lockers that house our hand-helds and portable printers aren't being cleaned or disinfected. Neither the hand-helds or portable printers. Or the key box or the keys.
Customers clean and disinfect the handles on their carts, but not the baskets. They go shop with carts that were recently used by strangers, who recently put their items into the baskets of said carts, with merchandise, including food items, that were stocked by associates who may or may not be wearing gloves, but no masks, as far as I have seen.
Then, when done, they all lineup or go use the self-checkouts and have their items, including food items, swiped across register scanners that are not being cleaned or disinfected after every customer. Those items are then bagged by cashiers who may or not be wearing gloves, but no masks, as far as I have seen. Card readers are used most often but are not being cleaned or disinfected after each customer. Cash and coin are being passed, too. That cash and coinage goes into the till and is set on top of earlier cash and coin transactions, and then comes out and is given to other customers as change.
And as far as I know, no one takes their groceries and other items home and sprays them down with industrial-strength multi-level disinfectant then wipes them off with some paper towel before using them.
"Most of our controls are illusions..."
About 6 years ago, I worked as the General Cashier in the Accounting Department for a very large, fairly famous four-diamond standard resort in WI.
Every March, this resort hosted the final race in a professional snowmobiling circuit. For three days, the entire accounting staff up to and including the Resort Controller, worked 18 plus hours a day, taking in and counting all the cash from the event (Nearly $200,000/day), and I was the man of the hour. We were guarded by several county sheriffs at all times in a locked room on-site at the race.
During all of this, one of the servers working the event came to us to ask me a cash-handling policy question, and I gave the official answer, but then made an off-hand comment about how unofficially, it didn't actually matter one way or the other.
My boss, the Resort Controller, upon hearing me, chided me and said "Don't tell her that. Most of our controls are illusions". Basically, the controls in place were carefully crafted deceptions meant to keep cash-handling associates in check so they didn't get sneaky with the resort's money.
I had never realized!
I work at my local Walmart as the Autocare Center Department Manager.
I've seen all the panic-buying first hand in real-time before even the media was reporting on it or it showed up on social media.
Things have calmed here in WI and we are slowly getting the store stocked with even the worst-hit items, especially over-nights since the store now closes at 8:30 PM and reopens at 7:00 AM instead of being 24 hours. Many shoppers are coming in with masks and gloves and we are pouring out hand-sanitizers by the gallon every day. We have stations by every entrance where customers can spray their carts with an industrial-strength multi-level disinfectant and dry them off with some paper towel. We are only opening every other register so more distance between customers at check-outs can be maintained.
We are soon to get sneeze guards for all of the registers, too. The Autocare Center has been closed to keep us from handling car keys and going into and out of people's vehicles. The Doctor of Optometry has had to cancel all her appointments because the Vision Center has been closed except for 4 hours a day for very limited needs.
Our store and Walmarts across the world are doing everything they can to contain this virus while maintaining operations as best as possible because we are considered an "essential" business. I even got my letter saying so!
"Most of our controls are an illusion..."
Right before 7:00 AM, customers gather outside the door by the dozens, shoulder to shoulder, waiting to be let in. Sometimes a local police officer is parked nearby to keep an eye on the crowds before the store opens.
The day unfolds like normal after that.
During the first two weeks of panic buying, we had nearly 1,000 customers and associates in the store at any one given time. Total sales were up over 38%. Check out lines were long. Self-check outs were packed. Our first senior shopping day had more people in the store than during the first two weeks of panic buying. The senior hour is now being opened up to not just seniors, but also to those most "at-risk", whoever they might be???
In the breakroom, all the associate cliques continue to gather and sit together at tables no one is cleaning or disinfecting. Door handles aren't being cleaned or disinfected, either. The Fastenal lockers that house our hand-helds and portable printers aren't being cleaned or disinfected. Neither the hand-helds or portable printers. Or the key box or the keys.
Customers clean and disinfect the handles on their carts, but not the baskets. They go shop with carts that were recently used by strangers, who recently put their items into the baskets of said carts, with merchandise, including food items, that were stocked by associates who may or may not be wearing gloves, but no masks, as far as I have seen.
Then, when done, they all lineup or go use the self-checkouts and have their items, including food items, swiped across register scanners that are not being cleaned or disinfected after every customer. Those items are then bagged by cashiers who may or not be wearing gloves, but no masks, as far as I have seen. Card readers are used most often but are not being cleaned or disinfected after each customer. Cash and coin are being passed, too. That cash and coinage goes into the till and is set on top of earlier cash and coin transactions, and then comes out and is given to other customers as change.
And as far as I know, no one takes their groceries and other items home and sprays them down with industrial-strength multi-level disinfectant then wipes them off with some paper towel before using them.
"Most of our controls are illusions..."