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Rumpelteazer · 02-16-2017, 03:27 AM

Twice a week, on Thursday and Saturday from 10am until 11am, we have "consulting hour" in our store. (It usually lasts longer, as long as people arrive before 11am they are helped. Unless it's really busy, which happens only a couple of times a year, when we send people home) People can come with their broken light fixture or appliance (though the latter one we often can repair because of parts needed or problems with the electronics) and my father takes a look at it. If it's easy and quick-ish my father will fix it there and then, if it's a longer job he can tell people how to do it themselves or refer them to someone else, or if it isn't repairable we offer people the option leave their broken item with us and we take it to the recycle station for them.

I'm really starting to hate consulting hour, for various reasons. First of all, I go downstairs early, I can switch on and wake up the things that need to be switched on and woken up, on Thursday I take out the trash, I vacuum or do other things I prefer not to do with customer in the store. Often people are early and even though we're very clear consulting hour is from 10 until 11 and we open at 10 customer often seem to think that since I'm already in the store I'm obliged to help them. When I shake my head and/or point to the openings times they start knocking on the window, flapping or shouting through the letterbox or ring the doorbell (which is clearly labelled with our family name and isn't even audible in the store). It's a sure way for my to wait until exactly 10 am to open the store, even if I'm done with my chores early.

Then there is the problem that my father is always late. On Thursday and Saturday only 5 minutes on average (other days it's about 20 minutes), but people start nagging about that. Sometimes I get blamed: I should have made sure he got up in time. They never complain to my father that he is late. Sometimes they try to get me to start on their broken item, which I won't do. The whole idea is that my father looks at the "patients" and I help the regular customers. When there are more people with items and my father is helping one they also try to get me to help them. Sometimes when I refuse they get pissy and speculate that I can't do repairs.

Then there is the problem of space. My father looks at the items on the bigger part of the counter. But people waiting often want to put their item on the smaller free part of the counter. When I ask them, in a friendly manner, to keep that part of the counter clear for me to help the regular customer they aren't happy.

And finally you have the people who don't follow the rules: only one item per person per consulting hour and the people who come on different days or after 11am.

Usually one or more of the things I mentioned above happen and I now dread to go downstairs on Thursday and Saturday.

02-16-2017, 03:27 AM	#29659
Rumpelteazer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,360 Karma: 27919658 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	Twice a week, on Thursday and Saturday from 10am until 11am, we have "consulting hour" in our store. (It usually lasts longer, as long as people arrive before 11am they are helped. Unless it's really busy, which happens only a couple of times a year, when we send people home) People can come with their broken light fixture or appliance (though the latter one we often can repair because of parts needed or problems with the electronics) and my father takes a look at it. If it's easy and quick-ish my father will fix it there and then, if it's a longer job he can tell people how to do it themselves or refer them to someone else, or if it isn't repairable we offer people the option leave their broken item with us and we take it to the recycle station for them. I'm really starting to hate consulting hour, for various reasons. First of all, I go downstairs early, I can switch on and wake up the things that need to be switched on and woken up, on Thursday I take out the trash, I vacuum or do other things I prefer not to do with customer in the store. Often people are early and even though we're very clear consulting hour is from 10 until 11 and we open at 10 customer often seem to think that since I'm already in the store I'm obliged to help them. When I shake my head and/or point to the openings times they start knocking on the window, flapping or shouting through the letterbox or ring the doorbell (which is clearly labelled with our family name and isn't even audible in the store). It's a sure way for my to wait until exactly 10 am to open the store, even if I'm done with my chores early. Then there is the problem that my father is always late. On Thursday and Saturday only 5 minutes on average (other days it's about 20 minutes), but people start nagging about that. Sometimes I get blamed: I should have made sure he got up in time. They never complain to my father that he is late. Sometimes they try to get me to start on their broken item, which I won't do. The whole idea is that my father looks at the "patients" and I help the regular customers. When there are more people with items and my father is helping one they also try to get me to help them. Sometimes when I refuse they get pissy and speculate that I can't do repairs. Then there is the problem of space. My father looks at the items on the bigger part of the counter. But people waiting often want to put their item on the smaller free part of the counter. When I ask them, in a friendly manner, to keep that part of the counter clear for me to help the regular customer they aren't happy. And finally you have the people who don't follow the rules: only one item per person per consulting hour and the people who come on different days or after 11am. Usually one or more of the things I mentioned above happen and I now dread to go downstairs on Thursday and Saturday.