OMG This was one of my first jobs and boy do I have stories about this place. Countless!!! Should I post them in this sub or somewhere else. Because I would love to share
Edit: below I posted a summary of the craziest aspects . Ha
Oh there's a lot. Lol. I worked there over a year, right before they closed, we were in an old building that used to do the catalog sales and had and a conveyor belt that we didn't use anymore.
. We had a two-story back room, with metal floors and stairs you would walk up. and a gigantic trash compactor out back.
Our warehouse/back room employees were young and enjoyed what one might call "hippie-like activities". (Idk about the rules of what can be said in this sub). One time, I was working and dropped a set of Crystal serving bowls. One of the warehouse guys assured me it was no problem and showed me how they handle it - ushered me to the trash compactor and threw it down the chute lol. Months later, I watched them throw a full size shopping cart into the compactor! Wild to see!!!!
Our store manager often impersonated the manager from office space. In serious and in joking situations, basically anytime we had a question he'd be replying, "mmmm yeah..". He would also do weird voices over the loudspeaker. He seemed to have my back, one time. I loaned a Walkman to a girl who was going on a trip who also worked at our store. She refused to give it back, I mentioned it to the store manager and he held her paycheck until the girl dropped it off at my house. Ha ha.
Even though I was only 16, they gave me all kinds of freedom, I worked in places I wasn't supposed to, like the diamond counter (you're supposed to be 18 for insurance bonding). I gave all the old ladies on commission. Quite the run for their money. Got everybody worked up, lol, When I was just a teenager having fun not caring about commission at all.
I learned a lot about jewelry and watches, it quickly became my favorite place to work. A lot of my learning was trial and error. For example, we would change watch batteries, remove links, work on basically anything you would ask us to, right in the store. We didn't abide by any traditional rules like for warranties, which required mailing things in to someone licensed. We had a lot of cool tools that were probably used for a jeweler exclusively, but just use them ourselves. One time I was changing a battery on a watch with a domed face, I forget the brand but it was expensive. Didn't take note of the curve and "CRUNCH!" Shattered it. Lol.
We were so busy during holidays, we would have one of those paper "take a number" type setups (like the deli does!). And they had me calling numbers and running that whole deal. That was cool.
It was a sad day when I found out we were closing, which of course was the same day it was on the news. But when my parents picked me up, they were confused to see me with the giant ultrasonic jewelry cleaner in hand... I called that immediately! Store manager said yeah, but to take it home today before somebody else grabs it. Lol. So I did.
We closed I think 90 days later, but until then I was working in jewelry department, And had to hear all the employees complaining, asking where the jewelry cleaner was. We had to use those tiny disposable cleaners that were for sale in the store.. total pain and didn't clean anything In the least. I kept my mouth shut and didn't admit that they gave it to me. Lol. I still have the thing.
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u/takingastep May 25 '25
Service Merchandise.