Let’s Get This Party Goin’

I’ve decided to start putting my book together on August 12th. Which book is that? Why, My Year at the Depot is the tentative title. It will reflect my one year stint with the world’s largest home improvement retailer in the world. I have already gleaned a lot of material for it.

Apparently a rapper called Fifty Cent – who knew? Not me

Why August 12th? Because that will be my six month anniversary of employment there as a mixer of paint. Will there be a party to celebrate? Not likely. I am getting a fifty cent an hour raise next month, but not just me: everyone in the store is getting a raise. Why is that?

Empty Flooring Aisles – of Help, that is

I think HD is worried about the turnover in the ranks. We are apparently woefully short-handed, and it appears to be a bit of a revolving door, per some employees with whom I’ve spoken. They describe a situation where there’s too much real estate to cover and too few associates assigned to cover it. That is true for flooring in particular. Every time someone catches me over there and asks for help, it’s nearly impossible to find anyone that knows anything to assist – even if they work in that department! Revolving door.

There’s a new person in the department I’ll call “J Prime”. That’s because there’s another “J” that works there, so I don’t want there to be confusion between the two. This is a delightful young lady who wants to learn and work hard. Imagine that! Gal after my own heart.

So gradually we’ll become an all female department. M with the sparkly eyes is back after a short stint in another department. Not sure she’s happy to be back but well, there it is. She had to take a leave for personal reasons, so the change was inevitable. Not fair, but hey – that’s business, right?

Data App

Well, maybe. At the meeting where the store manager announced the raises, I commented that I need data to do a better job. He referred me to something called “Pulse” which is available on the phone. At first glance it was hard to decipher, but at least I know it’s there and so I’ll start to dig into it. Already surprised to know that plastic sheeting and buckets are the second biggest sellers in the department. The biggest sellers vary depending on time frame, but sheeting and buckets is always second. Which is really pretty amazing, considering nobody can ever locate the stuff. Goes to show, huh? What? Oh, I haven’t any idea. But I’ll be looking into it, that’s for sure.

Dynasty Paint – Top of the Line and Most Expensive

Had another return of Dynasty paint, with the DIYer saying it didn’t go as far as advertised. That is a recurring theme with that brand, the most expensive in the fleet. I looked at a YouTube video with a professional evaluating the brand. He affirmed the problem. I’ve had to give discounts twice on Marquee, which I and Consumer Reports thinks is the best brand. But these days it’s hard to say about feedback – especially on Facebook. I think there are fake testimonials on there about paint – all positive about Sherwin Williams, all negative about Behr. Then when you click on the testifier, it looks like they are fake personalities. They have a few pictures, but that’s about it. No details. No life history. Very odd, not to mention suspicious. Who can you believe any more?

I know, I know. I’m starting to sound like a crabby old broad. Well, get used to it. But this is not a rant. Way back in the beginning, I vowed to avoid rants, and with one exception, I have stuck to my vow. So just call it observations. OK?

That’s it for now – August 12th. Be ready.

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