a lost phone

So last week at work, while we were recovering the store, I found a Blackberry.



It was tucked underneath a pair of green Tommy boxers in the wallet area, which I was recovering. I thought it was a co-worker's, so I asked, "Did any of you guys leave a Blackberry here?" No one had, so my friend (the closing manager that night) took it and called the owner of the phone to come pick it up the next day.



Next day at work, I'm at the registers when he approaches me and tries to shove some cash in my hand. I'm like, "What are you doing?? It's going to look like we're stealing from the cash registers!" He said, "No, no... I got a tip and I'd feel bad if I didn't share it." I found this really weird because like... if we provide great service, we get a customer compliment and not a tip! So finally he says, "Oh! It's from the girl who lost her phone. She gave me $20 as reward money. That's why I'm giving some of it to you now!"

But even hearing that made it awkward, because we would have returned her phone no matter what. Add that to the fact that we don't accept tips (that's just weird!) at work. I mean, all I did was pick up a pair of boxers to find the phone. So in the end, I felt it was just too weird if I took some of the reward money.

I'm thinking she's so grateful because nowadays when people lose their things, they don't expect to get them back (like a wallet or camera or something). But then finding that phone and returning it to its owner was just pretty much part of our job... it's like if a customer forgets his bag, we would keep it for him behind the counter until he comes back. It's just part of our customer service, I guess. Accepting more money for that wouldn't feel right.

I'll just accept my reward in karma points, thanks :D

illusionary deep space

class: art12 - 2D concepts

assignment: design an abstract CD cover

medium: acrylic paint

time: two long nights

i really need to learn how to work faster -_- especially with paints. paint quality/craftsmanship are not as good as i would have liked, but i do like the illusionary space in the designs.

class: art14 - color

assignment: monochromatic free study

time: don't remember

i worked on this before i purchased a blending agent, so blending could use more work. i do like the red emphasis, though.

class: art12 - 2D concepts

assignment: incorporate elements of illusionary space to move a letter throughout the paper

time: 2 hours?

of all the things i learned from the art classes i've taken so far, i think finally learning about deep space has been the most beneficial/influential for me.

medium: cheap watercolors
time: no idea, but i did this like six years ago... lol. i was attempting a painting, but...-_-



medium: acrylic paints on bristol
time: don't remember

quality of paints, i've learned, is just so important. also very crucial is knowledge of how illusionary deep space works. i wouldn't go as far to say that this is a masterpiece, but i think it certainly owns my work from 6 years ago...

a missed encounter

Driving back was a torturous, never-ending line of stop signs and red lights--one after the other. I raced the clock back... but accidentally turned too soon and found myself lost. After dead-ended streets, many stop signs, and pitch-black neighborhoods, I finally found myself headed the right way. Excitement burst inside me, and I sped up.

Got there, threw my car into a parking space, and hurried in. I needed a ticket to get up, so I fumbled a bit with the ticket machine until it printed a clean white one for me. I dashed up the stairs and scanned the empty platform. Across the tracks, only unknown faces studied me in indifferent puzzlement.

More disappointing than the events that had occurred earlier, more disappointing than the disappointment I had in myself ... was trying so hard to, but not finding, the person for whom I was searching.

I trudged back down the stairs, slipped my ticket back into the feed, and was promptly hailed by the ticket agent. He fixed my ticket for me, instructed me to exit through the emergency exit, and cautioned me to be safe walking around outside. A kind soul...

fall 09 grades

chyeah!! <3

12 units last semester was a breeze!

thanks to my photo and meteorology buddies for helping me out :D

quick blurb

If I find a guy attractive, nothing makes him instantly look more like a loser (in my book) than that first moment I see him pull out a cigarette or down a can of beer. No offense to anybody out there... even though I'm a college student, I still have that elementary-school mindset where we were proud supporters of "Drug Free, That's Me!" and learned all about cigarette/alcohol scenarios.

retail musings

Keeping up the appearance and tidiness of the store is like trying to pat wet sand dry... the waves always come back to mess up your work.

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to have my job. The co-workers are awesome too! Closing is so much fun. It's just that the managers expect us, as sales associates, to really SELL to the customers.

"Hello, my name is Jessica. If you need help with anything, feel free to let me know!"

That I can do. That makes me happy to get a smile and a thanks in return.

But pushing products on them?

"Oh, just this sweater? Would you like anything else? Have you checked out our clearance racks? They're 40% off! And our handbags are 40% off as well! No? Are you sure?"

I feel like a hypocrite when I do this, because I personally hate when salespeople try to push their products onto me. No, I'm fine. If I'm at the register already, I've already looked through everything and chosen exactly what I wanted. Don't try to make me get something I don't already want. And yes, I am sure. Hurry up and get cracking with my transaction! I don't want to listen to your sales spiel.

I don't want to lie through my teeth to get people to spend their money on Tommy Hilfiger products. I'm not going to say that sweater makes you look like a British supermodel when really it just makes you look dumpy. When you ask me "Should I purchase the brown bag or the black one?" when the black one is uglier but more pricey, I'm going to recommend the brown bag. If everything I did was directed toward helping Tommy gain more profit, I would be going against what I truly feel.

This might make me a bad sales associate or businessperson... but I would rather help the customer gain than increase Tommy's profit. Isn't that better in the long run? The customer would be happier with the service and not feel cheated.

Maybe sales just isn't for me. Oh well. This is only temporary!

On a separate but related note: I find I have to force myself to be sociable and friendly, though I may not feel like it at first. However, I do find that as time passes by, I get into my bubbly sales-associate character and start behaving like so. A force-fitting, but nevertheless spirit-lifting. It's like that one idea that forcing a smile makes you feel a little bit better. It usually takes me about half an hour to really get into my role.

snapshot III

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