Pawnshops and Carousels
AvalonReeseFanFics
A/N: Hello there my wonderful readers. So here we are, another late update. I swear I posted this yesterday but I clearly didn't which is odd because I had it ready to go as of yesterday. Anyway, enjoy the late update and don't forget to leave a review so I know if you guys like it!
Chapter 35
I called my kids into the office because we've been having problems with staff.
Just last week one of our best sales people got into a dust up with another one of our sales associates, called her a bitch, told her to fuck off, in front of other staff and in front of customers. Obviously, this was no good. I pulled him in to talk about it and he lied to me, to my face. He was suspended, but he chose not to come back.
This all could have been avoided if Ashley had managed them properly but that didn't happen so, now I'm down one of our best sales people. So, I've come up with a plan on how to make sure our staff is behaving.
"So, as you know things have not been going all that well here," I remind them and they both nod to me. "Our employees need to understand how important customer service is. How important product knowledge is, so I've come up with a great idea. I'm going to bring in a secret shopper."
"To do what?" Seth snaps. To be fair, he has ever right to be snippy. Sierra had come down with a cold over the weekend and Sabrina was complaining of back pain, like more so than usual. It was so bad that he had Sabrina on bed rest again, but Sabrina hated bed rest.
Lilli was over there now, to sit with her and keep her in bed, because that was the only way it was going to work with Sierra being sick, his wife being on bed rest and he here.
"To evaluate the employees…"
"Instead of hiring somebody why don't you walk around the showroom floor and watch the staff?"
Because that was Ashley's job and she messed it up. Because I can't be everywhere at once.
"I'd rather bring in a professional company…"
"I don't think it's a good idea."
Why are my kids interrupting me so much today? I mean seriously what the hell.
"I don't either. We haven't even gotten over Tony and Linda," Ashley says and I sigh.
"The dust hasn't even settled yet," Seth adds. Well, at least they're working together. Too bad it's against me.
"I don't feel comfortable setting up our own employees."
"We're not setting them up," I cry.
"If you go through with this, trust me, there's going to be trouble."
But I don't think that at all. "I think there's going to be a benefit to the store. I think there's going to be a benefit to the employees and most of all it's going be a benefit to the customers."
But Seth is shaking his head and already walking away. "It makes no sense," he snaps as he leaves. Ashley went with him too. Nodding her head in agreement.
Well to bad. I'm boss and I'm going to do it anyway.
Les: Well, despite my children's warnings and forebodings, I did it anyway. I contracted out a company to come into my store as secret shoppers. And for a few weeks I waited as these people came in to test my shoppers. I got the video back, watched it back and was horrified by what I saw. And not just from my regular staff either. I mean, I honestly can't believe what I saw. And it's time they saw it too.
I've been having a rough week.
My wife, who should be on bed, rest keeps leaving the damn apartment. She showed up at AJL more that once to visit me. And while I love visits from my wife, especially when she comes with my daughter, she hasn't been feeling well and she has a baby to worry about which means I'm doubly worried.
So today was supposed to be a half day only. That's it. That's all. Then my dad tells me and Ash that he's gone ahead and gone with the secret shopper thing we thought we had talked him out of. And I don't mean he's told us one is coming in soon. I mean he's got the results. A secret shopper had already been in our store.
We're obviously pissed but it's not until me, Ash and Karen get called into the office that I know he saw something truly terrible on there.
Still we all file into his office, even though I'm pretty sure we're all defensive at this point. Maybe not Karen cause she's always smiling and a little oblivious.
"So, I got the results back from the secret shopper company, and I've looked at the written report and the video they sent me," he says and wow, isn't that good for him. "So, what I wanted you guys to do is come back here and check this out. It's going to show you exactly what they saw when they walked through the front door."
I want to roll my eyes and walk away but I follow after my sister and Karen as they do as my dad asks and stand behind his chair.
The first is a video of Bobby-J with three rings on the counter. Already we have a problem because that's not allowed, it's only one item at a time. Minimize the amount they can steal.
The next one, however, is me. My dad presses play on my clip and then turns to look at me.
I even remember this purchase.
"Can you bring down that acoustic for me?" the guy asks.
You can already tell I'm very busy, I have a paper in one hand, and Sierra on my other arm.
I want to give this guy attention but I can't. I can tell that my dad isn't impressed but I thought I handled it quite nicely.
"I'm just working on something can you give me a second?"
And in a flash, there's my wife. Looking as lovely as ever, and clearly very pregnant.
"I got this…" she says turning a wide smile onto the awaiting patron.
"Sabrina…" you hear me warn but I'm not on camera anymore.
"Nope it's okay. I can help you sir. Can you point out which acoustic you're interested in?"
My dad paused the video and then turned to me.
"So, you were too busy and your wife, who's not working for us right now, took the client?" he asks. We all watch the video as Sabrina continues to give flawless service.
"I was busy dad, you saw the paper in my hand…"
"And your daughter?"
"Sabrina brought Sierra with her and you know how she fusses if I'm not the one holding her!" I complain but it doesn't matter, my father's not impressed and there's nothing I can do to change that now.
The next clip is Ashley. For Ashley's clip I can clearly see what's wrong with hers. She's acting disinterested and bored, to the point where she even yawned. She tried to say that never happened, that that was the first time, but that was one hell of a coincidence, now wasn't it.
The next clip is Linda, who is also giving flawless service over in the fur coat department. Then JP is next and he does flawlessly as well.
"Now, the highest person scored at a 98, but we're going to talk about who scored at 97, which is Karen."
So, we have someone who scored higher than Karen? Why aren't we talking about them then.
My dad plays her clip next and she's just glowing and happy through out the whole clip. A little bit like Sabrina except hers comes off more genuine, while Karen's seems so bubbly it has to be fake.
"See, perfect," he says but Ashley is not having it.
"Yeah? If she's so perfect, who's the 98% then dad?"
See, I'm pretty sure I already know who it is, and I don't want my dad to confirm it.
"She doesn't work here right now, so I'm not counting her."
I internally sigh, because I'm right. It is Sabrina. And Ashley seems to have gotten it too.
"Sabrina?" she growls.
"Yep. She's not even a real employee right now, and she's scored the best. She's got the best customer service out of all of you. I should promote her when she gets back."
"Yeah, if she ever stops popping out children," Ashley growls and I smack my sister's arm.
Our son wasn't planned, I won't say an accident, because we very much wanted a second child just not so soon after our first.
"Leave Sabrina alone, Ash," I snap at her even though I'm pretty pissed that Sabrina is the best, again. It's like she was messing with me even when she wasn't working with me.
"Right, now that you guys know what good customer service is, let's see you put that to use."
I shake my head but leave the office. I look at the clock and figure now is a good enough time to head home, so I pack up my things, and head home. I may not be my dad's favourite employee but I know I'm my wife's favourite husband and my daughter's favourite daddy. And that's going to make my day better.
