Today one of our older volunteers felt faint after eating a chocolate roll. Well they don’t prepare you for this in the first aid training, I’ve got lots of bandages and I’m not afraid to use them or at least try although personally, I’m rubbish at wrapping but possible pretty good at rapping ;-)
But what I did use which isn’t in the first aid box is my common sense, I sat her down and called a taxi to take her home and luckily the taxi company was right outside the shop it was fate. The taxi driver came in and took her and her shopping trolley to the car and I’ve heard she’s feeling a little perkier. This is the same lady who broke our toilet seat last week, well she finished it off because it had become weak after 7 years and she went to use the facilities and we heard an almighty crack and she came out and said the toilet seat wasn’t working right. I went in and the seat had cracked fully in half. It was a tense moment and I really didn’t know what to say other than, it happens and it didn’t matter I could fix it.
I didn’t use sellotape - we purchased a new one and one of the other volunteers (Gerry) fitted it for us. Health and safety and risk assessments are major issues working in a place like this as the environment constantly changes as well as the needs of your staff and customers. It has to be safe at all times and people sometimes, do not use common sense - they block fire exits, trail cables across the floor, price knives and put them on the shelf you have to double check and double think constantly.
As shop manager it is my responsibility to ensure the shop is a safe place to work. Sorry if I’m going on. I do that sometimes.
Today has been an ok day other than that, preparing for the spring season and generally tidying the shop up sometimes you just need a good spring clean! People think working in a charity shop you must get exposed to lots of germs, that in theory may be right but a lot of people actually wash their clothes before they donate them (except for the odd few) so my immune system is pretty strong and my muscles from all the carrying and lifting! Although it does seem to be bric-a-brac (pieces of crockery etc) that people don’t wash L I mean I’ve seen more tea stained tea pots to last me a lifetime, hello bleach I’m a big fan!
I used to bleach my hair a lot but I decided to go brunette this winter and people didn’t like it. Mainly customers, at one point I thought they may bring a signed petition to make me change it back but they never did, although one customer did buy me a box of bleaching powder which I thought was sweet in a weird creepy way. They have gotten used to it now and as a compromise I have had blonde streaks.
What really got me was people didn’t recognise me! They’d come up to me and say for example “I’ve put something away, I cant remember who served me I think they had blonde hair” or “has blondie left now?” I must admit I do miss my blonde locks and I may go back but not under pressure. I’m just close to our customers (not too close mind) close as in most know my name and when I’ve changed my hair colour.
It’s good to have a rapport though, right?
It’s good to have a rapport though, right?
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