Hello everyone it's that time of the week again for Friday Five this week's theme is brought to you by Toni, our Friday Five host. In Toni's words ... I have worked several jobs. I'm asking we name five jobs we've had. You can find me here http://tonij16102.multiply.com/journal/item/740/Friday_FiveJobs
Copy this to your blog, including your responses, and be sure to come back here to add your link to the comments. Also, remember we decided last week that only the weekly prompts will be posted to the Group Blog. Any other questions, comments, or suggestions should be posted in comments or to the Group Notes.
Thanks, and Happy Fiving!
Five of the jobs I've worked:
1) Floral Cart. It was an old, antique push cart. Luckily it was stationary, sitting in the middle of a mall, long before kiosks were all the rage. We sold fresh cut and dried floral arrangements. Even our cash register was an antique. Met my first ex-husband while working here in the mid-70s.
2) I worked for a hospital inventory company. From bedpans to syringes. Aspirin to wheelchairs. I compared inventoried items to computer readouts, looking for indescrepancies - back before the task was computerized. Late 70s.
3) Crossing guard. Possibly the most dangerous job I've ever had or will have. There were those who didn't respect that there were little kids crossing the busy street. I've had some real close calls, being lightly grazed by some idiot in too big of a hurry more than once. Also one of the most fun jobs I've had. The kids were all real sweet. Late 80s.
4) Mystery shopper. Posing as a customer I'd go in with a list of things to watch for from store cleanliness to adequate stock on shelves to friendliness of employees. I'd report back to my company who in turn would submit my reports to the stores. My favorite job!! I did this for about ten years - mid 80s to mid 90s.
5) Comparative shopper. I would go into competing stores with a list of items and find if our store had them for a lower price. When I did find lower prices I had notify my district supervisor so we could lower our prices. Mid-90s.
Copy this to your blog, including your responses, and be sure to come back here to add your link to the comments. Also, remember we decided last week that only the weekly prompts will be posted to the Group Blog. Any other questions, comments, or suggestions should be posted in comments or to the Group Notes.
Thanks, and Happy Fiving!
Five of the jobs I've worked:
1) Floral Cart. It was an old, antique push cart. Luckily it was stationary, sitting in the middle of a mall, long before kiosks were all the rage. We sold fresh cut and dried floral arrangements. Even our cash register was an antique. Met my first ex-husband while working here in the mid-70s.
2) I worked for a hospital inventory company. From bedpans to syringes. Aspirin to wheelchairs. I compared inventoried items to computer readouts, looking for indescrepancies - back before the task was computerized. Late 70s.
3) Crossing guard. Possibly the most dangerous job I've ever had or will have. There were those who didn't respect that there were little kids crossing the busy street. I've had some real close calls, being lightly grazed by some idiot in too big of a hurry more than once. Also one of the most fun jobs I've had. The kids were all real sweet. Late 80s.
4) Mystery shopper. Posing as a customer I'd go in with a list of things to watch for from store cleanliness to adequate stock on shelves to friendliness of employees. I'd report back to my company who in turn would submit my reports to the stores. My favorite job!! I did this for about ten years - mid 80s to mid 90s.
5) Comparative shopper. I would go into competing stores with a list of items and find if our store had them for a lower price. When I did find lower prices I had notify my district supervisor so we could lower our prices. Mid-90s.
I SO want to be a mystery shopper, there are so many sites that offer it now, that I'm afraid of who's genuine and who's not. I've held positions in retail management, so I know it would be right up my alley to do!
ReplyDeleteYou've had some really interesting jobs!
Glendagirl, thanks!! And that's only a few of the jobs I've had, LOL!
ReplyDeleteRemember this when looking for mystery shopping jobs - you DO NOT pay to work. If they ask for money *run* ... there's no master list of mystery shopping companies, not that are on the up and up anyway!!
Start with Infotel at www.infotelinc.com. It's the company I used to work for. Great company. Hugs!
Mystery Shopper! That sounds so secret agent! LOL
ReplyDeleteJeann, it was pretty secret agent!! Rule number one was never *blow your cover*. To do so meant certain unemployment! No that's not why I left their employment either! I had transportation issues, so I had to leave. Yeah, can't be a spy without a spymobile! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI always wondered who did the 'mystery shopper' job, when I worked for a major supermarket we were always curious!
ReplyDeleteLMAO@spymobile...good one.
ReplyDeleteI too, would love to be a mystery shopper...I'm gonna have to look that site up...thanks for posting the info.
Helen, wasn't I that did your mystery shops!! The commute was just a wee bit long!! LOL! Hugs!!
ReplyDeleteHannah, you're welcome. Like I said it was my favorite job!! I'm seriously thinking about getting back into it now that I have a working spymobile and am in fairly good health. It wasn't the best paying job I've ever had, but it did put money in my pocket for some of the luxuries like groceries and toilet paper. LOL! Hugs!!
ReplyDeleteYou had some different jobs. Jobs I never heard of =)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in college so long ago LOL They were pushing the mystery shoppers but I thought it was a scam so I didn't even look into it.
Cassie, I had a real long comment I was going to make. Instead I'll turn it into a blog entry ... lots of information. LOL! HUGS!
ReplyDeleteOh there used to be a floral cart outside the major bank in the city years ago I used to go by it every day, then they had a fruit one as well. I dont know if they are still there, it was a thriving buisness though.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah can imagine how dangerous crossing guard would be there are way too many nuts on the road with no patience!!
I agree with everyone mystery shopper sounds wonderful, these days they would probably use pdas instead of all the paperwork, when I was merchandising they started using them ~ of course it wasnt a mystery we were in there though LOL.
The stores here (not that we have much variety or competition with grocery stores) they do it themselves now, usually a grocery manager and another do a stroll through and check whats on sale and selling and will match if they want to LOL....
Helen, Doubt they'd ever go to PDAs for mystery shopping. Talk about a sure way to be busted as a mystery shopper! LOL! As it was, writing down *any* notes on even a blank sheet of paper (while sitting in your car afterwards) was a huge no-no. I remember one of the stores I used to shop, the one that suspected me as the shopper, would actually send an employee out to the parking lot as I was leaving - just to see what I'd do. So ... I got out of there as quickly as I could!! Stop a mile or so down the road to write out my key notes and then come home to fill out my paperwork.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny. Around here comparative shoppers are hated. Really hated. I'd been warned by my managers to treat this job the same way I did my mystery shops. Don't get caught!! Memorize your list of 100 or so items to compare and leave it in your vehicle (out of view of anyone). They even provided me with a tiny digital voice recorder so I could whisper my notes. I kept it in my cleavage! Pretended I was talking into my cell phone, when actually I was talking to my chest!! I was even approached by store security once or twice, asking why I was *casing* out their store. I was there at least once a week and never bought a thing. Luckily I had thought of my alibi early in the job just in case - we live in an area with three large hospitals. I told them I bring my dad for his stroke therapy. Drop him off and come to the shopping centers to kill time. They bought it! LOL!
Man, I miss those jobs! They were soooooo much fun!
Memorise a 100 items? Ohh so not a job for a menopausal female then LMAO!!
ReplyDeleteOh what a great excuse haha yeah I'd buy that one too!
Helen, actually it wasn't too hard to memorize the list. And we were sort of allowed to write out a "shopping list", as long as it was handwritten and looked like a regular shopping list. There was just no way to put all 100 items, it'd have looked to fishy in the event we were being watched by security! LOL! And yeah, we were treated just like criminals if (or when) we were caught!! To the point that on occasion the cops were even called in!! I never got banned by any of the stores, but two of my managers did before I got the position!! LOL!
ReplyDeleteLOL, that's the excuse I ended up using for not only comparative shopping, but for mystery shopping, too! Why mess with a good alibi? LMAO