Escaping Retail Hell: Book Wench Lands Dream Job

Hello, RHU, tis I.... the one formerly known as Book Wench. 

That's right.

Formerly.

Gals and guys, I finally did it. I got a better job. And not just "a job"-- the job. I'm going to be working at a nonprofit right smack in the middle of beautiful, historic downtown, helping coordinate events and ticket sales for basically every performance venue in the county up to and including the friggin' opera. Did I mention I like opera? Because I love opera. I wrote my gorram thesis on opera. Getting discount opera tickets as a perk of the job... someone pinch me, I must be dreaming. 

Yes, basically it's a box office job with some organizing and promotion thrown in, so it's still customer service. But it's customer service with full-time hours and benefits, where I get to do my sales and deal with my patrons over the phone-- or behind a nice thick wall of glass. No one is ever going to be able to hit me again, or throw things at me, or try to grope me in the middle of the aisle. If they scream at me over the phone, I can and am encouraged to hang up. If they scream at me through the window, they get booted from the event and/or escorted off the property by the (smokin' hot) security guy. And because most of the events that we host cater to a more sophisticated crowd, the odds of dealing with tiny shrieking hellspawn just dropped dramatically. I am free!

Now, of course, there are student loans to be paid and a car to save up for, so I have no intention of quitting Wastings just yet. Our store is currently so desperate for manpower that they don't want to let me go, even though my availability is now considerably reduced. I'll be working more hours at the nonprofit than I ever did at Wastings, so I'm looking at that retail income (cut back though it will be) as a chance to finally pay some things off and rebuild my savings account. I know it's the smart thing to do, and if nothing else it will supply me with crusty stories for the next couple months... but knowing that my income is no longer dependent on people who are stupid enough to confuse "being out of stock" with "racism" is one of the most satisfying things I've ever experienced. 

Best of luck to everyone else out there; you'll hear more from me, I promise, and I hope that all of you have equally good fortune in finding your own kickass dream jobs and escaping from retail hell. 

Ciao,

--Box Office Wench

P.S. One more thing that officially isn't racist: not helping someone with a question about merchandise when you're a) off the clock b) not in uniform c) NOT IN THE STORE and d) having a smoke with some friends in a park. Pick one, or any combination thereof. 

 

Comments

[TechTiger]

Yay! Congratulations on layway. :) Half now, and half when you finally get free.

[WHSlave]

Oooh, Congratulations with a capital C! I hope I get to be as lucky as you and enjoy those operas! :)

[Queer Geek]

I shall sing an aria for you...on second thought I don't want your ears to bleed! Congrats!

[BookAce]

Congratulations on your escape! Sounds like an awesome job. =D

[trekkiebabe31]

Congratulations! The job sounds wonderful, much luck to you!

[Hellbound Alleee]

Well...I know a little bit about theatre box offices.

We catered to a higher-class patronage, but that came with its drawbacks.

People used to come to the box office with their complaints about show content. The claims of racism or the ones being racist were still there--they just decided the box office was a good place to complain to. It was always about the casting of the characters--we were a color-blind theatre. So the casting sometimes rubbed people the wrong way. A black man cast as a villain? You racists! Alice in Wonderland is a Malaysian American girl? You've ruined m childhood and my perception of Alice as a blond English girl! I don't like your portrayal of X or Y, etc.

Then there were the shutterbugs. SAG doesn't like Shutterbugs. Shutterbugs do not like to be told what to do.

VIPs are often lovely. Until they are not. Woe be to you if one brings a child. Their children are so advanced and so mature and so ready for a three-hour show! Not.

Still, I'd love to go back to it. I loved the stage and the artisans and the sound guys and actors. I loved meeting the celebrities and dignitaries. Stay away from any kind of concessions work though. It gets messy.

[Diane]

Congratulations! And +2 points for use of the word "gorram".

[NC Tony]

*does the happy dance for you*

[WhoaNelly]

"Gorram" was a firely reference.. no?

[Book Wench]

Gorram is indeed a Firefly reference.

[Buddy the Elf...What's Your Favorite Colour?]

Congratulations to you! Hopefully things go well! Just ignore the "entitled" and you'll be fine!

[Book Baby]

Congrats! Now all of your friends will be asking you to buy them discount tickets! LOL

[CNA Maggie May]

Congratulations Box Office Wench!!!!! I'm very happy for you!!! Enjoy the operas!!!

[DishesDarling]

Congrats! :D Every job has its drawbacks, but discounted tickets to events will cover a multitude of them. Be sure to keep writing in!

[prei]

I'm a mom of new diagnosed AS 4yo (last month) and this blog is fcnniaatisg (don't know the right word without sounding too weird). My complete unawareness of the autistic spectrum has really gotten me overwhelmed and hearing from other moms experiences has been so helpful. My elder is a biter and the younger is picking it up (no asd traits seen in the younger but some major ocd issues in my opinion). Anyhoo, I can't even begin to label what I'm feeling other than gratitude that you all take the time to share.

[Naira]

Creeping socialism. Next thing you know, the govrmneent will be rationing groceries and telling me where to shop. If pork rind chips are outlawed, only outlaws will eat pork rind chips.

[Andrea]

Leevers closing was more or less due to a famliy squabble. Trader Joes is a great store. I don’t think it would make it in Grand Forks. Let’s see what we currently have downtown; Valley Dairy by the Mission, Amazing Grains Natural food store near the Sorlie Bridge and M H Gas by St. Mikes. So the basics of milk and bread are available Downtown. Amazing Grains has a bigger selection, but can be a bit pricey for some of the goods. Dakota Harvest has baked goods (a bit pricey for everyday eats). What used to be downtown: Piggly Wiggley (full service grocery on University and North 5th), Hoffs (small neighborhood grocery with a great meat counter on the 600 block 2nd Ave North), Sweet Clover Dairy (small neighborhood grocery across from the water treatment plant), The Belmont store (small neighborhood store located in basement of the Belmont Apartments 4th Ave S and River Street). Downtown EGF also had a Piggley Wiggley (By the Blue Moose). Most of these closed in the late 1970’sand early 80’s. I think Hoffs was open until the late 1980’s. There were more stores in the area, but they were before my time. I think that the only type of grocery store that might have a chance of staying open around downtown would be a Hoff’s style neighborhood grocery store. You could get the downtown business, but to bring in other traffic you would have to have a nice bakery.