My last day of work at my part-time job at the print shop was on July 19th. After much thought, fasting, and prayer, I knew it was time to move on to something else. It was hard to quit because I wanted to stay and give the much-needed help to my boss with her small business. I was very sympathetic to her family situation, and the hours and flexibility were nice. I appreciated being able to work 10-15 hours a week while the kids were at school. My boss allowed me to have the time off to get to the occasional kids' sports and school activities in the afternoon, as well as Spring Break and the holidays. I can't complain about that part of the job; that part worked out perfect for me this past year.
However, the job itself was very stressful at times, and for the tasks I was doing, the pay wasn't sufficient. After being in the job for only about 5-6 months, I was doing not only all the basic tasks of the print shop but several other tasks. I was doing the basics, such as making copies, running the register, customer service, sorting and distributing mail, and working on print jobs. However, not too far into the job, I was also helping with accounting, managing / training / finding tasks for other employees, janitorial tasks, trying to resolve maintenance issues, running errands, depositing checks, scouting out competitors prices, and even re-stocking supplies such as toilet paper, hand soap, paper towels, pens, and basic supplies that had run out (and I only used the bathroom maybe 1-2 times total in one week, so I barely used any of the bathroom supplies). I was also being asked to do graphic design for a monthly newsletter that my boss is the editor of. I've never had any formal training in graphic design (or even computers), so I was just doing my best with the personal skills I had developed at home. It was hard trying to learn a new program and then be trusted to pass my work on to the client, sometimes without my boss checking what I had done.
She did trust me a lot! I'm guessing I was probably the most reliable and honest employee she'd ever had. I showed up when I was supposed to and often left 15-30 minutes later than my end time but didn't report that in my hours, and I never just sat there and did nothing or scrolled through my phone. I always found something to work on. I was pretty much available to fill in extra days when she needed me to. I also sometimes used my own money to pay for things, such as keys that failed to get made properly in the key machine or if I got the pricing wrong or forgot to have the customer pay for tape or something. I always tried to take personal responsibility for any mistakes I made. I made a couple of mistakes that cost about $50 out of pocket, but that was due to poor judgment call on my part. I'm not very good at customer service because I'm sometimes too soft and sympathetic to the customer's situation. One time, I allowed a repeat customer to take a job order without paying for it. Her credit card had failed and she didn't have cash. She was desperate to get the item to an event that morning, and she promised to return in the afternoon to complete the payment. Since she was a repeat customer who had done several other orders, I decided to give in to her desperate pleading. Well, she didn't come back in, and then she ghosted us when we tried to contact her. I think she did eventually come back into the shop, but we hadn't managed to collect payment for that order by the time I quit the job. So I didn't get my money back on that one. I also lost money on another order when I made the same mistake. This time, the guy said he was a good friend of my boss and would make the payment when he took her out for lunch the next week. It sounded like they had a pretty good relationship and I believed that he would be honest. He never came back in either... the thing about that one was I had messaged my boss while he was there to ask about him and she didn't warn me about him until it was too late. She gave me a vague response about "it was okay if I was willing to cover the cost if he didn't show up". After he left, she sent me another message saying not to give him even one business card because he was totally unreliable. I wish she had said that in the first place, because I never saw my $20 again. After that, I was under strict orders that no one could receive any print jobs without first paying for it (totally makes sense) - no exceptions was the new standard. However, we nearly lost a client later when a very reliable client came in and wanted to handle the payment the same as had been done in the past - which was to have a bill sent to the business account for the order. I told him I wasn't allowed to give him his order without payment. He was furious that suddenly we were doing things differently. Before I could get ahold of my boss, he had stormed out. Luckily, after a frantic response from my boss, I called him back in time to come back and take his order without payment. In my mind, I noted that there were still exceptions sometimes... it helps to have been working there for several years to know when exceptions can be made and who to trust. I didn't have that advantage, so it was hard to make judgment calls.
Anyway, I also spent a lot of time trying to help organize things in the shop, which was really dis-organized and proved to be a hard environment to work in. I often was cleaning up used food items, putting things away, finishing other employees' tasks, or trying to find things in the clutter. Often as employees, we would get blamed for losing something. That was really frustrating for me, knowing I hadn't been the one to misplace at item (and how can you really keep track of things in so much clutter?) Luckily, for the items we needed to complete orders, my boss has an amazing memory for knowing where things are located in her shop. On our phone calls, she would usually be able to describe to me where things were located. Still doesn't mean it was easy to find the item or paper she had in mind, but she knew where it was! I was always trying to get more organization and bought a few little organizational things for the shop. Before I left, I even made a notebook with step-by-step instructions, with pictures included, on how to do most of the basic tasks of the job (so that new employees would have a reference for the basic tasks). It was really overwhelming when I first started the job, in trying to learn all the different steps for each task.
The other thing that I wasn't prepared for when I started the job was the fact that no one else was in the shop working with me. Before I applied, I thought I'd be helping with tasks in the shop - not the one running the shop by myself. Sometimes I didn't mind working on my own, being an introvert by nature. However, when customers came into the shop, that sometimes brought a certain level of discomfort. First off, I didn't know Spanish, so I had a hard time communicating with the customers who only spoke Spanish. I had to get the lady in the store next door sometimes to help translate if she was there. Second, it was hard to deal with the unhappy customers who came in or over the phone, especially when I didn't know how to solve the problem or any issues involving pricing (which I had not authority over on the projects). Third, I sometimes felt very vulnerable with some of the men that came into the shop. One day I was particularly shook up when I guy came in asking for help - who to begin with, didn't seem all there. He seemed nice at first, but when we didn't have the service he wanted, he started demanding that I help him. I tried to explain that we didn't offer that service, but he continued to insist that we did and I was going to help him. He wanted a copyright license and I suggested he would have to look on-line for that service. He demanded that I look that up for him and help him fill out an application. I was starting to feel uneasy, but I didn't know what to do because he wasn't taking "no" for an answer. I attempted to do a quick search online, which he could see from the computer on his side of the desk. He kept insisting I go to the next step in the process. We made it to a point that required $200-300 payment fee to apply. That was the point that I couldn't go beyond. I explained that he would have to do that on his own, but he said, "That's what we're doing right now!" I tried to explain that I couldn't fill out an online application and process a payment. He kept insisting that I could, and when I just stopped doing anything, he started pointing his finger and cussing at me. He said a few times, "You better stop bull s__-ing me!" I thought he was going to come after me. He finally headed towards the door, but he stopped in the doorway and threatened me again. Thankfully he didn't come back, but at that moment I realized how vulnerable I was as a young female in a store on my own.
Another time, I didn't feel uncomfortable, but it was an interesting experience in knowing what to say when a guy came in who was literally ready to give up on life. He said he was ready to quit, and I wasn't sure what he meant, but he made it clear that he meant on life. He'd had a lot of challenges and in the middle of some legal battles. He just didn't want to deal with it anymore. What do you say to someone who is suicidal? I told him he couldn't give up. He looked at me and asked seriously, "Why not?" I said something about life having meaning, that we have a purpose. I also said we have trials and tests in life. He asked, "You mean I'm being tested?" We chatted a little bit more, and I explained how hard it was that my grandpa had given up on life, and how this life isn't the end. The choices we make now determine what happens after this life. He was really listening, even though I didn't feel like I was saying much useful. But by the time he left, he seemed hopeful, repeating "Don't give up!" on his way out the door. At least I gave him hope and motivation for one day.
We had some interesting people stop by. Another day, a homeless woman came in the shop and kept trying to talk to me, although I have no idea what she was talking about. She lingered in the shop for about 2 hours, just kind-of talking to herself and dancing around. I had a hard time turning away another woman who really wanted a book, but she didn't have any money. If I could do it over again, I would have bought the book for her. I knew I couldn't give it to her for free, but in the moment I didn't think to buy it for her.
One of the funny moments, although also frustrating, was a time when the computer started randomly entering in letters and numbers. I didn't seem to have control over it, and I couldn't do my work at that point. I tried to problem solve, thinking maybe the keyboard was having issues, maybe a key was stuck or something. Re-starting didn't help. I messaged my boss, wondering if maybe she was connected remotely and a cat was sitting on her keyboard. She wasn't at home, but she didn't think the remote connection was possible if I had re-started the computer. I found another keyboard, traded out, and re-booted again. The problem seemed to be fixed. However, a little while later, after my boss had returned home, she sent me a picture... of her cat sitting on the keyboard!
Another memorable time was when my boss and I had to muscle a giant shredder into place in the shop. It had been brought in and essentially just dumped into the front of the shop. We had to figure out how to maneuver it into place. We really could have used some help, but with 2 determined (stubborn) women, we somehow got that thing in place!
Well, I could probably write a lot more about the drama of the job, but I've already written a lengthy post. I wanted to document a few of the more memorable things. Sometimes the job was pretty uneventful, but at times it brought stress and anxiety. I wanted to stick it out longer to help my boss out, but I realized I wasn't doing what was best for our family. The pay / stress level just wasn't compensating for the tasks and responsibilities of the job. Also, getting paid less than minimum wage for most of the time, while also being paid "under the table" wasn't an ideal situation. That also brought an issue of taxes and how to handle that. After factoring in the percentage in taxes we paid out of pocket, I was essentially getting paid a small amount for a large amount of responsibility. It was time to move on to other opportunities. I was grateful that the job seemed to be perfect for our needs at the time. I also learned a lot and gained some more confidence in problem solving and communication skills. I know I was meant to be there for a while, but I'm glad that I can move on to the next chapter.
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