30-04-2019, 08:21 PM
51
Re: New Series; confessions of a retired SHOPKEEPER
Originally Posted by Robert Junior
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Those were the days, my friend.LRC goods in a general store?
I used to sell typewriters in Grace Brothers (JLP), way back in the day. I was demonstrating an Olivetti lettera 32 to a glamorous gal, when her elderly partner interrupted with a question.
"We spend the winter in France. Can you supply one with french letters?"
I ignored him. He wandered on to the sports department & I was informed later that he had a question for them too.
"i'd like to exchange a tennis racquet, for my wife.
"Seems fair" said the manager.
30-04-2019, 08:31 PM
52
Re: New Series; confessions of a retired SHOPKEEPER
Those were the days, my friend.LRC goods in a general store?
I used to sell typewriters in Grace Brothers (JLP), way back in the day. I was demonstrating an Olivetti lettera 32 to a glamorous gal, when her elderly partner interrupted with a question.
"We spend the winter in France. Can you supply one with french letters?"
I ignored him. He wandered on to the sports department & I was informed later that he had a question for them too.
"i'd like to exchange a tennis racquet, for my wife.
"Seems fair" said the manager.
Originally Posted by Longdogs
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Oh well, at least he had a sweet spot for her.
17-05-2019, 09:44 AM
54
Re: New Series; confessions of a retired SHOPKEEPER
TroubleLife at “Grace Brothers”(JLP) department store wasn’t all a bed of roses.. Like other retailers we had problems with thieves. I purposely avoided using the euphemistic term “Shop lifters” for two reasons. Firstly because this term suggests it is a hobby rather than a serious crime and for which paying customers in the end underwrite. Secondly to avoid confusion with “Shirt lifters” which is an altogether different activity.
My favourite shoplifter was Danny McG, a polite regular who made no secret of his intentions, even chatting to the plain clothes store detective trailing him .Unfortunately he had a violent streak which came out of nowhere & we kept a distance but had a police squad car waiting outside of the exit nearest the betting shop. His aim was to go back to prison where he felt most at home.
His last visit to the store was in December of 1973 when he stole a cine projector, annoyingly, because I was demonstrating it to a customer at the time. My plea of,
“Come on Danny-give me back the cine projector” was met with a look of incredulity and the softly spoken reply,
”What cine projector?”
All the while grasping the object even tighter under his arm with its plug & extension cable trailing out of the carrier bag he had stuffed it into.
I hate to say it but a good deal of thieving was done by staff members & young Mr Grace used to say , when another staff member was caught.
“ I am seldom surprised, but always disappointed.”
Many years later I bumped in to Danny again in a city centre pub. He took me unawares & I hope you will understand that for a short while I genuinely couldn’t think where I knew him from.
It dawned on me after exchanging warm pleasantries who he was & I sped on my way politely as I could. The joke wasn’t lost on him for he called after me.
“Know where there are any cine projectors going cheap Sir?”
He then fell about laughing.
17-05-2019, 10:44 AM
56
Re: New Series; confessions of a retired SHOPKEEPER
I worked in Retail for a short while, and was very good at it, but, to survive long term, being a people person was a bit of an hinderance
so it was Industry. Met some fascinating folks like Andrew (aka The Little Sh1t), his favourite trick to liven up an otherwise dull day was to leave a spoon in a boiling cup of tea for a couple of minutes, then, when a contractor driver came into the office to sign his documentation, placing one hand, face down on the desk to support himself whilst writing with the other, he would turn to talk to me, accidently placing to spoon on the back of the geezers hand. Another favourite of his was, if a geezer bent forward, and, inadvertently exposed a bit of bare back between shirt and belt line, he would walk past, stainless steel Teapot in hand, and, accidently again make a milliseconds contact, just enough to encourage an ARRRRRG, followed up with a "Sorry Mate".I wonder if Andrew ever got his comeuppance.
18-05-2019, 10:08 PM
60
Re: New Series; confessions of a retired SHOPKEEPER
Originally Posted by solo
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Always enjoy these stories gents.Funny how there always seems to be one company 'Little s**t' no matter where you work
Its all part of the English experience.
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