Alone and Untrained

I probably should have realized this properly on Saturday when I had trouble getting the department open.
But...the Holiday Shopping season is fully upon us.

I guess it hasn't really truly hit me yet though.
Mostly because we don't have snow on the ground here yet. >.<
And it doesn't quite feel like Christmas until there's white everywhere. 
*exhales* 
I hope it snows soon....

But in any case.
Today was....well....I'm not going to be surprised if my department is a total mess tomorrow. *exhales* 

It was one of those days where things just....didn't get done. 

And it's not like they didn't get done because I had a crazy amount of customers to help....though they did contribute to it. *shakes head* I mean....spending like 40 minutes with a customer at Cat Adoptions because they were adopting a cat definitely makes it difficult to get other tasks on the other side of the store done....

But it began when I walked in this morning.
And realized that I had a 'greenie' opening with me today.

It's not that this coworker is new really. They've been working in the store for a while now.
But not in my department. 
So this was their first morning opening in Petcare.

-As we have a slight shortage of people in my department currently. *exhales* Yay for Holiday crazy....and such....

But it was their first morning opening in Petcare.
Which meant that I couldn't just go say "Go do this."
Because my coworker had never done the things before.
So it was a matter of showing/telling my coworker how to do a task, and letting them at it, and the checking in on them every now and then while I tried to get my own things done.

Which, that part went well enough. My coworker was able to get the tasks completed in a timely manner considering it was their first time doing the things. 

But then....came the fact that my coworker ended up out of my department, helping to cover breaks and doing stocking tasks....
Which meant that the remaining tasks in my department weren't getting done because I was in the middle of my own task of cleaning the small pet cages. *exhales*

And since my coworker was out of the dept...it meant I would often have to break away to help customers....which meant the cage cleaning took far longer than it should. 
I didn't finish until 2pm today...and I started the process at like 730 this morning. 
*shakes head* Usually I can get it done by 1130...*exhales* 

Needless to say...long story made slightly shorter....

The department didn't get fully opened today. 
:( I wasn't able to do any of the fishtank tasks. The Scrubbing, the Vacuuming...
......the feeding......

Which. Wouldn't have been a bad thing. I mean, I have other coworkers who can take over and finish any uncompleted tasks in the department when I get off work....

Except.
Today.
The coworker who was supposed to come in to relieve me....
called in sick.

And with us already low in numbers in my dept in the first place....
We couldn't get anyone to come in and cover that shift. 

It was desperate times....Definitely desperate times.
Because I couldn't stay late because I'm already scheduled my full hours for the week. 
-Though I am surprised the manager didn't ask me to stay late anyways....

Instead, I had to do a quick crash course training with one of our newer cashiers. And leave them to watch the department until my next coworker could come in....at 7pm.... :S 
Which meant for around 4 hours today...my coworker, who has barely any experience with my department (they can bag fish and crickets) was left in charge. Left to try and answer the questions customers might come in and ask, left to hopefully properly sell any animals customers may want. 

Really, can you see why I'm not going to be surprised if the department is a disaster tomorrow?
I won't be surprised if I get calls from customers for the next couple of weeks either.

But hopefully *fingers crossed* Everything went well.
Hopefully my coworker was able to help any customers that did come in.
Hopefully they were able to find someone to help them out....

*shakes head*

But yah. Because my coworker is brand new and untrained, and I had like no time to train them....I couldn't really tell them any tasks to do. 
Soo....anything I couldn't get done before I left....didn't get done to day.
Which meant I was unable to give those poor fish their food today. *exhales* 
Note to self....work faster tomorrow.... :S 

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi