Holiday Differences

It's always fun to come back to work after a vacation.

As I often need to play 'catch up' on the news of things happening in the store. Like policy changes, info that's come out, things that broke, or incidents with animals and the like. 

It's always 'something' that happens.

Like apparently this past week our mice decided to well...die off. Apparently we lost like six of them this past week? From some sort of bacterial infection? :S Whatever it is the first sign is usually a hunched back...and then they just get worse from there. Which I had noticed this happening slightly before I left...but I hadn't realized it was a bacteria infection. :S Poor mice.

But otherwise the store seemed to run pretty well overall so yay!

Still...there's always that 'gotta catch up on info' stage. 

And I got to do that twice today in relation with Christmas.

As usually every year we have a couple of "Pictures with Santa" days where we have Santa come into the store and customers can come with their pets and get their pictures taken with him. 

Oftentimes people use this as a free photo session where they use this picture as a family christmas card to send out to everyone.

And I had a customer call asking if we were doing Santa this year.

Which good question because with COVID a lot of the 'traditonal' things have needed to be put on hold.

But I didn't know the answer. So I had to check with my head manager to see if we would have Santa with us.

Unfortunately for the customer, the answer is No. Santa won't be doing pictures in the store this year because of the pandemic.

Which I have to say us associates are rather grateful for because the events can be rather stressful as it usually requires two or three of us to be present at the event taking pictures and such and it can draw quite the crowd of people.

And it's always annoying because the crowd of people also means a crowd of other customers needing help at the same time. And it gets frustrating to need backup but to have your backup busy helping take pictures of santa with the animals....

So yah. Rather glad we're avoiding it and its drama this year. *shakes head* 

But also!!!

The good news of holiday season is that again due to the pandemic, our holiday hours aren't going to be the same as they have been in previous years.

As usually sometime in December we switch to 'holiday hours' where we're open for business an hour earlier and an hour later for customers.

Which never really made sense to me as honestly we only get in two or three people before or after our normal hours anyways.

But this year we're forgoing the 'stay open late' portion of the holiday hours. So we'll still close at our normal times. Which woot!!

Though we still are opening an hour earlier which Boooo. But at least there's only like maybe 5 or 6 people who come into the store that early so it's nothing too crazy. 

So yah.

Should be a 'fun' holiday season. And at least I've caught up with the news at work....for now lol.

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

-Sarnic Dirchi