For the last 6 weeks at work we’ve been preparing ourselves for something called “Store Standards” a review the MANAGEMENT do annually to rate the stores, We get awarded Silver, Gold or Diamond certificates accordingly Diamond being the best and the TOP TOP store would win £500 for a night out for all their staff.

We’ve stripped the leatherette out of the windows and relaid it all, cleaned the windows inside and out cleaned the carpets, dipped the jewellery and tagged to ticketed all the stock. Personally I’ve had to clean all the stairs (4 flights of the fucking things) the staffroom and the storeroom and clean ALL stands with lighter fluid (left me with a killer headache and high as kite for the rest of the day!!) AND crawl through all the windows space to clean all the parts the others couldn’t reach (I’m one of the smallest that work there other than the weekend staff)…and today was the big day, Today was the day we found out the results of the inspection.

GOLD!! GOLD CERTIFICATE..The same as last year, was the same amount of effort put in last year?? NO, was the windows even cleaned last year let alone stripped and relaid??, I THINK NOT, SO WHERE DO THEY GET OFF AWARDING US GOLD???

Im exageratting…I’m not actually bothered, I went in, did my job, got paid and came home BUT THIS STORE STANDARDS BOLLOCKS has invaded work for the past month or so and now to be awarded just Gold it feels like such an anti-climax everyone at work is SO miserable and can’t seem to fathom that at least we tried, dont get me wrong I would have liked to have won, We’d planned one hell of a piss up if we had have, but thats the way it goes, Pity my manager, assistant manager and supervisor can’t see it the same way, They’ve taken it so personally, work was so much fun today. Sohabe and Donna sulking and Sean being his typical narsasistic “I’m the manager” self. (someone should take the time to tell him there is a fine line between being a leader and a dictator, the difference being you respect a leader and resent a dictator!)

So It may be fast approaching the season to be jolly and joyeous but I think for the time being at least there will be little to smile about in the Ernest Jones camp.

OH what fun!!