Interesting People

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Avic7

Contributor
Messages
197
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5
Location
Canada,B.C., Vancouver
I just started my new job at the liquor store to help pay for school and scuba diving.

So far I've met some intersting characters.
We get the construction workers and painters who are easy going and friendly. They come by early in the morning to buy their drinks on the way to work. They joke around and smile even though it early in the morning and most of them tip. In the evening we also got them coming in again tired, but friendly and they still tip.

I've met people who work for the police morgue who come to buy alcohol. Interesting people to talk too, and they tell some really good stories. They drink alot I think to numb the "pressure" from the job.

Then we got the rich guys coming in with their BMW and porshes...and I won't say anything else about them.

The classy ladies, married and otherwise that makes you drool and hope that you'll be lucky enough too meet a girl like that when you graduate.

The 24-31 year old guys that just finished school or going to school who are fun to BS with for a couple of minutes...some tip and some don't but that alright. We're all students trying to survive.

The underage nervous types who "forgot their ID, they are just too funny!

The "regulars" who buy a 6 pack a day. Or the drunk guy that comes in at 9:30 am each day and buys two cans to start the day...and comes back an hour later to buy two more cans.

And the girls....the quiet asians girls who are cute and sweet, the caucasian girls who are boisterous and fun to joke and talk wtih.

The 24 year old and older girls who are flattered and happy when I ask to see their ID, and the 19 year old girls that get upset when I ask to see their ID b/c I told them that they look 17. (Pssst, girls are so weird)

Oh and the 14 years old who peak through the barred windows of the liquor store like people visiting the zoos to look at monkeys. Whatever happened to kids hanging out at the park or in front of the comic or candy stores?

Anyways, it only my third shift so far, but I'll keep adding to this whenever I get some interesting stories to tell.
 
Avic7:
The "regulars" who buy a 6 pack a day. Or the drunk guy that comes in at 9:30 am each day and buys two cans to start the day...and comes back an hour later to buy two more cans.

Must be a very interesting job to say the least. I feel sorry for this guy… Just wondering, does your store have any policy about alcoholics coming in and buying drinks very often? How about people that come in drunk and buy things?
 
You mentioned the tipping practice of your interesting characters.

It would never occur to me to tip someone at the register in a retail environment like a grocery store, liquor store, or - for that matter - a dive shop.

Is this a growing practice, and if so, why?

Curious...
 
Sounds like the same class of people who visited the gambling boat I worked on.. they all dress different, but had the same personality..... just point them to a place to aquire alcohol on their way to "party"/"decompress"/"catch a buzz"/"attitude adjustment".

Please keep posting.. it'll be interesting to see your observations.
 
Tell us more about the cute asian ladies.:D
 
I worked at a liquor store for over a year while working my way through college, and I agree, you definitely met all kinds in that line of work. From the folks who put aluminum foil under their ball caps so "they" can't hear their thoughts, to the school board superintendent, to the biker clubs who come in at Christmas and buy cases of Crown Royal, in only pint and half-pint bottles (they were transitioning to metric bottles while I worked this industry), to the funeral directors / mortuary employees, as well as all the others you've named. I certainly learned more about wine there than any previous time in my life - I was more of a 'Would you care to sniff the screw cap, sir?" wine drinker - Boone's farm (the apple Country Qwencher was perfect for a day at the beach) or the ever-present MD. I became far more sophisticated in more ways than one while working there. It's nice to know someone else is having a similar experience. The owner and the manager were two of the best people I've worked for all my life.

Tipping wasn't part of the liquor store world when I worked there, and I don't think it is today where I worked. We could buy our soft drinks and cigarettes at cost while on shift though.
 
baltimoron:
Must be a very interesting job to say the least. I feel sorry for this guy… Just wondering, does your store have any policy about alcoholics coming in and buying drinks very often? How about people that come in drunk and buy things?


For the alcoholics if the person get out of hand, we could politely say, "Sorry sir, I think you have had enough for the day. No more for you, but please come back tomorrow." Fortunately there hasn't been any problems yet!
Nice place to work really, and when it quiet I could always bring out my textbook and read a paragraph or two.
 
We were legally obliged not to sell to anyone we judged to be intoxicated, and the owner would fully back us up on this. This was only rarely needed where I worked, thankfully. No different than being legally obliged not to sell to anyone underage.

One of my favorite memories was asking a petite, pretty woman for her ID - she was 35! She was so excited and happy I'd asked, and told me she'd make sure to tell her husband and friends, and became a regular customer for our location after that! I was quite embarrased at the time . . .
 
divetahoe:
You mentioned the tipping practice of your interesting characters.

It would never occur to me to tip someone at the register in a retail environment like a grocery store, liquor store, or - for that matter - a dive shop.

Is this a growing practice, and if so, why?

Curious...

I don't believe it a growing practice, we left a "classy looking beer glass" out on the counter and one of the customers on the way out just threw in a dollar. Nice of him...I wonder what we did with the dollar, should have framed it and put it on the wall.So anyway we just left the glass there and sometimes ppl who didn't want the change would just throw it into the cup.
 
dlndavid:
Tell us more about the cute asian ladies.:D

Well there was one girl that was close to my height, she was 5'8 (i am 5'10), long hair,great smile, slim, spoke english with me, soft spoken.....but she didn't buy anything so couldn't check her ID :eyebrow:


WarmWaterDiver:
I worked at a liquor store for over a year while working my way through college, and I agree, you definitely met all kinds in that line of work. From the folks who put aluminum foil under their ball caps so "they" can't hear their thoughts, to the school board superintendent, to the biker clubs who come in at Christmas and buy cases of Crown Royal, in only pint and half-pint bottles (they were transitioning to metric bottles while I worked this industry), to the funeral directors / mortuary employees, as well as all the others you've named. I certainly learned more about wine there than any previous time in my life - I was more of a 'Would you care to sniff the screw cap, sir?" wine drinker - Boone's farm (the apple Country Qwencher was perfect for a day at the beach) or the ever-present MD. I became far more sophisticated in more ways than one while working there. It's nice to know someone else is having a similar experience. The owner and the manager were two of the best people I've worked for all my life.

Tipping wasn't part of the liquor store world when I worked there, and I don't think it is today where I worked. We could buy our soft drinks and cigarettes at cost while on shift though.


Yeah, this job is great for me, just down the hill from where I live, allows me to meet interesting people who are down to earth and know how to relax. Since I don't drink, only on special occasions, this will be a great learning experience for me as well. I believe once I get into the business world, the knowledge would be of great help if I have to entertain any clients. Haven't met the owner yet, but the manager is real nice. She has a real sarcastic side of her so she keeps me on my toes. She left a box of pizza in the fridge for me to finish off while I was doing my night shift...Boston Pizza..MMMMmmmm
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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