On The Fly

  Twas’ a month before Christmas, with bargains galore. Customers were scurrying, expecting to score, Load-n-Go’s, combo kits, and holiday yard decor. Santa was visiting, with kiddies, at that. Little did they know, the most fun they would have, was to visit Tool Rental, to Pressure Wash their Cat ® . We start the morning, with contractors my friend, Vince pounding the computer, it has no end. The register, it’s finicky, let's not pretend. Call I.T. help? “No, call Jim instead.” The alarm goes off, oh - what a racket, a contractor barks out, “I need that bracket.” A line starts to form, patience is nill’. “I want a jackhammer, that suits the bill.” “Rent me a Hilti. Serve me first, I'll do more than blabber. Your VOC score will fall off the ladder.” Bob slips in, and checks repairs. Get them done early, and no annoying errors. With Amber and Jeff all dressed in red, Joe customer enters with a cap on his head. “I have a repair,” th...

In this episode, Bonehead Questions . . . I t’s been said, “There are no stupid questions,” right . . . ? You be the judge. Here’s one, "If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?” My recent retail experience at a Home Improvement Center I've heard more than my share of stupid questions. Admittedly, all those years of teaching, I gave people the benefit of the doubt. Repeatedly, I made it clear that there were no stupid questions . As an educator, you quickly realize the link between information and applied learning is closely tied to questions and one’s self-image. But in these times of “I want it now” and “I’m the victim” that doesn’t seem to apply. Especially when it comes to dealing with the public and really cretinous questions. During my four year retail transition, I was introduced to some really stubborn and ignorant Do-It-Yourself (DIY) folks trying to save a buck that asks really boneheaded questions. You see, implementing a skill requires ...

Twas’ the week before Christmas, with bargains galore. Customers were scurrying, expecting to score, Christmas trees, combo kits, and holiday yard decor. Little did they know, the most fun they would have, was to visit Tool Rental to Pressure Wash their Cat ® . We start the morning with Penske my friend, Vince pounding the keyboard, it has no end. The website is finicky, let's not pretend. Then the doorbell rings, oh what a racket, a contractor hollers, “Get me an Auger . . . and that dump trailer too.” A line starts to form, patience is nill’. “I want a jackhammer, that suits the bill. Rent me a Hilti. Serve me first, or I'll do more than blabber. Your VOC score will fall off the ladder.” Bob sneaks in and checks the repairs. Get them done early, and no angry errors. With Jeff and Ricky all dressed in red, Joe customer enters with a cap on his head. “I have a repair,” the customer said. “It's Christmas lights, all green and in red. They don...