The things I do at work have little to do with the job....

There are some things I do at work that have very little to do with my actual job description.  My official title is "Host", and the analogy is similar to a greeter.  I stand at the door, with my store uniform on, smile at customers, make change for the shopping carts, hand out current flyers, show them coupons, point out where the washrooms are, and direct them to store services, particular items, or call for assistance over the PA system.  I also sweep or mop the floors, make notes in the daily journal, and write down when I take my breaks.  I keep the carpets in the doorway from "migrating north with the geese" and jamming under the automatic doors, and when the doors get bumped off their hinges I put them back where they belong.

But there are a lot of other things I do at work that have more to do with what needs to be done than what the job description is.

I have called "Code Adam" and locked the doors when a child has gone missing.  I have called for a wheel chair for a customer who was unable to walk.  I have cleaned up vomit, broken glass, spilled coffee, snow, rain, blueberries, rotten fish guts and even a partially eviscerated rat!  I have chased trapped birds out of the vestibule before they break their necks on the windows.  I call for first aid when a child is injured or someone trips on the stairs.  I stop customers from bringing their small pets into the store ( I always feel like the Wicked Witch of the West when I have to heave out puppies), I help customers retrieve their coins from the carts, when they have been "glued" in the coin slot, by tapping on the top of the mechanism with a hammer until the coin vibrates far enough to pop out!  I unjam the shopping carts for young mothers with babies in their arms and for old folk with arthritis. I wash those green baskets that get piled in the hallway so they no longer stink of Feta Cheese, or yoghurt, or fish, or have a skin of combined coffee grounds, dirt and olive pits in them.  I call the manager or the Loss Prevention Officer if customers complain about aggressive panhandlers.  I find a chair for the volunteer with the poppy tray and show them the warmest spot in the entry.  And I smile. 

I have slipped outside for a few seconds at sundown to watch the sky, or walked across the front of the building just to get some air.  I take my break covering the door to stay on watch.  And I don't mind.  There is always someone to chat with, someone who has shared their moments with me; the family who has a member who is battling cancer, or who has lost the battle;  those like me who are working through the breakdown of their family and need to talk to someone; some come to flirt, some to joke, and some are just lonely and want a connection for a few moments.  Many pat me on a shoulder, or hug me, or smile and remember my name, because I make them feel welcome and comfortable.  Someone once told me "when you do nice things for people they do nice things back" and I am finding that to be true.  And so I smile.


I can tell you where the bamboo skewers are, where to find the pepper jelly, what aisle the Christmas stuff is in, and where the blankets are.  I smile endlessly and treat each customer like they are respected and welcome... because to me they are.  Just like I know that my colleagues will have my back if I need to call for assistance, I know that I will jump when they call me.  I consider this;  if that old lady was my little Mommy I would want her to be treated with respect, so I treat this precious person with the respect due them.  If my niece had their arms full of their precious bundle I would want there to be someone there to help them, so I help this young parent with their cart.

They come for their groceries, their family portraits, trips to the clinic and prescriptions at the drugstore.  They buy their car insurance, their glasses, a slice of hot pizza from the deli, or a free chocolate chip cookie at the bakery.  I see neighbours, friends and relatives at work on a daily basis.  Some I have known since childhood, and some are new friends from the last year.  I watch when a young couple comes in first with a telltale "baby bump", progresses to holding a newborn, and allows me to coo at their new addition and smile...

And if I give out 3 smiles freely and receive one back that's a pretty good return on my investment... at least I think it is.