13:21
Unknown
Nearly 10 years ago, I worked in a watch repair shop.
Someone I thought was a friend ran the place, and because
she had no option but to employ an idiot when I declined her
offer of a job, I felt a little guilty and subsequently agreed to
take the position when she eventually decided to dispense
with his utterly superfluous 'services'.
The woman I worked with was lazy and uncommitted
to her place of work, but because it was the sort of business
that almost ran itself, it still managed to turn a profit, 'though
obviously not as good a one had she deigned to apply herself in
the way she ought to have. She'd come in late, then take time
to apply lipstick and make-up and have her breakfast, things
she should've done before leaving for work. There were
even times when she turned up reeking of alcohol.
to her place of work, but because it was the sort of business
that almost ran itself, it still managed to turn a profit, 'though
obviously not as good a one had she deigned to apply herself in
the way she ought to have. She'd come in late, then take time
to apply lipstick and make-up and have her breakfast, things
she should've done before leaving for work. There were
even times when she turned up reeking of alcohol.
She'd close the place to go and do shopping, or buy
clothes for her idiot boyfriend, while potential customers,
finding the shutter down, would simply go along to her rivals
a couple of units away. She ran the place for her own conveni-
ence rather than her employers, and whenever I made any sug-
gestions about attracting more business, her reply was always
"If they don't bother, why should I?", in reference to the two
blokes who paid her. Even her mutant boyfriend called
her "a lazy cow" - and he wasn't wrong.
ence rather than her employers, and whenever I made any sug-
gestions about attracting more business, her reply was always
"If they don't bother, why should I?", in reference to the two
blokes who paid her. Even her mutant boyfriend called
her "a lazy cow" - and he wasn't wrong.
She often took advantage of my good nature by going
out for a drink with one or two of her motley assortment of
'pals' (on unscheduled breaks), leaving me to cope with long
queues by myself - even on a Saturday, the busiest day of the
week. That said, I never enjoyed myself more than when she
dropped a sprog and took 6 months maternity leave, and
I worked alone for the entire duration she was off.
'pals' (on unscheduled breaks), leaving me to cope with long
queues by myself - even on a Saturday, the busiest day of the
week. That said, I never enjoyed myself more than when she
dropped a sprog and took 6 months maternity leave, and
I worked alone for the entire duration she was off.
Being conscientious, I ran the business as if it were my
own, occasionally working past closing time to make sure
any small repairs not handled by our workshop in Newcastle
were completed in a timely (pun intended) fashion. And guess
what? In the six months she was away, I increased the profits
over the previous year for the same period by a whopping 10
grand. Not a myth, not a hoax, not an imaginary story -
a full 10 thousand quid! That's a lotta dosh!
any small repairs not handled by our workshop in Newcastle
were completed in a timely (pun intended) fashion. And guess
what? In the six months she was away, I increased the profits
over the previous year for the same period by a whopping 10
grand. Not a myth, not a hoax, not an imaginary story -
a full 10 thousand quid! That's a lotta dosh!
When I left, after handing in a week's notice because
the bosses wouldn't confront the shopping centre owners
over the issue of 'hawkers' outside the shop doorway scaring
away casual browsers and distracting me from intricate pro-
cedures, the shop's takings immediately plummeted. (Even
with the complement of staff now being back to two - her-
self and my replacement.) How do I know?
over the issue of 'hawkers' outside the shop doorway scaring
away casual browsers and distracting me from intricate pro-
cedures, the shop's takings immediately plummeted. (Even
with the complement of staff now being back to two - her-
self and my replacement.) How do I know?
Because I was in secret negotiations with the shop
owners about buying the business, along with a pal who
saw the potential of the place when he learned of how much
I'd increased profits during my former colleague's absence.
We'd therefore been supplied with figures of the business's
performance from the last year up to the present one.
The facts (and figures) spoke for themselves.
I'd increased profits during my former colleague's absence.
We'd therefore been supplied with figures of the business's
performance from the last year up to the present one.
The facts (and figures) spoke for themselves.
Now, to me it seems unlikely that one person could
raise profits by such a huge extent, so clearly there must
have been other factors at work which accounted for at least
part of it. Before her absence, on my days off, she'd 'phone in
and tell me not to bother 'banking up' the week's takings when
I was in the following day, as she'd do it later. Sometimes I did
'though, and there were occasions when the money in the safe
didn't correspond to what should have been there. "Don't
worry about it," she'd say when I mentioned it, "it always
balances up in the end." (I'm merely relating events -
any conclusions you draw are your own.)
The shopping centre owners were in some kind of
difficulty and weren't renewing leases on premises, so we
were told that we'd have to wait until this was sorted before
ownership of the lease could be transferred to us. The sellers
advised us to get a lawyer, which we did, 'though when he con-
tacted their lawyer, he was told that his 'counterpart' hadn't
been informed of the intended sale, nor yet received any in-
structions to proceed on the matter. The money was all
ready and waiting, but nothing was happening.
'Negotiations' wore on for a year and a half, during
which time I lost interest and realised that the prospect of
working again with my former colleague didn't at all appeal to
me. I'd let myself be influenced by my friend and would-be co-
investor, who secured my participation with visions of immense
riches and becoming 'captain of my fate'. I 'phoned the New-
castle boys and told them that, as far as I was concerned, the
deal was off, and followed that up with a letter telling them
in no uncertain terms what I thought of them for com-
placently dragging their heels for 18 months.
Anyway, her bosses eventually sold the business to
her (at a much higher price), which is probably a good
thing, because doubtless I'd have ended up sacking her.
I couldn't say whether it's doing well or not, but as it makes
no difference to my life either way, it hasn't really occurred
to me to wonder about it. Obviously it'll never do as well as
it would've under my ownership, but money couldn't buy
the sense of relief I felt when I made up my mind to
simply walk away from it.
Sometimes, "Never go back" can be a very smart
decision - even 'though it's not one you'll often hear
nostalgists such as myself admit to.
part of it. Before her absence, on my days off, she'd 'phone in
and tell me not to bother 'banking up' the week's takings when
I was in the following day, as she'd do it later. Sometimes I did
'though, and there were occasions when the money in the safe
didn't correspond to what should have been there. "Don't
worry about it," she'd say when I mentioned it, "it always
balances up in the end." (I'm merely relating events -
any conclusions you draw are your own.)
The shopping centre owners were in some kind of
difficulty and weren't renewing leases on premises, so we
were told that we'd have to wait until this was sorted before
ownership of the lease could be transferred to us. The sellers
advised us to get a lawyer, which we did, 'though when he con-
tacted their lawyer, he was told that his 'counterpart' hadn't
been informed of the intended sale, nor yet received any in-
structions to proceed on the matter. The money was all
ready and waiting, but nothing was happening.
'Negotiations' wore on for a year and a half, during
which time I lost interest and realised that the prospect of
working again with my former colleague didn't at all appeal to
me. I'd let myself be influenced by my friend and would-be co-
investor, who secured my participation with visions of immense
riches and becoming 'captain of my fate'. I 'phoned the New-
castle boys and told them that, as far as I was concerned, the
deal was off, and followed that up with a letter telling them
in no uncertain terms what I thought of them for com-
placently dragging their heels for 18 months.
Anyway, her bosses eventually sold the business to
her (at a much higher price), which is probably a good
thing, because doubtless I'd have ended up sacking her.
I couldn't say whether it's doing well or not, but as it makes
no difference to my life either way, it hasn't really occurred
to me to wonder about it. Obviously it'll never do as well as
it would've under my ownership, but money couldn't buy
the sense of relief I felt when I made up my mind to
simply walk away from it.
Sometimes, "Never go back" can be a very smart
decision - even 'though it's not one you'll often hear
nostalgists such as myself admit to.
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