Every Saturday I get up at seven o'clock and drive to my place of employment, Star Value. Star Value is a grocery store in Crewe. While at Star Value, I put up stock that comes in on a truck. There is only me and another guy name Louis who work on the stock crew. Being a stocker is more just putting things on shelves. I have also had many learning experiences. While working at a grocery store putting up stock, I have learned responsibility, patience, and just how hard a job can be.

While putting up stock at a grocery store, I have learned responsibility. First, I have learned responsibility by doing the jobs that my manager wants me to do without making him remind me. One thing he always wants me to do is to crush and recycle the boxes the stock is shipped in. Once I have finished stocking the shelves, I put the boxes in the bailer. The bailer is in the back room. It crushes the boxes. Another thing my manager wants me to do is to clean the back room once all the stock is put up. When cleaning, we have to sweep the floor and empty the trash. Then we have to take all the extra items that don't fit on the shelves and put them in their correct places in the back room. Last we take the pallets that the stock is shipped on and stack them outside.

But in addition to doing the jobs that my manager specifically requires, I have also taken the responsibility for doing other jobs that keep the store neat and clean. For instance after I've put up stock, I block the shelves. This involves pulling the items from the back of the shelf to the front and stacking them up. This makes the store look full and very neat. While I'm in the process of blocking, I try to get the trash off the shelves. I also get the misplaced items and return them to their proper places. This always makes the store look one hundred percent better. Every now and then, I will take some cleaner and a rag and clean the shelves. I don't do this all the time because this job takes a long time and is very hard on my back. These are my primary responsibilities, and it is important that I perform them well.

Secondly, while putting up stock at a grocery store, I have learned patience. In putting up stock I have dealt with many rude and angry customers. For example, one time we didn't have the sugar that was on special because we had sold out. A lady asked me if we had anymore in the back and I told her no; then, she jumped down my throat. I tried to explain to her that It wasn't my fault, but she didn't want to listen. It was very hard for me to keep my temper. Ever since then when somebody gets on my case, I don't even worry about it because I have learned to have lots of patience. I really enjoy the fact that I have learned this because it will help me later down the road.

Another thing that used to bother me and get on my nerves was breaking items while putting up stock. When I break something while putting up stock it's not only a big mess, it is also very embarrassing. Once I broke a jar of vinegar, and I must say, that was the worst thing I ever broke because it made the whole store smell bad. The good thing about it was that we were putting up stock after the store was closed and so it did not bother the customers. I just remember how angry it used to make me, when I broke something, but now it really doesn't bother me.

The last thing I think I've learned while putting up stock in a grocery store, is just how hard a job can be. Putting up stock takes a lot of physical strength. For example, there is a lot of lifting involved. We have to lift the stock on to carts and take it from the back room to the aisles. We then have to take the stock and set it in its place. This is all very hard on my legs and back. And there is also a lot of pushing involved when putting up stock. For some aisles we just push the whole pallet out to it with a pallet jack. Believe me, this is a lot of weight to push; then, we have to push the carts with all the stock on it. These things were really hard on my body at first, but I got use to it.

Another thing that is hard about my job is the late hours. The hours I work depend on how much I get done at a time. Sometimes this calls for me to come in after store hours and work until two in the morning. This is not fun, and it can really start to catch up with me. The time I remember the most about late hours is when I had to stay until four in the morning putting up stock because the truck was late getting to the store.

In closing I just want to say that I know it sounds like I hate my job; however, it's really not that bad. I know I said I learned responsibility and patience. But I think that the most important thing that I have learned is what my Grandfather meant when he said that I needed to learn the value of a dollar.