Monday, December 27, 2010

Geoff's Weavernomics Lesson #4 - New Year's Eve Closing Time

No more sermons as LSWSW. He's gone. But a lecture nonetheless! Why do we at WSM open restricted hours on New Year's DAY (no doubt to help us recover from revelry), when we close at normal time on the evening of the revelry itself? Yup. Letter to the General Manager of WSM, Ruffin Slater (that wicked party animal, he) ...

"Dear Ruffin,

I hope you had a good Christmas. I'm writing to ask you and the store managers to consider closing the Weaver Street stores at, say, 8.00pm on New Year's Eve this year.

It has always struck me as strange (been here five years now) that we have restricted hours on New Year's Day (I'm assuming in part to allow revelers to recover); yet we have normal closing time on the evening when the revelry is to occur - revelry which, of its nature (New Year's) pretty much ends at midnight.

I would suggest there are two special considerations this year:

1) We've had a couple of tough years at WSM. Much has been asked of us workers. And even more will be asked in this coming New Year.

2) Carrboro and Southern Village now close at 10.00pm. For some of us that means not getting out of those stores until close to 11.00pm. Taking into account dashing home and hurling on a new coat of deodorant, that has us reaching our chosen New Year's destinations just about the time Ryan Seacrest gives Jessica Simpson a New Year's kiss in Times Square. In other words, just in time to turn around and go home again.

Even though Hillsborough closes at 9.00pm, a lot of our fellow workers there live some way ways - Carrboro, Mebane. So, they need extra time to make that round trip home to freshen up.

So. What about it? It's not going to kill the finances. And it would be a nice gesture with which to begin the year. Maybe? Happy New Year to you.

All the best,
Geoff"


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The General Manager of WSM, Ruffin Slater, has responded to my request:

"Hi Geoff,

Thanks for your suggestion.

We started publishing the holiday hours in our publications a few weeks ago, so it’s too late to make any changes to the New Year’s hours.

Thanks,
Ruffin"

Hmm. I guess we're not allowed to change our minds. Like we did when we changed the closing times of the stores in Hillsborough and Southern Village? Or like we've done all this past week, as we've changed opening and closing times, in response to the weather?

Double hmm. But, at least I got communication! And I replied:

"Ah well. Maybe next year?

Best,
Geoff"