Book 5: Evaluation Day

Written: September 2007

Authors: Cari & Al

Summary: It’s time for performance reviews…will Tracy finally get promoted?  Will Raquel be able to keep her job?

Copyright: We wrote it, though the ideas are from real life experiences…

 

*           *           *

 

It hung on the wall over the water cooler, a silent testament to what she considered stupidity, but what management considered noteworthy.  The only satisfaction she had was that the picture was taken from a security camera that patrolled the small strip mall in which the act had taken place so everything was fuzzy.

 

And the fact that it was a picture of Steve shoved up against a police car, the policeman behind him cuffing his wrists together was icing on the cake.

 

Still, if being arrested named someone Employee of the Month, then perhaps Tracy was in the wrong job.

 

She turned her head as the backdoor opened and Raquel stepped inside.  She glanced at Tracy, then at the picture.  A slow smile filled her usually somber face. “So…if I kill someone next month, do you think I’d get Employee of the Year?”

 

“Only if the one you shoot is caught stealing.” Tracy punched the lockers. “This sucks.”

 

“Yeah.” Raquel put her stuff away and jotted her arrival time on the sign-in sheet five minutes earlier than the time she actually came in. “But on the other hand, he did have to spend the night in jail.”

 

That brought a smile to Tracy’s lips. “Yeah.  I suppose that counts for something.”

 

Again the backdoor opened and Shane stepped in.  “Good afternoon Tracy.  Raquel.”

 

“Hey Shane,” Tracy said. “Great picture of Steve you got there.”

 

“It’s the only picture we currently have of him, but when he comes in tomorrow, we’ll be sure to get a new one.” Shane straightened the framed picture of Steve that was knocked crooked when Tracy punched the lockers. “We’ll get a picture of everyone.”

 

Tracy glanced at the schedule. “Wait…isn’t Steve on the schedule for today?”

 

“Nate gave him today off to recuperate-Joyce is filling in.”

 

Raquel snorted. “Sure. Not like he deserved a day off or anything.”

 

“He’s already explained it to us,” Shane said. “He tried to reason with the policeman, and it was the policeman who made a mistake.  But that’s all taken care of, and so far, Steve has had the best performance review of any of you.  But that can still change-there’s still a few hours left.”

 

Tracy blinked. “Wait, what?  What about performance reviews?”

 

“They’re today.  Nate and Betty are giving Joyce hers right now.  Raquel is after that, then you.” He knitted his brows together. “We discussed this at our meeting last week.”

 

“You had me unpacking boxes last week during the meeting!” Tracy shouted. “Do you think I could hear you through the wall?  I’m not Superwoman!”

 

David pushed the swinging door open. “Shane, there’s a lady who is upset with my customer service and wants to speak to a manager.”

 

“Why is she upset?”

 

“She asked me what the price of a book is, and I said I’d look on the back and find out. For some reason she got angry.”

 

“I’ll deal with it.” Shane pushed passed Steve, the door swung wildly behind him.

 

“Wait. Why did she get angry?” Tracy asked.

 

“I offered to look on the back and read the price to her. She said she wasn’t stupid and she could read the price herself.”

 

Tracy sat down at Nate’s desk and brushed a fast food wrapper to the side. No one was supposed to sit or eat at it, but no one listened. Nate never used it. The calendar hanging on the peg board in front of it was two months behind.

 

“I don’t want a performance review today,” Tracy sighed. “I know what he’s going to say. He’s not going to promote me to Assistant Manger and he won’t give me a good reason why.”

 

Raquel raised an eyebrow. “Why do you want to be Assistant Manager?”

 

“Because Nate promised it to me last year, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be, it’s more money, and someone needs to put Shane in his place.”

 

“I got my review this morning. It wasn’t that bad,” David said.

 

“What did Nate have to say about you?”

 

“I don’t remember. I think I need to loosen up. But other than that I’m ‘doing great!’”

 

“What a team player.”

 

Shane came back in the room. “David, stop making the customers feel stupid.”

 

“Who’s out on the floor?” David asked.

 

Shane turned and scurried back out.

 

“How do you do it?” Tracy asked.

 

“Do what?”

 

“Get them to leave?”

 

David shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Shane poked his head back in for a brief moment. “Stop talking and get out here!”

 

“Do you think that door is strong enough to decapitate him next time he does that?” Raquel said.

 

“Maybe if all three of us push,” Tracy answered.

 

Raquel went up to the registers, Shane took his place at the info desk, Tracy loaded a cart of self-help books to shelve, and David gathered his stuff to leave. His stuff consisted of a black backpack with two Evian bottles and a wallet.

 

“See you later.” David slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out.

 

Tracy wheeled her cart out to the appropriate section just as Joyce returned from her review.

 

“You’re next.” Joyce took her position behind the counter, kicking aside the phone book Amber was standing on the night before to make herself taller.

 

“What should I expect?” Raquel asked.

 

“Some rambling, muttering, ‘good job!’ and some mention of an area of opportunity. Betty brought super star shaped cookies.”

 

“What is your area of opportunity?”

 

“I don’t know. I think he was trying to make something up, but it came out as I need to ‘talk louder.’”

 

“’Talk louder?’”

 

“Yeah, I’m too quiet…I guess.”

 

“Hmm…” Raquel shook her head. “Don’t try to understand them-it’s pointless.” She reached out and grabbed a Star magazine.

 

Joyce stared at her. “You can’t read now. They’re waiting for you next door.”

 

“I know.” She tucked it under her arm. “I’ll bring you back a cookie.” Raquel left.

 

“How do you think it’ll go?”

 

Joyce glanced at Tracy. “For Raquel?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

She took a deep breath. “I wonder how much longer she’s going to be with us.”

 

“Hopefully not much longer.” It was Shane, who had appeared again out of nowhere.  He had a slight smile on his face.

 

“What do you know?” Tracy demanded. “Nate isn’t going to really fire her, is he?”

 

Shane bristled. “I can’t disclose that information.”

 

“Meaning he doesn’t know.” Tracy translated and Shane glared.

 

“Watch it, Tracy, you’re not looking too sharp yourself.” Shane went back to the info desk.

 

“What does that mean?”

           

“Ignore him,” Joyce said. “It’s impossible to get a bad performance review from Nate.”

 

“Maybe not from Nate, but if Shane has anything to with it, Raquel and I will both be at the unemployment office.”

 

“Stop it. You’re a good manager.”

 

Tracy retreated back to her cart. She pulled a Dr. Phil book off the top and stared at the ugly bald guy on the cover.  Self Matters read the red cover. “You suck.” She slammed it down next to his other books on the shelf.

 

Shane was behind her singing the alphabet song as he alphabetized the gardening section.

 

“Excuse me,” interrupted a customer. “Is this available in paperback?” The woman held up a copy of the new James Patterson book.

 

“No,” Tracy answered. “It came out in hardcover yesterday. It takes about a year.”

 

“So does that mean you don’t have it?”

 

“That is correct.”

 

“Ok. Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome. Let me know if there’s anything else.” The woman walked off.

 

Shane’s alphabet song came to a screeching halt after LMNOP. He ran after the customer. “Excuse me, ma’am, we may not have that book in paperback, but we have many of his other books available in that format. If you like, I will take you to the section and show you.”

 

“Oh, that’s very kind of you, young man. Yes, please, show me where I can find them. A friend recommended him to me and I know nothing about him.”

 

Tracy picked up the next book Stumbling on Happiness just as the same customer walked by with a stack of James Patterson books and a big smile of her face. Shane trailed behind but took a detour into Tracy’s section.

 

“You missed a great selling opportunity.”

 

“I don’t exactly feel at my customer service best when you’re threatening me with my performance review.”

 

At the cash register, Joyce could be heard checking the customer out. “James Patterson is a good author. I’ve read a lot of his books.”

 

“My friend recommended him to me,” the customer said. “That nice young man was so helpful. He took me to the section and helped me sort through his series. You’re lucky to have him.”

 

“See,” Shane said. “Joyce has the right attitude.”

 

“If you like James Patterson, you should try Dean Koontz. His book Watchers is excellent,” Joyce continued.

 

“What a good idea. Do you have that book here?”

           

“Of course! Let me show you.”

 

Tracy rolled her eyes. “Does Joyce do anything wrong?”

 

“Nope,” Shane answered. Another customer approached the information desk. “We’ll continue this later.”

 

“This isn’t Borders you know,” Tracy said to his back, but he didn’t hear. He was involved in conversation with the new customer.

 

“The Kite Runner?” Shane questioned. “I haven’t heard of that one. I don’t think we have it.”

 

Tracy stopped her shelving and leapt to the customer’s assistance. “The author is Khaled Hosseini. We have that book up front on our bestsellers table. I can take you right to. You’ll also find his other book A Thousand Splendid Suns next to it.”

 

The woman looked relieved, and Shane looked up from the computer. “Oh, that book. I’m sorry. I misunderstood and thought I heard The Kite Flyer.”

 

“Follow me.” Tracy led the customer up front and placed the paperback in the customer’s hands. She then talked about A Thousand Splendid Suns and recommended Water for Elephants and The Lovely Bones, which the customer happily purchased.

 

“Now we’re even,” Tracy said to Shane.

 

Shane glared at her. “You sold her four books. My customer bought five.”

 

“But my books had a higher price point and it’s easier to upsell a customer another book by the same author. I used my creativity.”

 

“One great customer experience won’t make up for the previous year covered on your review.” Shane went back to his perch behind the info desk.

 

Tracy picked up the next book on her cart. A Million Little Pieces. The title of Shane’s biography once Tracy was done with him.

 

She moved to biography and shoved it into place.  Who did Shane think he was?  He had been hired a year and a half after her to the position Nate assured Tracy she would get. She didn’t always agree with everything Nate and Betty did, but she kept her mouth shut and did what they asked.

 

“There’s no use copping an attitude.” Shane called to her from behind the information desk. 

 

If Tracy were Raquel, she’d have hurled a book at him.  She glanced at the clock.  Shane was scheduled to leave when Tracy got back from her review, then it would return to normal-just her, Joyce and Raquel for the rest of the night. 

 

As if on cue, the front door opened and Raquel skipped in with cookie in hand.

 

Tracy hurried over. “Well, what happened?”

 

Raquel looked blank.  “They talked, I ate a few cookies, Denae and Collin made out behind the espresso machine, I signed the review, and came back here.”

 

“That’s it?” It was Joyce, who had made her way over. “What did they say?”

 

“I don’t know. Here.” Raquel held her cookie in her mouth as she dug into her pockets and pulled a crumbled piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Tracy. Tracy smoothed it out, trying to make out the writing.

 

“You got a ‘meets expectations,’” Tracy said.

 

“Really? Hmm. Cool.” Raquel bit into her cookie. “I’ll be at the cash register if you need me.”

 

“Do you want this back?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Wait.” Tracy followed Raquel, reading the review aloud. “’Great communication skills’? Is Nate freakin’ deaf? You call him Ratboy.”

 

“Not to his face,” Raquel assured.

 

“You’re a good team player?”

 

Even Joyce looked up on that one.

 

“Everyone likes me.” Raquel shrugged. “I didn’t write the work of fiction, but it got me a bigger raise than I thought it would. I might stop looking elsewhere.”

 

“What are you three doing?” Shane wanted to know. He popped out from behind the journals section. “Shouldn’t you be working?”

 

“Raquel’s showing me her evaluation,” Tracy said.

 

“Let me see that.” Shane ripped it out of her hands. His eyes buzzed back and forth as he read. “What? ‘Meets Expectations’! Who did this?”

 

“I have great communication skills,” Raquel explained. “Maybe you could learn from me.”

 

“I can’t believe this! Where’s Nate?”

 

“Next door.”

 

“Tracy, stay here. You’ll have to wait on your review for a couple minutes.” The door slammed behind Shane.

 

“I’ll give you credit for pissing Shane off,” Tracy said.

 

“I’m a natural born charmer.”

 

It didn’t take long before Shane came back, his face still red. He handed the review over to Raquel. “Nate’s wife called and he had to leave. Tracy, Betty is going to do your performance review alone. She’s expecting you.” Shane stormed into the back room before anyone could respond.

 

“Oh, shit,” Tracy said. “I’m dead.”

 

“Focus on the cookies and you’ll do fine,” Raquel suggested.

 

“Come on, Tracy. Let’s get it over with.” Joyce guided Tracy to the door and held it open for her. “Shane is leaving when you get back. We can go in the back room and sob about it then.”

 

“Thanks Joyce.” Tracy took a deep breath, and went to face the judge.

 

45 minutes later…

 

“When do you think he’ll give up?” Joyce asked.

 

“I don’t know, but I think his voice is getting hoarse,” Raquel said.

 

“With the way Nate rambles, he could be back there the rest of the night,” Tracy added.

 

After Shane saw Tracy’s glowing performance review (meets expectations in customer service and promise of promotion in the next month), he marched into the back room and called Nate. The three eavesdroppers couldn’t make out much, but Nate could probably hear him if he set his phone across the room.

 

“Was it really that good of a review?” Joyce asked.

 

“I got an ‘improvement needed’ in optimism and attitude, but the rest were meets expectations with an ‘exceeds’ in being knowledgeable about the store.”

 

“I got a ‘meets’ in optimism and attitude,” Raquel said.

 

Joyce and Tracy turned to her.

 

“Do you ever wonder if Nate uses a dartboard to make his decisions?”

 

They heard some scuffling about, maybe a cart kicked against the wall, and then Shane appeared with an exaggerated smile on his face.

 

“Good job, everyone!” Shane exclaimed. “And good luck next year.” With that, he was gone.

 

“Do you think he’ll still be here next year?” Tracy said.

 

“Not if I have anything to do with it.” Raquel flipped her magazine back open. “As you were.”