Smyths I hate you or love you?

BlitzKrieg

Soo its October...emphasize on this OCTOBER!!!


And Smyths toy store just off parnell street has gone into christmas shopping hours.

Meaning they stay open till 11pm every week night until christmas.

Now personnally I hate anything like that, excessive commercialised christmas bollocks far too early always gets under my skin, reminds me of my short stint in the service industry.

On the flipside, I was able to walk in there tonight after work and pick up an early copy of fable 2 and far cry 2.

Soooo I am sort of glad for the late hours, and might call into them on the nights before the big launches for hopefully more early catches.


Still though if they start playing christmas tunes before december 9th I am burning the shop down.

kaiser soza

Damn that shop, the staff told me at 17:00 no games were being sold until Friday Morning, I wanted Deep space and Fable 2

Xavi6

Bloody ridiculous. Christmas stuff should only happen 4 weeks before the day and no sooner.

I guarantee some cunt will have their tree up before the start of November.

monkeyfudge

What Transformers did they have in stock?

BlitzKrieg

I have to add though its strangely appealling walking through a gamestore at 10pm at night.

esp in my current work where I dont get out til around that time.

kaiser soza

It will last untill the last week of November, then that store is packed from open till close some of the staff I new last year didn't get out untill 12am in December

Kintarō Hattori

Ahh what a load of crap. That's just insane. I feel sorry for the staff having to work long hours and rotating shifts now.


Does anyone here feel anything now for christmas. It's hard to get excited when the shops are putting up decorations in october, opening late so early etc.

Overheal

Walked into Home Depot today, and was greeted by christmas carols sung over the PA. Immediately to my right, a 100 Sq Ft. arrangement of Christmas decorations.

Dave!

Smyths is the worst place in the world to work coming up to Christmas. Especially if you hate kids, and toys.

Overheal

Dave! wrote: »

Smyths is the worst place in the world to work coming up to Christmas. Especially if you hate kids, and toys.

Set up some of those inflatable punching dummies. Helps to beat the **** out of something.

Dave!

Ahh I don't work there anymore, but it is seriously the sh*ttest place ever

Overheal

Ever work a nightclub on Stephen's Day?





Yeah, you can't talk.

brendansmith

Here!

What happened my previous post here!

AnonoBoy

What is this Christ Mass that everyone keeps talking about?

Varkov

AnonoBoy wrote: »

What is this Christ Mass that everyone keeps talking about?

It's Santa's birthday you ignorant little ****! Thats why we buy eachother presents.

Irishcrx

I used to work in there and trust me if they didn't do it come November the place would be a battle scene of parents running around, will be anyway but will be far worst plus it lets the staff get some extra hours and save a few pennies for xmas.

Fulton Crown

Look - it's a disgrace that shops are gearing up for Christmas this early - whatever about the displays - whatever about the advts - please pretty please no freekin Christmas music until December - PLEASE.

Ps Anybody know where ABBAESQUE are playin on New years Eve. ??

Femelade

I went into Smyths (in Cork) yesterday and got my daughter her *santa* present, i didnt want a repeat of last year, where i spent the 2nd half of November frantically trying to get a bloody nintendo DS. finally got it online, but i dont want to go through that again.

Ginny

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

Soo its October...emphasize on this OCTOBER!!!


And Smyths toy store just off parnell street has gone into christmas shopping hours.

Meaning they stay open till 11pm every week night until christmas.

Now personnally I hate anything like that, excessive commercialised christmas bollocks far too early always gets under my skin, reminds me of my short stint in the service industry.

On the flipside, I was able to walk in there tonight after work and pick up an early copy of fable 2 and far cry 2.

Soooo I am sort of glad for the late hours, and might call into them on the nights before the big launches for hopefully more early catches.


Still though if they start playing christmas tunes before december 9th I am burning the shop down.

The Christmas opening hours in Smyths actually started about 2-3 weeks ago!

rusalka

Overheal wrote: »

Walked into Home Depot today, and was greeted by christmas carols sung over the PA. Immediately to my right, a 100 Sq Ft. arrangement of Christmas decorations.

I was so excited by your post, I was seriously going to ask you where Home Depot is - I love, love, love Christmas so much that I would have driven across town to hear some Christmas music!!!

Then I copped that Home Depot is in the U.S. So disappointed now.

I'm really excited - I just can't wait for the first time this season that I walk in to a store and hear "It's CHRIST-MAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSS!"

Miguel_Sanchez

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

Smyths I hate you or love you?

Haven't bothered read the thread but I think The Queen Is Dead is a brilliant album.

citytillidie

Dave! wrote: »

Ahh I don't work there anymore, but it is seriously the sh*ttest place ever

Aww did you never win the mystery shopper ?

I thought it was ok working there, but then again i was on the tills so did not have much stocking to do.

Plus up here its open to 10 all year around

PurpleBerry

Christmas shopping aside I'm all for late opening hours.

Vain

Xavi6 wrote: »

Bloody ridiculous. Christmas stuff should only happen 4 weeks before the day and no sooner.

I guarantee some cunt will have their tree up before the start of November.

A women in my town always puts up her Christmas tree the 1st of November not only the tree put lights all over the house:D

Jet Black

I was passing by a house in Finglas and it had christmas lights in the window and decorations up!! Its not even halloween ffs!?
(bring on the Finglas bashing)

On the plus side I noticed a lot less bangers this month.

Dinter

I don't really care about shops having their grottos or decorations up this early. End of the day Christmas is something to look forward to for time off work and more relaxed days in the office in the run up.

I'd say I'd find it irritating if I'd kids though and I felt shops were pressurising me as a parent.

Cookie_Monster

Role on Dec 26th I say

KnifeWRENCH

The run up to Christmas comes earlier every year. It's unfortunate, but when one shop puts up their stock everyone else has to follow suit. Ideally shops would wait at least until mid-November.

Having said all that, I do love Christmas! So it doesn't annoy me as much as it annoys others.

Acacia

I don't know what the mad rush is, tbh. I'm going to sound like an auld one now, but I remember when I was young, Christmas decorations and music didn't start up until about a month or six weeks before Christmas at the earliest. And certainly not before Halloween! It's ridiculous, and I think it ruins a lot of the excitement for kids, as they won't know what they're meant to be celebrating, Christmas or Halloween. *sigh* it was so much better back in my day! :pac:

As for the staff, it must be really annoying having to work all those extra hours. I know they would get extra money but, still, Christmas isn't much fun if you're working until 9 or 10 at night on Christmas Eve and on St.Stephen's Day as well. Why should they only get to spend the minimum amout of time with their families at Christmas? I feel really sorry for them, tbh.

astrofool

Christmas is f*cking great, the earlier the better

afatbollix

Acacia wrote: »

As for the staff, it must be really annoying having to work all those extra hours. I know they would get extra money but, still, Christmas isn't much fun if you're working until 9 or 10 at night on Christmas Eve and on St.Stephen's Day as well. Why should they only get to spend the minimum amout of time with their families at Christmas? I feel really sorry for them, tbh.

ive to work all christmas week 12 hour shifts during the night :( and i dont think i get paid any more :mad::mad::(

Acacia

anto-t wrote: »

ive to work all christmas week 12 hour shifts during the night :( and i dont think i get paid any more :mad::mad::(

Aw ya poor divil! This is what I'm talking about- pure greediness on behalf of shops and businesses . It's all hunky dory for people who leave their shopping until the last minute on Christmas Eve and shop owners/businesses making lots of extra cash, but not for the poor unfortunates who get to spend fcek all time with their families because they're working crappy hours...:mad:

citytillidie

anto-t wrote: »

ive to work all christmas week 12 hour shifts during the night :( and i dont think i get paid any more :mad::mad::(

Night packing is good however no joe public to mess things up

tantipie

Femmy wrote: »

I went into Smyths (in Cork) yesterday and got my daughter her *santa* present, i didnt want a repeat of last year, where i spent the 2nd half of November frantically trying to get a bloody nintendo DS. finally got it online, but i dont want to go through that again.

where did you get it from,,,im looking for a pink one:)

ironictoaster

tantipie wrote: »

where did you get it from,,,im looking for a pink one:)

You can get it from this Irish game store,gamesnash.ie. I ordered from them a couple of times, very good service.

http://gamesnash.ie/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=67&products_id=848

Overheal

rusalka wrote: »

I was so excited by your post, I was seriously going to ask you where Home Depot is - I love, love, love Christmas so much that I would have driven across town to hear some Christmas music!!!

Then I copped that Home Depot is in the U.S. So disappointed now.

I'm really excited - I just can't wait for the first time this season that I walk in to a store and hear "It's CHRIST-MAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSS!"

I mean this in the nicest, merriest possible way: I hope something terrible happens to you :pac:

May your candy canes be crumbly and Gooey! Mwahaha

tantipie

thanks all,,i got one in zavvi/virgin €135 for pink one with brain tease game or €160 for one with the game she wanted (sims pets 2) and an accesserory pack,,yey me:D

Mossy Monk

More power to them. All shops should be 24 hours to suit my always changing lifestyle.

Acacia wrote: »

but not for the poor unfortunates who get to spend fcek all time with their families because they're working crappy hours...:mad:

From what I can see people spend all Christmas Eve either shopping or in the pub. Time with their families ha.

jill_valentine

kaiser soza wrote: »

It will last untill the last week of November, then that store is packed from open till close some of the staff I new last year didn't get out untill 12am in December

It's common practice for Smyths Toys staff to work from 9am to 12 midnight from November on. It is not unknown for them to be there until 2am, and they can work seven days in a row. Good ol' Smyths.

For the record, the toy shop Christmas season is inflexible - they start opening late now, but the actual Christmas stock isn't put out until Halloween night. There's a frantic hour-and-a-half of swapping the orange-and-black for the red-and-white on the night of the 31st.

Acacia

Mossy Monk wrote: »

More power to them. All shops should be 24 hours to suit my always changing lifestyle.



From what I can see people spend all Christmas Eve either shopping or in the pub. Time with their families ha.

They could be in the pub with their families and friends though!;)

partyatmygaff

just found out im working (Restaurant) on christmas eve, st.stephens day, new years eve and new years day AND my birthday next week (:()

All 12pm-12am shifts

:mad:


Oh well atleast i can sleep easy knowing the poor fools at smyths dont have it any better

Elessar

Er...I just applied to work there part time. Getting second thoughts now...can someone who works there PM me please!

Alter-Ego

heymcflyx wrote: »

I was passing by a house in Finglas and it had christmas lights in the window and decorations up!! Its not even halloween ffs!?
(bring on the Finglas bashing)

On the plus side I noticed a lot less bangers this month.

Finglas is a kip:pac:

aliqueenb

was in kildare village on saturday in the lashing rain and it was craaaaazy the amount of people there, i was like recession, what recession LOL

kirving

Oh deary me....

Im supposed to be satrting in Smyths Jervis Street on thursday! I have a 30 hour college week aswell! I applied for the software zone so I hope to go I get put there most of the time.

I'm gonna try get as little hours as possible, and theres no way I'm working more than I should unless serious money is on the table.....

FOGOFUNK

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Oh deary me....

Im supposed to be satrting in Smyths Jervis Street on thursday! I have a 30 hour college week aswell! I applied for the software zone so I hope to go I get put there most of the time.

I'm gonna try get as little hours as possible, and theres no way I'm working more than I should unless serious money is on the table.....

Its not. I was in bolton St and worked in the blanch branch. Serious serious serious hours. If you can handle it its ok but I was exhausted all the time, and the software zone is a crap place to work.

If someone is willing to work the hours involved, then fair play to them. Night staff get more dosh than the day guys.


Won't be long now until Dunnes (of all places :rolleyes: ) go into 24/7 mode.

jill_valentine

Deleted User wrote: »

If someone is willing to work the hours involved, then fair play to them. Night staff get more dosh than the day guys.

No, they don't. Smyths no longer employ dedicated nightworkers, they just make everybody work longer hours. Part of the reason they stay open that late is that they can get the night packing work done during what is considered a staff member's regular working hours.

They don't get paid any extra, just regular hourly wages, and if Smyths can underpay you your overtime, they will. Always, always check your payslip against the hours you've actually worked. I would strongly recommend sneakily photocopying or photographing your clock card, and comparing it against what you've been paid.

The Software section are generally understaffed. Because of all the stuff you need to know to work there, like warrantees etc, you can't really swap any random staffer in and out of it, like you can with the other sections. Software work longer hours than the rest of the shop, particularly on a Thursday and Sunday night.

Lads, I won't lie. Smyths are one of the worst employers I have ever had. They run a sweatshop, and their attitude to both their employees and customers stinks. They don't care about either, so long as stuff is getting sold, and they would rather hire somebody else than give you a raise. They have the staff turnover of a Chinese coal mine, which is why everybody you see there is always still being trained in, but they never have any shortage of CV's coming in, which they'll frequently remind you.

However, I'm still friends with the people I worked with, and if it hadn't been for a particular "creative difference" with a member of management, I'd probably still be there. If you're working with a good crowd, it makes all the difference, and nothing brings people closer together than spending fourteen hours a day with them. Character building, I'd even say; if you can handle working there, you'll handle working anywhere. It suits some people, I mean, there's a lot of variety in your working day, and you deal with a lot of characters.

Don't be under any illusions about it, but what I'd say is, give it a shot and figure out whether it's for you or not. Despite management's best efforts, I do have some fond memories of my time there.

gandhi123

i currently work there and i have to (partly) agree with jill_valentine about the whole screwing you out of money business and the hours at Christmas can be ridiculous but the craic with the other part timers is great (in Tallaght branch anyway) and the social life is good laugh too(anyone who's been in the Tallght branch at the weekend will know the staff are usually hungover to bits :pac::pac:.... anywyas wuoldnt wont to work there for more then i'd have to thou... just till i've got my degree

jill_valentine

That's one thing I will grant - the miserable working conditions are inversely proportionate to the nights out. Work is so frustrating that when you do all get out for a few drinks, you go nuts. The Christmas night out in March is legendary.

phasers

I put my tree up last night