It Kinda Is My Fault

Most fire stations have a candy and/or soda store. The healing place is no exception. Like most "honor" systems found in many work places, the success of the store requires that a person jonesing for a soda places the appropriate amount of cash in the bowl before taking the can.

For the most part, this is what occurs. Most people put the cash in, take the can out. Sometimes, it doesn't occur. I'd like to think that shrinkage is due to oversight or laziness rather than dishonesty.

Perhaps someone is working outside on the patio and feels the need to be a Pepper too. Perhaps they left their wallet in the dorm and their boots are dirty, so they take the Dr. Pepper and intend to come back and put the money in after they get cleaned up. Perhaps that individual was on his way outside to pay up when the tones went off for a fire call. Perhaps they just forgot when they got back after the call. Now the fund is fifty cents short.

Perhaps someone only has 39 cents in their pocket when the visit the soda fridge and  they figure that they will make up the difference when they buy their next one. Perhaps it slips their mind the next time, now the fund is another eleven cents short. 

As I am currently the person running the soda store, I know when the bowl is "light". We have had periodic issues with this, every couple of years or so. I have found that one of the ways to combat this behavior is to inventory the soda fridge every day and count the money. That way it narrows down who the culprit(s) might be. Although the fund still might lose a soda every few weeks, it really does cut down on the shrinkage.

As I had my leg issues in October, was on vacation in December and it is winter, I haven't been minding the store as I should have been. Yesterday, I stocked the fridge counted the cans and the money. We were probably fifteen bucks short. That is an unacceptable loss. That means less funds to buy stuff for the station, stuff that the district isn't going to buy.

I'll take some of the blame, I haven't been on it like I should have been. You can be assured that I am back on it and will know when I am a can short. The rows are all stocked six deep and eight across - exactly forty eight cans per shelf. Two shelves make it ninety six can of soda. I left exactly ten bucks in change, all quarters. I will be able to determine if anything is short when I get to work and will still have time to make my 0900 training session..

If we are short, I'll mention it to Sloven, his crew is on today. He in turn will mention it to his crew. Who knows, the guilty absent minded party may just remember and pay up. I wouldn't hold my breath on that one, but it has happened.

Hopefully, the re-stocking and the attention being spent on the store will have the desired effect  and the shrinkage will drop to zero. With all of the cooks that we have at the station, we could use some more Tupperware. That and an iced tea dispenser.

Yhansk for reading,
Schmoe