Sunday, November 26, 2006

Get out there and shop



Radio Question of the Day:

Businesses will lose about $17 Billion in productivity because their employees are doing this. What is it?
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Well it’s here: The Christmas Shopping Season. I love Christmas decorations and Christmas music. Hate the shopping part. Shopping could be fun, if it weren’t for the other people. Those shoppers. Getting in my way, buying the last of something I wanted, sneezing, touching stuff, etc. They’re gross and they’re everywhere. But you have to get out and shop before all the good stuff is taken...so the ads tell me. The appeal of an item seems to be inversely proportional to its attainability.

But we all know that the hard work of shopping today pays off in the end. Laziness pays off now.

Before you go XMAS gathering, you should have a budget for Christmas spending of course. A budget is a method of worrying before you spend money, as well as afterward. Everyone should have one.

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Answer to the Radio Question of the Day:

Online Christmas shopping. Those slacker employees.

But wait! This Billion dollar question assumes that if the employees weren’t shopping online, that they would actually be working and producing something worthwhile. I’m doubtful. But I guess a little inaccuracy can save a lot of explanation. A single fact can spoil a good argument.

10 comments:

lime said...

i agree on both counts, lucy. and i seriously cannot imagine getting up before dawn to join the crowds...there ain't no sale so fantastic i'd be willing to give up sleep for it AND be in the midst of lunatic shoppers.

as for the productivity...if it weren't shopping, it would be porn.

Peter said...

That definition of a budget is worthy of Ol' Hoss Lucy, and that's praise!

Christine said...

I just blogged about this very thing. Of course not as eloquently as you :-)

Anonymous said...

Whether they're shopping or blogging or just surfing, employees love the Internet.

The Lazy Iguana said...

Yea. The other idiot shoppers are a pain in the rump. And having a budget is a good idea. The problem is the budget for stuff I buy for me changes with the things I manage to find. CURSE YE REVOLVING CREDIT! The stores know how to get me. They say stuff like "if you apply for our store credit card, you can get 12 months of zero interest for anything you buy now". That usually does it.

I do not believe the $17 billion propaganda. It is just some BS invented so that some random employee can be harassed. Online shopping probably only accounts for a few thousand in lost productivity. And of course, the people selling the crap people are shopping for at work would disagree there is ANY lost productivity.

Now office chair races - THAT wastes productivity!

Old Horsetail Snake said...

Dangnabit!! I missed the question AGAIN! I answered "shoplifting." But then I realized the employees probably steal a lot more than $17 billion worth of stuff. I mean, there are 17 billion Wal-Marts alone, aren't there?

Doug The Una said...

My productivity goes through the floor when I do work. Everyone at my company agrees they want me blogging and shopping online. I expect Amazon.com gift certificates from most of my employees for Christmas.

Rachel said...

I'm not a big shopping fan so I do some of the online stuff or buy gift certificates or just send money.

Libby said...

online shoopping! yay!! nothing better than doing nothing but sit there, and have a cute guy drop off boxes every day at your door!!!

kenju said...

My guess was the same as Hoss. I thoght for sure it would be shoplifting.

I have a budget - and I STILL worry about spending the money!