Published: Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009 / Updated: Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009 01:20 AM

Local employees keep cool amid Black Friday frenzy

Many Dave Lyle stores flooded with shoppers

Hundreds of shoppers passed through the sliding doors at Rock Hill's Best Buy on Friday morning. The first sight they encountered: a guy in a yellow shirt named Jarred Dunlap.

Dunlap works in “asset protection” for the store in Manchester Village, meaning it was his job to stand out front and make sure no one stole stuff on the most hectic shopping day of the year. Armed with a clipboard and pen, Dunlap stopped departing customers to check their receipts.

That was the easy part. In between, the shoppers peppered Dunlap with questions from “Is the checkout line actually that long?” (Yes, about 45 minutes) to “Do you have any more of the $179 laptops?” (No, they sold out shortly after 5 a.m.).

His secret? “Stay calm, and keep your head on a swivel,” he said.

Black Friday demanded a similar focus from 50 employees on Best Buy's morning shift, double the usual number. Some started work as early as 2 a.m. to stock shelves for the 5 a.m. opening. But the early start didn't seem to draw complaints.

“How can you dread a day that keeps you employed?” said manager J.R. Edwards.

In Rock Hill, one of the best places to witness the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping rush is a one-mile stretch of Dave Lyle Boulevard that's home to Best Buy, Target, Walmart and the Rock Hill Galleria.

Shoppers noticed a bulked-up police presence this year. Officers kept watch over main entrances, while others patrolled the parking lots to deter car break-ins.

Few significant problems were reported, police Lt. Rod Stinson said.

“The intent is to be visible,” said Stinson, part of the Rock Hill department's community services unit.

“We're hoping we don't have to arrest anybody.”

Stay on your feet

Keeping watch over the scene inside Best Buy was store general manager Temiko Griffin, known as “Boss Lady” by her 100 or so employees.

Contrary to what many people believe, Griffin says Black Friday is not an all-day frenzy. The rush occurs before dawn and tapers off around lunchtime after the best bargains end.

“Now, it'll be just like a normal Saturday,” Griffin said around 10 a.m.

Griffin welcomed a reporter and photographer from The Herald for a behind-the-scenes look at the Black Friday experience for employees.

The manager brings in catered breakfasts and lunches for her entire staff from Friday through the weekend, both as a morale booster and a way to keep staffers on duty.

Two boxes of sub sandwiches arrived in the break room at 10:30 a.m., but it might as well have been dinner for Brent Troublefield.

For more than eight hours, Troublefield stayed on his feet, stacking boxes and moving merchandise. The Northwestern High School graduate said his days playing second base on the Trojans baseball team taught him to think quickly.

“I'm usually good if I'm standing up,” said Troublefield. “As soon as I sit down, I get a little tired. I think the Red Bull will keep me alive, though.”

Chris Smith is often the last employee that customers see. After customers purchase TVs, they pull around back to a loading dock, where Smith is waiting to load their purchases.

“I can't tell you how many people showed up trying to get a 46-inch TV into a Honda,” he said. “We'll do whatever we can to try to get it in.”

Every piece of inventory at Rock Hill's Best Buy store falls under the supervision of Craig Cauthorne, a nine-year veteran with the title of “product process manager.”

Cauthorne arrived at work around 2 a.m. and was barely midway through his shift eight hours later.

But the nonstop demands make the day pass in a hurry. Cauthorne spoke for many of his co-workers when he said that Black Friday doesn't leave time for checking the clock.

“Two o'clock only seems like half an hour ago to me,” he said.