A shift is an order that allows organizing the development of an activity or the provision of a service.
Shift is a concept with several uses. It may be a certain order that allows organizing the development of an activity. For example: “Tomorrow I am going to call the doctor to request an appointment,” “At the electricity company they told me that I have to make an appointment to request the installation,” “I'm sorry, there are no more appointments available.”
The shifts mark how clients, consumers, users, etc. will follow one another . to be attended to. What a shift offers, ultimately, is an opportunity to do something. Suppose that, at a conference , the speaker tells someone in the audience that it is their turn to ask a question. In this case, you will be indicating to the subject that it is their time to speak and make a consultation.
In any food store, for example, it is also necessary to have an appointment to buy the desired product. Thus, it is common for butcher shops to opt for electrical devices, number dispensers, to be able to establish each customer's turn and so that "conflicts" cannot occur due to being the first.
The shift as a temporary period of work
A shift, on the other hand, is known as a temporary period of work and the group formed by workers who perform tasks simultaneously: “The night shift in this company is the most productive,” “I'm going to ask the boss to "Switch to the late shift, so in the morning I can attend classes at the university."
In a similar sense, we speak of “being on duty” when a professional is available at work or when a pharmacy is open during extraordinary hours, according to a schedule already arranged in advance: “The surgeon on duty at this time is Ferreyra” , “I have to find a pharmacy on duty to buy the antibiotic” .
This same expression ( "on duty" ) can be used, in colloquial language, to name the one who appears at a certain specific moment : "The current spokesperson is nothing more than the liar on duty, since the company always seeks to justify itself before society.”
A hair salon can work in shifts to serve its clients.
Other uses of the notion
We must not forget that in other countries this term also has a very special meaning. Thus, in Costa Rica this word is used to refer to a popular party that is held with the aim of raising funds. Normally it usually has a sense of solidarity and what is intended to be achieved with the money obtained is to carry out some type of charitable action.
In the same way, we have to highlight that within the history of television in Spain there is a very important series that responds to the name “Turno de oficio” . It was broadcast on TVE between 1986 and 1987 , it was directed by Antonio Mercero and its protagonists were Juan Echanove, Juan Luis Galiardo and Carmen Elías .
It recounted the daily life of three lawyers in the 1980s who worked ex officio, that is, within what is the free defense service for people without resources. A situation that made them have to face all kinds of cases and the most different and peculiar clients, which put them in serious danger or made them rethink their lives.