Wednesday, July 29, 2009

no, in fact, you're never right


Why am I not the type of person who feels the need to "better themselves"?.....



The meaning behind that narcissistic phrase and it's materialistic definition is another story entirely, but I digress.

I'm just not that type of person. Getting bored is one thing or needing something that better fits your schedule (or social life) or any other legit reasoning. I suppose this is why I'm an angry person with a sunny disposition that works with the public.

Who really enjoys working with the public? Even the few nice, genuine people you meet while working in customer service are too far and inbetween (and so many flawed) that it can't recover for what the whole of society has done to the business.

For instance, it may not bother you at first, but soon you'll realize that you are doing these people favors, all day long, regardless you're getting paid (and very poorly, at that). Is it really that much to expect the money be handed to us? Not just thrown onto the counter, actually HANDED to us! I'm not trying to bitch (I do this subconsciously). You expect us to hand you your change. You should hand us your money. How do I know this? I test it every single time.

My hand is always laying on the counter when awaiting payment. Not open, but in waiting. Regardless that I'm obviously waiting for you to fish your change or crumpled up bills, you still lay it on the counter. Sometimes near the hand, sometimes as far as possible from it. After putting away your $100 bill and yanking out your $95 in change, your hand is out, OPEN and expecting. Why? Why should you be handed your money when you cannot initiate that kind of respect for me? I will, have and always promise to wait for you to open your hand.... then drop it on the counter. If you're lucky, your receipt will be in your bag, and not wadded up into the mess of singles I've laid out for you.

I do believe that Barney needs to come back on television. I clearly remember the song, "Please and thank you! They're the magic words." Even the tune is etched.. no.. burned deeply into my brain tissue. These words have all but disappeared not only in mass public but ever so especially in anyone between the ages of 10-25.

  • "Can you open this (body jewelery case)?" Yes, I can. I have the keys. Can you?
  • "What's your 5 for $10 sale? Is that only redline items?" Let's ask the sign you read that off of. He'll know.
  • "Is the receipt in the bag?" No, I'm just trying to trap you with an in-store credit return. I'm that much of an asshole.
  • "Would you get that down for me?" I use the ladder to retrieve an out of reach item. I give it to the customer. Twenty minutes later, they do not purchase it and instead lay it in the clearance area where another customer finds it and demands that I give her a reduced price because of where it was found.
When some one asks you how you're doing, do you just look at them and smile? Do you completely ignore them?
We are paid absolute shit (comparatively speaking) to be utterly kind to you. There are those of us who give a shit about putting our best effort into everything we do, regardless if assholes like you belittle people who take positions such as this. You know, the positions that are built to serve the common public... you.

Like the old saying goes... this job would be great if it weren't for the fucking customer.

2 comments:

Organic Meatbag said...

As a schmuck that did customer service for a year and a half and tech support now for 10 years, I can completely relate...customer service is truly the most thankless job in the world...in the world, the whole wide fucking world...
And this probably has a lot to do with why I have become antisocial and generally hate most people...
I have been called a mutherfucker, an asshole, a dummy, and I've had somebody threaten to blow up the building I was in, all because I stood by "company policy"...
It just ain't worth it...

Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

I never thought about money-handing. Every place I go has self-check out now. Which makes me think I should get a percentage discount, since I'm checking out and bagging myself, like their slave laborer.