Just curious what folks expect from service staff in stores and restaurants. And maybe we could explore what progressive people SHOULD expect from service employees.

I think most of us are socialized to expect service staff to bend over backwards to suck up to us and be oh-so-friendly-and-sweet-and-helpful and treat us like we're their very best friends. Personally? As I said in the other thread, I don't really care if a server or a cashier doesn't suck up to me, and I don't consider it "attitude" if they don't. Sure, I like friendliness as much as the next person, but some people aren't naturally gregarious and bubbly, and if I get someone who is quiet, or just takes my order without any banter or Walmart Greeter Smiles, it doesn't bother me, and I won't shortchange a tip because of it.

So, at a worker's co-op like the Sleepless Goat, I don't mind if the servers don't suck up to me. I kind of like the fact that they don't feel like they have to grovel in order to catch my loonies and twonies. I like the fact that, in a worker's co-op, the staff isn't trained to observe a master-servant kind of atmosphere. They're there to do their job, bring you your food since you pay them to do that, but they don't have to pretend that you're somehow Lord of the manor while they're the scullery maids.

Very Clean surroundings, and my water filled up when empty, if they fail to leave a nice pitcher of it. Other than that, not much except perhaps a smile, not several, just 1 would do. No hovering, (except if to full my water glass) well prepared and presented food that of course tastes as it should.

Best food/beverage servers, I have ever experienced were union, and they worked at the Harrison Hot Springs Hotel. They were not 'servants', in anyway shape or form, but they helpful, courteous and professional. Was there for a union paid labour arbitration course, for 3 weeks, and saw/experienced pretty much the full stafff load of servers and not once in that time was there bad service, of any type.

From Your Starbucks Barista
Reply to: [email protected]
Date: 2007-03-18, 11:08PM CDT

To all of you silly, sad caffeine addicts who line up like lemmings for your overpriced lattes every morning: there are some things you should know.

1. We are not your friends. We are usually not your neighbors. In most cases, we absolutely loathe you, but we are outwardly friendly -- because we are paid to do so. You are not getting special treatment, and we really don’t give a shit about your last vacation or your new baby or your real estate problems. We ask how you’re doing because it’s a way of making conversation, and we are pressured to make conversation in this line of work. Now, there are some customers who are genuinely liked, but they’re few and far between. If you have to think about it, you’re probably not one of them.

2. Oh, you work from home? We are not your water-cooler break. We may be the only humans you have interacted with for days, but do not expect us to be interested in your stupid home business or your racist, sexist, totally unfunny commentary. Get your drink and get out.

3. Enough with repeating the George Carlin Starbucks order joke! It was funny the first time we heard it. Maybe. You are probably the four hundredth person to say it to me, expecting me to laugh, and I guarantee that you’re going to be disappointed.

4. Tipping is greatly appreciated. While Starbucks does provide great insurance and other benefits for its employees, and sometimes even a decent hourly wage, baristas are not guaranteed a certain amount of hours per week and NEVER get full-time hours. So: we have great health coverage but can barely buy groceries. Our tips help augment our meager paychecks. If you don’t want to tip, don’t - but quit bitching about it. I’ve noticed that the complexity of your drink order is quite often inversely proportionate to the size of your tip. The rudest and most difficult customers NEVER tip - usually the stay-at-home-moms wearing fifty grand worth of diamonds, yammering into their trendy pink KRAZRs and paying absolutely no attention to their horrible offspring (who are wreaking havoc in every way possible.) Bitches.

5. SKIM MILK is the same as NONFAT MILK. Do not order a “skim nonfat latte” – it’s redundant. Similarly, don’t say that you want a “grande skim latte” and then correct me when I call out “grande nonfat latte.” You bitch. Which brings me to:

6. We are trained to call out drink orders in a particular way. This helps to ensure that we get all of your stupid, nitpicky details correct. DO NOT
• Correct me (see above)
• Tell me as snottily as possible that you “don’t speak Starbucks.” That is quite possibly one of the dumbest statements I’ve ever heard.
• Keep asking me, “Is it decaf? Did you get that? I ordered decaf. Are you sure it’s decaf?” F+CK YOU. Yes, I got it.
• Tell me how to make a drink. I know what goes into a mocha. You probably couldn’t make one if someone had a gun to your head.

I may as well continue! DON’T:
• Lean on the hand-off counter, effectively blocking any of the people who ordered BEFORE you from getting their coffee.
• Take your drink, rip the top off, gulp down one-third to one-half of it, and then ask me to “top it off.”
• Snatch the first drink to come up, because of course it's yours! You’re the only f+cking customer in the place! You ordered a grande latte and this is a Frappuccino, what does it matter! You got there first!
• Scream at me because you don't want whipped cream, when you never specified that.
• Get all pissy when I ask if you want whipped cream on a nonfat mocha. Because some people do, the drink usually comes with it, and we are here to serve your demanding ass.
• Come in wearing a floor-length fur coat and, when asked if you need a bag for your purchase, say no because you want to “save some trees.” Please save me the forehead bruise.
• Hold your two-year-old up to the pastry case and ask him to choose something. Grown men (well, stupid grown men) are struck dumb by the variety at times; no toddler will be able to work out what he wants in under three days. Select something for him and move on.

7. If you are yapping away on your cell phone when you get up to the counter, TELL THE PERSON ON THE OTHER END TO HOLD ON. Do not try to communicate what you want by hand gestures. Do not stare at me blankly – YOU approached ME. Especially, do not roll your eyes at me and heave a sigh before bitchily telling me what you want while still babbling into the phone.

8. If we’re out of the sippy-cup lids and have to give you a regular old flat lid with a tear tab (this occasionally happens) – do not freak out and scream at the manager that it will spill and ruin your “very expensive car.” Buddy, I’ve seen that car (you double-park it outside the front door almost every f+cking day) and it’s not all that, so get off your f+cking high horse. And if you have enough money for that pricey auto, either buy a decent travel mug with a locking lid, or get the f+cking car detailed if something spills. And maybe lay off the caffeine. Asshole.

9. If you order a Frappuccino, I will hate you even more.

10. Quit bitching about the names of everything. Yes, there is a “tall" size. No, it’s not the smallest size – that would be the “short.” Somewhere along the line, it got dropped from the menu, but can still be ordered. It doesn’t make much sense to me either, but I didn’t come up with the nomenclature for this shit. Order by the names on the menu, because I’ve had people ask for a "medium coffee" and get inexplicably pissed off when I give them a grande. Which is a medium coffee. If you eat at McDonald’s, you put a “Mc” in front of just about everything – get the f+ck over yourself and get used to it.

11. Keep your f+cking $1200, four-foot-wide Bugaboo stroller out. Of. The. Store.

12. If you are one of the seriously annoying, mind-bogglingly stupid Change People, it's very likely that I'm restraining the urge to beat you senseless. Especially if you say something like, "I have twenty-four cents, if it helps…" – you are not helping anyone. F+ck you and your exact change. Don’t giggle and tell me how heavy it's making your bag and that you need to get rid of it. How about this: remove your spare change from your bag or pockets daily. Throw it in a change jar. When the jar fills up, cash it in. So simple, anyone can do it!

13. When you order "three shots of espresso, over ice, in a venti cup, extra ice" – WE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING. You’re stealing, because you pay a lot less for that than you would for a latte, and then you fill it to the brim with milk from the condiment bar pitchers. You probably eat at buffets all the time and surreptitiously stuff your shoulder bag full of food, too. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but you really should learn it: if you can’t afford something, don’t f+cking buy it. Asshole.

14. Just because I work at Starbucks doesn’t mean I’m stupid. If I had a penny for everyone who treated me like a complete idiot because I work in the service industry, I’d be a retired billionaire by now. I probably scored higher than you did on standardized tests, am better-read, better-educated, a better writer, more articulate, more interesting, more observant, and better-traveled. However, because I am an artist (as are many of my co-workers) I don’t make the kind of money that the lawyers, doctors, and CEOs of the world do; this does not, however, make me a second-class citizen. So stop f+cking treating me (and everyone else who works at Starbucks) like one.

15. Have a nice f+cking day, you bastards!

Starbucks Gossip

[ 29 May 2007: Message edited by: Wade Tompkins ]

ETA: Hey Michelle thanks for the heads up on that one, as I had no idea, and will certainly not feel so pissy about hovering/yapping endlessly next time.

[ 29 May 2007: Message edited by: remind ]

And sorry, the next time I am at Chapters and just have to have a coffee (the only reason I would buy crappy Starbuck's coffee anyway) I WILL say "medium coffee" or "Large Regular", because I refuse to buy into the pretentious Italian terminology for the sake of using pretentious Italian terminolgy.

You pretentious Asshole.

I get the gist of most of it though, that people really ought to pay attention and consider others when they are in a place like Starbucks.

I think many here know how I feel about Tim Horton's drive through etiquette. It's about speed-- particularly in the morning when everyone is going to work. So don't screw around with buttered bagels and sandwiches et al.

It's just for coffee. For anything else, park you self centered think your so special idiot. Your time is free to waste, not mine.

Gee, that feels better.

quote:

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Originally posted by Summer:
Pookie's post reminds me of these two women ahead of me at a Shoppers Drug Mart a few months ago. They were trying to return something but the associate couldn't do it because the woman didn't have her optimum card (loyalty points card) and they need to remove the points when they do a return. These women yelled and berated the poor associate until a manager finally came to intervene. I'm about 95% sure that one of the women is a law professor at Ottawa U and one of the progressive feminist profs to boot. So no, there's no rule against a progressive person expecting, heck even demanding, good service, but it certainly is a shocker to see that person verbally attacking a very young employee who, like Michelle says about the Body Shop, is probably just doing her job.

---

Ok, so now I'm running through all the fem UO profs in my head...

Seriously, Summer, I have no idea what in my post reminded you of that incident? I certainly did not advocate berating anyone. In fact, I've found that being firm and not giving in often works fine.

quote:

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And maybe we could explore what progressive people SHOULD expect from service employees.

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The most progressive places I know of do not allow tipping for employees - Scandinavia, Australia and N.Z.

The employer should pay a fair wage (Australia has a far higher min. wage than Canada and Australia/N.Z. have paid vacation standards that match and exceed Europe's) and not expect customers who often make much less than the owner to make up the difference in low pay he/she is giving to service employees (often so they can drive a super expensive car and live large themselves).

quote:

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Originally posted by huberman:
If you only thrive by exploiting employees and wanting customers to pay their living wage in tips, you shouldn't be in business.

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Why does someone who serves me 1 beer in a bottle, in a restaurant warrant a tip, while someone who does much more work in preparing a submarine sandwich for example not warrant a tip? It is discrimination and bias, and unfair. Ban all tips and pay a respectable wage (and benefits) like more progressive/sensible societies already do.

Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia have this one right - like so many other things - while our entire labour structure is wrong/outdated/regressive in North America, especially this idea that service workers can be paid min. wage, and have their own sub-standard min. wage.

quote:

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Originally posted by huberman:
Sven, in the name of consistency shouldn't you then be demanding that other industries also adopt the exploitation wage/below standard min. wage model of restaurants in order to 'reduce price'?

Why does someone who serves me 1 beer in a bottle, in a restaurant warrant a tip, while someone who does much more work in preparing a submarine sandwich for example not warrant a tip? It is discrimination and bias, and unfair. Ban all tips and pay a respectable wage (and benefits) like more progressive/sensible societies already do.

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I wouldn’t object to getting rid of tipping. My post above was directed to your concern about patrons having to pay tips out of their “living wage” to those who serve them in restaurants, coffee shops and bars. My point was simply that the patrons are still going to be paying the same amount for their meals, either in the form of menu prices plus tips or simply higher menu prices. Either way, it will come out of the patrons’ “living wages”.

ETA:

quote:

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Originally posted by huberman:
If you only thrive by exploiting employees and wanting customers to pay their living wage in tips, you shouldn't be in business.

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I now see that I probably misinterpreted your use of the pronoun "their". I was thinking that "their" was referring to the customers, not the employees.

The ambiguity in your sentence would have been eliminated by saying: "If you only thrive by exploiting employees and wanting customers to pay the employees' living wages in tips, you shouldn't be in business."

[ 30 May 2007: Message edited by: Sven ]

Do those opposing tips also oppose commissions?

Our company sells to other businesses (we are not in retail and do not sell to consumers). We have several thousand field sales people and they are paid a base salary plus commission. A majority of those people earn over $70,000 per year and a significant number earn over $100,000 per year. Having a commission structure that rewards making sales is vital to sales growth.

Interestingly, our sales people in Germany, for example, are unionized and are all paid the same rate (even their bonuses are not based on individual performance but are, rather, negotiated with the union). Sales growth is very difficult to achieve there.

ETA: In Asia-Pacific, are sales people are also compensated, in part, based on commissions.

[/THREAD DRIFT]

[ 30 May 2007: Message edited by: Sven ]

Last weekend, I was in Michigan with one of my nephews and a friend of mine during our annual motorcycle trip to the Indy 500. We stayed at a lovely place on the coast of Lake Michigan. Our service was stellar. And, we left a 40% tip for our server. Looking forward to a return visit there next year.

[ 30 May 2007: Message edited by: Sven ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Sven:
Do those opposing tips also oppose commissions?

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I'm not necessarily opposed to commissions, especially if there is a decent base pay structure involved.

The problem is an excessive and growing amount of sales people and sales culture (telemarketing, businesses turning service people increasingly into sales people). I personally think there should be no real estate sales people. In Europe, homes are built to last centuries and generally stay within a family for generations. Here we build cheap, far more temporary homes and see people constantly moving. When moving or selling a home I think all that is needed is to have the lawyers involved in the paperwork aspect of the transaction without the middleman/real estate agent taking an exorbitant cut. Same goes for car sales - these people are not needed. The new 'Smart car' is not sold with pushy, slick salespeople, but more of a traditional retail experience in which a service rep. provides information and is not paid commission. A far more enjoyable experience for the consumer, without all the doubts surrounding the honesty of the salesperson earning commission, or aggressive tactics.

I think that Circuit City (do you have those in Canada?) are strictly non-commission. I was in one a few weeks ago to get a TV and the guy who worked with me was really helpful and not pushy at all.

Real estate sales people? Well, a person has to do a lot of research to determine whether the price is right (both from a seller's and a buyer's perspective). But, if you can do the research, the only thing I would use is an attorney to help me with the paperwork ($750 is a lot cheaper than several thousand for real estate sales fees) and someone who knows a lot about buildings who can do a thorough assessment of the property, particularly if it's an older home.

quote:

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Originally posted by Summer:
Pookie's post reminds me of these two women ahead of me at a Shoppers Drug Mart a few months ago. They were trying to return something but the associate couldn't do it because the woman didn't have her optimum card (loyalty points card) and they need to remove the points when they do a return. These women yelled and berated the poor associate until a manager finally came to intervene. I'm about 95% sure that one of the women is a law professor at Ottawa U and one of the progressive feminist profs to boot. So no, there's no rule against a progressive person expecting, heck even demanding, good service, but it certainly is a shocker to see that person verbally attacking a very young employee who, like Michelle says about the Body Shop, is probably just doing her job.

---

You interpret that event as a sign that progressives can expect good service.

quote:

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Originally posted by angrymonkey:
I want a country where either everyone has to put in one year of service industry work or there is no service industry. DIY

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I expect staff to be sufficiently trained to provide a reasonable degree of efficiency and assurance. I also expect them to have some knowledge about the pros and cons of what it is they are selling.

Service should also be prompt, except obviously during rush periods, and I have an extra sense of patience with anyone who's new and learning.

I certainly also enjoyed the Starbucks piece, having interviewed people who work there, and especially since the sad defeat of the workers who joined the CAW and tried for 10 years to organize and win recognition.

But the fact is, in terms of the article, the consumers, who are mostly working people as well, are not the enemy. Working people not only create the wealth of the economy and society, like the Starbucks baristas, which sadly also enriches the various corporate elites, but we also create the consumer markets that stimulate economic activity that makes it possible for these types of places to exist, including Starbucks.

Obviously, as activists, we need to drive it home as much as possible that workers are consumers and consumers are mostly workers. We do the work, create the wealth, create markets and trade to re-circulate that wealth, pay the taxes and account for most of the innovation, inventions and creativity in society, as well as being the vast majority of people who make up society.

The injustice is that we don't democratically control the wealth and the processes and policies that govern it, and that's the source of most of the world's current problems.

We should respect one another as working people and as human beings and promote solidarity and cooperation among workers and consumers.

quote:

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Originally posted by Sven:
[QB]Are there any babblers who are now working in bars or restaurants that would be opposed eliminating tipping?[QB]

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I wouldn't eliminate tipping: presumably, if a customer wants to give somebody money, then the customer has a right to do so. But I would prefer a restaurant-service culture with higher menu prices and higher basic staff wages, with no general expectation of tipping.

quote:

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Originally posted by Martha (but not Stewart):
One compromise practised by some restaurants is this: they automatically add a 15% (or 20%) tip to the bill, and the split the tips evenly among the service/cooking/etc. staff.

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quote:

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And maybe we could explore what progressive people SHOULD expect from service employees.

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In Alaska all citizens receive a dividend cheque for oil royalties. In Norway there is a similar fund. Canada has more resources than both these places, put together.

It is tragic that young Canadians feel they have to work in restaurants and the service sector to pay for tuition (and think tips will be a large part of their income), when tuition in Europe (and Australia - at least at the graduate level) is free. Why do we accept this and then think of all kinds of other indirect, ineffective ways to help people such as tipping service staff?

http://www.apfc.org/

Red Lobster is one of the places that has mandatory tipping for parties of 8 or more and I think it's a great idea. The effort involved in serving large groups is incredible.

quote:

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Originally posted by Sven:

Most young people already put in at least a year of service industry work.

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Agreed.
That's what I get for being flippant in a serious topic.

quote:

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I usually don't demand very much--given what I know about the service industry and my sense of solidarity and compassion for all those working in it--but what little standards I expect, I insist upon.
I expect staff to be sufficiently trained to provide a reasonable degree of efficiency and assurance. I also expect them to have some knowledge about the pros and cons of what it is they are selling.

Service should also be prompt, except obviously during rush periods, and I have an extra sense of patience with anyone who's new and learning.

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quote:

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Originally posted by huberman:
Forced tipping?

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You can think of it as "forced tipping" or you can just think of it as "higher prices". Of course, the tipping wouldn't be "forced": you could always eat at home.

Given the choice between (a) and (b) below, I would be indifferent:

(a) a restaurant culture with a 15% gratuity added to each bill;

(b) a restaurant culture where food costs 15% more, in which no tipping is expected.

As long as the menu clearly states that a 15% gratuity is added to each bill, I know exaclty what I'm in for.

[ 31 May 2007: Message edited by: Martha (but not Stewart) ]

Belive it or don't.

quote:

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Originally posted by 500_Apples:

You interpret that event as a sign that progressives can expect good service.

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I do? What did I say to give you that idea?

quote:

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Originally posted by 500_Apples:

I interpret that event as that woman being a hypocrite. ... She was still harrassing that employee.

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That's what I think and that's why I said this: These women yelled and berated the poor associate until a manager finally came to intervene. ...So no, there's no rule against a progressive person expecting, heck even demanding, good service, but it certainly is a shocker to see that person verbally attacking a very young employee.

quote:

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Originally posted by pookie:

Seriously, Summer, I have no idea what in my post reminded you of that incident? I certainly did not advocate berating anyone. In fact, I've found that being firm and not giving in often works fine.

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It was this:

quote:

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Originally posted by pookie:
I don't think there's anything contradictory about being progressive and being bugged by rude or sullen service, or rating a place poorly because of it.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Michelle:
Tommy, I've always heard that when paying by credit card or debit, you should tip in cash, because otherwise management will keep some or most of the tip. Don't know if it's true, but I've always tried to do it that way since.

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Well if that's the case, then the following option is more appealing than ever:

quote:

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(b) a restaurant culture where food costs 15% more, in which no tipping is expected

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As long as that would translate as better wages for employees.

[ 31 May 2007: Message edited by: laine lowe ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Sven:

Most young people already put in at least a year of service industry work.

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Agreed.
That's what I get for being flippant in a serious topic.

quote:

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I usually don't demand very much--given what I know about the service industry and my sense of solidarity and compassion for all those working in it--but what little standards I expect, I insist upon.
I expect staff to be sufficiently trained to provide a reasonable degree of efficiency and assurance. I also expect them to have some knowledge about the pros and cons of what it is they are selling.

Service should also be prompt, except obviously during rush periods, and I have an extra sense of patience with anyone who's new and learning.

---

Since most servers are mostly woman I personally think tipping is a way to hold them down. Every time they work they need to proove themselves. Its a structure imposed on them by men.

What do I expect from people in the service idustry.. Professional service..

That being:
- smile
- hide the fact that you are having a shitty day.
-If a costumer is sitting at the bar and you have nothing to do go over and keep them company.
-know how to stear a conversation into safe waters.
- don't make the costumer feel like shit.
- don't make them wait forever.
-Understand your job. If its in abar expect to see the same people all the time and make them feel at home becaue its probably their second home anyways...
-Remember taht the costumer pays your wage.
No smile , no service and they will not return and you will get nothing.

Its simple really... Do your job and quit your whining....

[ 01 June 2007: Message edited by: trippie ]

-Read a paper or watch the news a few times a week so you have something to talk about.

I worked at a bar... The woman I worked that put up with the regulars(who were drunking asshole for the most part) for years. Why, because she was professional about it and understood that they needed someone to talk to and keep them company and keep the beers coming...

One day one of the biggest assholes became termanly ill and asked her to help him and look after his daily business.

When he died he left her his house, car and a nice chunck of change...

[ 02 June 2007: Message edited by: trippie ]

I wasn't a very successful waiter. I don't have the best short-term memory but mostly it was a badly-run restaurant and I had to put up with the mistakes. I ended up getting fired when two women complained to the manager when it took me 5 minutes to bring them decaf coffee.

I don't think I've ever complained to the manager about poor service. What I expect from service sector workers, basically, is to do at least as well as I would have. I did a couple mistakes but I certainly tried to be polite, to be friendly, and smile. It's not grovelling, it's respect. What I don't like is when I order a pizza, it comes in 45 minutes later and cold (that means the waiter left it at the counter for 30 minutes). I usually tip around 20%, I might tip as low as 5-10% if the service is eally bad.

Service really varies depending on where you go. In BC for example, it was excellent service. You didn't need to ask them to refill your water. Service is totally amazing in the USA. One time at a little caeser's a waitress accidentally gave our 5 breadsticks to the next table. We didn't really care. She told us we would now get 10 breadsticks, for free. In Montreal, where service is the worst I've seen, we might have been charged for the 5 breadsticks. It's a big psychological shock to come back to Montreal restaurants after having seen more polite pastures.

Oh, and to any 16 or 17 or 18 year olds reading this thinking of a service job, work in a place with a youthful clientelle. Younger clientelle know what it's like and won't snap at you if your salad lacks visual symmetry or if you took extra time to pepare fresh coffee. Most complaints, in my experience, came from older people.

[ 02 June 2007: Message edited by: 500_Apples ]

[ 02 June 2007: Message edited by: 500_Apples ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Michelle:
Tommy, I've always heard that when paying by credit card or debit, you should tip in cash, because otherwise management will keep some or most of the tip. Don't know if it's true, but I've always tried to do it that way since.

---

About two years ago, she hired an employee who was the sourest person I can remember being served by. She never smiled and she looked at me like she I was interrupting her day. After having been a customer of Carrie’s (the owner) for many years, I stopped buying the popcorn when the staff member was there (it was just unpleasant).

I asked several co-workers of mine about what they thought of the staff member (“unpleasant”, a “bitch”, etc.). I finally told Carrie that I had stopped buying popcorn when the staff member was there. She said, “You know, you aren’t the first person to complain. I’m hearing a lot of that from my regulars.” She also told me that her sales had dropped significantly during the many months that staff member was there.

quote:

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Originally posted by trippie:

-If a costumer is sitting at the bar and you have nothing to do go over and keep them company.

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This just happened to me. I didn't want to go home to my empty house again and I was pretty down. I went to one of my regular bars and it was dead. The girl who was working hung out with me whenever she wasn't working.

quote:

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A person doesn't need to be chatty or gregarious (many people simply aren't).

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That was always my favourite while in customer service. Customer's that actually thought it was their business if I was smiling. For anyone here who has met me in person, you'll know that I'm awkwardly quiet at times, and incredibly introverted sometimes.

This said, I'm a happy person, but might not always show it with a huge brimming smile! On a regular basis, even on my happiest days, when I just loved life haha, I'd have customers come up and say "what's wrong?" "is everything okay," and it drove me mad. If I actually smiled the whole five minutes it takes to process a five minute return, I'm of the opinion it would be both fake, and creepy!

quote:

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I interpret that event as that woman being a hypocrite. Personally, I care a lot about character and interpersonal respect. So maybe she has a commanding mastery of ideological doctrine. Good for her. She was still harrassing that employee.

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It seems to me that such people have a false sense of entitlement, where just because they've spent their hard-earned $50.00 at a store, that the store owes them the world, and maybe that's true, but it doesn't mean it gives ANYBODY the right to berate a customer service clerk who is doing their job. I've been called every name in the book, by people who would show up without a reciept, with a used product, that they had bought a year ago, and still have the absolute ignorance to call me a "stupid bitch," or any other choice word! It makes my blood boil to see how some customers treat staff, and the sad part is they usually get what they want, if they yell loud enough.

The only other thing that I think is important to add, is that there is a horrible culture of complaining when you feel that someone in the service industry gave you horrible service, but it rarely works the other way around.

quote:

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Originally posted by 500_Apples:
You interpret that event as a sign that progressives can expect good service.

I interpret that event as that woman being a hypocrite. Personally, I care a lot about character and interpersonal respect. So maybe she has a commanding mastery of ideological doctrine. Good for her. She was still harrassing that employee.

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quote:

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Originally posted by jrose:
Emailing a store manager, or going up to them and letting them know someone was helpful goes a long way. I know in the store that I worked at those kind emails (along with the bad ones, to help us improve!) would end up on the wall in the lunch room…but they were incredibly rare compared to the negative ones.

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quote:

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Originally posted by jrose:
Emailing a store manager, or going up to them and letting them know someone was helpful goes a long way. I know in the store that I worked at those kind emails (along with the bad ones, to help us improve!) would end up on the wall in the lunch room…but they were incredibly rare compared to the negative ones.

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