Does anyone else here work with idiots??

Sorry... sources.. how could I forget..

QFT
 
mishi8 said:
Harlock, I think you just cured me of thinking about taking a casual retail job in the near future. I've worked retail before, too, and remember the woes with customers. I worked cash in my first job (for about 4 years)...it can be tough being the last employee a customer deals with, 'cause it's their last opportunity to whine and complain before leaving the store. Ugh!

I have to say, though, customer service really seems to be going down hill too. As a customer, it's a big difference to deal with someone who approaches their job with interest and effort and someone who seems to be there against their will. Why would someone with poor communication skills and zero interest in helping a customer be assigned to the customer service desk?
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Yeah, I know what you mean. When I was doing the retail thing, I was genuinely concerned about helping the customers. I took pride in a really lame job, which is sad in some ways I suppose, but then again, I always feel anything worth doing is worth doing right. Some friends and I were discussing something similar to this the other day.

It used to be, working in retail could be a career. Now, granted, it didn't pay as well as having a degree and working in your field, or even as well a a teacher, but now-a-days, it isn't viable. I know many of us are old enough to remember store associates who wore suits and dresses. They would wait on you not just in one department, but throughout the store. They were paid a decent salary, had benefits, and could make a living simply working retail. Now, it's different. It's unskilled labor. It's high school and college kids willing to work for a few months to a few years, but never think twice about it being a career unless they could work up into management. So, the stores all pay minimum wage. They make sure no one gets full time hours so no one qualifies for benefits (and yes, they do this all the time; I've a friend in retail right now that says the employees get written up for going over 30 hours!)

So, you now have people that view retail as a part time job to bring in a little extra income and as a simple means to an end to pay for things. People get paid minimum wage and put in minimum effort. They are not at the job long enough to really get a sense of loyalty or pride for the company whose name appears in small letters on their name tag. And all of this is done why? To cut costs and increase profitability. To make shareholders happy. And, that's the bottom line. It's not about loyal customers anymore, it's about loyal stockholders because that is where the real money comes from. not from you or me buying products, but from folks picking up a few shares of Walmart.

There are still some retail stores that are privately owned. These are he most likely to have the older employees behind the counters. These are the one smost likely to offer benefits, heck, some even have retirement plans. Unfortunately, most of these types of stores are a dying breed. Hey, you remember the times when there was a cashier and bagger for each checkout line in the grocery store? Now one minimum wage cashier does both, if you're lucky. So, yeah, people have a lot less pride in retail. Just part of the brutal Walmart-ization of our society ni general I guess. Meh, screw it. I buy most everything from the internet now because I can get it cheaper and not have to deal with lines, whiney people complaining about the long lines or stores so understaffed to protect their bottom line that they don't install enough machines and people to alleviate the long lines.
 
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Harlock said:
Yeah, I know what you mean. When I was doing the retail thing, I was genuinely concerned about helping the customers. I took pride in a really lame job, which is sad in some ways I suppose, but then again, I always feel anything worth doing is worth doing right. Some friends and I were discussing something similar to this the other day...(snipped paragraphs about Walmartization of retail impacting the quality of jobs and customer service)
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It's really unfortunate that that is becoming the reality. A lot of retail positions are well-suited to teenagers and college students. I believe that any job that one has should be done with pride and effort, and even though working retail can be draining, if you do the job well, then you'll get valuable experience from it....and with the right company, perhaps rewarded for the effort. Otherwise, maybe it's time to move on to a different job.

However, around here, it is possible to find some good retail positions for a good deal more than minimum wage. Everyone is hiring, no one can keep people for very long (I believe that a lot of workers are going North to work for top dollar in the oil industry), so they're all competing with wages and benefits right now. I guess that also means that anyone can get a job, whether they're the right fit or not.

In terms of where I spend my dollar, I will often go out of my way to support good service. Although I do get sucked into Walmart to buy basics. :p:
 
Nursie, I think all the idiots work hospital\medical claims jobs. My office is full of people who STILL do not know the difference between HCPCS and ICD-9 codes and rev codes...its pretty funny that those kind of people are still employed, you learn your job, and if you don't know the essentials after X weeks, then you shouldn't keep your job. Every day I get asked questions such from my boss about how to forward a stupid azz email to everyone in the office:

"Memo: Please remember to put all HIPPA information inside your desk" (this coming from a place that doesn't even password protect any information and give out passwords and usernames left and right). I'm pretty sure you are the only one here who understood most of this post, but it's just common sense. One of the younger dudes they just hired knows almost as much as this older woman they hired over a year ago.

and to stick with the title, I work with 10 other people in my little office...of which I consider 7 to be morons, one to be borderline retarded, and two to have some intellegence.

[/rant]
 
mykidsmylife said:
Here is an unbelievable retail story..

I worked as a manager at a large hobby chain. One January, I had a woman come in with this bag and in the bottom were two EXTREMELY rotton pumpkins. She had a register receipt from October and wanted a refund on her pumpkins because they had rotted. :duh:

For the life of me I could not make this idiot woman understand that they were REAL pumpkins and ALL real pumpkins rot!!! LOL She simply could not grasp this concept.

Believe it or not, I went a head and refunded her $5 just to shut her up and get her out of there. :thud:
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LOL.. i really laughed at that one ..
I worked at Safeway in Canada and i was in the Seafod/Meat Depts .. yes i did both depts at the same time .. and i had this one lady come in with her fish and said the fish is bad .. she had come in on a Friday .. well it turned out she bought the fish on a Monday and had it in the fridge the whole time .. well duhhh .. it's fish lady .. it dont last long .. if you want fresh fish for dinner then eat it that day ... not leave it in the fridge .. or atleast freeze it .. and of course i had to give her the money back for it .. i just politley told her to next time freeze it . or dont leave it that long ..

we had alot of winners of a customers come in .. one that would come in and we all would run .. he was a big tall weird looking man that looked like he put his hand in a lightsocket the way his hair was . and wore a bright pink lipstick . and no he didnt wear a dress ..lol.. he wore jeans and a regular coat .. but liked his pink lipstick . and was a real wierd person .. most people i can deal with and even difussed a few irate customers ..
but boy do i miss it ... hopeing to get back into the same work soon .. darn immigration red tapes .. :(

Marn
 
sublime1184 said:
Nursie, I think all the idiots work hospital\medical claims jobs. My office is full of people who STILL do not know the difference between HCPCS and ICD-9 codes and rev codes...its pretty funny that those kind of people are still employed, you learn your job, and if you don't know the essentials after X weeks, then you shouldn't keep your job. Every day I get asked questions such from my boss about how to forward a stupid azz email to everyone in the office:

"Memo: Please remember to put all HIPPA information inside your desk" (this coming from a place that doesn't even password protect any information and give out passwords and usernames left and right). I'm pretty sure you are the only one here who understood most of this post, but it's just common sense. One of the younger dudes they just hired knows almost as much as this older woman they hired over a year ago.

and to stick with the title, I work with 10 other people in my little office...of which I consider 7 to be morons, one to be borderline retarded, and two to have some intellegence.

[/rant]
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LOL..put HIPPA info inside your desk....we just lock the doors :D Gotta have a better policy writer!
 
I am a chef, so usually I dont have to deal with the public. But on occasion I do buffets or banquets.


I was doing a christmas buffet at the hotel and was carving turkey to order. I had a few people ask me if it was duck (this was a 40 pound bird!!) I don't know about you but I have never seen a duck that big. Exept for perhaps donald duck!!

The same christmas buffet. There was a sculpture on display that one of our chefs made of a horse drawn carriage, done in Tallow (wich is refined fat, derived mainly from lard) It was clearly marked as a "fat" sculpture. I had so many people ask me if they could eat some. (i suppose at least they asked) Ok first off the chef spent hours on this thing. Second Its freakin lard. I almost wanted to say yes just to see the reaction.

Our hotel had a seperate convension center on the outside of the building with signs directing you and pointing to the center. It also had freakin huge sign on the outside of it in 5 foot letters. You dont know how many people would ask me where it was when i was passing the front desk to go to work.

Some person almost got a darwin award at our restaurant. She ordered the "THAI PEANUT WRAP" She had to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance because she went into anaphalactic shock. due to being alergic to nuts! what a moron! (BTW she knew she was alergic)

Almost the same situation. A person ordered a hazelnut tart for dessert. She of course started having a reaction but not life threatoning. When the waitress asked why she ordered a hazelnut tort. She said her doctor told her she was allergic to peanuts and figured that other nuts would be ok. Perhaps you shoulda clarified that with your doctor?




I just don't get the stupidity of some people. I could keep going but I'll stop for now
 
Welecome to the chef's gripe corner...

I'm a chef too, and I'll hand you an incident from this week...

Monday: My executive chef is forcibly retired, and I am elevated to his position. The staff of the entire building is informed, including kitchen staff.

Tuesday: A line cook askes for his next week's schedule. I give it to him and he promptly calls the former exec at home to confirm it and ask for a change.

Weds: The same line cook informs me he's been given next friday off by the same unemployed former ex-boss of the kitchen. He informs me because I should know he's not going to be coming in and former guy says it's ok.

Punchline: I had'nt scheduled him for that Friday in the first place...

Is someone snorting oven cleaning products? Is it me or is it him?
 
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