PLG,
Please re-read my previous post, then re-read Green Bean’s.
Yes, people express themselves here all the time. You betcha. Then other people react to those expressions. Your personal rant here was directed at “K-Mart shoppers and others that shop”. Well kiddo, I am one of those shoppers. I, like many others reacted to your opinion. You don’t like it? Don’t post here.
And just because this is the pit…Get the fuck over yourself, you little twit!
I don’t mind people responding to my posts, either agreeing with me or not.
However, I do not appreciate it when people judge me solely on one OP.
I am not judging you solely on the OP, I am judging you on everything you have written that I have read.
You come here, post and then when you are questioned or people respond you get deffensive.
Why don’t you take you little kid rants to your older boyfriend, who you don’t have sex with, who you didn’t steal from his not-girlfriend…seems you need something to talk about, especially after you go into your room for privacy and close the doors that do not exist!!!
pepperlandgirl: It’s obvious that you were just venting, being a normally very polite poster. As I am normally a very poilte poster, but in a simply rotten mood after being in Salt Lake City for a week, I’m going to counter-vent in this thread.
You think working in retail is bad? I worked four fucking years as a full-time pizza delivery person while attending Engineering school full time. I’m sorry, but respectfully most people have no concept whatsoever of customer abuse.
Ever been hit by a customer? In the face? Ever been robbed at gunpoint? Had someone slam a door on your arm? Your foot? Your head? Been bit by their dog? Twice? Had their dog pee on you while they laughed in your face? Ever been chased around your car late at night by a customer 1 foot taller and 100 pounds heavier than yourself who said he was going to kill you because you brought Pepsi, and he ordered Diet? And the only reason he (probably) didn’t is because you drew your 9 mm on him? Ever had a naked, 40-year old man dance out to your car at 12:30 in the morning singing “30 minutes or it’s free” and then throwing up on the hood of your car? Witnessed spousal abuse so bad while standing at the door of the house that you have to give medical assistance to the poor woman who ordered the pizza while waiting for the police? Ever had a customer find your phone number and call you at home and say he was going to “make you pay big” because a pizza was late and you weren’t even the one who fucking delivered it?
That job taught me a range of negotiation and confrontation defusing skills that I value daily, though. And how to have Zen-like calm as a customers go completely, well for lack of a better word, “apeshit”.
The sad thing is, all of those things happened to me, and many, many more. I could go on and on about the more trivial things, like counterfeit money, counterfeit coupons, prank deliveries, prostitutes and drug dealers, delivering to gang members, etc. But there’s no point. And because of this I give retail workers at K-Mart and other stores, and especially pizza delivery drivers, more than their share of respect.
But there are worse jobs than what you do.
I know I had spelling and grammar errors in the previous post. I’m not embarrassed to say that just remembering some of the episodes actually made my hands shake while typing.
I know that this is the pit. So excuse my while I sympathize with Anthracite.
WOW! I had no idea you pizza guys had it so bad. I am always nice to the pizza guy, he’s bringing me food after all. I had kinda figured most people were that way. Apparently not. I am so sorry you have had to see and go through all of that. Really.
Jesus, Anthracite, where did you deliver pizza, Afghanistan?
Well, my post was somewhat deceptive, because although I experienced a large number of bad incidents, because I worked full-time for 4 years the actual percentage was relatively small.
I typically worked 5 days a week, and in that time would take about 30 deliveries on each of three week-nights, and typically 50 on each weekend night (11-hour shift). I probably took very little than my 1 week off, even working on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve. But let’s underestimate, and just assume 45 weeks a year:
4years45weeks/year190 deliveries/week = 34,200 deliveries
of which I had probably 5 bad incidents per week (and maybe abother 5 “uncomfortable” incidents). But just looking at the bad:
4years45weeks/year5 bad incidents/week = 900 bad incidents
for a lifetime average of 2.6 percent bad, 5.2 percent bad+uncomfortable.
Good incidents were about the same proportion as bad+uncomfortable (a good incident being where a customer surprised me with kindness or a very good and friendly attitude, NOT whether they tipped or not), so we have:
5.2 percent good.
89.6 percent just fading into the dull-gray of pizza delivery slavery.
5.2 percent bad and uncomfortable.
Sadly, I only remember most of the bad.
Been in SLC for a week huh? When I used to go there for a day it put me in a bad mood. Mainly because of all the road construction. You know, there are only two seasons in Utah? Winter and Road Construction.
I sympathize for you Anthracite, I worked in a pizza parlor as a waitress. I was too young to make deliveries, but I knew others who had experiences like yours. I geniunely worry about all pizza delivery guys exactly for the reasons you named.
Couple things…
First, Doctor Jackson, I am a Federal employee, and I and the vast, vast majority of federal employees are dedicated, competent people who come to work each day, do the job they were hired to do, and do it happily.
There are recourses against abusive customers. Some companies have a mechanism for reporting these customers to management, who will deal with the problem. Asking a co-worker to help will sometimes work, too. Most angry customers are looking for validation of their feelings; agreeing with them can defuse the situation.
If you truly don’t like working with the public, then don’t take a job where you will have to deal with them.
Louis… I hope your biopsy turned out OK.
A recent exchange…
Me: I’d like to buy that lounge chair for my father
KMart associate: I’m sorry, we don’t have any.
M:Ok, do any of the other area stores have them in stock?
K:I don’t know. I suppose you could call.
M: I don’t suppose YOU could call for me?
K: (exasperated tone)I guesss…(sigh)
M: (waits patiently)
K:None of the other stores have any either.
M:Could I buy the display model?
K:No
M:Will you be getting more anytime soon?
K:No, we are discontinuing this line
M:So what is the purpose of this display model? Why can’t I buy it?
K:It’s policy.
M: Leaves store never to return.
Well, the person who helped you Chiefwahoo is a putz. It’s not against store policy to sell the display model of a discontinued line. He lied to you about the policy, or about it being discontinued. Either way, one idiot doesn’t reflect all of Kmart, or its employees.
It is in fact against store policy to sell the display item if the line is NOT discontinued, because other customers need to be aware of the fact that it’s there, and what it looks like. There are exceptions when the line may not be discontinued, but the store isn’t receiving anymore. THe first person with a raincheck will get the display model. So, do not just go into a store expecting the right to take the display, because unless the product is discontinued,or the store is not buying anymore and you have a raincheck, you cannot have it.
Whatever.
Communicating with you is just pointless.
{highjack} Since some people were nice enough to ask about the biopsy, it came back positive for squamos(sp??) cell cancer. This was on my tongue, incidentaly. So I had surgery last Tuesday and hope that all is now well. A cat scan of the throat revealed no incursion there and x-rays of the lungs are all clear. For what it is worth, I smoked for forty plus years before giving it up. My oral surgeon says that what I had was “probably” smoking linked. If you smoke, please stop. Tongue surgery hurts and the liquid diet absolutely sucks.{/highjack)
Thanks for asking.
LouisB, best wishes for a speedy recovery and continued good health!
What?
Pepperlandgirl, I have to agree with Flyhalf, communication with you IS pointless. You don’t listen, you expect people to listen to you and then you will not listen to what anyone has to say. You just proved it yourself right there.
Whatever. You are a waste of an intelligent rant and bitch session. What you have to say is not worth your weight in horseshit.
Thank you Angkins. I was beginning to think that no one else could see it.
I already gave up. :rolleyes:
I had a “difficult interaction” with a cashier at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago. I won’t go into the details, since it would probably bore most (or all) of you, but suffice it to say that I will NEVER EVER shop at our local WalMart again.
I am typically a polite, thoughtful customer. I also worked at K-Mart for two years as a teenager, and I certainly dealt with some world-class butthooks, so I try to be extra patient with cashiers and other folks who deal directly with the public day in and day out.
There are very few retailers here in my part of the country who make customer service their #1 priority. But when I do find one of them, I become a FAITHFUL customer. Even if their prices are higher than other retailers’, I will give them my business every single time, because I am WILLING to pay that extra bit for superior customer service.
Without customers, RETAIL BUSINESSES WOULD NOT EXIST. The customer is the NUMBER ONE REASON a retail business thrives or fails. Therefore, it’s logical to deduce that customer service should be the #1 priority of ALL retailers. But it’s not. Go figure.