The reading demographic of Jezebel must have really changed.
When posting a list of retail worker gripes gets comments like:
- If you hate customer service so much, DON’T DO IT.
- Do us all a favor, and don’t work retail if you have a shitty attitude.
- I guess some people just aren’t cut out for the grueling rigor of bookstore work.
- It annoys me when people choose to work in a customer service field and then bitch about having to actually serve their customers.
- If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s people working retail who have this smug attitude toward their customers.
- this is the world’s tiniest violin…
I know that these are not my people.
I don’t trust anyone who has never worked at least one shitty job*.
*I’m pretty sure anyone who has ever worked a shitty job wouldn’t say any of the above.
Jesus H.
Wow, yeah, just…no.
HOLD ME BACK.
SOMEONE…
HOLD!
ME!
BACK!
I worked at a used bookstore for 8 1/2 years. That list is tame compared to what we would have written. (Of course, we did make it onto New York Press’s list of most loathsome New Yorkers one year… Management was pissed but we were all pretty proud!) Everyone should be required to work at least one year in retail and one year in food service so they can learn some goddamned empathy.
I’ve worked at the grocery store for 4 and a half years now. And, to be honest, I see what these people are saying. We choose to work with the public, and that includes all the crazy things they say and do. I’m not saying that I don’t get annoyed, or argue with people sometimes. And I sure as shit don’t always have a smile on my face, but I do try to start my days in a good mood. I have coworkers that should not work with the public. There are some people that just choose to be grumpy all the time. There are certain attributes that I think you need to work in customer service, and one is to let things roll off your back. I work with people that are bitchy from the minute they get to work everyday. On Thursday a mans ice cream fell off the belt and he picked it up and slammed it down on the belt again. The cashiers hand happened to be where he slammed it down. She freaked out and acted like he did it on purpose. He didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t know why he slammed it onto the belt, but he wasn’t intending to get her hand. He couldn’t have planned it out that way, because her hand was constantly moving in order to scan the items. She proceeded to treat him poorly because of an accident. I believe that this coworker and FRIEND of mine should not work in customer service. She’s honestly a bitch, but I try to stay on her good side, for obvious reasons. I understand that a lot of people say things like “You shouldn’t work in retail if you can’t handle it” and a lot of those people have never worked in retail themselves, but it’s true…
(Source: nortonn)
