Beldaran
04-27-2003, 05:15 AM
Taken from www.customerssuck.com
"Soldier For Humanity"
By Private Human
To my fellow human beings out there:
Have you ever noticed that anyone working in any sort of customer service job (e.g. fast food, cashier, sales) has more respect for human beings than the people who sit in a cubicle for eight hours a day watching the clock and browsing the Internet while the supervisor is gone? Do you also notice that because these individuals make over $25K a year, they believe themselves superior to the hard-working individuals who slave at their jobs at under $10/hr.? Do they think that superiority is based on which side of the counter you're on?
I am currently an employee in a company that is primarily based in sales. I have experienced both worlds, and have met more people in the past four years than most people have seen in their entire lives. The most memorable ones, however, were my co-workers at the fast-food places and retail stores.
If I could, I'd like to present a simple, yet effective analogy to strengthen my point. Being in the customer service field is like being in a war. Us, the workers, the people at the bottom of the totem pole, are the privates on the front lines fighting for what we are told is right. Above us are the captains and generals, the managers and vice presidents (in lowercase letters out of lack of respect) who stay out of the enemy's way and dictate how we are supposed to think and fight.
Do you see a connection? I'm sure you do; you've probably even realized it already. But the point is that the people who hand down the rules and regulations of how to treat the customer don't even deal with the customer on a daily basis. In all probability, these same people are the ones who will walk into a supermarket, or any type of store for that matter, and insult and berate any employees there who do not live up to their "standards." These are the people who make the customer service field a war zone, a living hell for anyone trying to make a living and keep their sanity at the same time. They are the true hypocrites of our society. A
Society of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Except, of course, if you wear a nametag.
As I stated earlier, I once worked in the office environment. I worked eight hours a day, wore a shirt and tie (no nametag, which I had no problem with), and sat at a computer. All the while watching the clock and browsing the Internet. It felt good to be on the other side of the counter, being told to "Have a nice day!" And treated like a somebody. Anybody would jump at the occasion if the option arose.
However, as the job progressed, I began to feel worse and worse. All around me were people free of the bondage of customer service. People free to receive fat paychecks every two weeks for pretending to work. Also, they were incredibly self-centered, egotistical, rude, obnoxious, and despicable beyond compare.
I’ve seen people talking and laughing around the water cooler, exchanging
Dirty jokes when there were no persons of the opposite sex in earshot
(People in offices dread sexual harassment lawsuits), then an hour later tell a supervisor, or any type of “superior,” that that person told a dirty joke and they were offended by it. These are the people that walk into a store and accuse workers of being rude. The same people that us, the people behind the counter, deal with on a daily basis. I could not stand the environment, and left the job with my soul intact. The office is the most anti-human place I’ve ever experienced, and I could almost weep in pity for those soulless individuals; the drones of the workplace.
I am now a full-time student in college and work in a retail store in a mall, and I couldn't be happier. The people are as I remember them: hard-working, sick of life and everything it refuses to offer them. These are the real humans, the people who experience the hardships of life on a daily basis. I am often asked, "Why would you ever leave a job like that? Are you nuts?" My response, simply put, is: "Nuts, maybe. But human, definitely." Because, how are you supposed to enjoy the finer things in life without experiencing the hardships?
So, the next time you're working at the burger joint or supermarket, and customers are breathing down your neck, almost physically bending you over backwards, and the people above you on the totem pole are screaming down on you to perform better, just try to remain confident in the edge you have over them. We are the true humans, the ones who shine above the rest of the people who whine and complain on a daily basis because it's second nature to them. We're all "Soldiers For Humanity" (in uppercase letters out of respect) in this endless war that nobody dies in. It's my honor to work with individuals who know how to make the time outside of the uniform worth getting back into it. Take it from someone who's seen the higher side of life, only to realize he left it to sit in a damned cubicle (a.k.a. jail cell without bars) while people around him stabbed each other in the back with their imaginary daggers.
I salute all of you, and remember to fight for what's right. If you treat the customer the way they treat you, you sink down to their level.
And last, but certainly not least, I'd like to pay my respects to the bosses and managers, the hypocrites that make life as crappy as it is. So here's my middle finger, pointed high in pride, you assholes!
Sincerely,
Private Human
"Soldier For Humanity"
By Private Human
To my fellow human beings out there:
Have you ever noticed that anyone working in any sort of customer service job (e.g. fast food, cashier, sales) has more respect for human beings than the people who sit in a cubicle for eight hours a day watching the clock and browsing the Internet while the supervisor is gone? Do you also notice that because these individuals make over $25K a year, they believe themselves superior to the hard-working individuals who slave at their jobs at under $10/hr.? Do they think that superiority is based on which side of the counter you're on?
I am currently an employee in a company that is primarily based in sales. I have experienced both worlds, and have met more people in the past four years than most people have seen in their entire lives. The most memorable ones, however, were my co-workers at the fast-food places and retail stores.
If I could, I'd like to present a simple, yet effective analogy to strengthen my point. Being in the customer service field is like being in a war. Us, the workers, the people at the bottom of the totem pole, are the privates on the front lines fighting for what we are told is right. Above us are the captains and generals, the managers and vice presidents (in lowercase letters out of lack of respect) who stay out of the enemy's way and dictate how we are supposed to think and fight.
Do you see a connection? I'm sure you do; you've probably even realized it already. But the point is that the people who hand down the rules and regulations of how to treat the customer don't even deal with the customer on a daily basis. In all probability, these same people are the ones who will walk into a supermarket, or any type of store for that matter, and insult and berate any employees there who do not live up to their "standards." These are the people who make the customer service field a war zone, a living hell for anyone trying to make a living and keep their sanity at the same time. They are the true hypocrites of our society. A
Society of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Except, of course, if you wear a nametag.
As I stated earlier, I once worked in the office environment. I worked eight hours a day, wore a shirt and tie (no nametag, which I had no problem with), and sat at a computer. All the while watching the clock and browsing the Internet. It felt good to be on the other side of the counter, being told to "Have a nice day!" And treated like a somebody. Anybody would jump at the occasion if the option arose.
However, as the job progressed, I began to feel worse and worse. All around me were people free of the bondage of customer service. People free to receive fat paychecks every two weeks for pretending to work. Also, they were incredibly self-centered, egotistical, rude, obnoxious, and despicable beyond compare.
I’ve seen people talking and laughing around the water cooler, exchanging
Dirty jokes when there were no persons of the opposite sex in earshot
(People in offices dread sexual harassment lawsuits), then an hour later tell a supervisor, or any type of “superior,” that that person told a dirty joke and they were offended by it. These are the people that walk into a store and accuse workers of being rude. The same people that us, the people behind the counter, deal with on a daily basis. I could not stand the environment, and left the job with my soul intact. The office is the most anti-human place I’ve ever experienced, and I could almost weep in pity for those soulless individuals; the drones of the workplace.
I am now a full-time student in college and work in a retail store in a mall, and I couldn't be happier. The people are as I remember them: hard-working, sick of life and everything it refuses to offer them. These are the real humans, the people who experience the hardships of life on a daily basis. I am often asked, "Why would you ever leave a job like that? Are you nuts?" My response, simply put, is: "Nuts, maybe. But human, definitely." Because, how are you supposed to enjoy the finer things in life without experiencing the hardships?
So, the next time you're working at the burger joint or supermarket, and customers are breathing down your neck, almost physically bending you over backwards, and the people above you on the totem pole are screaming down on you to perform better, just try to remain confident in the edge you have over them. We are the true humans, the ones who shine above the rest of the people who whine and complain on a daily basis because it's second nature to them. We're all "Soldiers For Humanity" (in uppercase letters out of respect) in this endless war that nobody dies in. It's my honor to work with individuals who know how to make the time outside of the uniform worth getting back into it. Take it from someone who's seen the higher side of life, only to realize he left it to sit in a damned cubicle (a.k.a. jail cell without bars) while people around him stabbed each other in the back with their imaginary daggers.
I salute all of you, and remember to fight for what's right. If you treat the customer the way they treat you, you sink down to their level.
And last, but certainly not least, I'd like to pay my respects to the bosses and managers, the hypocrites that make life as crappy as it is. So here's my middle finger, pointed high in pride, you assholes!
Sincerely,
Private Human