What is going on in our country?
I am going to make a statement, and I don't want to offend anyone.
What I am about to say is NOT a blanket statement, by any means, about the 30 and under crowds of the world. I know there are exceptionally wonderful people that are under 34 years of age... and I know some of them... but...
I THINK MY GENERATION IS THE LAST GREAT GENERATION!.
There... I said it.
No dissrespect to the under 34ish crowd... really...
but...
My generation didn't grow up with CD's, cell phones, Ipods, skates on shoes, talking, puking, pooping dolls, daycare centers in schools, or even remote controls for TV's until we were in High School!
We had to play outside, come in when the lights went on, talk on land lines, have our parents screen our calls to the house, look things up in a dictionary, say please and thank you,
say yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir, no sir, put our hands out for hand shakes.
We were reprimanded if we were disrespectful, expected to do chores for free,
flabbergasted if a girl was a teen mother, and wondered where she went for 7 months and mysteriously reappeared to graduate.
Call me a prude.. call me old fashioned... but I long for those days again!
I was in a store the other day, and my checker was chewing gum, and talking on her cell phone while scanning my stuff. I stared at her the entire time, mouth slightly open, wondering when she was going to finish her convo. When my total came up... I could have just glanced to my right... but I kept right on staring at her.
She gave me a sideways glance to "tell" me my total was on the little screen. I raised my eyebrows in amazement... and didn't budge.
Then she says this... "I have to go Kirsten... I have to tell this lady her total, before I melt from her stare."
OH NO SHE DI...NT!
She put her phone down, fake smiled at me and said... "$126 even...how will you pay MA'AM"
To which I replied...
"I'll pay your manager... can you get the Manager for me please... little girl."
She instantly looks a tiny bit scared and say's "Sure... no prob."
Manager comes over... looks about 19, still has acne, and asks what the problem is like this...
"Becky, are you having a problem with this customer?"
I was incredulous.
I was the one at fault in their eyes.
Wow.
Remember when the customer was always at least given the benefit of the doubt?
Yeah... those days are over!
I said... very low and calmly, with no inflection in my voice...
"I was just wondering about our policy on checkers talking on the cell phones and making snide remarks to customers while scanning customers items. Is this your normal policy? To allow personal calls during work hours... is that what those little cheerleader meetings in the shampoo aisle are all about when I'm in there at 8 a.m.?"
Manager Katie just said... "Noooo".
Ugh... this was getting worse by the minute.
I just said... "Fine... I'll pay and go, but I need the address of your headquarters. I have your name, and yooour name... the date is Feb 6th, and it's 8:45 a.m. The store number is?"
I got my info, and got almost to the end sliding doors when I was stopped by security.
NOW WHAT! LET ME TAKE MY INFUSIUM, RAZORS, IVORY SOAP, DOG FOOD AND
NEW SCALE HOME... PEOPLE!!!
The nice security guard asked me to hang back for a second... for the manager.
I told her I already spoke to a "manager" and she laughed at my Air Quotes.
She said it would all be cleared up in a jiffy.
She used the word jiffy. I knew she was from my era.
I waited.
Another woman came to my side... asked me to step into her office, the security guard would watch my things.
I obliged. I had nothing to hide, and I was damn curious.
When in her office, she closed her door, introduced me to her colleague, and apologized for the inconvenience. They had seen the little Tete' a Tete on their surveillance screen, and wondered why a regular employee, not a Manager was called over to assist.
They had seen the phone call girl, and were watching her. They said they could tell by my staring and reaction to her that I would want a manager.
When one wasn't called over, they got more involved and watched it all unfurl.
Yes... big brother IS watching...
I felt relieved!
Yeah!!!! Someone WAS on my side!
They said they have seen this kind of thing happen a lot... employees making little pacts with each other to "act" as manager for each other, so as not to get into trouble. They shoplift that way too, taking advantage of new employees.
They wanted me to make a statement so they could fire Becky and Katie.
I wouldn't. I told them no, because they need to be taught customer service skills, and if they just fired them, it wouldn't teach them anything.
I used to work retail at Clothestime for 4 years, and was a Manager of it for 3 years.
Customer Service is a learned art for some.
Some people are taught basic manners at home... I quickly came to find out that that isn't the case with many families.
It was their responsibility, since they hired the girls, to train them in the way they wanted them to be. If they don't comply,.. THEN fire them.
I excused myself... they offered me $25 gift certificate, I accepted, and got my goodies and walked up to Becky and Katie, and told them I was a secret shopper and they just failed horribly, and if they get to keep their jobs... they had better learn from this experience.
They just stared at me...no words.
{No, I'm not a secret shopper, oh, how I wish I was!}
***
As I get older, I notice more and more complacency in places of business!
I know I can't blanket statement all people under a certain age... but... SOOOOOOOOO
many parents these days only parent by buying their kids things and not making waves, and making sure the little darlings are HAPPY!
Then we all have to pay the price of the incompetance, and put up with rude, thoughtless,
no sense of culpability type people.
I hate it.
I work so hard, every single day, to teach my kids how to do every little thing that matters.
I want them to be exemplary employees or employers, to do what is right, to say please, thank you, have a great day, etc... to have a work ethic, and to know that you can't get money without work!
It doesn't seem to be a priority anymore in our country.
Have your seen Lynne from Real Housewives of Orange County?
Totally clueless, and so is her oldest daughter.
They PISS ME OFF!
Ugh...
America!!! Use this economic disaster as a blessing to get back to basics... and
PARENT YOUR CHILDREN!
***
Please... no hate mail from the 30 and under crowd... I LOVE AND ADORE YOU, YOU LINE FREE, TIGHT BUTTED, PERKY BOOBED WONDERS!
I'm not talking about YOU! I'm talking bout THEM!
Rant over.
I'm gonna go make Calzone's now.
