NFRC Sorry, must rant again

D

dawnnys

Well-known member
People who have jobs and who work with the public in this economy should be extra nice, not extra nasty...

Friday seems to be free-sample day at the local Walmart and I had to stop by to get a few things for the weekend. On the way to the meat department, there was a display of Pringle-type potato chips (maybe they were Pringles, I didn't stay long enough to find out) - several on a napkin, some an orangish color, the other plain.

"Oh! These look good, could I just have one though?" Demonstrator reaches in to the tube of the regular-colored ones, and I say "these (pointing to the orangish ones) are different from these (pointing to the other ones), right?" She answers me "OBviously..."

I looked her in the eye and said "You don't have to be snippy about it, nevermind" and walked away. I probably should've told the manager but I just didn't wanna get into it (as I thought to myself that maybe it was a stupid question to ask and what I should've said was "could I have one of these instead please").

Do I just happen to be running into these people lately, or do you notice workers who work in the public have quite the attitude?

Arrgh - there, now I feel better.

 
Dawn, there are no stupid questions, and you were perfectly justified. She was way out of line. Next

time, definitely let the manager know, even though sometimes they can be indifferent, but in this economy, with so many people needing jobs, this type of nasty employee is extremely expendable, so you'd probably get some action from the manager. But instead of going over to the manager, and speaking to him/her privately, I would say to the rudenik, "How about I call the manager over?" or something like that. Just the threat of bringing over the manager would intimidate the hell out of her.

 
Didn't mean that to sound snippy, myself!! I mean, what procedures do they have to do more

than they used to have to do? Like precautions for food safety, allergies, etc.? :eek:)

 
See inside

First, they don't care what age you are. The person I know is 90 years old, a young 90. That said...everything you do with the company you have to do on the computer!

Once she leaves her store, within 20 minutes she has to be on the computer punching in all the informaion and answering all the questions....used to, she had to do that on the phone, punching all the numbers, for a good long while.

They don't care what age you are, any disabiity - just conform.

They send you big boxes of materials, maybe....if you don't get them you have to call the store mgr. and work it out with him. It could be you're scheduled to work that day but he may cancel the whole deal. Sometimes you go to the store with the intention of working and he changes everything then; you've made the trip for nothing. When you're in the store, he doesn't often care if you're situated close to where the product is sold. He may stick you near the cold freezers, or within view of the office. If the store is nice, they might help you unload everything out of your and re-load, or they might not.

The company that sent you to the store is specific about what you display, they tell you how many bottles or containers of this or that. They have to control what you pick up to try. That's why maybe you want to try this but the demonstrators, have to have you try something else; it's a numbers game.

So you see, now you have a big box of stuff, you may not have a job for that day or weekend, now you have to start storing all this stuff.

If you get the big box, you have to sort it out; napkins, cup, plastic utensils, maybe the product you have to display. Sometimes the grocer has the product, sometimes he doesn't.

Until very recently you had to contact a group manager to try to sway him to give you work at a certain store(s) closer to your home, if you wish. If he likes someone more than you he has the option to give more work to someone else.

You have to provide your own cook top, your microwave, electric skillets, table, covering, pitcher(s) etc.

As I said, until recently everything has been done by phone, more and more now on computers. Starting very soon, there will be no more group leaders; you have to go on the computer, find where a job is and then submit a request for it; you have no idea how many peope are requesting that same work and you have no idea if you're going to have work or not.

If you need the $, all this is important.

Then we come to year end. The IRS treats you as having your own business...even though this company sends you a check...So big taxes comes off and in the end you haven't made a lot of $ working. The hours they show working may not match the hours you've kept track of.

Also in the past you joined a company be cause they had a good reputation...Well, company has bought out company, has bought out company and it's about down to 1 of very few companies now. Somtimes you wait longer for your check than other times, it could be 5 or 6 wks. or never.

To top it off, all the extra work you do, on the phone, on the computer, maybe shopping for a little cooktop or electric stove, etc., all this adds up to extra hours you work that you don't get paid for....you only get paid for the time you hand out coupons or cook or pour or whatever. And you might be critiqued by a secret shopper.

 
I could see how that would be frustrating!

But this was a Wal-mart employee - I see her there on the checkout once in a while. :eek:) Thanks for enlightening us though, Marsha!

Wow, at 90 y/o, she must be in good shape to be on her feet like that.

 
I had no idea that food demonstrators went through all of that.

That is totally abusive. Why should they provide their own cooking vessels, etc. Most of those people are elderly ladies...how do they get all that into the store? I thought all they had to do was show up and that the store had everything set up for them. After all, the store benefits, and the demonstrator works a shift.

 
I'm glad I had the opportunity to share this. The 90 year old is my husband's cousin

once removed (earlier generation). She is a delightful person and even young people like her. Most time she can get help bringing tables, etc. in from her car or back out to her car. They often set up her table too. But to think a woman her age having to within 20 mins of being home have to call and punch in all these numbers for good long time or now, being on the computer doing the same thing.

A lot of people younger than her don't even have a computer. Fortunately for her we've helped her have one and taught her a lot. She's a smart lady. The drs. say the only reason she's as well as she is, is she doesn't take prescription medicine. She does have COPD though, so her breathing suffers in the humidity.

Most people tell her it's ridiculous that she works for the pittance when the govt takes so much for taxes because she's an 'independent business owner'. Our tax laws are outrageous toward the elderly and all of us, and getting worse.

 
Ummm...I see it a bit different than you as a "food server" at

Publix Apron's Simple Meals. Last week when a lady decided that the proportion I had given her to sample was not big enough I explained that it was just a taste and we were there to encourage her to cook easy and great tasty meals at home. When she still felt I was a horrible, stingy person that wouldn't feed her dinner I told her to go up to the Customer Service Manager and tell them. I had no problems doing that as I'm constantly told what proportions to give out. We seriously need to look at service people (privately...Cashiers) in a different way. It's HARD WORK!!!!

 
I see your point, but you were dealing with a rude customer - Obviously it works both ways -

there's no excuse for rudeness on either end.

 
I had a different experience at our local Cosco. They were sampling a few of their

salsa's, etc. I normally am not there at lunch time, so I don't see this. I was happy, because, I sometimes shy away from purchasing there, because the quantities are so large, and while it is a good value, it is expensive if you go home and learn that you really don't enjoy / appreciate the taste. ANYWAY, I was sampling a dip, and made a point to say..."Thank you very much!" The woman, literally stopped what she was doing, made eye contact and said how nice to hear, you are more than welcome. Please let me know if you would have any questions on our product. Apparently, as I saw first hand, many consumers completely ignore the server and rudely take more than one sample, etc.... I am sure it is a difficult job.

 
I had just the opposite experience at Winn-Dixie yesterday, lady was close to the front of the

store giving samples of Digiorno Flatbread Melts and I glanced her way, but dh was already in the checkout line so I followed him. The lady brought her tray over to me while I was in the checkout line and said she'd noticed I was looking at the samples and wondered if I'd like to try it. Quite nice of her, I thought. And just for the record, it tasted pretty good! It had some sort of tomato/cheese/meat sauce in it. Would make a great snack or lunch.

 
What gets to me are checkers who visit with their friends -- friend being

anyone who speaks their language--while there is a line waiting to be checked out.

 
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