Rackin' Frackin'......

At the risk of sounding like an old fuddy duddy - i.e. the kind of person I used to roll my eyes at myself - I need to address a problem that I feel has become rampant among those working in the service industry:

As it turns out, they just really couldn't give a shit!

Yeah, so I'm in one of those "I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" militant moods. But really? If I work hard for the money I earn and elect to spend said hear-earned money at the retail outlets of my choice, shouldn't I be greeted, served and generally treated with care and appreciation?

Isn't it important to forge bonds with customers in the ever-increasingly competitive world of commerce by offering them the one thing that sets your business apart from the other guy - i.e. CUSTOMER FRIKKIN' SERVICE?!?!?!

Now let me preface this by saying that I am in Customer Service. I make my living at making my customer happy and doing everything within my power to make sure they get what they need, when they need it. I pride myself on being the go-to girl for the most gnarly, rotten, temperamental customers we have and I make it my job to turn them around and send them off with a smile. I take pride in what I do, I am damned good at it and I expect to be treated the same way as I treat all of my customers: I let them know they are special to me and that there is nothing I would rather be doing at that moment that serving them.

I am sick of walking into Loblaw's and busting my budget on the pretty red peppers and quality chicken breasts only to end up at the checkout, desperately trying to get the attention of the cashier who can't stop gossiping with the bagboy (or girl) about the latest employee affairs or complaining about how they have worked for three whole hours and not gotten a break yet.
Look at ME! Nod at ME! Say "hi there" to ME! At least acknowledge my presence for the LOVE OF GOD!

I am also sick of paying the price for the service person behind the counter who is in a bad mood. It is NOT my fault that your car wouldn't start this morning. It is NOT my fault you didn't get the raise you wanted. It is NOT my fault that the last three customers you served were bitchy to you. I KNOW it is hard to put on a smile and a brave face when you are really not feeling it. Hell, I'm so co-dependent that I even try to change their moods by being extra nice and smiling at them more and telling THEM to have a nice day.

FUCK!

I wish I was like my friend Kiki. She used to be like me and swallow the crap service; look the other way even when she felt she was being grossly mistreated. She attributes her new attitude to turning 30 and being too old to take shit from anyone anymore, but I have seen her in action and she's my hero.

But I am still dumb enough to look the other way. I feel bad asking to speak to an employee's manager and complain about shoddy service; it's like I would immediately and irrevocable turn into my mother. Or a NARC. Or "The Man".... I am too shy to interrupt the Loblaws cashier and her groupie bagperson and say, "Hi, I know you are having a conversation here, but would you mind paying more attention to your job and to your most important source of revenue: ME?"

After all, in the grand scheme of things, it is me paying their salary, right? So what if it's only minimum wage, does that give them the right to disrespect their job and as a result, me?

There would be no job for her if I didn't come in each week and pick the ripest, most pretty (and overpriced, by the way) peppers, right?

That's it. I'm not 30 yet, but I'm sick of paying to be abused.

I'm starting a revolution.

NO MORE CRAP SERVICE!