The Economy & Transition.

[Michelle.]

Ah, the "Customer is Always Right."

A few years back pushy types would raise this issue. I would than point out that, "JC Penney was noted for saying that. The last I checked the company was in bankruptcy proceedings."

[Jaimey]

even over the phone its just marginally less crappy.

I don't know...I think I like in person customer service better.  I was on phones this time last year for flexible spending accounts...I got some of the most hateful phone calls.  The best was a guy who told me he was going to call his congressman about the mistake that was made on his claim (it was a really simple mistake to fix, by the way).  It was all I could do not to say, "sir, you do know this program is voluntary, don't you?"  The weirdest part was that he didn't want to speak to a supervisor...weird.

  You know, I complain about customer service, but then again, I don't hate it.  The good customers can make it worthwhile.  I had a customer give me $20 for helping him find books during Christmas.  We weren't supposed to take tips, but he insisted and frankly, I'd have to work for three hours to earn the same amount, so I took it.  I was also given $10 for wrapping a gift once.  I probably got 4 or 5 tips in two years working there.  I'm starting to think that tips should be encouraged...but then they'd just want to lower the hourly wages...

[Rhye]

Retail anywhere you're going to have to deal with sucky customers. I work at a pet shop and I didn't think that could be anywhere near as bad as ->-bleeped-<- like fast food, but some people are. There are the people who will come in to get advise about why their 12" bala shark is dying in an aquarium that it can literally not turn around in, and then they'll yell at you for telling them it's the tank size. There are the people who will insist on buying 5 geckos to put into a plastic box with no heat or humidity control and then come back to bitch that their animals died. There are people who will buy 2 aggressive hamsters against advising and complain that we won't treat them for free when they bring back the weakling with its face ripped off.

Don't get me wrong, there are good customers, but the bad ones are everywhere, it doesn't matter if you work in a pharmacy, a bookstore or a pet shop. It really makes me appreciate the ones that go out of their way to be human. And I have more respect for the people that wait on me now that I've been on their side of things.

And I do agree with Jaimey about customer service being easier in person than on the phone. People are so impatient on the phone, and they seem to think they're always talking to someone in charge who can get them what they want. It's hard to explain that it doesn't work that way.

[MasterAsh]

If not for my 5-6 years with Wal-Mart, I wouldn't appreciate my factory job so much. Though I'm thinking now it could get in the way of my well-being. . .(I live in southern Texas.)

The economic crunch effects me little for now, thanks to being young (28 on the 19th ), living alone, having no children, having no ex-spouse, not moving out of the care of family until knowing with all certainty I would never need to move back. . .and being early into all of this. I did some quick "napkin math" on electrolysis for my face given references and my speculative income in the future. Suffice it to say, my previous plans of getting a "real" house (I currently live in a mobile home) after paying off this one are waylaid.

[tekla]

I waited on some of the snarkiest, most pretentious and helpless people you'd ever meet in a bookstore.

HEY!  I hang out in bookstores and I'm NOT any of those things.  Oh, wait, yes I am.

But the publishing industry is following the recording industry if not down the drain, at least into a very different mode of doing business.  In the last two years SF lost it's two Tower Record stores, and its Virgin Megastore, and both SF as well as Berkeley (where the snarkiest, most pretentious and helpless people you'd ever meet all seem to want to go to college) have lost long time, and much beloved bookstores.

As for the hair, it's your decision.  Business have some sort of public image to uphold, and I tend to support them in their right to do business as they see fit.  You can have odd hair color, the Black&Decker facial accessories, tats everywhere and still be in our union, and you can do rock shows and movies, but your not going to get a call to work conventions or the big downtown hotels, as our agreement with them stipulates a basic dress code.  People know that, and make their choices accordingly.

[Rachel]

If not for my 5-6 years with Wal-Mart, I wouldn't appreciate my factory job so much. Though I'm thinking now it could get in the way of my well-being. . .(I live in southern Texas.)

I could never do factory work, too much risk to everything I hold important to me.  I'm a musician and my hands are everything to me, if i ever got them hurt I would not be able to play my violin.....which not only would kill me inside, but would ruin my career choice after college.