Are retail and restaurant workers getting ruder?

[Augie]

25 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I think this is definitely part of it. But I am also talking about common courtesy, or basic manners.

 

I don’t need super Chick Fil A service. But how about a “hey” and a “thanks,” or a “sorry about the wait— was tied up.” 
 

Burn out can’t cause people to just all sense of basic decency and common sense, can it? 

 

The funny thing is, the lack of general, basic charm and decency actually makes things more difficult for the miserable employee. People pick up your vibe and reflect it in some way. If the encounter starts as miserable, you probably get some miserable back. 

 

Prior to Covid I thought I knew what my wife did for a living. Since then I have learned that I had no idea what she was doing at work, or at least HOW she did it. I would listen to her all day long being cheery and upbeat and encouraging. She puts her foot down when necessary, but for the most part people feel better after talking to her. It got to where her recently retired boss would call her often on Friday afternoons for no particular reason, she just wanted to feel better going into the weekend. When my wife comes downstairs for a few minutes I get her “actual mood”. It’s OK, I get it. Part of work is making things around you better. Part of being a spouse is understanding and letting it roll.  

 

Full disclosure here, I think her attitude affects how I read and react on TBD. We don’t have a lot of negativity around the house. If I start complaining she will say “Fine, what are you going to do about it? How do we fix this?” If it can’t be fixed, we find the best way to deal with it, but complaining in the absence of providing solutions can be just annoying. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

17 minutes ago, Just Jack said:

 

Way back in the olden times (early 1990's) I was working store setup at Builders Square (K-Marts version of Home Depot/Lowes) and was getting fully trained in the Paint Department.  When it came time for the stores grand opening, they moved me over to Electrical.  No idea why, I have absolutely no electrical experience. Thankfully shortly after I had a job offer from a place, I had applied to months earlier and took it. 

 

They really SHORTED you!!!

[frostbitmic]

Yeah they probably are getting ruder ... Can't blame them them ... They're dealing with us.

[Sweats]

All i know is that society in general is getting ruder.

 

When people at Costco leave their unattended carts in the middle of the shopping aisles, my wife knows my policy........i ram right through the carts and send them flying all over the aisle, with zero apology and they look at me like i'm the ***hole.

 

I'm a simple man and it puts a smile on my face.......don't take that away from me.

[Westside]

On 2/15/2025 at 8:49 PM, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

So, when I was a teenager and I worked in fast food, I was taught to be polite to customers and drop everything for a customer’s request.
 

Maybe it’s just me, but have times changed? I go to retail and restaurant places now where I get from an employee, “hold on a minute. I’m busy.” Or a hostess at a restaurant stand waiting to roll another 20 napkins before deciding to turn to me to seat me. Or an usher at a symphony concert who is standing there holding programs, but doesn’t give me one or even acknowledge me.
 

These are just a few examples. But this sort of stuff happens to me almost all the time. Is it just me? Are workers these days just ruder? Am I just becoming a curmudgeon? 

It might be you. Lol

Seriously, I agree. The whole world has gotten ruder.

[Gregg]

1 minute ago, Westside said:

It might be you. Lol

Seriously, I agree. The whole world has gotten ruder.

 

I was a kid/teenager during the 70's and 80's. Back then there was no social media, no Facebook "friends".  Growing up back then we played football, baseball, rode our bikes. Didn't come home till it was getting dark out. You had real friends not "friends" on the internet. Today it seems everyone stares into their phones all day, and many don't know how to be social with other people. Back then nobody gave a **** about politics or who was a D or R. It seems just about everything today is political. It does seem the world is more divided than ever.

[Fleezoid]

The work ethic in this country is for crap. A lot of people make it look like they're doing you the biggest favor in the world doing their job. 

[The Poojer]

Let's not take the blame off of us, the consumers, these workers have to deal with us, and i've seen how we act to the working class

 

On 2/15/2025 at 8:49 PM, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

So, when I was a teenager and I worked in fast food, I was taught to be polite to customers and drop everything for a customer’s request.
 

Maybe it’s just me, but have times changed? I go to retail and restaurant places now where I get from an employee, “hold on a minute. I’m busy.” Or a hostess at a restaurant stand waiting to roll another 20 napkins before deciding to turn to me to seat me. Or an usher at a symphony concert who is standing there holding programs, but doesn’t give me one or even acknowledge me.
 

These are just a few examples. But this sort of stuff happens to me almost all the time. Is it just me? Are workers these days just ruder? Am I just becoming a curmudgeon? 

[US Egg]

There’s “Not Wanted” posters of my wife in stores around us.
 

Unbeknownst to me before we met, she’s the Matriarch of the Karens.

[RkFast]

IMHO, everything went to hell when Old Country Buffet went kaput and took their world-class training with it. 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 07:16 PM by RkFast

[Just Jack]

52 minutes ago, US Egg said:

There’s “Not Wanted” posters of my wife in stores around us.
 

Unbeknownst to me before we met, she’s the Matriarch of the Karens.

 

I've often thought, if I were to run a store, and a customer did the "I'm never shopping here again" line, I'd get their picture and place it at the entrance under a "Customers self-banned from shopping here" banner.  

[Augie]

30 minutes ago, Just Jack said:

 

I've often thought, if I were to run a store, and a customer did the "I'm never shopping here again" line, I'd get their picture and place it at the entrance under a "Customers self-banned from shopping here" banner.  

 

Back when I was running bank branches I had a few occasions where I took it a step further.  Every once in a while you’d get a belligerent customer who would get nasty with the staff. No, you can’t yell at them and you can’t swear at them. I would not allow that. These poor people are just trying to do their jobs, but some people are pure crazy. I was told by a man who had read the Bible 23 times that I was going to hell because I couldn’t give him 5% on a 6 month CD. I don’t remember any mention of CD’s in the Bible, but maybe I missed it. 🤷‍♂️

 

Anyway, when a guy like that lit into the staff once too often or too harshly, I’d make arrangements to give them a Cashier’s Check for every penny they had in the bank. I would even waive the penalty for early withdrawal on the CD’s. Here’s your check, don’t come back. The look of shock on their face was absolutely priceless! It also earned points with the staff who appreciated being protected from morons. 

[US Egg]

1 hour ago, Just Jack said:

I've often thought, if I were to run a store, and a customer did the "I'm never shopping here again" line, I'd get their picture and place it at the entrance under a "Customers self-banned from shopping here" banner.  

"I'm never shopping here again“ isn’t one of her rally cries. More like “I found it cheaper”, “It’s now on sale”, “I got store cash”, “I’m returning it and rebuying it”…..as long as it doesn’t involve me is what matters most. 

[Augie]

1 minute ago, US Egg said:

"I'm never shopping here again“ isn’t one of her rally cries. More like “I found it cheaper”, “It’s now on sale”, “I got store cash”, “I’m returning it and rebuying it”…..as long as it doesn’t involve me is what matters most. 

 

I used to have people with $200k in the bank want a free safe deposit box. I’d have to explain to them that we had people with more than ten times that in the bank, and they pay for their safe deposit boxes. 

 

I pray that I never become one of those annoying people. 🙏 

[US Egg]

12 minutes ago, Augie said:

I used to have people with $200k in the bank want a free safe deposit box. I’d have to explain to them that we had people with more than ten times that in the bank, and they pay for their safe deposit boxes. 

 

I pray that I never become one of those annoying people. 🙏 

Yeah, that’s what my wife’s striving for, to be able to afford the security box 1st, then the money to put in.

[Augie]

1 minute ago, US Egg said:

Yeah, that’s what my wife’s striving for, to be able to afford the security box 1st, then the money to put in.

 

Funny, my wife just got pissed off by a bill for about $150 for our safe deposit box at the bank. She had a safe delivered to the house and we had our construction guy come and make sure nobody is going to carry this thing off.  Our first jobs out of college we were both letting people into their safe deposit boxes…..a LOT! They clipped their bond coupons back then. 

 

Our passports are safe. I wish there was a pile of cash next to them for travel.  🤷‍♂️

[teef]

guys...this is why the nextdoor app was created.

[ExiledInIllinois]

2 hours ago, RkFast said:

IMHO, everything went to hell when Old Country Buffet went kaput and took their world-class training with it. 

 

 

Now you know why we need to make society healthy again!

😆...So passive.  Just tell them they're a fat ass and moo-move along... UNLESS they're throwing around @Augie 's banker money, then play the game. 😆😏

 

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 10:14 PM by ExiledInIllinois

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

4 hours ago, The Poojer said:

Let's not take the blame off of us, the consumers, these workers have to deal with us, and i've seen how we act to the working class

 

No doubt that there are a lot of bad customers.
 

But a bad customer is not a license to treat all customers poorly! I can’t even get someone to say “hello” to me most times.

 

 

 

[Augie]

30 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Now you know why we need to make society healthy again!

😆...So passive.  Just tell them they're a fat ass and moo-move along... UNLESS they're throwing around @Augie 's banker money, then play the game. 😆😏

 

 

 

 

 

News flash, the money at the bank wasn’t mine. 😊

 

I just wandered into retail banking to pay bills, but retail is like being the pediatrician of doctors, from what I saw many years ago. If only I knew then what I…….ugh

26 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

No doubt that there are a lot of bad customers.
 

But a bad customer is not a license to treat all customers poorly! I can’t even get someone to say “hello” to me most times.

 

 

 

 

HELLO! 

 

.

Edited Tuesday at 10:45 PM by Augie