How Should You Act When You're Working?

I went to walmart today, and the lady that checked me and my mom out had just got threw talking to her boss (she was all happy). Well when she came to check us out, she was acting really unhappy and all mad.

Do you think if people have to work in public places like that they should at least act happy to their customers? Like she did for her boss, but not us?

Or should she have a right to express what she feels?

I'm kinda stuck in the middle. Just because her boss had authority, doesn't mean she should be mean to us, just cause we don't, right?

But I also think people should have a right to express what they feel.

Maybe they should express what they feel only if the customer asks? That's kinda dumb though...

I don't know... How do you feel about it?

^A lot of people try to put on a facade when they are working, myself included. But there are instances in which the customer they are dealing with gives the employee a hard time. In my experience working retail, people have treated me like I'm less than human, that they're better than me when in fact the only reason I'm working is so that I can make money for school.

Take for example the customer on a cell phone. When I was working, I needed to ask customers a series of questions. This is almost impossible when some customers have a cellphone glued to their ear. And then they treat my like dirt when they don't get exactly what they want.

I was yelled at by customers for things that were their fault. I'm aa sensitive person. It's difficult for me to put on a happy face when someone insists on making you feel like crap.

all depend on your job if you get the job you would enjoy you wont ever mess up or rarly at least and you wont ever get told off by your boss.. so you would be happy maybe a little bored from time to time... but heck... it happens...

>_<

ayn_inverse:

^A lot of people try to put on a facade when they are working, myself included. But there are instances in which the customer they are dealing with gives the employee a hard time. In my experience working retail, people have treated me like I'm less than human, that they're better than me when in fact the only reason I'm working is so that I can make money for school.

Take for example the customer on a cell phone. When I was working, I needed to ask customers a series of questions. This is almost impossible when some customers have a cellphone glued to their ear. And then they treat my like dirt when they don't get exactly what they want.

I was yelled at by customers for things that were their fault. I'm aa sensitive person. It's difficult for me to put on a happy face when someone insists on making you feel like crap.

I can understand if the customer has made the employee feel like shit. But if the employee has had an altercation with their boss, and then takes it out on the customer, then it's irritating for the customer.

Okay, so I have two jobs. One is full time, the other is on an as-I'm-needed basis.

My full time job, I run an afterschool program. I have 8 staff members and about 130 kids. Believe me, I have bad days. I have really, really bad days. I have worked with kids for 10 years and just when I think I've seen the craziest, stupdest thing I think a child could ever do, they prove me wrong. But I can't lose my temper, I can't yell, and I can't touch. I've gotten so angry I've had to leave the room and count to ten. Then twenty. Then I've had to call the kid's parents because even once I've counted to fifty I'm still mad. But I can't present that anger to anyone, not my staff, the parents, or the kids. It's a level of professionalism. So I have very little tolerance when I go into a store such as Target or the grocery and I have to deal with a snappy employee there. I've worked retail, and I've had some of the most disgusting human beings demand things that I've flat out walked away from, and I know, retail sucks. But if the person in front of you is smiling, and friendly, you can put your bad mood aside long enough to smile back.

And I agree on the cell phones. Seriously, people need to put them away. There's nothing I hate more than being told I need to wait on someone to finish their cell phone conversation. I will walk away and make them come and find me when they are ready to talk to me.

For the other job, it's the same thing. I have to be professional. There are times that I want to tell someone to go away, get a life, or stop harassing our artists. But I can't unless the artist asks me to do it. I've been around people who flat out piss me off, and I have to smile and be nice. Most of the time I love the people, I love talking to them, and I love making friends. But I always find that, whenever one of those people comes around, I realize it's a good time to do a coffee run, or snack run, or just find an excuse to leave for a few minutes.

psychochip:

Okay, so I have two jobs. One is full time, the other is on an as-I'm-needed basis.

My full time job, I run an afterschool program. I have 8 staff members and about 130 kids. Believe me, I have bad days. I have really, really bad days. I have worked with kids for 10 years and just when I think I've seen the craziest, stupdest thing I think a child could ever do, they prove me wrong. But I can't lose my temper, I can't yell, and I can't touch. I've gotten so angry I've had to leave the room and count to ten. Then twenty. Then I've had to call the kid's parents because even once I've counted to fifty I'm still mad. But I can't present that anger to anyone, not my staff, the parents, or the kids. It's a level of professionalism. So I have very little tolerance when I go into a store such as Target or the grocery and I have to deal with a snappy employee there. I've worked retail, and I've had some of the most disgusting human beings demand things that I've flat out walked away from, and I know, retail sucks. But if the person in front of you is smiling, and friendly, you can put your bad mood aside long enough to smile back.

And I agree on the cell phones. Seriously, people need to put them away. There's nothing I hate more than being told I need to wait on someone to finish their cell phone conversation. I will walk away and make them come and find me when they are ready to talk to me.

For the other job, it's the same thing. I have to be professional. There are times that I want to tell someone to go away, get a life, or stop harassing our artists. But I can't unless the artist asks me to do it. I've been around people who flat out piss me off, and I have to smile and be nice. Most of the time I love the people, I love talking to them, and I love making friends. But I always find that, whenever one of those people comes around, I realize it's a good time to do a coffee run, or snack run, or just find an excuse to leave for a few minutes.

I admire that, a hell of a lot.
I hope when I start working, I have the tolerance that you do.

It really does dampen your mood when the person serving you is rude though.

If you hate your job so much, get off your arse and find a new one.

Regardless of whats going on in my personal life, I always try to be chipper at work. Customers like a happy server. I work at a gamestop, so im always talking to them about what they are buying or compliment their kid or something.

We are paid to do a service. I think we should be doing it tothe best of our ability

psychochip:

Okay, so I have two jobs. One is full time, the other is on an as-I'm-needed basis.

My full time job, I run an afterschool program. I have 8 staff members and about 130 kids. Believe me, I have bad days. I have really, really bad days. I have worked with kids for 10 years and just when I think I've seen the craziest, stupdest thing I think a child could ever do, they prove me wrong. But I can't lose my temper, I can't yell, and I can't touch. I've gotten so angry I've had to leave the room and count to ten. Then twenty. Then I've had to call the kid's parents because even once I've counted to fifty I'm still mad. But I can't present that anger to anyone, not my staff, the parents, or the kids. It's a level of professionalism. So I have very little tolerance when I go into a store such as Target or the grocery and I have to deal with a snappy employee there. I've worked retail, and I've had some of the most disgusting human beings demand things that I've flat out walked away from, and I know, retail sucks. But if the person in front of you is smiling, and friendly, you can put your bad mood aside long enough to smile back.

And I agree on the cell phones. Seriously, people need to put them away. There's nothing I hate more than being told I need to wait on someone to finish their cell phone conversation. I will walk away and make them come and find me when they are ready to talk to me.

For the other job, it's the same thing. I have to be professional. There are times that I want to tell someone to go away, get a life, or stop harassing our artists. But I can't unless the artist asks me to do it. I've been around people who flat out piss me off, and I have to smile and be nice. Most of the time I love the people, I love talking to them, and I love making friends. But I always find that, whenever one of those people comes around, I realize it's a good time to do a coffee run, or snack run, or just find an excuse to leave for a few minutes.

This should help on anyones opinion.
Your tolerance is amazing.

Thanks for the nice words, everyone. I guess it's just something I grew into. I never would have been able to do this job years ago. Now I can usually take everything in stride. The hardest part is remembering, at my age, to think like an elementary school kid.

The worst part of any job I ever had was when I worked in Entertainment at Walt Disney World and people would grab at me to "see if I was a girl" if you catch where I'm going with that. No matter what I'm doing or how much "fur" I'm wearing, NO ONE (okay, except my hubby) has the right to grab my breasts, ever. Even then, I couldn't get angry or strike back. But you would have laughed to see how often I walked off a set.

Most people do their jobs for the paycheck. We aren't all as lucky as MCR or any other band for that matter, being able to live out a childhood fantasy. Everyone says they're going to be famous and important. Then real life slaps you upside the head and you find that you have to be able to eat and buy clothes and pay for your house. But just because you're not living out your childhood dream doesn't mean you have to be nasty to your customers.

BTW -- when I was 8, and they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said I wanted to be the person who lived in a thatch hut on the beach and made woven mats for tourists. I never really had any big plans. So luckily, I've never been disappointed.

I don't think having a shitty job as opposed to a dream job matters when it comes to keeping emotions in check. For most of my life I wanted to move out of my small town and become a graphic designer in New York. So I made it happen. I have my dream job. I love what I do for a living and I love my job. I even love most of my co-workers and my crazy boss.

HOWEVER, that still doesn't change the fact that when something goes wrong or someone gets upset I am still fully capable of having a bad day. My boss and I have spent hours arguing over a particular shade of blue which left me in the most sour, unpleasant mood.

They key to keeping your emotions in check is NOT to hide them and put on a fake smile. It's to deal with them. If I'm having a shitty day, I take 15 minutes to walk around the block with my iPod blaring music. I always come back happy or at least de-stressed. Listening to MCR always puts a smile on my face. If I can't go walking, then I go into the bathroom and kick the door in, curse silently and take out my frustration against the wall. Sometimes I'll talk to a co-worker and we'll go out for lunch together. You just have to realize that your mood affects others around you and if you feel like you're getting down or upset, you need to have the strength of mind to control it. But never surpress it and never take it out on others. That just not fair and it only gets worse. Just learn to be more in control of yourself.

i know that i've had the crappy job before... and i know that i had to quit that job because my boss was such a bitch to me that she was actually affecting my health...

however, when i was at work, i was friendly and cordial to everyone around me... i wouldn't break down until i got home... that's just how i was raised... if you have a job to do, do it... save the bitching and moaning for at home... that's not what you're getting paid to do...

i know that it can be really hard to keep a professional and calm demeanor most of the time... but it's something that takes practice to do...

You definitely need to be professional when dealing with any type of client/customer. It's really really hard sometimes, but nobody likes being treated poorly when they're spending money in your store, etc. I work with the public & I have off days, but I always try to be as polite to the customers as possible.

In my work area we have to act professionally and also with sympathy since we deal with people who just had an operation. However, my work area is very stressful that sometimes we face conflicts, usually toward another colleague. We are encouraged to deal with our conflicts at the right time and place; not infront of the client. We consider that the most important policy is safety first, meaning safety for ourselves and the clients. So we are expected to act professionally and responsibley. Though emotions strike at the wrong time, we'll try to take a step back and deal with the issue later.

well in my opinion, i dont care how i act. if i am mad i will let everyone know! lol! but you should attempt to be nice and dont judge ppl! thats not always a good idea! LoL!