Vents: Random Acts of Venting!

[Locutus]

What's wrong with Dew?

[Dexter Morgan]

What's wrong with Dew?

I use to drink Dew, but Mello Yello has a little more kick to it, for some reason. The bad thing is the Mello Yello wires me, if I drink it too late , I'm up for the night. Dew seems like a puny drink after you drink Mello Yello. I drink a pop on my way to work in the mornings, to kick start myself.    At my job I have to be high energy, and able to work at a fast pace. Some of my coworkers take legal speed to get the job done. I just drink pop LOL!!  Fast food, isn't as easy of a job as people think. You have to be "on" all the time. I work a cash register, and liken it to going on stage everyday. If I'm having a bad day, or not feeling good, I have to check it at the door. There are days when I have different problems, and it's hard to face the world, but the job I do doesn't allow grumpiness, or tears. It can be very hard.  Hubby says my pop is my crutch LOL!!! Gotta have my pop. 

[Locutus]

Wow! I wish everyone who worked in fast food had your attitude.  I've seen numerous people in fast food who act like they're on the rag. 

[Dexter Morgan]

Wow! I wish everyone who worked in fast food had your attitude.  I've seen numerous people in fast food who act like they're on the rag. 

My boss tells me I'm awesome with the customers, infact when I get my written job review, she always writes "awesome with the customers" on it.It isn't a great job, but I figure if you're going to do a job, do it to the best of your ability. Another rule I live by is, treat people with the respect you would want to be treated with. I've never ever snapped at a customer. I've had customers I wanted to pound in to the ground, but I just treat them nicer, and smile at them.  Sometimes I talk too much to the customers (you probably can't imagine that)  I have a lot of regulars, that come in 2 or 3 times a week, and I always remember what they get, and that makes them feel real good. I just try to be the best I can at my job, and with my customers. 

[me]

My boss tells me I'm awesome with the customers, infact when I get my written job review, she always writes "awesome with the customers" on it.It isn't a great job, but I figure if you're going to do a job, do it to the best of your ability. Another rule I live by is, treat people with the respect you would want to be treated with. I've never ever snapped at a customer. I've had customers I wanted to pound in to the ground, but I just treat them nicer, and smile at them.  Sometimes I talk too much to the customers (you probably can't imagine that)  I have a lot of regulars, that come in 2 or 3 times a week, and I always remember what they get, and that makes them feel real good. I just try to be the best I can at my job, and with my customers. 

I enjoyed workin' fast food.  I really liked gettin' the grumpy customers to smile and most of the time could.  Its like a new challenge every day.....

[tallulahdahling]

I never worked fast food but I was a waitress and bartender for years.

There was always this one guy who came into the bar who was the biggest jerk! 

The prices were too high, the chairs were uncomfortable, the free happy hour buffet sucked, blah, blah, blah.
He was the biggest bummer.  And the worst tipper.

So I started calling him, "Sunshine" --"How ya doing today, Sunshine, does your ass itch?"

Well that just cracked him up and the more I ribbed him the better he behaved.

He started to leave me $20 bills for tips even if he only had one beer and actually gave me a Christmas card one year thanking me for making him smile.

Ahhh -- Tallulah touches the life of yet another grumpy man!   

[Sunny]

Yep, I loved those types of customers, too, Tallulah!! (Every bar & restaurant seems to have 'em).

[Dexter Morgan]

I enjoyed workin' fast food.  I really liked gettin' the grumpy customers to smile and most of the time could.  Its like a new challenge every day.....

Usually, I bust out a grin and the customers bad day melts away LOL!!! When I smile my whole face dissappears, that usually makes people smile or laugh. I'm considered to be a cheery/happy go lucky person. At home I don't have to "act", people would be surprised, at how different Iam off the 'stage'.

[Dexter Morgan]

I never worked fast food but I was a waitress and bartender for years.

There was always this one guy who came into the bar who was the biggest jerk! 

The prices were too high, the chairs were uncomfortable, the free happy hour buffet sucked, blah, blah, blah.
He was the biggest bummer.  And the worst tipper.

So I started calling him, "Sunshine" --"How ya doing today, Sunshine, does your ass itch?"

Well that just cracked him up and the more I ribbed him the better he behaved.

He started to leave me $20 bills for tips even if he only had one beer and actually gave me a Christmas card one year thanking me for making him smile.

Ahhh -- Tallulah touches the life of yet another grumpy man!   

You never know what kind of customers you'll get, on a day to day basis. We've had some winners. Some people just get downright ignorant. One day a woman in the drive thru got pissed, and refused to move out of the line. My boss ended up having to go outside to confront her. The guy in the truck behind her got out, and threatened to kick her ass. My boss had a screaming match with her. There were cars backed up in the drive thru,and people were pissed, and honking their horns. Finally, my boss told her she was calling the cops. She got her out of the drive thru with that threat. She told my boss her father was dying with cancer, and she couldn't deal with it all. My boss told her she understood, but she shouldn't go around acting like that, and being rude to people. That gal was nuts.  Here's the kicker... the customers in the drive thru called the 800 number, and complained, and my boss got ripped over it by corporate.  It wasn't her fault the woman was a lunatic. 

[Sandy Eggo]

Yep, I loved those types of customers, too, Tallulah!! (Every bar & restaurant seems to have 'em).

Yep, I had one too. Just like Tallu's guy he complained about everything...to the point that I wondered why he kept coming back. So, I did the same thing. Started teasing him. At first I was being kind of a smart@ss to save my sanity, but after a while, I realized that he thought it was funny and what the rest of the world viewed as miserable whining on his part, he thought was dry cynical humor. Well whatever, he started tipping and that worked.

Fast food, my hat is off to anyone who can stand the industry. Seriously, I've waitressed, bartended and even worked at a hotel in just about every capacity...you have to be "on" 100% of the time and ready for just about any personality that walks through the door. It's tiring. I was in the food & beverage/hospitality industry for about 16 years from the time I was 15 years old and I came to understand the hateful old diner waitress still serving at the age of 90. Being that customer focused for that long...gets to you after a while. I've worked since I was 15 and only once in fast food and that only lasted a month.

Dex, you sound like someone I would have passed one of my business cards to. When I was the assistant manager and primary recruiter, I had business cards made that said "I see something in you that I like" and on the back it said, "interested in a career instead of a job in the hospitality industry? Call me for an interview". I handed those out in my daily travels when I'd run across someone w/extraordinary customer service skills. It worked great. Most people were looking for something different and we got the cream of the crop.

[Dexter Morgan]

Yep, I had one too. Just like Tallu's guy he complained about everything...to the point that I wondered why he kept coming back. So, I did the same thing. Started teasing him. At first I was being kind of a smart@ss to save my sanity, but after a while, I realized that he thought it was funny and what the rest of the world viewed as miserable whining on his part, he thought was dry cynical humor. Well whatever, he started tipping and that worked.

Fast food, my hat is off to anyone who can stand the industry. Seriously, I've waitressed, bartended and even worked at a hotel in just about every capacity...you have to be "on" 100% of the time and ready for just about any personality that walks through the door. It's tiring. I was in the food & beverage/hospitality industry for about 16 years from the time I was 15 years old and I came to understand the hateful old diner waitress still serving at the age of 90. Being that customer focused for that long...gets to you after a while. I've worked since I was 15 and only once in fast food and that only lasted a month.

Dex, you sound like someone I would have passed one of my business cards to. When I was the assistant manager and primary recruiter, I had business cards made that said "I see something in you that I like" and on the back it said, "interested in a career instead of a job in the hospitality industry? Call me for an interview". I handed those out in my daily travels when I'd run across someone w/extraordinary customer service skills. It worked great. Most people were looking for something different and we got the cream of the crop.

We get customer feed back calls all the time, and we usually get good ones when I'm there. We used to have mystery shoppers that came in, and did a survey. If we got 100% on the survey, the store got $100, the person that waited on them got $25 and a gold "CHAMPS" pin, the rest of the workers divided up the other $75. I got the most perfect "CHAMPS" checks in a row, in the history of our KFC.I think I got 20 of them, and I got awarded a Perkins gift certificate, and a wall plaque. We don't have mystery shoppers anymore, just the customer based  feed back calls. If we get 100% on the majority of the calls, we get $50 Walmart giftcards. We got one of those in January. I know I'm bragging, it's a stupid job to brag about, but I feel lucky, and proud because before I started there, I was basically a mental wreck and barely functional, so I've come a very long way. 

[me]

We get customer feed back calls all the time, and we usually get good ones when I'm there. We used to have mystery shoppers that came in, and did a survey. If we got 100% on the survey, the store got $100, the person that waited on them got $25 and a gold "CHAMPS" pin, the rest of the workers divided up the other $75. I got the most perfect "CHAMPS" checks in a row, in the history of our KFC.I think I got 20 of them, and I got awarded a Perkins gift certificate, and a wall plaque. We don't have mystery shoppers anymore, just the customer based  feed back calls. If we get 100% on the majority of the calls, we get $50 Walmart giftcards. We got one of those in January. I know I'm bragging, it's a stupid job to brag about, but I feel lucky, and proud because before I started there, I was basically a mental wreck and barely functional, so I've come a very long way. 

I don't think its a stupid job to brag about at all.  Its a hard job any way you look at it.  I know most people don't think so but you have to have a lot on the ball to work fast food and do it properly.  Anyone who works in a customer service related job is to be commended because you have to put up with a whole lot of crap and know how to deal with it effectively. 

[Locutus]

I agree.  I worked as a teller in a bank during college and I can assure you I put up with my fair share of assholes. 

[Dexter Morgan]

I don't think its a stupid job to brag about at all.  Its a hard job any way you look at it.  I know most people don't think so but you have to have a lot on the ball to work fast food and do it properly.  Anyone who works in a customer service related job is to be commended because you have to put up with a whole lot of crap and know how to deal with it effectively. 

Us fast food workers look at it this way... if we weren't doing our job, a lot of people would starve to death. We're saving mankind, and life as we know it LMAO!! 

[Dexter Morgan]

I agree.  I worked as a teller in a bank during college and I can assure you I put up with my fair share of assholes. 

Did you ever have to bite your tongue almost off, to keep from letting loose a string of profanities at a costumer? My tongue is extremely scarred.