How can we make your job better?

[CrystalRarity 119]

Had an idea.  Most everypony's had a job where the customers were...unpleasant, in some way.  And everypony's been a customer- and probably an unpleasant one at some time, even surely without meaning to be.  So, what's your job and how can the rest of us be less terrible to you?  Try to keep this advice general (Not just pertaining to youu) so it can be readily applied; and not obvious- e.g. "Don't let your kids kick the employees"/"Don't swear like a sailor at the employees" etc.

 

Preamble: Presently working in a call center.  Despite daily, hourly, complaints from coworkers about callers, have found that if we call receivers speak very pleasantly, so do the callers.  In nine months, have never once been cussed out, and this in an occupation where it happens fairly frequently to others.  So that's on my people (Mostly? There's surely other call receiving jobs in which the customers are just reliably awful.  As there's pretty much everything.)

 

Actual start: When calling questions/support, what you lovely callers can do so is... I've one request...just one... please...don't hang up on us, it's heart breaking.  so mean!!  If others don't get sad about it like I do, it still ticks them off and that'll effect how they speak to the next caller.  If you call someone for help, how can you just disconnect without warning? and often when the call receiver is mid-sentence...

 

Even if someone's trying to upsell you hard (And that sucks.), just say goodbye, okay, maybe that person will be less annoying to the next caller.

 

And when the receiver isn't trying to sell you anything...trying to tell you things to save you money and always beginning with "Do you have time..." or "Have you heard..." or "Would you like to hear about..."...  jerks jerks unforgivable jerks who just leave so mean my heart no

 

tl;dr

Don't hang up on call receivers, it makes us sad, say you're finished with the call and goodbye and THEN leave!  your turn.

Edited January 2, 2016 by CrystalRarity

[GeekySonic 1,150]

Well, I stock and bag/carry out groceries at a grocery store. I try to be patient and not complain, but there are a few things that I just can't stand. Here goes...

 

Please do not zoom in at 8:59 when we close at 9:00. I get it, sometimes people are busy, and you need to make last-minute purchases. But please don't meander the aisles when the lights are off, the coolers are shut, and all the employees are standing at the front waiting for you to finish.

 

Don't buy three carry carts of groceries and expect me to cram it all in a go-kart of a vehicle. We are responsible for safely packing your groceries, so especially don't chill in your car texting your Ma while we spend an hour arranging bags of heavies and lights in below freezing temperatures.

 

Do not stop and run to grab more while you are in the middle of paying for an order. Especially on a busy day. We have more customers to take care of.

 

Do not tramp through freshly mopped floors. It will not kill you to take 3 extra steps to go around.

 

If you're under 60 years of age and do not suffer from physical disabilities, do not call service to carry out a single bag.

 

DO NOT send us out ahead of you to pack your groceries while you chat inside with your friends. There are a freaking million cars, and saying, "It's the grey one outside," does not help.

 

Don't crack open a snack, taste it, decide you don't want it, and then PUT IT BACK. We have to pay for damaged goods, which that counts as.

 

Don't just throw stuff you decide you don't want on a random shelf. Either put it back where it belongs, or hand it to a service boy if you can't remember its place.

 

I'm sorry if I seem aggravated, but when this happens a lot, I really struggle to maintain my "customer service" face.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Give me a job to start off with, first of all. XD

[Celtore 2,770]

Technically, this is a previous job. My current job doesn't involve any public interaction.

 

I used to work at a baseball diamond and prepare it for game time. Occasionally for tournaments, we zoomed in between games to make the field look like new again. We reconditioned the clay and rechalked all the lines.

 

One thing that would make the job a lot easier is when you hear the roar of a tractor engine or see one approaching, please get off the path quickly. We typically have 10 minutes to do everything before the next game can begin and on a normal day, it takes about 20.

 

Also when we're preparing the diamond for the next game, stay off the clay! Dont warm upon it or throw balls to one another on it, do that on the warning track or in the outfield. We dont want to be beaned in the head with a baseball trying to mark up the field for your game. It's happened before. Once we're off the field in 5 minutes, you can do whatever the heck you want on it.

 

Lastly, dont be an entitled arse. We only work there, it's not like we're responsible for organizing the tournament or controlling the weather. We'll also try to solve any problem you have without question, but for larger issues like scheduling conflicts, the only thing we can do is call the big boss and see what they have to say. Also, please clean up your garbage after yourself. We work really hard to make the place look nice for you, it's nice seeing teams trying to keep the park clean too.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Celtore

[Fluttershutter 2,328]

Hmm, 

 

In a store don't ask an obvious employee if they work there.

 

If they say there's no more of something say "Okay, thanks anyway." And walk away. Don't just continue to stand there staring at them like they're going to pull it out of their butt and for gods sake don't say "isn't there any IN THE BACK???" Just trust me, there ISN'T!

Edited January 2, 2016 by Fluttershutter

[CoffeeBeard 76]

As someone who works in a restaurant, my advice would be not to be angry on the waiting staff if food takes time, it's does take time for you to get quality food, not something that has been in a heat storage for several hours.

 

And if your food takes extra time, and you see other customers getting their food before you, think about what you've ordered. Did you choose a well-done beef? Of course it's gonna take extra time over a rare steak, or a sallad or anything else that takes less time to prepare. Cooks can recieve up to 20 orders or more in a minute, depending on the type of restaurant and time of a day of course, but just remember that the ones working in a restaurant, are humans. Humans trying to do their best to please you.

 

And this one is for pretty much any kind of place that deals with customers in any way, like post offices, stores, restaurants e.t.c. If the one behind the counter tells you that they closes at a certain time, don't start with that "which time do you close?" and look at your own watch and claim "it's not ... o'clock yet!" The place has their own clocks that they follow, that they probably have to follow. Not your watch! 

[Shanks 10,816]

I am a dairy clerk/backup checker at a grocery store and @GeekySonic has covered some of the annoyances I have dealt with but there are quite a few others.

 

Parents please watch your kids: I take product in and out of the backroom all the time and I try to be as careful as possible while doing it but having small children run up out of nowhere can make things extremely dangerous for both me and the child. It is so out of control that I even see kids running up to cars in the parking lot and their parents not doing anything about it, do they want them to die? It is not nor should it be my job to be a baby sitter.

 

Please don't disappear on me: I don't mind checking in the back for things, but I don't like coming back from said check to find that the customer is nowhere to be found. I nearly always have a lot of work to do and barely if enough time to do it, I don't have time to play a game of Where's Waldo with a customer.

 

Don't leave out perishable items at room temperature: I have had to throw out a lot of perfectly good food because it needed to be refrigerated/frozen and was left out at room temperature for too long. We can't be everywhere at once all the time so we can't always spot said item on time.

 

When I say "I am opening up a checkstand" don't just stand there like an idiot: Most customers tend to respond no problem but every now and then I will have to yell loud enough to wake the dead for any kind of response. It is the least favorite part of my job for many reasons so I want to get customers in and out as soon as possible and many customers I would think would want to get in and out as soon as possible, so lets do a little thing called "mutual interest" and help each other out here.

 

Don't blame us when there is tax on certain items: It is neither me or my company that decided to put a tax on certain goods, it is usually either the federal or state government that did it so if you have a beef take it up with your legislators. When I see this the most is with sodas and other recyclable goods that have CRV (California Redemption Value) on them which is a tax implemented by the state of California on those items.

 

Don't blame us for our companies crappy policies: most companies are run by a bunch of pencil pushers that have never had to break down or order loads or deal with long lines of impatient and angry customers who we have to tell for the last time that we don't have anyone else because we don't have enough people. As a result they come up with some truly self defeating, idiotic policies that make our jobs more difficult and can confuse and piss off customers. The company I work for does a lot of "buy this many items and get them at this price" or "buy one of these and get one of these for free" but they don't always make it clear enough in the add which can confuse not only customers but even employees sometimes.

 

Then there is this moronic thing called the CSR Program which is where during certain peak hours one or more of the CSR's which are front end supervisors will instead of being in the checkstands which is where we need them the most will instead be made to wander around the front directing customers to checkstands and seeing if they need help with anything which begs the question of why they don't just have a General Merchandise Clerk (non food stocker) or even a Courtesy Clerk (bagger) do that instead. This policy makes it to where people like myself who are primarily supposed to stock have to pick up some of the slack because we are more likely to be called to the checkstand which makes getting the work in the back done much more difficult.

[simba86 1,541]

I have done bakery/grocery work and also regular retail

if you bring in a coffee or drink then please either throw it away or take it with you when you leave, it gets old digging old mcdonald's dollar coffee cups out of the shelves and behind stuff to have to dump and throw away.

 

same thing with gum, if you are done with it then throw it away , DON'T just spit it onto the floor or smash it under a shelf

 

if we don't have public restrooms then PLEASE refrain from peeing or pooping in the bushes or behind other cars! "and yes it has happened more than once"

 

don't cuss us out because we are following company policy

 

if you put a refridgerated item like meat or milk in your cart and you decide you don't want it then please put it back in the refridgerated area, don't hide a pack of meat in the shoes or clothing.

 

don't hold up the line for half an hour while you decide between two things

 

don't cuss me out when you have to pay tax on something and you only brought the exact amount it costs without the tax

 

DO NOT try to buy that new pair of nike's or a new computer with your foodstamps! and don't throw a temper tatrum when i refuse to break the law

 

if you plan on paying with check then have your ID ready, I need to verify that your name and address match what is on the licence and write your license number down on the check, don't expect me to take a check because you "left your driver's license at home or in the car" also don't hold the line up because you have to run out to your car to get your ID.

 

please control your kids! letting them run wild and open and eat stuff and drag stuff around the store is not good parenting. also customers do not like having other people's kids running into them and running around like wild monkeys.

 

please cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze! I get tired of feeling snot mist on my face

 

if the alarm goes off and you get asked for your recipt then don't cuss us out,we are just making sure you are not stealing and don't scream "i've never stolen anything in my life!" when the police grab your arm after you get caught stealing

 

please refrain from doing/cooking drugs in the restrooms! the cops know that you hide drugs up in the ceiling tiles and behind the tank.

 

do not have sex in the restrooms!

 

don't try to get me to sell you ciggarettes or booze when you don't have any ID and don't cuss me out when you are legal age and i ask for ID

 

don't finger the food and smash the bread flat while "checking for freshness"

 

if you break something then don't hide it for us to find later

 

don't belittle me and cuss me out and then expect me to do you a favor

 

I really don't care to hear your life's story or about your various diseases or felony convictions

 

and here is an important one, when you are next in line and I am done ringing you up then please hang up the cellphone, don't hold up the line while you finish gossiping and don't waste everyone's time texting and talking on the cellphone when we are trying to help you find something or answer a question

 

Don't cuss me out and throw stuff when I won't lower the price of an item to 99% off or to what you think you should pay instead of what it is marked and don't threaten to call the police when you don't get the deal you thought you should have.

 

and remember that we have cameras pretty much everywhere so when you say that you "slipped and fell and hurt your neck" we are going to be able to see you dumping stuff in the floor and pretending to slip.

 

and as a side note, when you are crossing the parking lot to get to the store or entering the parking lot leaving the store to go to your car ,turn your cellphone off and actually watch where you are going and pay attention to the cars! because it is a pain to be driving along slowly and then a "walker" comes out of nowhere and almost gets hit because they was walking through traffic playing candy crush or texting instead of actually using there eyes to navigate traffic, this applies to kids also, don't let them shoot out ahead infornt of oncoming traffic

Edited January 2, 2016 by simba86

[Venomous 18,857]

As a veterinary assistant, it is part of my job to fill and give you your pet's perscription medications.

Please do not ask me obvious questions like "How often should I give my dog these?"

 

...Read the damn bottle and it'll tell you.

[Randimaxis 8,650]

As a former security guard for two different companies (and volunteer security at a local convention), I believe the common intelligent masses would be appalled to learn exactly how much disrespect and idiocy we have to deal with on a daily basis.  You can imagine, I'm certain, how much flak we get.  Now DOUBLE that.  Yeah.  So, for the safety of everyone, I offer to thee a list of fairly simple things to do to make certain the security officers on duty wherever you are will be able to do their job effectively and efficiently.

 

FIRST AND FOREMOST: Please understand that WE ARE NOT COPS; we cannot arrest anyone, nor can we settle domestic disputes with anything more than calling the proper authorities.  We don't do the job that those fine folks do - please stop thinking we do.

 

One of the biggest problems I had doing my job is (believe it or not) is the lack of effort on many people's parts to simply LOCK THEIR DOORS.  They seem to think that it's the job of (wherever's) security staff to patrol their doors CONSTANTLY... so they just leave them unlocked, or even standing open - then they get PISSED when they find out that someone got into their homes.  Oh, and by the way?  We will sympathize with you, contact the police for you, and even keep our eyes open for someone if you can give us a DECENT description... but we are in NO WAY responsible for replacing any stolen items - regardless of HOW loud you yell.

 

If you plan to go out of town for more than a day or two, inform the security officers on duty, so they can make a note of it and try to frequent that location.  We won't know you're leaving town unless you let us know.  Oh, and NO, we will NOT check your mail for you - that's what friends or neighbors are for.

 

Yeah, you might think it's a blast pointing out to us that we aren't cops - but keep in mind that this fact is drilled into our heads during training and orientation.  We are WELL aware that we are not real police officers, and we do not need reminders.  However, if there is a security guard who gets a swelled head, inform the sec. off. in charge, and they will deal with the issue - don't go whining to whoever hired us in the first place; you could get us ALL fired, instead of simply having to deal with the one problem child.

 

If at all feasible, try to keep your trees and bushes trimmed down BELOW the edge of your windows.  I got yelled at when one of the apartments I was guarding got broken into... then I saw that the window had been the point of entry, and I explained this to my supervisor, and after seeing it for himself, he apologized.  Why didn't I get written up for it?  Because the bushes were tall enough to completely hide the window from view.  If you want security to be able to keep your place safe, don't cover alternate ways in with plantlife.

 

Please be kind to us.  There have been times I have worked 10 - 12 hour shifts, and been on my feet for almost the entire time, walking the same areas and writing the same reports every night I worked.  Give us a wave, a grin, or a kind word - It will be appreciated SO much more than yelling or arguing at us about things we have no control over.

 

... and finally, this little tidbit - and believe it or not, it happens more frequently than you'd think:  Do not offer us alcohol (or anything else party-related) while we're on the clock; that's WORK TIME, and that means WORK comes first.  I say this because even though I turned down quite a few 'offers' that were made to me, a few of my co-workers didn't; when they were found out, they got fired.  I understand you may want to share and 'party with security', but if you truly ARE interested, then catch us when our shift is over; chances are, we'll say yes if we aren't working.  But don't put the temptation out there - people are only human, after all.

 

I appreciate the chance to relay this information, and I thank you for your time.

[Swift Marquis 327]

Close the door when you leave for god sake, you leave an expo CLOSE THE DOOR AFTER YOU !!!

Thank you... sheessh.

[EpicEnergy 22,985]

I don't deal with customers at my job, so there really isn't anything you can do to make my job better.

[AppleButt 8,675]

I’m an aircraft refueler.  
 

-What could make my job better is to follow my directions properly when I marshal you in so I’m not like 

 

-Also giving us a heads up when you want pulled out of a hangar.

 “Hey can you pull my plane out I’ll be there in 15 minutes” is not a heads up.   If your plane is buried under several other planes you’ll end up having to wait. 

-Just hurry up and decide whether you want to beat weather coming in or not, and not waiting for the storm to be ten feet away before you decide you’re not going and want to be put in a hangar. 

That’s about all I can think of.

[Fluttershyfan94 5,741]

Only real work I have done is carpentry and honestly just shorter work days would be enough for me haha. I have been a student though for the majority of the time so I mean I would prefer a desk job so I could spend it on exercising while getting paid for being there while investing in stocks. Then again I want to be an entrepreneur so I don't plan on working for anyone other then myself.

[Dreambiscuit 9,183]

A lot of customers get really confrontational and rude to people who are doing their best, and that’s not right. So I have always thought the term ‘the customer is always right’ is absurd. I know the meaning behind it is good, but it’s too often abused by people who think the world must treat them like royalty just for buying a five dollar trinket or a freaking hamburger at the drive-thru. Not everyone is an expert at their job and many are learning as they go. So to make everyone’s jobs easier it’s best to be patient and not treat them like an indentured servant when the situation doesn’t call for it. Most workers are just making a living and trying their best. No matter what, be polite!! There is seldom, if ever, a reason not to be. 

[Splashee 28,558]

Never had to deal with customers! I hear it is a difficult thing!

[Stone Cold Steve Jobs 22,422]

I work as a teller in a credit union. For the most part I enjoy it. But some people I help... here:

If people could just stop demonizing me because I have to do my job by the books that would be nice. If I hold your check for 4 business days I am not doing it because I want to hurt you. I am doing it because it’s either required by law, or because I was ordered to by a supervisor.

 I can not control when our computer system goes down. If it goes down and we are forced to limit the amount you can take from your accounts, blame the network, not me. I hate it too, it means more paperwork and labor for me to do. Why would I intentionally add to my work load?

If I ask you personal questions about what you do for work and what you’re using your money for, it’s because I am required to by federal law. If i don’t do that I can be fined, imprisoned, fired, or all of the above. I forget every piece of that information about 30 seconds after I write it down. I don’t care personally about what you’re using your money for. The government does.

If you hand me a check made to someone who is not on your account and it’s over a set balance, I have to have you and the check owner fill out a waiver that basically says the owner is giving you the check, and I must hold it for 4 business days. If the check owner is not present I will not process your check. Once again, this is out of my hands. It’s the bank policy, not something I am doing because I want to. Again, why would I add more work to my workload intentionally?

 I just wish more people I help would treat me as a person instead of some jerk who’s trying to hurt them.

 

[TBD 17,252]

On 1/2/2016 at 2:31 PM, Bakugou is my Man said:

As a veterinary assistant, it is part of my job to fill and give you your pet's perscription medications.

Please do not ask me obvious questions like "How often should I give my dog these?"

 

...Read the damn bottle and it'll tell you.

My sister is a pharmacist and she went through the same shit as you everyday.  And since I used to worked as CNA I can’t stand stupid questions from patients.  Not to me directly but to the doctors and the nurses I worked with. And worse is when they’d repeat in a different way.

 

That being said, once I come back to work, one thing I want my job to be better is... hired more CNAs! Understaff is tiring especially when you have about 15-20 patients to nurse and clean shit after.  Two CNA is not enough since sometime it take two CNA depending on the cases to care for one patient. And while having a 3rd will be helpful to take care of other patient while the two of us are busy with one already. Sometime it’s just me.

[Splashee 28,558]

On 1/2/2016 at 10:31 PM, Bakugou is my Man said:

Please do not ask me obvious questions

To stay sane, one must accept every person in this world to ask obvious questions. It is the true nature of people. It might be lazy, or stupidity. But it is impossible to avoid.

[Treeglow Flicker 13,486]

As a former cashier who used to work in a security vault dealing purely with the coinage. I have a couple of suggestions.

• Paying in slips don't make good origami practice. It would be oh so wonderful to simply place the paying in slip into the bag of coins without crushing it into a paper boulder that I then need to carefully uncrumple without tearing it, so that I can check that the amount of coins matches what is on the slip. I'm looking at you, Caterlink.
• Secondly with the paying in slip. Please report the proper coin denomination amounts as well as the correct total amount being paid in. If there is £30 worth of £1 coins, then please write that down on the paying in slip. It makes the process of checking that everything is there far quicker. Again. I'm looking at you, Caterlink.
• Additionally, make sure that the small coin bags contain the proper coin denomination and amounts. We measure the bags on a scale that tells us if it has the correct amount contained within. If each bag has the correct coin denomination and amount, then it allows us to process the paying in slips a lot faster. If there is a random coin from a different denomination contained within any of the bags, it shows on the scales and then I have to open up the bags to check what the actual amount is aswell as look for renegade coinage. So no mixing the £2 coins in with the £1 coins. Or the 1p coins in with the 2p coins. Yes Caterlink. You are also guilty of this one too.
• In addition to the above. Sort the bloody coin denominations into each individual bag appropriately. Don't just randomly stuff the coins into the little bags. Once again, Caterlink. You are guilty of this. I still haven't figured out why you felt the need to put 15p in five different small bags.
• Also, you really only need to use one paying in slip to tell us what is contained within the bag of coins you have sent us. There really is no need for about 20 seperate paying in slips with pathetic amounts written on them. Why did you always insist on making my Mondays and Tuesdays hell, Caterlink? It may have been more than 15 years ago, but I still haven't forgotten.

Edited June 9, 2020 by Treeglow Flicker

[Here No Longer 5,276]

By giving me a good job to start with since I'm a couple of months away from being 23 and yet to get my first job... *depressed laughter*

 

And also because I'm not a fan of wage slavery...

Edited June 9, 2020 by Dustlicious ( > ω < )

[Early Sunsets 2,106]

If you're gonna commission a fursuit maker (or anybody for anything, for that matter), make sure you can afford it before you take up one of their commission slots. Emergencies happen, I get it. But when you realize you need the money for something more important and you get a refund, that's the maker's rent and grocery money that you're taking. If they already ordered materials or started work on your suit, they're losing money all because you can't budget. Many makers have a partial refund policy that mitigates the money loss, but it's still annoying to lose out on time and a valuable commission slot.

[ExplosionMare 18,058]

Don’t ask for anything “regular” or “normal”. We don’t have those categories 

[Pentium100 2,088]

• Please describe the problem in as much detail as you can. Instead of "my internet connection doesn't work" please say HOW it doesn't work, try a few different sites and then say that you cannot reach site xyz, but you can reach google. Instead of "my email doesn't work" say "if I try to send a letter to someone@example.com I get this error: ..." - you will be asked to elaborate anyway.
• When the support written to you that they have solved the problem - verify and tell them if it is actually sovled.
• Do not wait a long time before reporting a problem - "my email has been not working for the last week" will not make the solution come faster - if I do not know about the problem, I may never fix it. If you wait a month before reporting the problem, you do not get to complain about the extended time the problem existed before you reported it. As far as I am concerned, your problem appeared at the time you reported it.
• Do not complain that your internet connection is slow if you are using WiFi - it is unreliable and you will have problems reaching that 600mbps even on the good days. Check if you get the proper speed using a cable.
• Do not use the cheapest router you can buy - it will most likely result in a bad experience for you and it may even impact the ISP network, causing problems for other customers at which point your connection will be disconnected until you fix your device.
• Do not use simple passwords for email. While you may not care that someone can read your emails, when your account gets hacked and is used to send spam, this may cause your letters and the letters of other users to end up in spam folders of the recipients.
• If you have a Wordpress website - keep it updated and secured - Wordpress sites get hacked all the time, then those sites are used for phishing and/or hacking other servers - causing problems not only for you (your account may be suspended), but for the service provider as well. This applies to all sites, but Wordpress is more common and, as such, more commonly hacked.

I'll probably remember something to add here later 

[Clawdeen 12,181]

Working manufacturing I have some things I just wanna vent about my own job

replace like the whole team. How tf did half these people even get jobs here. Who tf hired these people.

*Don’t talk trash others appearances. Especially to their face. Grown adults yes? Let’s act like it. Really not much to say here for this one. It’s obvious

*Another obvious one here but if you’re going to break the rules and eat at your station despite the huge massive sign saying it’s prohibited, clean up after yourself. I shouldn’t have to come in and clean up your giant food mess that’s not even supposed to be happening per the massive sign.

*Could we actually take care of issues on the floor. For once

*It would be nice if the off shifts were treated as well as day shift especially since we’re the ones that actually get product out the door.Tf does day shift do all day

*When I give you work related feedback we’re suppose to discuss it like adults not you argue with me. Just because you don’t wanna hear that there’s an issue doesn’t mean there’s not one. Also actions speak louder than words.

*Disappearing off the floor for hours and taking a bunch of smoke breaks really screws the team over. 

*Could we stop trying to be a home wrecker on floor out here like some of y’all out here sleeping with taken/married individuals is going to eventually cause some huge issues when it all goes downhill. It’s already causing issues on the floor. Everybody knows about it. It’s going to be even worse when these individuals partners eventually find out. This is a workplace like.....work? Don’t do this? 

*Hey let’s show up to work on time. If everyone else is here on time everyday, so should you. Being late every single day is unacceptable and causes issues.

*If you’re not leadership than you shouldn’t be trying to act like leadership. You’re not my boss, stop trying to boss people around.

*Coming to work hungover isn’t an excuse to be sleeping at your station most of the shift.

*Youre aware that blasting music loudly full of curse words for the entire floor to hear isn’t something that you should be doing right? 
 

Edited June 10, 2021 by Blitzo