Bad Customer Bad Customer Service Catch 22

a reply to: Edumakated

I hear ya. I just think it's messed up. People seem more concerned about paying fast food workers more so they can get their crap food. I rarely see anyone mention anything about paying healthcare workers a 'living wage'. In fact I would be willing to bet most of the people complaining about a 'living wage' for fast food workers haven't given a second thought to what CNAs and LPNs are going through.

a reply to: JIMC5499

Yes. I agree with you. If you notice I started my post with IKR, meaning I know right, which in my neck of the woods translates into " I agree with you".

a reply to: JAGStorm

Yes I remember your comments from another thread. My wife is a nurse. I guess it's a sore subject for me. Seeing the abuse she has to put up with and then watching burger flippers demand pay equal to that or in some cases more than some healthcare workers makes me sick.

a reply to: Khaleesi

The people screaming the most about a "living wage" for fast food workers are the Unions that want to organize them. Funny how the same Unions that scream for $15 an hour, want their members to be exempt from it. I've posted before about something that I saw a few years ago. Sometimes I had to work in our Main office. When I was there I could look out the window and see a McDonalds. One day at about 11:45 AM, two busses from a day labor company show up. A couple of vans with UFCW on their doors pull in. People get off the busses, are handed signs and or t-shirts that say "$15 an hour" or "I support a living wage". About the time they get organized, a couple of television news vans show up. I'm watching the news and see them reporting about a large protest demanding $15 an hour. I'm looking out the window AT the "large protest". There's maybe 30 people there. The television report is over, their vans leave, people turn in their signs and shirts, and everybody is gone by 12:10 PM.

originally posted by: Khaleesi
a reply to: Edumakated

I hear ya. I just think it's messed up. People seem more concerned about paying fast food workers more so they can get their crap food. I rarely see anyone mention anything about paying healthcare workers a 'living wage'. In fact I would be willing to bet most of the people complaining about a 'living wage' for fast food workers haven't given a second thought to what CNAs and LPNs are going through.

Most people have no idea how much a CNA or an LPN makes, because all folks ever heard about for decades is RNs and their comparatively great pay next to the grocery store cashier peons. Take it up with the industry publicity department, I suppose.

In other words, most folks have no idea those two get paid minimum wage, or barely above it, in most cases. I only know they get the shaft because my sister-in-law used to do both on her way to RN. The decade-long break she took from healthcare was understandable -- pennies for LPN pay, and the costs for becoming an RN were high.

however, it's not my problem. Fight for your pay, negotiate, but don't go getting huffy because workers in another completely different industry want better for themselves. If they can demand it, and get it, guess who else can?

a reply to: Nyiah

A lot of CNAs and LPNs have had enough. They are taking travel jobs which pay significantly more. Guess what? The Biden administration is talking to Congress about capping their pay. They are fighting and they are losing. So higher pay for fast food workers and .... Nope for healthcare workers if our government gets it's way.

a reply to: Khaleesi

Guess what? The Biden administration is talking to Congress about capping their pay.

That is crap!
Just goes to show how "free" we really are.
I hear every day tax the rich, tax the rich. Everyday I hear about the rich washing their Lambos, taking trips to outer space, eating gold covered burgers.

We are all fools.

a reply to: JAGStorm

My wife is a member of a travel nursing group on fakebook. The nurses are raging. It's about to get ugly. Apparently California and some other states are lobbying Congress to cap travel nurse pay. There is a nurse shortage. Wages aren't going up, so they wised up and started taking the higher paying travel jobs. Of course the facilities are screaming because they need nurses but won't increase pay so they end up having to hire travellers. Simple solution. Pay staff nurses more. But will they do it? No, they'll just get Congress to enact a law to screw them over and force them back into a lower paid job.

Travelling ain't easy. You have to have a legal address and then you have to have somewhere to stay when you travel. So you have to double your expenses. Mortgage or rent for your legal address and rent at your travel site. In order to make it feasible you have to make a lot.

a reply to: Brotherman

Part of your issues described here relate to managers trying to cut loss at the expense of quality.

Fast food is notorious for it. I don't go to any place that doesn't have cars already in the drive through, unless im familiar with the place. I don't want cold/refried fries. And its one of the few things to get me being nasty to the manager on duty. Shoving crap at me through the window in the hope i won't turn around isn't a recipe for a positive interaction. Im just petty enough to pull a U Turn and get my fresh fries, and a hot burger because you made this one go cold while i waited.

originally posted by: Khaleesi
a reply to: Edumakated

I hear ya. I just think it's messed up. People seem more concerned about paying fast food workers more so they can get their crap food. I rarely see anyone mention anything about paying healthcare workers a 'living wage'. In fact I would be willing to bet most of the people complaining about a 'living wage' for fast food workers haven't given a second thought to what CNAs and LPNs are going through.

Typical person is disconnected from economical realities and how things work. But again, regardless of what we may feel someone deserves, wages are determined by simple supply and demand.

a reply to: Edumakated

Supply and demand within the scales being discussed, sure. The value of currency benchmarks that information, however.

What we see today: a very weak dollar sinking beneath itself.

I've been working in a store for 17 years. (I used to be a credit controller before I chose this 'career")

I used to love my job, until the last two years or so and I've been thinking about finding something entirely different for a while now. I put my resume out there, on job sites, LinkedIn,...

It's true that I'm more unfriendly then I used to be towards my customers, I don't take their # anymore, they complain about me more frequently.
Honestly? I couldn't care less about that or customer satisfaction anymore! I reached my limit.

A customers attitude changed. A lot of them show no or little respect towards sales people. They act like everything that is going wrong in their lives is my fault, they expect impossible things, throw a fit at me because something isn't available in their color. they act as if the world is ending because their toaster broke. They argue about warranty laws and always know better. They tell me I'm unfit to do my job. They threaten me, become aggressive, try to intimidate me,... They snap their fingers when they want my attention, or whistle! (and yes, I barked back once... they threatened to get me fired)
They act like I have "please piss on me" written on my forehead!
I am 100% completely done!
with customers, with being understaffed, with extra hours, with to little pay, with being yelled at every single day...

Over here, if you quit your job, you have nothing.
So I'm hoping they will fire me. I will get myself fired!

I'm getting job offerings almost daily, from other stores, our competition. They offer more pay, less hours. As if I am not aware they they as well are understaffed and have the exact same problems (not to mention the exact same customer attitude) as we have.
Do I want to come work for them?
HAHAHHAHA...... nope.

a reply to: KindraLabelle2

For years I have generally been a staff accountant wherever I am. Prior to that, i was a forecaster for T-Mobile. Numbers are where im comfortable. People, not so much.

During COVID the business I work for was extremely contracted. Where we today have a busy staff of 45 some odd folks, then we were about 12. I was in charge of the property, but focused on one division in particular. It was me and 2 other people doing work that is typically more like 20 people. I did the books, and did customers when they came in.

Nothing makes me happier than knowing I have folks to deal with this now. Even better: im not in charge anymore. I like being a #2 or #3, not the lead.

a reply to: KindraLabelle2

I only pulled out my inner Karen one time, and I think it is justified. You tell me, because I am really curious.

I went to a pharmacy (One I've gone to for 30 years)

I first called to make sure the prescriptions were ready, the pharmacist said they were.
I go into the store, wait a long time in line. Get up there and say I am here to pick up the prescriptions for my mom and give her name.
They tell me 20 minutes. OK, I finally get called. They refilled one, not the two prescriptions. I asked why, and was told it was because I didn't ask for them specifically. I said I have never had to do that in all the years I've gone there, and I don't believe it for a second. The pharmacist comes up and tells me that my moms doctor sent the wrong one over the day before. I was like OK, what does that have to do with today. It was so bizarre. It was a heavy narcotic and I think it takes a lot of time or paperwork or something, so they didn't want to fill it.

They tell me I have to wait again, this would be my 3rd time waiting. I told them that my mom was literally dying and this was her medication and I don't appreciate being jerked around wasting time and she is wasting away. (at home hospice) I sit right there and wait as every single person that goes to the counter says I'm here to pick up my prescription, or the prescriptions for so and so. Not one single person said which prescription, they just said the name like I did. I raise my eyebrows each time and give a b*tch face to the clerk.

If they had just been honest and said a mistake was made I would have dropped it, I just don't like being lied to. I know customers aren't always right, but neither are customer service people.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I've been in your shoes when it comes to pharmacies and healthcare, so I get how that made you feel.

I don't know about the law for prescription drugs or the steps they have to follow, but if a mistake was made then they should just say so. Even I still do that at my store, if something went wrong, just apologize to the customer, even when there is nothing you can do to fix the situation right away.

Most people who walk into a pharmacy are dealing with sickness and all the emotions that come with that. I do think that is extra hard on the people who work there since they can't allow themselves to become emotionally involved with their customers. personally I wouldn't want to be dealing with that all day long.

From your point of view, you are emotional, you are upset, you expect to get your meds without much fuzz. I don't know if mistakes where made but the pharmacist could have explained better instead of blaming you or the doctor.

From their point of view, once you started arguing their defenses went right up, they deal with this daily, they know what is coming, they want to cut the interaction as short as possible

The thing is, you both think you're right and you both think the other treated you unfairly...
But unless you are leaving out that you started yelling, crying, calling them names,,... I don't think you acted 'Karen'... I've seen much worse!

I'm sorry about your mom

a reply to: KindraLabelle2

Surprised to hear that is common in Belgium. The old style genteel behavior I recall must be fading away. How sad.

Sounds like it is time for you enjoy a thick wedge of rijsttaart and some of that great Belgian coffee.

Cheers

a reply to: CptGreenTea

I don't blame people for not wanting to work these type of jobs and for little pay. I don't think its a generation of spoiled millennials, but rather a generation that sees no value in spending a majority of their time and a chunk of their life doing something they hate. Who can blame them? People are starting to see the folly of being cogs in the machine, earning pennies to make other's rich.

I enjoyed reading your response.

It's usually when people get tired of being miserable
that they decide to find or create better options.

Sometimes people just need a little inspirational
motivation to steer them in the right direction.

Absolutely nothing in life is worth leveraging ones
time for a low wage job.

originally posted by: F2d5thCavv2
a reply to: KindraLabelle2

Surprised to hear that is common in Belgium. The old style genteel behavior I recall must be fading away. How sad.

Sounds like it is time for you enjoy a thick wedge of rijsttaart and some of that great Belgian coffee.

Cheers

I started my sales career as a self employed store manager. Back then, I got to choose how far I would go for my customers, I needed to take care of them if I wanted them to come back, and I loved doing so!
But about 8 years ago the store went back to the main company and I started working for them.
No more choosing for myself how I work, the company comes first, with all their rules and a separate customer service office that makes all the decisions regarding customer care. I'm just the messenger now.
This is what happened to small stores all over West Europe.
Besides that, it's the manufacturers that holds the keys to warranties, not the stores, not the sales people. Sales people and even store managers, they don't have the tools anymore to say 'the customer is the King'
Manufacturers that buy cheap parts in China and build stuff that break within 3 years, so the legal warranty is 2 years.
Customers don't get to see that side.

So yes, it's happening all over, not just Belgium.

originally posted by: Khaleesi
a reply to: Nyiah

A lot of CNAs and LPNs have had enough. They are taking travel jobs which pay significantly more. Guess what? The Biden administration is talking to Congress about capping their pay. They are fighting and they are losing. So higher pay for fast food workers and .... Nope for healthcare workers if our government gets it's way.

No nurses union at their back for this after ALL these years of low pay? Really?? Maybe it's time to slap one together (or restructure any potentially useless existing ones) and turn the tables on what needs capped and start with comparing nurse pay with insurance gouging to start. Cap that #, government.

Oh wait, someone's stocks would lose value, of course they won't consider THAT cap. but the peon nurses should be.

Even so, someone else isn't going to go to bat, those in the job HAVE to swing it somehow. Granted, I'm not a fan of unions (or the member smarm) but this is one of those examples that is a neon flashing sign for what a union IS best for.

originally posted by: JIMC5499
a reply to: Khaleesi
$14 - $17 an hour is pretty good money where I live. Joejack1949 was the one who said that it wasn't enough.

Problem is at those or higher pay rates one receives poor quality, poor attitude, poor service even if nice as can be as a customer.

I'm probably old fashioned but the saying was "you knew what the job paid when you took it" and "do your job well no matter what as a matter of pride"

I also wholeheartedly agree the public in general is mainly a bunch of self entitled little snots with a definitive "me first" rudeness that's off the wall.

I run into both pissy workers and pissy public as a constant daily occurance.