After a typical night in the cafeteria, I began to think about a post my grandfather did a few months ago regarding respect. I found that as a customer of the cafeteria, I am not being respected by the employees. Not only am I not receiving respect, but so are most of the students in general. Here are some of the examples of disrespect you can find on a typical day:
1. employees talking on cell phones during their shifts
2. yelling across the dining hall at other employees
3. having verbal confrontations with other employees in front of student-customers
4. gossiping with other employees while student-customers are in line
5. complaining about long lines when their ignorance and lack of planning caused the lines
6. becoming peeved when a student has a special food request (vegetarian, allergy, or healthier diets)
7. becoming peeved when their conversations are interrupted to serve a student-customer
8. paying more attention to the game or show on TV than to the student-customers
Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list of disrespect, but a list of "typical" occurrences. Just tonight, I experienced several of the above, and one that I did not mention. In this cafeteria, there are four major areas that serve different hot meals. One section serves pizza only. Another section serves hamburgers, fries, grilled cheese, and a grill special. Another section serves home style meals (frequently soul food, but usually what one would have for dinner at home). The last section serves "just in time" cuisine that is prepared in front of you (pasta, Oriental food, and other quickly cooked entrees).
Normally I choose meals from the "just in time" or the home style sections, but tonight their offerings did not sound appetizing to me. So, I decided to get a hamburger at the grill, and apparently that was a popular decision tonight. When I got there (around 7:25 PM), there was a line of about 6-7 people including myself. The cafeteria locks its doors at 7:30, but stays open to serve the last customer. Well, the guy behind the counter looked at the line and said, "Gee, look at this line! Why do these people wait til the last damn minute to come in here?" (or something similar to that). As he was preparing the food, he was slamming things, tearing things open, throwing food items and trays, and mumbling random phrases to himself and the other man behind the counter. Keep in mind, though, that the other man was quiet through the whole ordeal and just did his job. I eventually got my hamburger about five minutes later, and as soon as the line subsided, the workers began to take everything apart and clean up.
What has happened here? What has happened to the respect that customers deserve? At my place of employment (Ingles), we stay open 24 hours except on Sunday when we close at 10 PM and open again at 7 AM Monday. On Sunday nights, we lock the doors at 10:00 and must stay until all customers have been rung up and escorted out. Sometimes this has taken as much as half an hour, even after making announcements twenty minutes before closing. But inevitably there will be a couple of customers that make the mad dash before we lock the doors and do their last-minute shopping. I could not imagine complaining in front of the customers and becoming irate in front of them; my managers would fire me on the spot if I did that. We stay until the last customer leaves, and we do so with the same courtesy we give all our customers.
Why can't these employees do this at the cafeteria? Sure, we may be students, but we are still customers. We pay a great deal of money to come here and eat here, so we deserve the same respect any employees should give their customers. I know I am not the only person who sees these "injustices" in the cafeteria, as most people I know have seen similar situations. All I ask is to be respected as a customer should be, and maybe have the employees leave their personal feelings at home. The food by itself can be bad enough; can't we at least have a comfortable dining experience?
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8 comments:
I think you should give your entry to the editor of the school newspaper and the administration.
If these people don't learn now then they WILL be fired from future jobs. I'm assuming that these workers are also students, though.
That's a pretty extensive cafeteria you guys have there. Bravo for expecting better service. Now you have to demand it. I agree with Tim about raising awareness.
There are at least two reasons employees act poorly with customers, bad management or overly secure employees (or both). Some managers don't monitor or enforce good customer practices. Some employees feel they will not be fired or disciplined for poor behaver or they are so abused they don't care if they are fired. Notice how you are treated next time you go to the post office or the DMV where both of these conditions exist.
I agree with John, it is good management that is needed. To look deeper into this, it is standard for all bureaucratic institutions to have employees like this (and managers) who do not know how to compete. Jobs are secure and there is no incentive to do better or to think of the consumer. This is why capitalism is better, because of the competition. If you do not do a good job there are few or no rewards.
It does not always have to be that way though. While in the Navy, the Chief of one messhall I attended walked around with pride while we were all eating. He stuck his chest out and was proud of the food he served. He got many compliments. The Navy is a bureaucratic organization and this is the exception, and is why I remember it. Most times, the Chief in charge was merely a bureaucrat and only fulfilled his bare duties.
Competition is better for the consumer, if you do not get what you want you go elsewhere. Sometimes, with competition, there are contests to exceed the customers expectations. When you get employees like this the experience is usually pleasant.
Looks like the school should hire only those who have succeeded at the McDonald University.
I don't agree with John on poor service at the post office and DMV. Maybe I just live in a good place. As much as I am unable to stand in line, I don't mind going to the post office because lines move quickly and efficiently. I usually end up complimenting whatever clerk serves me.
Our last Secretary of State cleaned up the DMV and made it very efficient also. Its been a while since I've had to go there but I remember it as a not unpleasant experience.
I agree with the part that a bad worker will take full advantage of job security and that could be a problem, but it mostly comes down to management.
Our own family genes include the good worker chromosome.
Sean, I have to agree with you expecting better service, but I think I'd prefer no respect to "pretend" respect.
I just stayed at a Hyatt. I was struck by how solicitious every one seemed vs. how they didn't really help make my stay pleasant. First the bell desk guy took a few minutes before he "recognized" me to ask him to hold my bags. He was very nice once I had his attention, but now I didn't trust him at all. The next guy made me wait again to be "recognized" when I retreived my bags. It was definitely an "I've got the power" moment for these guys.
The guy at the desk asked me to wait before approaching him after I was already at the counter--it was weird, but ok he wasn't ready for the next customer. Then he was so over the top solicitious, it felt sarcastic.
The room was lovely, but there was no reading light by the chair. I had to move a table and have a cord cut across the entry way to have a lamp by the chair. Very poor planning.
The maintenance guy in the hallway gave me a big smile and "I hope you enjoy your stay". What do they have a pep rally or something--it was the maintanence guy.
I asked a question at the reservation desk and the girl was again over the top solicitous.
They had caller id for room service, so that I was identified by name, but they couldn't understand the concept of "plain". That's ok--I get it. No one gets my definition of plain (except maybe the dictionary, but I digress).
The second glass was dirty. How weird. But I only use one glass, so I tried not to mind. Then they left the same dirty glass when they cleaned the room. When they cleaned the room, they did not take out my trash. The housekeeping staff passed me in the hall at least five times. Every time, I was greeted with an over the top, I hope you enjoy your stay.
I had visions of really giving them a piece of my mind in a review given the outrageous price of the room, but the girl at the reservation desk when I checked out seemed to genuinely care that I had a great stay. I just didn't have the heart to rain on her parade. Is this some kind of new marketing technique?
Kathy - Your experience gave me a good laugh. Of course they have meetings, that is how they get all to smile and try to treat you well. What underlies all of this is that it is assumed by management that all jobs are being done well. You observed that all jobs are not being done well and therefore had a bad experience. The first thing management must do is be sure that the work is being done before trying to make nice.
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