Thursday, December 2, 2010

Respect, where art thou?

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T!"  Those letters spell out a very important word; an essential concept, a gift, and a right.  So why is it that so often in this industry, it becomes a forgotten term?

So someone tell me, what's the deal with management and their lack of courtesy?  And I'm not talking above-and-beyond polite, I just mean basic common courtesy toward another human being.  Not only is there no "good morning," "please," or "thank you," which is downright rude, there is actual verbal abuse in the workplace.  (Somebody call APS!)

Ever have someone speak at you?  No, I don't mean speak TO you, I mean speak AT you.  There's quite a difference.  Take the owner, for example.  Say something slight went wrong during your shift at the diner.  She came careening toward you, lunacy in her eyes!  No quiet inquisitions here.  Instead you got the full treatment - top volume, maximum screech, peepers bulging, spit flying!!!  Sometimes she even went so far as to physically grab you, to be sure you weren't going anywhere while she got her scream fix.  And if you dared to try and stand up for yourself (oh horror of horrors!) or explain anything, you got this in response: "I don't want to hear it.  I'm talking, not you.  See this?  (gesticulates around her head)  This is my boss's cap.  Nobody can steal my boss's cap.  I am the boss."  It was either that, or the valley-girl hand in your face, and the command, "Stop."  ...Charming thing, isn't she?       

I'd like to know whatever happened to discussion.  Not once have I ever experienced "please," "thank you," "I'd like you to try it this way," or even "please make an effort not to let that happen again."  The people in charge at these places just love to feel important, and they walk all over you to get that feeling.  I realized something hilarious though - it's the school bully syndrome.  Remember as a kid, there was some little boy who always picked on everyone and made you cry, pushed you down in the playground and stole the quarter your mom gave you for milk?  And remember when you learned about bullying, and how it meant that the person was just trying to make themselves feel better about their own life and problems by making others feel worse?  So essentially here we have a fully grown adult who feels the need to harass and belittle her staff in order to propel herself to a feeling of superiority.  ...Well hello, schoolyard bully, thy name is Diner Owner!

1 comment:

  1. Boss hat??? Somebody should give her the dunce cap instead, and sit her in a corner.

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