Are people in certain jobs ever surprised when you're nice to them? (Or personally at your job?)

[YellowRubberDuckie]

Tonight we ran into the Walmart Neighborhood Market to grab a bunch of juice and groceries. We usually go to the self checkouts, but we decided to go to an actual checker tonight. We were chatting with her a little bit, and I complimented her earrings. The entire time she acted so surprised we were even talking to her, let alone being nice to her. What the hell has this world come to when people are SURPRISED when people are nice to them? This PISSES me off. We should be nice to each other even on a BASIC level at least!
I was on the phone with someone the other day, and they apologized about something, and I said, oh, it's not YOUR fault. She was surprised I was so laid back, realizing that whatever had happened was not her fault. What is wrong with people?!
Have you ever seen this?
Or are you ever surprised when someone comes in laid back and nice?
Duckie

[DarkTirade]

1. I've seen that, and I've seen the opposite.

I've always been fairly introverted, so to make up for it I try to make an effort every now and then to just talk to people, be nice, ect. I did that at the grocery store the other day, just friendly chatting to the woman ahead of me in line and she just gave me a look like "Why is that weirdo trying to talk to me." The very next day I did the same thing to another woman in line in front of me, and we had a nice little conversation.

Of course, it could be that the first woman, being closer to my age, thought that I was trying to hit on her or something. :P

[Danger Mouse]

2. i used to work in retail, and let me tell you...

people being nice to you is VERY rare. most people are complete selfish dickholes who think they're better than you for some reason. of course, most of these scumsucking slimebags had a grade-school education and an iq lower than their number of teeth, but because i worked at a RETAIL STORE, they're all friggin high and mighty.
because of how nasty people were to me on a routine basis, i have made it a personal point to try my best to be at the very least polite, if not very friendly, to any and all retail people i deal with.
lord knows they deserve it.
'the customer is seldom right.'
'the customer is a mentally deprived jackass with three teeth and back hair.'

[ruiner4u]

3. whoever came up with 'customer is always right' crap needs to be beaten...

Im just talking out my ass here, but that philosophy is what killed the mom and pop and made it so walmart and its ilk could takeover retail...

Ill just leave that broadbrush statement as it.. I dont feel like thinking tonight.. Its SciFi Friday :)

[Danger Mouse]

4. i agree. it also emboldens idiots who like to bully people...

to be dicks to retail employees just for the hell of it, because they know they are always 'right'
fortunately, i had one manager who didn't believe in that policy, and told a customer that to his face one time.
that guy rocked.

[mark414]

8. exactly...sometimes "the customer" is just an asshole

[Danger Mouse]

20. not sometimes. often

:P

[CBHagman]

5. I've worked in retail and food service, and...

...when I was in those field, most people were reasonably decent, some downright pleasant, a few delightful, and another small group were horrid. Food service was a lot less pleasant than retail was. I liked making sales and being sought out for advice. Feeding people was a trickier matter.

On edit: But I basically like people and feel most of them will do the right thing when push comes to shove.

Here's what has me worried. People are so into their devices right now -- iPods, cellphones, and the like -- that I think a fair number of people are alienated both from their surroundings and from other human beings. We've all seen peole go through the grocery line yapping loudly on their cellphones and never even taking a break to greet the cashier or say thank you.

And I'm noticing a lot of retail employees who are also completely uninvolved in their jobs and alienated from people. Some cashiers spend the entire transaction half turned around to engage in a conversation with a co-worker. Then there's the CVS cashier I wanted to check for a pulse. He was beyond sullen and nonverbal!

I think we're going to pay a really high price for our involvement with hand-held devices.

[Danger Mouse]

21. i worked floor...i seemed to catch more shit from customers that way...

since i had to hear about it if we didn't have the item they wanted in stock, or if the price wasn't what they expected or whatnot. hell, i had some jackass throw a chair in my general direction.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

6. LOL....

You are absolutely right.
There are some that I am just polite to. I am not rude to people unless they are rude first. But if they're stupid, I will be polite, but I'm getting out of their general area as soon as possible.
Duckie

[Danger Mouse]

22. i was very rarely rude to customers.

even when they were snotty. i enjoyed being polite to their insolent ungrateful asses. makes them look all the stupider and impotent, especially if there's an audience. more than one customer completely embarassed themself in front of me making a big scene.

[Roon]

7. I drive cab sometimes

and one day I was called to pick up a disabled woman. She asked to please bare with her as it takes her a few minutes to go from her walker to the back seat. I said,"Don't worry about it, take your time." This woman absolutely freaked. She took a quick glance at me to see if I was being sarcastic and she immediately knew I was being sincere. She tipped me five bucks.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

10. Holy shit, that's awful...

I can't imagine treating ANYONE like that, let alone someone who's disabled about to pay you for a service. An extra couple minutes in the course of your day helping someone else out, especially someone who is about to pay you!, is just not worth worrying about in the grand scheme of things. My god. Poor lady.
Duckie

[Fire Walk With Me]

9. I have seen people treat waiters and others as their personal slaves

like no one else exists and their needs come absolutely first, so I make effort to try to recognize the person who is being of service, whenever I'm at a restaurant etc.

If you have a shitty job, wouldn't you like a moment of humanity during your otherwise shitty day?

"Find ten people today who look like they need a smile, and try to give them one." -Maitreya

[YellowRubberDuckie]

11. I completely agree....

I served in College. I don't know if I'll ever do it again. I try to be nice and understanding with servers...sometimes it's very very difficult, but I try my best.
Duckie

[Zuiderelle]

12. And tipping badly.

I've so often seen classless people treat waitstaff as if they are slaves, and use horribly small tips as some sort of proof of superiority. As if they are teaching the waiter a lesson by depriving them. I just hope that karma gets them in the end.

[CBHagman]

17. Some years ago, the Utne Reader...

...published an article by a waiter who described how a particular customer made a reservation for a large group, showed up late, and then arranged to have his entire meal comped by complaining about the service -- when there were no problems in the least with the service. It was a scam, but one that worked. Unbelievable.

I believe the title of the piece was "Assholes at My Table."

[DarkTirade]

23. To top off this particular subthread...

I present to you

http://www.waiterrant.net/

Great blog, I've been reading it a while. :) Thought it fit in well here.

Oddly enough, a slightly political entry right up at the top right now. :)

[philosophie_en_rose]

13. Comcast technical support in India.

She was entirely helpful and I said thank you. She seemed surprised.

[cobalt1999]

14. The gate agents at the airport or the folks handling calls at the airline.

Especially on a bad weather day.

You'd think people would realize that it isn't the airline agents fault a weather front has screwed up the system. I'm always extra polite when calling about alternative flights/options.

They seem genuinely surprised someone is calm after a flight cancellation.

[fujiyama]

15. I got carry out at a restaurant once...

sat at the bar while waiting for the food chatting with the waitress. When I tipped her, she thanked me. I figured it was no big deal.

I guess it's not expected to be tipped when getting carry out, but I think it's a nice gesture...

I've worked shitty jobs and I know people can be ass holes. Hell, I hate my job now. It's nice to at least deal with polite people.

[NC_Nurse]

16. Try dealing with sick or hurting people.

Some are really grateful for your help, others....not so much. :shrug:
They teach us in school that people regress when they are ill. I can vouch for that! :-)
Patience - it's not just a virtue, it's a job skill.

[skygazer]

18. I work in a grocery store

A lot of people treat you like you're invisible. They don't speak to you unless they have a complaint or want something. It's wierd.

I am fortunate in that we're a smaller store and have a lot of regulars so we do have a good proportion of people who've gotten to know the employees and so they actually chat or interact. But, yeah, I know exactly what you mean.

[otherlander]

19. I think that if i said to a stranger

"i like your earings", they would think to themselves, "who is this person and why is she talking to me?" and they would smile, but it wouldn't be a real smile, it would just be like, "maybe if i smile at this person they will go away."

[AZBlue]

24. I think I surprised the staff today at Blockbuster's.

On Sept. 15th they charged my account for a movie they said I hadn't returned. That left me with a balance of about $22 on my account. That's not huge sum, but I'm on a very tight budget and have splurged on their online club - renting movies is a great diversion that I really enjoy, so in joining their online club I have unlimited movie access for a set amount each month. I did not want to pay $22 for a movie I didn't even have.

The night they told me about this balance the clerk assisting me went and looked for the DVD on the shelf and it wasn't there. I went home, thinking I overlooked a movie to return, and searched. No DVD. I searched the car and the trunk. No DVD. So, I called and spoke to a manager, who did a second search on the shelves and through their desk and couldn't find it. I asked if someone else couldn't have checked it out since I returned it and that's why it wasn't being found, only to be told that their scanning system would have prevented that from being possible (something about checking out a movie that hadn't been checked in would not be allowed).

I have avoided getting any in-store movies since then because I didn't want to pay the $22 yet - I was holding out until Oct. 15th to see if I could come up with the DVD so I didn't have to pay that money.

Today I went to the store to drop off one of my online by-mail rentals - and decided to check the shelf myself. Guess what I found, right where it was supposed to be. Yup, the DVD I'd "lost."

Either they had it all along or it had indeed been checked out by someone else after I turned it in - either way, they were completely in the wrong.

The manager started into a long "I'm so sorry, I don't know how this can happen, we have a really good accuracy rate....." story when I cut him off with a smile and a "That's ok...my account is now zero, right? Ok, thanks, have a good day." He just stood there with his mouth open. I didn't ask for free rentals for the grief, I didn't yell or get mad. I just made certain that the situation was resolved and went on my way. The $22 was stressing me out and to have that situation resolved is all I wanted and all I asked for.