I went off on someone in public this week.
Normally, that only serves to make me feel bad
about my lack of self-control, or for allowing a
nobody to alter my emotions. On this particular
week's 'Hump Day' however, I felt good about
humping back.
The local Hardee's Restaurant is not known for
much in the way of customer service. This is a
small, poor town with dying businesses and not
much going for it. Like thousands of similar towns
in America, it's filled with people who aren't ever
going to have a better life than they have right now--
and who are aware of that fact.
It doesn't exactly inspire superb attitudes--and even
if it did, minimum wage, monotony, lack of benefits,
and living in the middle of constant racism would
take care of finishing off any enthusiasm.
But what happened Wednesday, July 25th, 2018
at this franchised, greasy, fast-food-hole in the
middle of Donalsonville, Georgia's main highway
was neither strange for this business, new from
the individual in question, or unique to the current
customer service trend of "Who gives a shit?"
What's truly telling is that EVERYwhere I went
that day, and everyONE I have told in the days
since, one common theme ties my sharing of
the incident: I didn't even have to say the name
of the person in question who treated me poorly--
she was known to everyone by the described
bad acts.
This tells us several things. First, the problem
with this specific person's bad attitude is
persistent and well-known. It is considered a
staple--a feature, if you will--of this Hardee's
restaurant. (Owned and operated by the town's
mayor, Dan Ponder, by the way. Well, 'Ponder
Enterprises, Inc.')
Second, the casual way in which people shake
their head in muted disbelief shows how
accustomed we are to overlooking problematic
customer service. It's just part of our expected
experience when we enter any kind of business
in this day and age. We've stopped even bothering
with reporting it or being shocked by it.
Third, the lack of concern by management or
owner for the treatment of their customer base
says everything needed to understand that
they have no respect for the people or their money.
(Okay that's not true--They do love them some
green. But they don't care how they get it!)
I, too, have essentially Given Up when it comes
to the hopeless nature of the disappeared art of
customer service. Everywhere you go, it's people
not making eye contact with you, grunting at you rather
than speaking, talking on the phone while they 'deal'
with you, talking to their coworkers, airing personal
problems, acting like helping you is torture,
and so on and so on....
It's disgusting and unacceptable, but what are
we to do when it's our new normal? And I don't
want to enter into conflict just to be heard. And
for people like me, in a small town with limited
choices, if you start boycotting horribly run
businesses you WILL run out of places to shop!
("Keep your money local!" my ass.)
I used to take the high road of ignoring the Bad
and simply complementing the Good. I would
write courteous letters to managers and owners so
they could course-correct with their hiring.
But no one cares any more--Not one. single. BIT!
No matter. Despite the pervasiveness of poor
service, it is NOT acceptable. With everything
going on in the world, can we not at LEAST use
the whole 15 seconds of time it takes to make
one another feel welcome, respected? As human
beings, can we not at least put THAT much effort
into it?
Forget that y'all are not on a reality show and
don't need to be mugging for the cameras with
your nasty glares and chicken-necking. Forget
that you are being paid a wage to actually speak
to the people coming in to the store--nicely. Forget
that your life is in shambles and you hate your
drama, because I guarantee you I am NOT the one
who pissed in your oatmeal nor have I shot your
MeeMaw, so get over it.
Because I am the flip side of that coin.
I am the one who is sick and damn tired of being
disrespected by people all the damn time.
I am sick of southerners thinking they're 'justified'
in owning their attitude-filled disdain
and personal 'issue' with my skin color, my
heritage, my sexuality, my voice, my weight, my
politics, my extracurriculars, my attire, etc.
It's now common practice to perform a negative eval
in order to inform what level of disrespect people
will show customers. 'Mistreatment' is in vogue.
Some will think "Get over it--Not a big deal."
Disrespect is a huge deal.
Our country is falling apart due in large part
to an epidemic of it, and it's likely only going to
worsen. No, I can't change how people act.
I can't effectively change anything at every
place I go where people mistreat me.
But I am done with fake-smiling and
pushing down the normal response of upset
when someone who's about to take my money
thinks I need to get a ration of bullshit on the side.
Save that drama for when you're on your knees
at night in prayer.
I'm speaking my mind--calmly.
I'm walking out.
I'm not returning.
I'm telling everyone I know.
I'm writing bad reviews.
I will at least be heard, regardless of
whether or not it changes anything,
because enough is enough.
And in time, other folks will be joining
the campaign to stop stomaching
nasty employees. When they do?
Businesses won't know what hit them.
***
