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I was at work today, doing my bike thing and churning out the work.

I was installing a pair of cleats on the bottom of a customers shoes, and someone walks up to ask me a question. He was talking to me and playing with the stickers I needed for the cleat install (backing stickers, to help prevent water from getting into the shoes). I was answering his question, and he peeled the sticker off and stuck it to the glass parts case. I stopped, and was like "excuse me sir, I need those stickers, can you not play with them?" and he was like "oh, you were using these? Sorry." Then he walks away. I wanted to smack the shit out of him.

THEN

THEN

Some motherfucking asshole jacked some stuff from the store. He walked out the wrong doors, and one of our casheirs was like "excuse me sir" and the "stealing shit" alarm went off, and the casheir ran after him and was like

"Sir, I need to check your bag!"

The guy said, and I quote, "No. I don't have a bag."

Then he ran off outside.

Fucking shoplifters. I swear I want to castrate each and everyone of them with a fucking rusty spoon, and a saw thier junk off with a cheap sushi resturant pair of chop sticks. I don't care about the mechandise. That's what insurance is for. It's more the principle of the thing. Why? Why the fuck would you put yourself in such high risk to steal something that costs 30 bucks. Why the fuck wouldn't you just fucking BUY something that costs 30 bucks.

If it's not worth the money to buy it, what makes it worth it to steal it? If a jacket costs $400, but you don't think it's worth $400, then why steal it? And if it IS worth $400 to you, why not just budget for it and buy it?

THEN

Someone got a flat tire on their bike, that they have had for a year but "only ridden 2 or 3 times". This genius asked me if there was any type of flat-tire warranty. His exact words were "my tire is low" (he was from france) "I haven't had bike long, 1 year maybe. Is there warranty for low tire?"

So, because of the mild language barrier, I asked to clarify... "you mean, you want the store or the company to buy you a new innertube because the tire wen't flat?"

"yes."

"Oh! Well Absolutely... no way."

THEN he proceeded to argue with me about how he only has ridden the bike twice and how this wasn't normal, and how he has had bikes for 10 years without any flat tires before. I was up to my nuts in paperwork and things I had to deal with, and I was SO close to snapping. I just gently interupted his rambling and said "Sir, flat tires are an assumed cost of owning a bicycle, there is no warranty, either stated or implied that says if you get a flat tire, the company will replace it for free."

I thought that would be the end of it. I thought wrong. He then wanted to return the bike because of this. I said "sir, I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do to help you. This is the tube you will need to fix the tire yourself, $4.99." and then I put the tube on the counter (on top of the sticker that Jackass#1 put there), and walked away.

Talk about friggin retarded! I swear, this day was a riot.

Sometimes I feel like I am losing faith in the future of the human race by the minute. Steve's Evoloution Movement is sure to take hold.

That's all, just wanted to vent.

That sounds like a shitty day at work. What a bunch of douche bags-esp. the first guy who put the stickers on the glass case.

I hate people anyway, but that sticker thing would really piss me off. The other guy ... you always get assholes like that who think if they make enough of a stink that they'll get anything for free. I blame it on bad parents that give in to their little bastards every time they throw a tantrum. I've never let that 'squeaky wheel gets the grease' shit work with me - I'd rather get fired and arrested for assault and battery than give into such pricks. With me, the nice customers (even if they may be anal, but are respectful about it) get the primo treatment. My boss feels the same way, so it's great.

Steve

It's funny how customers only see one side of public relations. Last time I checked, relations implies TWO sides of something interacting with each other. The customer has just as much of a responsibility as the worker.

Ya know what? I am extremely nice and flexible with everyone that I encounter in a business transaction. And guess what? I get the best customer service too. For example, I'm very cordial and patient with the Subaru dealer parts guys. And even though they're not the cheapest in town, I have ALWAYS gotten my parts in a reasonably timely manner, no matter what I've ordered. They have NEVER told me that they can't get a part or it's obsolete or anything like that.

No matter how much the worker is fed all that "treat all customers nicely and equally" bullshit, you KNOW that they are going to be nicer and more willing to help the nicer customer. That's plain human nature and there's no way around it.

The only thing I can say Phil, is welcome to the workforce . I don't have to tell you that you are gonna hafta put up with that shit for the rest of your professional career.

I hate people too.

LOL- I hear all of you guys. After college I worked Loss prevention for a few name-retailers. I have had a knife pulled on me for a pack of cigarettes and I have seen every type of person steal just about anything.

I say we take a finger every time they do that. Then everyone knows what they did.

The Japanese have got it down when it comes to crime.

Well, our project engineer at work refuses to order some key spare parts for our machines on the premise that if something breaks he can have it delivered the next day. The really stupid thing about it is that it's not his ass on the line if, say, a main bearing goes out on this huge reel stand used to mount huge reels of paper or if a special order transformer goes bad on one of the wrapping machinges which would stop production dead. MY boss is the one who would get flamed for that happening but this fool just says this crap with an obnoxious know it all smirk. It makes me want to set his damn pink dress shirt on fire. I think this guy read and fundamentally misunderstood the concept of lean manufacturing. Lean doesn't mean starving.

Nobody saves money if the machines aren't running. I'm glad my boss had no problem with me buying spares at my last job.

Is everybody's workplace half-assed? Now that I think of it, everywhere I've ever worked got by on the skin of its' teeth. Marina's no different. I could make 3 or 4 times more money than the idiot Harvard owner if I could buy the joint. Letting things fall into disrepair, damaging boats (and endangering people) by moving them too quickly to save a minute or two, and swearing at customers even when you've screwed up is no way to run a business. It's true that some customers aren't worth having for the aggravation they cause (and they're usually the cheapest bastards), but he only picks on the ones who are nice (pushover) enough to take it so that's not the reason. Just putting up a sign that said, "under new mgt.". and hiding him off premises would get more people in. And the damn location kicks ass. If only ...

Sorry, guess it turned into a vent of my own.

Steve

Nah, it's a group vent and you're right about idiots ruling things. It's called the Peter Principle. Have you ever heard of it?

The bozos where I work want to run the machines full bore but don't have the understanding to realize that if you run full bore and a machine breaks resulting in a few hours of downtime you just lost more money than you'd make by going super fast. Timing is everything on a manufacturing line. Speed sometimes has to take a back seat to reliablility. If machine A has to stop because it can't keep up with machine B running balls to the wall, what's the point? How come I know this and the higher ups don't???? It's amazing, simply amazing...

They don't teach common sense at those worthless ivy leagues. Well, I don't know about the rest, but I just have a hatred for Harvard that borders on the level I reserve only for golf and people who interrupt you to talk on their cell phone. I don't need to make this a Harvard bash so I'll let my whole rant about the place go for now.

My last job was the same way with the machines, though. They were mad if we did PMs since it slowed down the overworked lines, but then they were pissed when the machine(s) were down for sometimes days because the PMs weren't done (not that they didn't otherwise have issues, but what do you want from 15 year old precision printing machines that run two shifts everyday?). The owner of the marina's the same kind of retard - throw away 10 bucks to save a nickel (or 3 grand to save a couple minutes).

Steve

The last two summers I knocked on doors selling educational books. Not the typical dodr-to-door thing that you think of. Very proffessional and service mined. Anyways, after talking to 8000 people the last two summers, I've noticed a few things about people. First, there will always be a few rude people. I would only come across a couple rude people a day, and thats out of 50-70 people I talked to. When you knock on someone's door, who they are is what you get. There were very few doors slammed in my face, most people aren't rude like that. Second, is that only 25% of people are open minded. Of the 60 or so people I talked to(most were parents with kids) 10-15 would actually take 10 minutes and just look at what I was showing everybody. 10 minutes is about how long it took me to tell if they were going to buy. If they weren't, I packed up and got pre-approach on the other houses on the block. We had a 20 minute rule. I f you spend more than 20 minutes there, you are being a pushy salesman.

Last, and most importantly, attitude is everything. Most of the time, your attitude towards people has alot to do with people's attitude towards you. Granted, its really hard to always have a good attitude if someone is being a dick, but I just smile and nod and go about my business. Life is too short to get pissed about some dumbass.


Don't get me wrong, there have been plenty of times where I wanted to tell someone off or knock their teeth out, but I knew that would help my cause at all.


ps- Don't ever buy magazines at your door. They are known throughout the industry screwing people and unethical sales tactics.

You could never do that door to door stuff up here. Even the Jahova's are hardly seen. Mostly just lonely old people with no money would invite you in. People are too rude and suspicious. I guess that's why this is the only part of the country I could live in.

Steve

People from that program are all over the country- at least where there are decent amounts of people. THey stay away from the really deserted areas like North Dakota, Montana, western Kansas, etc.

My first summer I was in Sanilac County, Michigan. It is, or so I've been told, the poorest county in the state. I believe it. Two-thirds of the housing was either modular or mobile. But the thing is, people are always into education. I've had families pay in full up front for books when the siding is falling off the house, the inside was disgusting, mom made the dough, and the kids had the most crooked teeth I've ever seen. I learned that you never know what people have in their bank account and what their priorities are. I've also had familes tell me they can't afford it when there is a new SUV in the garage and they live in a beautiful brick home. You just never know. Collecting cash is easier in nice areas though.

I definately noticed differences in the areas I've been. Up in Michigan, people were a bit nicer. In Missouri, people were a lot more suspicious.

I never believed the term "Minnesota nice" untill I spent time in other parts of the country though.

Dan

I was grasping a weapon in my pocket and preparing to stab a guy through the eye or throat my first night in Detroit because the guy talked to me on the elevator at 3 AM asking me about myself. People don't talk to strangers much here so I figured there was something wrong about him. I still think I was right in idea, but not in context. I like the isolation that comes from not talking to people you don't have to deal with. I know nothing of my neighbors and I assume they're afraid of me. Fine by me, that's the perfect set up - having the benefits of places to go and buy things that a city brings, yet the blessed isolation of the country.

Steve