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Another Inconvenient Truth
By: Patrick Maguire
Book Chapter: Human-to-Human Service
Posted: 05/10/2011
Today’s post comes courtesy of Jan Tessier, a loyal reader of ServerNotServant. Jan’s provocative email caught my attention in a big way, and we had quite a chat about her life in the service industry. Jan’s first job was de-tassling corn for $1.50/hour. Since then she has been a waitress, busser, cook, cabbie, data entry worker, office worker, security officer, bartender, home care provider and a university employee.
I am grateful to Jan for sharing her story with our readers.
Jan pointed out that thousands upon thousands of people work in convenience stores across America and around the world. Most of them take these ‘low-wage’, ‘dead-end’ jobs because they are:
- young and inexperienced.
- older and often unable to find work anywhere else.
- unskilled and undereducated.
Benefits, if there are any, are meager. Company-provided insurance often costs 1/4 to 1/3 of a convenience store employee’s annual gross. Most of these corporations don’t allow employees to eat or drink anything for free, or even at a discount. Raises are hard to come by. After working for a full year, Jan received a stingy twenty cent increase and learned that the thirty cents increase, is reserved for “outstanding” workers who garner the approval of the district manager!
For that little money, convenience store employees are some of the hardest working people in the country. In addition to manning the cash register, their duties include:
- Attending to coffee and vending machines.
- Stocking shelves and freezers.
- Cleaning floors, counters, parking lots, and bathrooms.
- Lugging heavy trash bags and recyclables to the dumpsters.
- Updating inventory, deliveries and sales.
- Maintaining a welcoming presence at the counter and on the floor.
- Up-selling special counter items to meet monthly quotas on junk food, gadgetry and store cards, a clever scam to track customers’ information and spending habits.
On any given day, Jan arrives at 2pm for the second shift. After clocking in, she records lottery numbers and counts the drawer as a line of customers quickly forms. She contends with customers so busily talking on their cell phones that they can’t tell her if their order is complete, if they are paying with cash or a card, or what pump they will be using for their gas.
While the whole idea of a convenience store is service for people in a hurry, CSR’s watch helplessly as lines back up for customers who will empty their pockets, pocket books, backpacks or gym bags to dig up exact change; rather than just turn over a twenty and get change back in a flash. A recent customer instructed Jan (and the customers behind her) to wait while she dashed to her car and returned with eleven cents apparently scraped up off a dirty surface. When Jan voids out these transactions to keep the line moving, she risks a reprimand from management who frowns on voids and the ire of the dilatory customer who’s been relegated to the rear of the line.
And convenience store clerks also endure:
- Underage drinkers and smokers in the parking lot harassing older customers to buy them cigarettes and six packs.
- Drug addicts and drunks who angrily expect credit advances because, “I’m in here all the time. You should know me.”
- Every imaginable profanity and digital gesture from unruly, boorish customers who don’t get their way.
- Cleaning up the vilest of human messes all over the store and into the bathrooms. Yes, even those messes…
- Picking up garbage, trash, paper wrappers, cans and bottle all over the parking lot courtesy of thoughtless, slovenly patrons.
Jan will be the first to tell you that for all of the misery, she’s thankful for an understanding manager and for the opportunity to serve plenty of nice, well meaning customers—a cross section of society really—who come into her store. But as all of us in service jobs know, somehow it’s the difficult customers and harsh working conditions that discourage us and shake our faith in humanity.
When it’s finally time to cash out and get ready to leave for the night, Jan will tell you that she’s one exhausted grandmother in need of two more Aleves to ease her aching back, feet, and legs. She drives home exhausted, stressed and often in tears. And, she does not think she’s alone. Several conversations with fellow workers have confirmed that Jan’s inconvenient truths are pervasive within her industry.
Of course, Jan Tessier is not alone in her concern for the rampant incivility directed at working class people.
So readers, what do you think?
Any other convenience store workers care to share their experiences?
Convenience store customers; What do you see in your fellow customers or in the employees who work there?
15 Responses to “Another Inconvenient Truth”
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Permalink | Posted in Human-to-Human Service | 15 Comments »
Jan is a gladiator! I applaud her and those like her. Every time I depart from a convenient store transaction I always say to each and every cashier – “stay safe”…. I commend them! Your blog posts are always insightfully humanizing!
luv ya!
Pen
I’ve seen a lot of convenience store employees put up with more than I could as a bartender. I’m glad they’re there to make my life easier. I once watched as the person in line ahead of me pocketed two packs of a cheaper brand of cigarettes while the clerk wasn’t looking. When he got to the register the clerk rang up the other items and told him a total. I loudly asked if he was going to pay for the smokes. He glared at me, took them out of his pocket, and paid. As soon as I got out of the store he used every curse word I’ve ever heard spoken to me. I just kept telling him he shouldn’t steal.
Oh–if only it were only convenience stores. I’ve worked in retail for over 30 years. Yes, that behavior is more prevalent in a store that is open 24/7 and is an open invitation to entitlement simple for being a “convenience” store–but it occurs everywhere–including “those” messes in the dressing room of an upscale department store (and not from a child)!
I can’t tell you the number of times I have to deal with customers who wait in a long line and then when they finally arrive at the register deal with them trying to find their credit cards, or realize they just need “one more thing,” or having to recreate what was eaten while they were waiting in line (often they don’t remember what they have just consumed).
And yes, management often has no idea the stress involved with those situations.
Then there is the fairly new phenomenon of the customer who is on the cell phone, paying no attention to what is happening and acts all annoyed when you ask them to attend to signing for a credit card. I actually had a woman apologize to the person she was speaking to on the phone because she was “at the register.” No need to apologize to me, after all, I’m “just a cashier.”
But then yesterday, I had the politest, most engaging two-year-old who made my morning. In the afternoon, two busloads of middle-school kids arrived. Expecting the worst (and a depletion of inventory, unpaid), they patiently waited in line and were pleasant to deal with. The high-school kids that come in for lunch put down their cellphones when they pay and for the most part say please and thank you. I wish they would train their parents.
I’ve often thought of starting a career as a therapist catering strictly to those in the retail industry, but the biggest help would simply be customers who say “please” and “thank you.”
I haven’t worked retail in a long time, but just the other night, my husband and I were talking about “raises” one receives when working retail. I remember being excited about a $.10 raise. What is that now, really, if you are working 40 hours a week? $4/a week. Really? Thanks? Wow, now I can buy me some well, heck I can’t even splurge for a coffee at a fancy coffee shop!
And, these companies are taking in a decent amount of money with the CEOs making more money in one year than the “Faces of the Company” will make in a lifetime of them working there.
Also, if a company is making such good money, why does their health insurance have to be crap? I have worked for small companies that had better health insurance for much less than what was offered when I worked retail.
My son works at convenience store, mostly swing but two graveyard shifts each week – right on the US/Canadian border. I always worry about him, but he knows all of the local police and border patrol guys who stop by a lot. That’s a comfort.
Once he was eligible for health insurance, he declined to pay for the coverage – simply was not worth it. He gets his $.20 hourly raise this month.
Hate the cell phone usage “multi-tasking”. Someone recently called me and midway through the conversation, her cell rang. I could hear her talking and then she told that caller that she had someone to “get rid off” so she could continue the cell conversation. Nice. What am I – trash? Get rid off? Lady, you called ME!
Have been in your shoes, also the server, cook, bank teller, telephone operator ( and believe it or not these people that you can’t see are the worst!) and I agree 100 percent!!! People not only have no respect for cashiers they also have no respect for fellow customers in line. How about the idiot who stands at the beer cooler at 7:01 am complaining that the beer cooler isn’t unlocked yet as your trying to cash out 15 people buying coffee trying to get to…dare I say it…work!!
Convenience store workers also often endure being targets of armed robberies putting their lives in jeopardy & being expected to “take one for the company” for a few cents over minimum wage. As a 23 yr. veteran police officer I have investigated several convenience store robberies where surveillance cameras have not been equipped with tapes or dvds because the corporate “bigwigs” didn’t want to “waste” money on them. Nice of them to be looking out for the well-being of these unappreciated members of the working class !
Wonderful and overwhelming response to this. Thank you all, and thank you, Patrick. And thanks to all who work for a paycheck. You are the reason America survives.
The difference, too, is in the mind on the service employee….that frames service from servitude.
Well I have never worked at a convenience store, however, I go to one almost everyday or to the Dunkin Donuts inside. The people who work at both are so nice and friendy. I have to say the customers and their cell phones make me crazy. I always get off the phone before paying, its RUDE not to. Everyones time is valuable, we expect the attention of the people working there, its only appropriate that we give them ours. I can’t stand the people who act annoyed when the cashier ringing them up DARE ask them a question while they are on the phone… the attitude tey give is ridiculous. I usually end up talking and laughing about it to the cashiers. Thank you to all the hard working and well mannered people out their in customer service/retail etc .. Their are many of us out there who appreciate it 🙂
I can’t even imagine…and I wonder if she works at the 7/11 by me…
I witnessed 2 incidents over the last week that prompted me to do the (side to side) head shake.
I feel for them & it actually concerns me that Jan might be put in scary situations. Unless she works behind glass, there isn’t a whole lot stopping someone from bouncing towards her…or anyone really. The drunks & druggies I’ve seen at such stores get loud & rowdy & tend to hold up the line for awhile since the attention of the employees & manager is centralized.
I get it, a job is a job. But sometimes its hard to put the brave face on…no matter how thankful you are to have one & a roof over your head.
Maybe there has to be a day when everyone in the service industry–EVERYONE–refuses service to people who are on their cell phones. It is the height of rudeness. It is uncivil.
Manners revolution. I’m in.
I also applaud what Jan Tessier is saying, but will take it a step further. I refuse to have anyone in my life, be it friend, associate, or family member, who is uncivil in any way to waitstaff or other service professionals. They get one chance, a friendly warning and then they are cut out. Inappropriate cell phone use? See ya. Belittling waitstaff? Buh-bye.
My circle of friends here in Boston spans age groups, income levels and backgrounds but one thing we have in common is that we consistently receive superb service almost everywhere we go.
Guess why?
As I just recently worked at a convenience store part-time on weekends before the owner sold it out without telling any of his employees, and we were kicked to the curb by the new owners.
My former boss was a very nice person. The job wasn’t all that difficult, just ringing people up at the register, keeping the store in order, fronting/facing products and occasionally having to provide directions. I enjoyed it, as I’m a bit of a “people-person”, having spent much time in the food service business. However, there was one thorn in my side.
“The community bathroom”. (*Cue ominous music here* “Dun dun DUN!”)
As a closer, I was expected to clean the bathroom at the end of the night. You have no idea of the horrors I beheld. The reek of urine, soaked floors, tissue strewed about, unflushed waste, and as a treat, every so often, poo splattered EVERYWHERE. Bowl, tank, wall. Wonderful. Someone’s ass exploded and I have to clean it up. Wow, there’s even poo across from the toilet on the wall. Wonder how that came about.
Yes, I know it’s a public bathroom. But that fact doesn’t give you the right to trash the place. Some of us have to clean up after you pigs.
I doubt you do that in your own home. You know who you are.
And to “MEH”, although your comment was posted a month ago, I can completely agree. When my p/t convenience store position was axed, I took up part time at a Dunkin’s. It’s SO difficult to understand what one wants when they’re yapping on a phone as they try to order at the same time.
Often, we can’t understand. “I’d like a large iced with…dude, just a sec, I’m at Dunks..no, uh, she did WHAT?” And a conversation ensues. My headset beeps, signaling a customer at the drive-through, and I take their order and serve the customer. Meanwhile, the guy at the counter yammering into his phone formerly has concluded his discussion (and given me more than I’d like to know about his personal life), now gives me a dirty look, and perhaps a nasty comment, because I took the order at the drive-through first, even though he was at the counter discussing a personal issue with a buddy.
“I’m sorry, Sir, I had to take the window. Your order again?” I smile, genuinely polite.
“I SAID, large iced Mocha, cream, no sugar. Deaf?”
I bite my tongue and nod, as the order had never gone beyond “Iced” and his personal issues. “Okay, Sir. Large iced Mocha, cream, no sugar”. I prepare his drink and ring him up, and he huffs out in a storm.
Really. I can’t serve you to the best of my ability if you can’t get off of the horn for a moment and tell me what what you want.
Besides that, it’s a bit rude.