Don't Judge A Book

[Aldous]

I must say when I first saw them, I thought to myself "Oh lord, They're gonna be a huge pain in my ass." They were three guys, in about their early twenties, dressed like they just came out of Compton. Now I think for most people, this sets off some alarms. I was in Defcon 5, ready to take everything they can dish out. One of them was wearing an iPod, and the leader of the group smacks the iPod guy on the head and says

"Damn it man, how many times do I gotta tell ya, to show some damn respect and take that crap off when you're about to order a meal. You think the guy up front wants to deal with an asshole that's too busy listening to his music to know what's going on?"

The guy took his iPod off, and the following ensued:
Me: Shocked beyond words
LM: Lead Man

Me: Hello welcome to Tyranical Meat Market, may I help you?
LM: Hey how ya doin'?
Me: Pretty good, you?
LM: Can't complain. Sorry about my friend over there, he has no respect for people.
Me: It's no problem.
LM: *orders*
Me: That'll be XX.XX, for here or to go?
LM: For here. *hands a 20*
Me: Here's your change.
LM: Nah, you keep it, you don't get paid near enough to deal with the customers you get. I used to work here, I know.

I got like a $5 tip. It was people like him, who talked to me like I was a person not a machine who made it worthwhile to work there.

[Lyger]

This reminds me of the thread that discusses the "normal" people vs. the peopl who look like they're gonna cause trouble... how the encounters we've had with people tend to lean towards younger people as being the nicest ones, as well as folks who look like they're going to cause problems being the ones that do this stuff.

And you're so right: it's people like LM that make working at places like that worthwhile.

[Broomjockey]

It's absolutely amazing how much a person like that can change how you feel about your job for a long time after.

Had a similar experience once with a lady who said her daughter used to have a job like mine at the theatre. It was a $2 tip, but the sentiment was the real day-maker People like her and LM are to be treasured, nurtured, and CLONED.

[Catwoman2965]

Obviously the one guy was, as an ex-boyfriends grandmother said about me "well brought up".

Exactly why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Although I remember one time, while working, i wasn't guilty of that, but almost. I work in an upscale women's clothing store, very classic, don't get many teenagers, men or other trendy people in, as you might get in stores like say Banana Republic, J. Crew . Our stuff is well made, traditional, and bit pricy.

So one night, maybe 10 minutes before closing, this young guy comes in. Now we have men who shop there, but not many young guys. so he's wandering around, looking here and there, and made me a bit curious...and i have to admit, slightly nervous, as I wasn't sure what he was up to - and i'm not trying to steroetype, but not the demographic we normally have as customers.

Turns out, he was looking for a gift for his gf, and ended up asking my opinion about two pairs of earrings, and even showed me her picture on his phone, so i could see what she looked like and what might look best on her! I asked if it was her birthday or special occasion, and he said no, just because. I thought that was so sweet! So i rang him up, put them in a box and wrapped them up, and he was SO happy!

On the other hand, i have seen some of the managers, as soon as certain people walk in (race, ethnicity), immediately assume they need to be watched as they may steal. I hate that, just becuase someone doesn't fit the image of what YOU think our customers should be, doesn't mean they are dishonest. I treat all customers the same, only exception is when I'm told to keep an eye on someone, as there are certain people that we have our suspciions that shoplift, but other than that, i greet everyone the same, and give the same level of help to everyone.