Have you changed????

[candyshopgirl]

So I was just thinking....
Has working with customers all day made you feel differently about people or wanting to go out. It has me,I don't like the sight of people. If I do have to go out I get what I need and get the hell out. I spend a lot of time with the hubby and pets at home watching movies.

[Kiwi]

Yes it has, as a teenager I shopped like there was no tomorrow.

Now I only shop if I HAVE to, I hate hate hate shopping in stores (I try to do as much as I can on-line). I try to spend my free time outside, going to concerts or for walks. Our current location has heaps of free activities in the down town park and we spend most weekends there. If I do shop, I'm there for when the store opens and there are few people about. During the Christmas season I wont shop after 11am because its too crowded. It's good for the budget to, stops me buying crap I don't need.

We entertain at home rather than go out to eat, or we go to the local pub that isn't crowded and we most likely know most of the people there. Even if we go out I like to sit outside (haha I even did that in London), I really hate being shut away indoors now because I spent so many years in windowless and stuffy shops working. I was lucky my office job tends to mean I'm close to the entrance of a building and can see outside.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Only difference is, I never go into a shop just before closing time cuz I know how irritating it is when someone's buggering about the shop when you just want to cash up and go home. XD

[unholypet]

I'm still as polite and patient as ever, but no longer am I off-guard when I leave my house.

My parents always made sure my sister and me were clean and conducted ourselves in public, so I had no tolerance for a continuous child making a ruckuss, (outstanding circumstances negated) and now that I am forced to deal with it and go on with life, noisy children make me angry versus annoyed.

I never have been a wanting-people person, and while I still give everyone the benefit of doubt and would still help anyone in need, I will not go out my way for anyone and pointedly trust no one.

Because of Sunday customers, and certain co-workers, I have little-to-no patience for flamingly religious people.
Me: Thanks for the invite to your church, but (I'm not comfy in those surroundings/do not share your faith)

Which, to me, is a respectful no. To flamingly religious folks, it was a n F-you, but... it's hard to have patience with ANYONE screaming at you XD

[McGoddess09]

It made me become a b****. Plain and simple.

[Dawnchaser]

So I was just thinking....
Has working with customers all day made you feel differently about people or wanting to go out. It has me,I don't like the sight of people. If I do have to go out I get what I need and get the hell out. I spend a lot of time with the hubby and pets at home watching movies.

Pretty much the same here. Can't stand to go shopping or talk on the phone. Just walking into a grocery store is pretty much guaranteed to put me in a bad mood. Then I get madder because I feel like I have to be all fake and nice unless someone has actually done something to earn my ire. I do still go to restaurants quite a bit when we can afford it but I am pretty picky about the places we go and the time of day, because I know when and where all the idiots go out to eat.

I mostly spend my time playing WoW or watching TV with friends.

[AirHostess]

I am a lot more thoughtful in dealing with customer service staff.

I am cynical and bitter, have no faith in humanity and actively dislike most of the population.

[Chanlin]

I used to actually care about helping people. Now I just care about keeping my job. Don't get me wrong, I still care about solving problems and giving good customer service, it just takes a hell of alot more than it used to to get me to go the extra mile for someone.

[Gravekeeper]

I used to actually care about helping people. Now I just care about keeping my job. Don't get me wrong, I still care about solving problems and giving good customer service, it just takes a hell of alot more than it used to to get me to go the extra mile for someone.

Amen.

Being exposed to the general public is aggravating and exhausting.

If I must wade amongst them, than yeah I'm mainly in ninja get in, get it, get out mode. Being in any sort of mall just makes me tired because there's just so much stupidity and total lack of manners and respect from practically every single human being you come within 10 feet of. Its almost awe inspiring at times.

Yet at the same time no one ever gets called on how much of a truly shitacufuckulous excuse for a human being they are. Because god forbid corporate's profits dip by .5% this month for refusing to serve some random asshole.

[PossJB]

I love self checkout as I don't have to deal with people at all.

[PizzaDrone]

I find I actually do more. My job has improved my confidence ten fold. Also when I go out I'm more sympathetic to servers and cashiers as a result of reading stuff here and working myself. This is also translating to my friends.

Everyone needs to do at least one shift in retail or food service to find out just how hard it is. I used to get really upset when people were mean but now I realise that its not my fault and its their problem if they want to go out somewhere and be crappy to people. For a lot of the sucky customers there are really good ones out there, just got to take the little victories.

[blas]

Nowadays I hate driving and shopping. Sure, I love what I shop for (save for groceries), but I hate hordes of teenagers, I hate strollers the size of SUVs, I hate seeing school aged kids still in strollers, I hate Yuppies, especially Yuppie soccer mom type parents, I hate a lot of types of people in general.

I'm very polite and patient with cashiers/servers/etc. I know the hours of operation for just about every place I frequent. I never scream at gas station clerks for carding me. I never scream at anyone who asks for ID for that matter. I don't play the "economy" card. I don't destroy clothing displays. I don't destroy displays of anything. The only time I tip poorly is when the server is rude or doesn't do their job. I never punish the server for bad food, because it's not their fault. I don't demand special treatment. I try to be very cheery and I always say "Have a good day/night/weekend" to whomever helps me.

But working indirectly with customers has proven to be difficult as well. Coworkers can be just as bad. Especially when most of them are so stupid, I don't even know how they remember to get to work, let alone tell time for that matter.

[Shards]

I've always been pointedly cynical and jaded. My mother always thought there was something wrong with me when I was 8 years old and already didn't trust very easily.

I do find that as the only member of an upper-class family who has worked entry-level retail, I'm the one who calls my folks out when they say or do something stupid in public. My mother was a manager through college and my dad never worked a job in his life until he got to be a full time EE.

The only real change I've noticed in myself since working is that I've become a bit more willing to chat with people while I do other things. When I was a kid, if I had to do something, it was get in, get out, don't annoy anyone. When I worked at Weis, I found that for every jerkoff who pinned me down while I was ringing him out with utter tripe I had no interest in, there were two who if they weren't interesting, they were at least polite. Since that experience, I've been a bit more willing to ask employees at stores for help, or to walk into a store with a friend next to me, instead of asking him to wait outside/do his own shopping. Hell, I've even gotten to be on a first name basis with some of the employees at the stores I visit more frequently.

[artifical sweetner]

always nice to clerks even if theyre in a sour mood

and im super patient with deli clerks as i remember those days ...

[AccountingDrone]

I tip well, I remember working food service and got stiffed.
I make sure that my server has my order correctly, and I try to limit any changes to stuff that is important like *no muchsooms* because of food allergies, not i want the seafood in cream sauce, but can you broil it with no sauce, and can i have a slice of lemon, and i want the broccoli with cheese sauce, but no cheese sauce can i have plain butter .... people who order like that make me as I remember being a chef.
I am not on the cell phone with it is time to order/pay/interact with people as that is just rude.
I have my store card, any coupons and payment form ready and am patient even though I may have the bitch from hell in front of me.
I am extra careful to be nice, even though I may be in pain or having a sucky day.
I have a few basic $5 dunkin donuts gift cards on me all the time, for either exceptionally good service, or a cashier having to deal with a seriously suckitudinous customer just before me ... brightens peoples days up right away!