Corporate speak

[cinema guy]

Where I work there is a whole different terminology handed down from head office. Of course even the management rarely use it.

Customers = Guests. This is supposed to be more welcoming.

Staff = Cast members.

Public areas = On Screen

Employee only areas = Off Screen.

Employee of the month = Guest Service Fanatic.


Does anyone else have experience of this?

[Bright_Star]

They call the employees of Wal-Mart "associates". Like that's really going to make them treat you any better.

[Gurndigarn]

They call the employees of Wal-Mart "associates". Like that's really going to make them treat you any better.

"Associate" is one of those words that used to mean something positive. Then it got coopted by someone that thought that reterming a position would make the position more positive. All it did in the end was make the term negative: "Oh, he's only an associate."

[Gurndigarn]

Where I work there is a whole different terminology handed down from head office. Of course even the management rarely use it.

Customers = Guests. This is supposed to be more welcoming.

Yeah. And a library I knew of termed their patrons "customers", because they wanted to remind people where their paychecks came from. Me, I think patrons sounds classier, but whatever...

[Fera Festiva]

a library I knew of termed their patrons "customers", because they wanted to remind people where their paychecks came from. Me, I think patrons sounds classier, but whatever...

We have to call our patrons "customers". We're not even really supposed to call them "students", even though we're a college library, therefore they are students. I agree that "patrons" sounds better.

We have "mystery shoppers" too. I say you're not a mystery shopper if you spend your time lurking around taking my stapler without asking and complaining about the lack of air-conditioning.

[Becks]

They call the employees of Wal-Mart "associates".

Same where I work.

"Representative" is also used. When do we get to be Senators?

[ArenaBoy]

Customers = Patrons (Annoying if you ask me)

Usher = Guest Service Worker

Security = Crowd Control

Honestly, corporate terms are annoying.

[Andara Bledin]

I've been places that couldn't abide by calling things what they were.

Among them:

Customer = Patrons

Staff = Associates

And my favorite:

South Coast Plaza cannot be called a mall.

^-.-^

[Witch of Endor]

My company (which I'm leaving at the end of this week) calls its store clerks 'customer experience representatives'. Shopping there is an experience, apparently. Like Disneyland. I'm not sure if I prefer it to 'service'.

[strawbabies]

I used to work at one of the hotel/casinos in Vegas that had the theme of a European city. I won't tell you which one.

employees = citizens
uniforms = costumes
annoying a-hole = VIP guest

[Kiwi]

At the art gallery it depended what part of the building you where in.

In the gallery (public)= patron
In the gallery (and had a membership) = member
During events everyone was = guests of the gallery (I always hated that when my boss would ask "how many guests on the gallery are here kiwi"... oh i dont know how about you stop using convoluted bs terms boss)
In the gift store= customers

[Gurndigarn]

My company (which I'm leaving at the end of this week) calls its store clerks 'customer experience representatives'. Shopping there is an experience, apparently. Like Disneyland. I'm not sure if I prefer it to 'service'.

Shopping is always an experience. What the Suits forgot, though, is that not all experiences are good ones.

Seriously, most retail shoppers have simple desires:

1) Get in easily
2) Find what they want without having to hunt
3) Get out easily
4) Not get bugged by employees, but have employees around in case of problems.

How hard is that to understand?

[Kiwi]

4) Not get bugged by employees, but have employees around in case of problems.

That is SO true, we are couch hunting at the moment, I know what I want, exactly what I want so trying to convince me that another couch is perfect is not going to happen.

We went to 4 stores on Saturday afternoon and were literally chased out of 3 of them, apprently stand beside ANY couch to discuss something and thats the couch they will try and sell you. It doesnt matter if you tell them "we want a choclate brown leather sectional with the chaise on the left hand side" (i thought that was pretty clear, its a yes or no really) and they will try an sell you white suede (YUCK), some old biddy patton or vinyl.... our color scheme is set, brown leather is dark enough to hide the stains that my boyfriend and his friends will no doubt create and is a compromise on the wassily chairs that I wanted.

We had one follow us for a good 2 minutes with us saying no politely over and over again to her badgering, no we didnt want a tv thrown in, no we didnt want an ottoman, no we didnt want help, no we dont want a great deal on two love seats JESUS WOMAN GO AWAY she only stopped when another customer came up and asked for help and that was after me staring at her in stony silence for nearly 10 seconds after saying NO THANK YOU

The couch we are going to get was from Trina, a GREAT saleswoman who let us know where she would be, ran around asking questions once we had decided on the couch we liked and wanted to know about choices and backed the fuck off! When we said we were just looking, she said no problem and stayed within eyesite and not so obviously kept an eye out for us to be ready, when we were she was there in 5 seconds flat. She is going to get the commssion and not some desperate cow who started blathering on about leather protection when we had made it abundantly clear that we werent ready to talk to a salesperson yet.

EDIT: sorry to sidetrack, it just totally set me off on a rant.....

[myswtghst]

Thankfully we're simply referred to as CSR's or dispatchers, which is basically what we are. Occasionally I hear agents, which is fine with me too.

The thing that drives people nuts is that we use A LOT of acronyms (at the company I work for, they love to make up acronyms for everything--each dept, etc), but we have to be careful and make our case notes "customer-friendly" and not use acronyms they may not know, which can be a pain.

[BookstoreEscapee]

B&N employees are "Booksellers"

even if you work in the cafe...
or in the warehouse - sorry, "distribution center"