I am greeting a table with a trainee shadowing me on her first day. I explain this to the tables as I go through the process of greeting and serving tables. During a brief lull as I am printing a table’s check, I ask her:
Me: “So how are you handling it so far?”
New Hire: “It’s good! I think I’ll be able to handle most of it.”
Me: “Great! How about you run this check over to the table and see if they want a takeout box for their leftovers? I’m sure you’ve got this!”
The new hire goes up to the table (with me doing the shadowing this time) and says:
New Hire: “Here’s your check for whenever you’re ready! Would you like a box for your leftovers?”
Customer: Gasps. “Oh, no leftovers! I never keep leftovers from a meal because that’s how polio got started!”
New Hire: Eyes darting to me in a panic.
Me: Stepping in. “Absolutely, ma’am, we’ll just clear these plates for you right away!”
Our new hire learned an important customer lesson on day one: never engage with crazy!
We have some vending machines in part of our store. I’m the one they call whenever a customer has an issue with them. In this instance, a customer has put some money in (four quarters) and their candy bar hasn’t come out.
Me: “I can open the machine to get the money back, but I want to check something with the mechanism real quick. Do you mind putting in some more quarters? I can get it back for you straight away.”
Customer: “Sure!”
He obliges and inserts four more quarters and presses the button for his candy bar. As I was expecting, two fall into the dispensing tray.
Customer: “Oh, sweet! Two for one!”
He starts to walk away happily with his two candy bars. After I stopped him and explained what happened he still seemed confused… and content with his good deal!
I had a general manager who would frequently make changes to the schedule after it was up. It was a national pizza delivery chain, and he was under pressure to keep labor costs down, so he’d schedule a bare minimum of drivers. Then, there would be a major sporting event or something, and he’d realize we were screwed if he didn’t bring in more people.
He would then have trouble getting people to agree to come in, so he stopped asking and just started writing them on the schedule. This was before cell phone cameras, so I had to get my hands on a Polaroid. I didn’t tell him I was doing it. I waited until the write-up process had reached suspension (they called it “Decision-Making Leave”), and I brought the paperwork and the photos to the franchise office as they owned about a dozen locations.
After this, I came into work to find that [General Manager] was no longer there.
Me: “What happened to [General Manager]?”
Coworker: “He got moved to [Smaller Store].”
Me: “Ouch! That’s like a ninety-minute drive for him.”
Coworker: “And it’s a much less busy store, so he had to take a 30% pay cut.”
Me: “I kinda feel bad for him.”
Coworker: “No, you don’t.”
Me: “You’re right; I don’t!”
The assistant manager stepped up to be the new general manager, and she was amazing!
A few years ago we have to shut down one of the under-river tubes on the New York subway every weekend for a couple of months in order to facilitate repairs from a hurricane. In preparation for this, the agency ordered a very significant awareness campaign. Literally every car on the affected lines has at least two signs posted in it for weeks beforehand, every platform and entrance has signs, there were even ads on the radio and in the free daily papers. I’ll criticize my agency for plenty of things, but they went all-out making sure people knew about this.
Cut to the first day of the closures. On my first trip, a passenger who was already standing at my position approached my window with a question:
Passenger: “Which of these trains is going to Franklin Ave?”
Me: “None of them, the tube is shut down all weekend.”
Passenger: “What?! How am I supposed to get to Brooklyn? Nobody said anything!”
Keep in mind, the guy was already there when I pulled in, and since he had been on the express, that means he 1) got off the express, 2) took a local to this stop, 3) got off that one, 4) watched a second express bypass the station, and 5) finally got curious enough to ask when the next local, at least the 4th train in this sequence, came in.
He was the first that day, but sadly, nowhere near the last. Or on future weekends, either…
This is a story my mother shared with me from her work. She works high up on the administrative side of a local chain of healthcare clinics. I won’t say her exact position, but she’s often among the first to know when anything major goes down with employees, after Human Resources.
It’s not that uncommon for employees (particularly the non-medical staff) to go see the company’s healthcare providers. I mean, what’s more convenient than having your doctor’s appointments in the same building you work in?
This is exactly what [Worker #1] did, and at some point, they mentioned it to [Worker #2]. [Worker #2] got curious and decided to disregard all of their HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — privacy law) training to look at [Worker #1]’s medical file. But that’s not all.
[Worker #2] decided it would be a good idea to openly admit this illegal deed in a group chat that included a few other employees at another location.
Somehow, [Worker #1] found out about this (I assume someone in the group chat told them) and rightfully got very upset. They demanded their online medical file be locked and audited. (Yes, this is generally something you can do if you suspect foul play with your medical information, at least in the US, and presumably other countries, as well, if you weren’t aware.)
The results were shocking. On top of [Worker #2], an additional seven employees across three of the company’s locations had accessed [Worker #1]’s medical file at some point, and they could not give a valid excuse as to why they had done so.
Obviously, all eight were fired, and the CEO made the entire company redo all of their HIPAA training. The last my mother heard of the situation, [Worker #1] was pursuing legal action against the fired lot.
Yakety Sax 27 days ago
Welcome To The Service Industry, Part 4
I am greeting a table with a trainee shadowing me on her first day. I explain this to the tables as I go through the process of greeting and serving tables. During a brief lull as I am printing a table’s check, I ask her:
Me: “So how are you handling it so far?”
New Hire: “It’s good! I think I’ll be able to handle most of it.”
Me: “Great! How about you run this check over to the table and see if they want a takeout box for their leftovers? I’m sure you’ve got this!”
The new hire goes up to the table (with me doing the shadowing this time) and says:
New Hire: “Here’s your check for whenever you’re ready! Would you like a box for your leftovers?”
Customer: Gasps. “Oh, no leftovers! I never keep leftovers from a meal because that’s how polio got started!”
New Hire: Eyes darting to me in a panic.
Me: Stepping in. “Absolutely, ma’am, we’ll just clear these plates for you right away!”
Our new hire learned an important customer lesson on day one: never engage with crazy!
Yakety Sax 27 days ago
Mind-Vending
We have some vending machines in part of our store. I’m the one they call whenever a customer has an issue with them. In this instance, a customer has put some money in (four quarters) and their candy bar hasn’t come out.
Me: “I can open the machine to get the money back, but I want to check something with the mechanism real quick. Do you mind putting in some more quarters? I can get it back for you straight away.”
Customer: “Sure!”
He obliges and inserts four more quarters and presses the button for his candy bar. As I was expecting, two fall into the dispensing tray.
Customer: “Oh, sweet! Two for one!”
He starts to walk away happily with his two candy bars. After I stopped him and explained what happened he still seemed confused… and content with his good deal!
Yakety Sax 27 days ago
When You Screw Your Crew, You’re Really Screwed
I had a general manager who would frequently make changes to the schedule after it was up. It was a national pizza delivery chain, and he was under pressure to keep labor costs down, so he’d schedule a bare minimum of drivers. Then, there would be a major sporting event or something, and he’d realize we were screwed if he didn’t bring in more people.
He would then have trouble getting people to agree to come in, so he stopped asking and just started writing them on the schedule. This was before cell phone cameras, so I had to get my hands on a Polaroid. I didn’t tell him I was doing it. I waited until the write-up process had reached suspension (they called it “Decision-Making Leave”), and I brought the paperwork and the photos to the franchise office as they owned about a dozen locations.
After this, I came into work to find that [General Manager] was no longer there.
Me: “What happened to [General Manager]?”
Coworker: “He got moved to [Smaller Store].”
Me: “Ouch! That’s like a ninety-minute drive for him.”
Coworker: “And it’s a much less busy store, so he had to take a 30% pay cut.”
Me: “I kinda feel bad for him.”
Coworker: “No, you don’t.”
Me: “You’re right; I don’t!”
The assistant manager stepped up to be the new general manager, and she was amazing!
Yakety Sax 27 days ago
Prepare For A Hurricane Of Complaints
A few years ago we have to shut down one of the under-river tubes on the New York subway every weekend for a couple of months in order to facilitate repairs from a hurricane. In preparation for this, the agency ordered a very significant awareness campaign. Literally every car on the affected lines has at least two signs posted in it for weeks beforehand, every platform and entrance has signs, there were even ads on the radio and in the free daily papers. I’ll criticize my agency for plenty of things, but they went all-out making sure people knew about this.
Cut to the first day of the closures. On my first trip, a passenger who was already standing at my position approached my window with a question:
Passenger: “Which of these trains is going to Franklin Ave?”
Me: “None of them, the tube is shut down all weekend.”
Passenger: “What?! How am I supposed to get to Brooklyn? Nobody said anything!”
Keep in mind, the guy was already there when I pulled in, and since he had been on the express, that means he 1) got off the express, 2) took a local to this stop, 3) got off that one, 4) watched a second express bypass the station, and 5) finally got curious enough to ask when the next local, at least the 4th train in this sequence, came in.
He was the first that day, but sadly, nowhere near the last. Or on future weekends, either…
Yakety Sax 27 days ago
A HIPAA-Critical Situation (consider this a PSA)
This is a story my mother shared with me from her work. She works high up on the administrative side of a local chain of healthcare clinics. I won’t say her exact position, but she’s often among the first to know when anything major goes down with employees, after Human Resources.
It’s not that uncommon for employees (particularly the non-medical staff) to go see the company’s healthcare providers. I mean, what’s more convenient than having your doctor’s appointments in the same building you work in?
This is exactly what [Worker #1] did, and at some point, they mentioned it to [Worker #2]. [Worker #2] got curious and decided to disregard all of their HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — privacy law) training to look at [Worker #1]’s medical file. But that’s not all.
[Worker #2] decided it would be a good idea to openly admit this illegal deed in a group chat that included a few other employees at another location.
Somehow, [Worker #1] found out about this (I assume someone in the group chat told them) and rightfully got very upset. They demanded their online medical file be locked and audited. (Yes, this is generally something you can do if you suspect foul play with your medical information, at least in the US, and presumably other countries, as well, if you weren’t aware.)
The results were shocking. On top of [Worker #2], an additional seven employees across three of the company’s locations had accessed [Worker #1]’s medical file at some point, and they could not give a valid excuse as to why they had done so.
Obviously, all eight were fired, and the CEO made the entire company redo all of their HIPAA training. The last my mother heard of the situation, [Worker #1] was pursuing legal action against the fired lot.
rob.home 27 days ago
Do chickens have fowl play?
FreyjaRN Premium Member 27 days ago
Horrors!
It happened to me once as well.
old_geek 27 days ago
Normal sounds nice about now….
The Reader Premium Member 27 days ago
Normally I’d care, but…
PraiseofFolly 27 days ago
That ‘normal’ Aunty Acid would be too boring for her own comic strip. She might laptly be called Aunty Distilled-Water — a goody-two-shoes.
Shirl Summ Premium Member 27 days ago
Truly, what is normal.
rockyridge1977 27 days ago
Must have not been feeling well that day!!!!!
Daltongang Premium Member 27 days ago
Aunty, it is called when the delusional meets the crazy. You can pick which one you want to be.
jango 27 days ago
“Someone” forgot to precede Normal with the Ab.
ChessPirate 27 days ago
Well, be fair, Aunty, he was wearing a Straitjacket… ☺
CorkLock 27 days ago
Leave Abnormal people like Squirrel Head Aunty alone. They think we are “nuts.”
cuzinron47 27 days ago
They just forgot to use you first name, Abby.
crazeekatlady 27 days ago
I’ve never been called “normal” by anyone.
dbrucepm 27 days ago
Aunty Abby Normal