Pet Peeves!
Apr. 6th, 2013 12:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tripperfunsterI'm bored and must rely on others to entertain me!
Tell me little things that aren't BAD things, that piss you off anyway.
Co-workers, S.O.'s, children, customers, in-laws. Anything goes!
Here are a few assorted of mine, and I'm sure, as you guys all weigh in, I'll remember more.
1)People who don't say thank-you. I don't mean when you donate a lung or something, but when you let someone cut in line in traffic, or stand to open a door and let others in before you, etc. A little wave or quiet 'Thanks' is in order. SAY IT PEOPLE!
2) Put the toilet paper on the roll!
I swear to god, I am the only being in my house capable of doing this.
3) Customers who expect a 'deal.' This is not some street bazaar in Bangladesh. This is not a used car lot. This is a fucking family run pet store that ALREADY has lower prices than all of the box stores. People claim they are 'really good customers' and I don't recall ever seeing them before. People claim to know Tripper, the owner, and HE is a really great guy. *g* If you are buying a shit-ton of stuff, or are ACTUALLY a really good customer, I will probably give you a deal. If you are buying $15 of pet supplies, you can pay retail like the rest of the world.
A fish tank is not an essential item. If you can't afford to set one up/maintain one, perhaps you should find a cheaper hobby.
4)Customers who expect a ton of 'free' advice on things that they have bought elsewhere. I don't mind trouble shooting, and I'm pretty good at it, but when you spend an hour of my time asking about the best filter to buy, and then you get one off the internet because it was $10 cheaper? You suck. Or when you buy fish from another store, and they are sick and dying and YOU CALL ME AND ASK ME WHAT TO DO? (and you admittely do this because the people at the other store don't know what they're talking about?) You suck.
5) ex-employees. Man, this is probably fodder for a whole 'nuther post, but something happened recently to remind me of this, and I gotta bitch about it. In our 15 years of owning a business, we've had our share of people come and go. We REALLY try to be good and fair employers. I don't knock off 15 mins if someone is late, and I always pay extra if someone has to stay longer because we are busy, etc. I really treat my staff like I would want to be treated.
That said, we've had some ugly firings and ugly quittings etc. One time I let a girl go because she REPEATEDLY did not show up for her shifts. No phone call. Nothing. This sometimes happens, when people write the schedule down wrong or just forget, and I give them a warning the first time. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN OR THERE WILL BE REPURCUSSIONS.
So with this girl it happened again. And again. She was a nice girl, and worked hard when she DID show up, but we don't have a big staff, and when someone fucks off it really screws us over. I told her that if it happened again i would have to fire her. She said she understood. And did it again. I felt sorry for her. I suspect she had a drug problem, but she never seemed high at work, and I had no proof, but I called her on the phone and said "I really like you, but I cannot have this happen ever again. Can you promise me it will never happen again?" And she replied "no." So I let her go.
Two weeks later I got a call from a lawyer. This girl was accusing us of firing her because she was pregnant. ????
Nobody knew she was preggers. She never mentioned it to me or any other staff. I suspect SHE didn't know until after I fired her. Long story short, she didn't have a legal leg to stand on, because she was fired for 99 reasons, and being preggers was not one of them.
GUESS WHO SHOPS AT OUR STORE? Her. Seriously.
I've had ex-employees stomp thier feet and promise to put our store out of business. Months later, they come around to buy stuff. WTF? People have no shame!
We even had a young woman accuse my husband of being inappropriate with her. (which I took to mean that he got her alone and said dirty things to her and maybe touch her???) She did the no-show at work, and I couldn't get a hold of her for two days. Hubby was out of town and I was really relying on her to take those shifts. I ended up left alone at the store with my kids! She finally calls (while I"m working my ass off with customers) and tells me that she was SO UPSET she couldn't even call to let me know, but she needed to tell me that my husband had been inappropriate with her, and she felt unsafe etc.
This is the one thing you never want to hear about the person you love! My husband is a terrific guy, fantastic husband, amazing father, and concerned boss. Part of me did not believe her, because I KNOW my hubby and that is not him. The other part of me realized that most women don't think their SO would be capable of something like that, and yet it happens all the time. I was sick to my stomach at the very thought of it. This could well be the end of my marriage.
When I talked to other staff who were there during the 'incident' it turns out that hubby (who was behind the counter, standing with two female staff) said to this person (who was on the other side of the counter) that she had 'sexy hair' and that 'boys must really like that.' This girl really did have sexy hair! Sort of curly afro-ish, a little wild, but not out of control.
Anyhoo, this was the incident that made her feel so unsafe that she couldn't even CALL about not showing up for work. I wasn't there, but both staff members that were there were flummoxed at her reaction. Hubby wasn't leering at her or being gross, he was trying to compliment her. And I believe them because my husband does not leer! For realz. *I* leer! I have been GROSSLY INAPPROPRIATE with both male and female staff. (anyone on my flist who has met me in rl will attest to this.) Our entire staff generally jokes around in a sexual manner, it is a very casual work environment. *I* had said way more rude joking things to her than this.
I will add a disclaimer here to say that she is allowed to feel unsafe. Only she can decide what is offensive to her and she needs to do whatever it is that makes her feel safe.
EXCEPT THAT SHE HAS BEEN BACK TO SHOP AT OUR STORE! ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION! What the ever loving fuck?
I brought this story up because she was at our store two days ago, and my hubby was totally unsure as to what he should do. Kick her out? Confront her? Act like nothing happened? I didn't really have an answer. I would assume that she has some sort of personality disorder that creates drama where there is none? I figured that doing nothing would be safest.
Okay, that sort of went off the rails, didn't it? :D My point being: I HATE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO SHAME! When I act like a complete arsehole, I generally have the brains to not go back to the scene of the crime. OR, I might apologize when I go back.
WHAT BUGS YOU??
Tell me little things that aren't BAD things, that piss you off anyway.
Co-workers, S.O.'s, children, customers, in-laws. Anything goes!
Here are a few assorted of mine, and I'm sure, as you guys all weigh in, I'll remember more.
1)People who don't say thank-you. I don't mean when you donate a lung or something, but when you let someone cut in line in traffic, or stand to open a door and let others in before you, etc. A little wave or quiet 'Thanks' is in order. SAY IT PEOPLE!
2) Put the toilet paper on the roll!
I swear to god, I am the only being in my house capable of doing this.
3) Customers who expect a 'deal.' This is not some street bazaar in Bangladesh. This is not a used car lot. This is a fucking family run pet store that ALREADY has lower prices than all of the box stores. People claim they are 'really good customers' and I don't recall ever seeing them before. People claim to know Tripper, the owner, and HE is a really great guy. *g* If you are buying a shit-ton of stuff, or are ACTUALLY a really good customer, I will probably give you a deal. If you are buying $15 of pet supplies, you can pay retail like the rest of the world.
A fish tank is not an essential item. If you can't afford to set one up/maintain one, perhaps you should find a cheaper hobby.
4)Customers who expect a ton of 'free' advice on things that they have bought elsewhere. I don't mind trouble shooting, and I'm pretty good at it, but when you spend an hour of my time asking about the best filter to buy, and then you get one off the internet because it was $10 cheaper? You suck. Or when you buy fish from another store, and they are sick and dying and YOU CALL ME AND ASK ME WHAT TO DO? (and you admittely do this because the people at the other store don't know what they're talking about?) You suck.
5) ex-employees. Man, this is probably fodder for a whole 'nuther post, but something happened recently to remind me of this, and I gotta bitch about it. In our 15 years of owning a business, we've had our share of people come and go. We REALLY try to be good and fair employers. I don't knock off 15 mins if someone is late, and I always pay extra if someone has to stay longer because we are busy, etc. I really treat my staff like I would want to be treated.
That said, we've had some ugly firings and ugly quittings etc. One time I let a girl go because she REPEATEDLY did not show up for her shifts. No phone call. Nothing. This sometimes happens, when people write the schedule down wrong or just forget, and I give them a warning the first time. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN OR THERE WILL BE REPURCUSSIONS.
So with this girl it happened again. And again. She was a nice girl, and worked hard when she DID show up, but we don't have a big staff, and when someone fucks off it really screws us over. I told her that if it happened again i would have to fire her. She said she understood. And did it again. I felt sorry for her. I suspect she had a drug problem, but she never seemed high at work, and I had no proof, but I called her on the phone and said "I really like you, but I cannot have this happen ever again. Can you promise me it will never happen again?" And she replied "no." So I let her go.
Two weeks later I got a call from a lawyer. This girl was accusing us of firing her because she was pregnant. ????
Nobody knew she was preggers. She never mentioned it to me or any other staff. I suspect SHE didn't know until after I fired her. Long story short, she didn't have a legal leg to stand on, because she was fired for 99 reasons, and being preggers was not one of them.
GUESS WHO SHOPS AT OUR STORE? Her. Seriously.
I've had ex-employees stomp thier feet and promise to put our store out of business. Months later, they come around to buy stuff. WTF? People have no shame!
We even had a young woman accuse my husband of being inappropriate with her. (which I took to mean that he got her alone and said dirty things to her and maybe touch her???) She did the no-show at work, and I couldn't get a hold of her for two days. Hubby was out of town and I was really relying on her to take those shifts. I ended up left alone at the store with my kids! She finally calls (while I"m working my ass off with customers) and tells me that she was SO UPSET she couldn't even call to let me know, but she needed to tell me that my husband had been inappropriate with her, and she felt unsafe etc.
This is the one thing you never want to hear about the person you love! My husband is a terrific guy, fantastic husband, amazing father, and concerned boss. Part of me did not believe her, because I KNOW my hubby and that is not him. The other part of me realized that most women don't think their SO would be capable of something like that, and yet it happens all the time. I was sick to my stomach at the very thought of it. This could well be the end of my marriage.
When I talked to other staff who were there during the 'incident' it turns out that hubby (who was behind the counter, standing with two female staff) said to this person (who was on the other side of the counter) that she had 'sexy hair' and that 'boys must really like that.' This girl really did have sexy hair! Sort of curly afro-ish, a little wild, but not out of control.
Anyhoo, this was the incident that made her feel so unsafe that she couldn't even CALL about not showing up for work. I wasn't there, but both staff members that were there were flummoxed at her reaction. Hubby wasn't leering at her or being gross, he was trying to compliment her. And I believe them because my husband does not leer! For realz. *I* leer! I have been GROSSLY INAPPROPRIATE with both male and female staff. (anyone on my flist who has met me in rl will attest to this.) Our entire staff generally jokes around in a sexual manner, it is a very casual work environment. *I* had said way more rude joking things to her than this.
I will add a disclaimer here to say that she is allowed to feel unsafe. Only she can decide what is offensive to her and she needs to do whatever it is that makes her feel safe.
EXCEPT THAT SHE HAS BEEN BACK TO SHOP AT OUR STORE! ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION! What the ever loving fuck?
I brought this story up because she was at our store two days ago, and my hubby was totally unsure as to what he should do. Kick her out? Confront her? Act like nothing happened? I didn't really have an answer. I would assume that she has some sort of personality disorder that creates drama where there is none? I figured that doing nothing would be safest.
Okay, that sort of went off the rails, didn't it? :D My point being: I HATE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO SHAME! When I act like a complete arsehole, I generally have the brains to not go back to the scene of the crime. OR, I might apologize when I go back.
WHAT BUGS YOU??
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Date: 2013-04-06 08:55 pm (UTC)