Back to Looking
Color me fooled. We talked at length during my interview with my current night job. At no point was it ever said, “We aren’t looking for drivers.”. Or anything similar to that statement. The only thing the manager said was, “You know driving isn’t all that a driver does right?”. No kidding. I’ve done this job on and off for over 30 years at many different places. Papa Johns (x3), Domino’s (x3), Chanello’s, Pizza Tonight, some small chain in Petoskey that’s no longer there and this place (x2). That was on my application. So yeah I know I will also have to take and make orders. Prep food and clean. It’s not my first run at this rodeo. Nor was it said we need mid-day and morning people.
I also put on my application I am available to work nights and weekends. That I work a day job. All this was clear. I even explained in person that I was looking for 3 – 4 nights. Something like 4 or 5pm until close. Which would give me 20 – 25 hours per week. This manager however lives in an alternate reality. The past two weeks I’ve been coming in at 1pm. I figured it was for “training”. So I’ve been rushing from the day job to the night job. I thought this would change after the first two weeks.
When I looked at the new schedule, it was all 1pm shifts except one. It was for 9am. So immediately I queried about this. Get this, they asked me to change my day shift schedule to fit theirs. Not happening. Homie is pissed. On top of that, I’ve only taken a handful of deliveries since I started there. Turns out I’m not a driver, but listed as one when they need someone to pick up the deliveries other drivers can’t handle on busy nights. Oh yeah, let’s also mention I’ve been generally working from 1pm to 8pm or 11pm. I’m likely to get overtime. But standing on my knee for all those hours, hurts like hell.
So I, as politely as I could, said no. I won’t switch my day job schedule. I re-explained what I applied for. So now it’s 5pm to whenever a few nights a week. Still doesn’t fix the fact I’m not actually a driver. What I applied to be. I have never applied for a job before to be something other than what I applied. I didn’t hire in at my day job to be a janitor. I am a tech. What I applied for. Never have I applied to a pizza place to be an inside person. I’ve always asked to be a driver. I enjoy it. Time to find a new job. Even if it’s out of town again I guess.
Pretty Much Over I.T.
Yup, I’m pretty much over it. I.T. that is. I’ve been doing it for over 20 years now. I started doing it in the Navy. It was a blast at first. Helping people. Hearing “thank you” at the end of every conversation. Sadly people have grown unappreciative. They do the same things over and over and learn nothing. Today I took a call of, “My mailbox is full again. Please empty it. Thanks.”. Followed by the click of an ended call. They have asked me to do this every few weeks since February of 2009. They still start the call with, “I’m computer illiterate.”. Then why do you own a computer if you’ve learned nothing in 8 years?
The same people call with the same problems. “I don’t know why this keeps happening?”. We explain, they ignore. Wash, rinse, repeat. My friend deleted some programs, now their browser won’t open.
If it wasn’t for the fact I get medical and dental, I’d quit and go full time delivery driver. At least there all I have to deal with is cheap-asses who don’t tip. That job is hard to let go. Despite my clothes smelling like garlic butter when I come home. That washes out. My vehicle may smell like it, but now I’m using disposable seat covers to help cut down on that. Plus I can get them steam cleaned. However, the money I make is too hard to pass up most weeks. I’ve looked for a job for over two years. I don’t look as often. There are next to no jobs I want that would start me at $12 an hour. I don’t want to be a tech anymore. Today’s lazy ass doesn’t appreciate us at all.
I don’t do computer repair anymore on a personal level, except of course my own computers. Which I can’t remember the last time I needed to do that outside of replacing a faulty part. Especially when people won’t bring me their computers so I can use my high speed internet to fix it. Not to mention, I can be in an environment I’m comfortable in. The last comment I got was, “there is a reason why i don’t come to ur house is ur trailer is small.”. Do you realize how insulting this is? My place plenty big enough with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. I tried to let that comment go. Didn’t work.
In retort, I don’t want to drive to the boondocks, where there is limited internet to download large updates. Where I have deal with the odor of pot, cigarette smoke and empty beer cans. Sure you go outside to smoke while I’m there, but your home already is permeated with the smell. It’s gross. Let’s not forget, I work two jobs over 50 hours a week. I generally only get 1 full day off a week. I don’t want to do more tech support on what little time off I get. I’d rather go see my kids, or go out on a date.
What a Weekend
So it turns out my websites were hit with some Website SEO Spam a few weeks back. Taking various steps to handle it included installing better security software for my websites. This led to realizing that the web host I was using, while good tempered folks, had features disabled that most web hosts have enabled. Thus breaking my security software. Not enough to stop it working but to hinder it working at full strength. After asking politely to have the feature enabled, they suggested that my $7 shared hosting should be upgraded to a low end VPS for $13 plus cPanel expenses on top of it. Which would put me at about just under $30 a month to run my websites that don’t make any money. I pay out of pocket to have my individual space carved into the internet. I decorate it exactly how I want, and I can be who I want to be here. I don’t have to worry about Facebook removing my content if someone gets butt-hurt by it. That being said, I spent the majority of my time off this weekend moving my sites to a new host that provides what I need technically. They cost me $12 a month. It will be a month or so to see if I stay. So if things feel sluggish or broken, let me know.
A few days ago, I ordered a 3 zone cymbal pad for my drum kit. A Roland CY-13. I found it on Walmart.com for $199 from a partner seller called GigaSonic. That’s $40 less than anyone else and I happen to have a Walmart Card. So I jumped on it. The lesson here kids, is do your research of the partner company before ordering. Don’t just assume Walmart has your back. As you see, last Friday a large box ended up on my doorstep. It was from Amazon. I didn’t order anything from Amazon. It was addressed to me from Everything Music. Of course I became confused. Especially when I opened the box and found a Roland KD-9 Kickpad. I didn’t order that. It’s sort of the ballpark. They are both Roland and both go to my drum kit. So I wasn’t sure if someone else sent it to me. Naturally I emailed the company via Amazon and as well emailed the other via Walmart.com.
It turns out they are the same company, doing business under different names on different online retailers. Both sadly have some bad reviews from some very angry customers.
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- So I got this…
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- When I should’ve got something like this.
By 4pm Friday I had a UPS return label and had the item on it’s way back to the seller. This is about the time I found the reviews. As of today it’s in Illinois. While I was hoping the company would simply ship out my cymbal pad. They did not. In fact it dropped off of Walmart.com and it’s now listed at the normal retail price of $239 that everyone else is selling it for. Under a different company called Music123. Which, guess what, also has some bad reviews. Same company? I’m beginning to think so. Now I’m hoping I actually get the refund they owe me. Granted, I have to wait for them to get the part back.
To top it all off, my left shoulder has been hurting for weeks with added numbness to my whole arm and hand. This weekend was hard to do anything. Especially sleep decently. I fear I may have a pinched artery in my shoulder [Thoracic Outlet Syndrome] (according to initial thoughts of my Chiropractor today). I will have something confirmed as soon as I can with my regular doctor.
Just a few RANTS!
If you think I follow Foamy for a reason. You’d be right. His famous rants and sense of logic are shared by my own feelings and thoughts. Right now there are a few kinds of people pissing me off. Here’s a few of mine lately that have been driving me to the edge of insanity…
Dumbasses with Smartphones
I can’t wait to find a new job. Lately the night job has become infiltrated with teenagers and some adults who have an over-the-top addiction to their phones. I came in one night to find six employees standing in a circle all looking at their phones rather than doing anything they get paid to do. I wanted to take a picture of the non-productiveness, but then I’d just be number 7. The other night I walked in on a customer just standing at the counter. He was coyly watching three employees talking and playing on their phones. As I walked passed him to go behind the counter, I asked loudly if he hand been helped. He knew what I was doing and replied loudly that no, he had been simply watching the same people for several minutes while we waited to be helped. I helped him and by then, they had magically moved to different places in the store and started on his order. Why should we put up with this nonsense to have employees? As I’ve said before, I’d never make it as a manager in today’s world. Because I would be putting foot to ass, proverbially speaking, by putting a stop to all this wasted labor costs.
I certainly don’t like having to do something while others stand about gawking at their tiny screens making sure their friends status updates get noticed right away. Of course if I say anything about it, I’m likely to cause trouble and be fired. I hate having to drop hints, as it makes me disliked among the offenders. Clearly the current management don’t care as a couple of them do it too. These kind of people keep getting hired. I guess that makes me the the problem. God knows I’d love to resolve it by finding something new for a job. I never expected it to last so long. Though I do pretty good as the most customers tip me, so I guess they like me.
I do average $16 per hour. I have yet to go below $12 per hour. One night it went as high as $38 per hour.
Still, I don’t understand why this is allowed. Sure we all are guilty of doing it a little. However, when people are ignoring what they are getting paid to do. As well as doing it for long periods of time, that’s BS. It’s a real shame when the overweight guy with heart problems works more than healthy people do.
The Men’s Room
Men, stop being a bunch of lazy Gits! That was the only word I could find to not be vulgar. It’s not nearly as vulgar as what the majority of you do to a public restroom. I would have to say that “Public Piss Syndrome” isn’t the only reason many of us avoid the Men’s Room. It’s because we know we’ll walk into a room that stinks to high hell and is absolutely gross with piss and shit all over the toilet. Trash on the floor and a sink that you’d be surprised to find dirty, because by the looks of the rest of the room, so you wouldn’t think it was getting used. There are a lot of gross and lazy bastards out there. Sure the Women’s Room isn’t always roses and candy either. There are obviously some really inconsiderate so-called ladies in the world too. Though the Men’s Room takes the prize by a landslide. Or in some cases, a shitstorm…
Clearly many of you are not NBA All Stars or you’d hit the waste basket. But do you bother to pick up your missed shots? Hell no. You lazy twats leave it on the floor for someone else. You don’t wipe the toilet off when you miss or make a mess. You don’t bother to tell anyone if the trash is overflowing. You just let it fall.
Do you do this kind of thing at home? If so, I hope your significant other eventually snaps and clobbers you in the face with a baseball bat. It’s just obnoxious to be that lazy and inconsiderate. Not too mention, I’d never want to be invited to your house.
And…
There was a third rant, but I’ve gone on so far with these I can’t remember it. Stupid old age. I’ll have to save it for another post someday.
Oh… Darla also feels this way 🙂
Too simple to bother with…
Ah the beginning of the month. That time where I take a bunch of calls for the first five days from customers who got that nifty notice our system sends out.
This is an automated note to let you know that the expiration date of the credit card number you have on file, with us, has passed, or will shortly. In almost all cases, your credit card company has sent you a new card, with a new expiration date. Please contact our office and update this information as soon as possible.
It triggers on the first of the month, when the month and year matches the month and year found on our customers credit/debit cards expiration date. This gives the customer an entire month to call us with their new credit card information.
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- Credit Card Old
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- Credit Card New
So the phones are busier from the 1st to the 5th of the month with customers calling to update their info. Some however, despite the fact we notify them, don’t call until the payment fails on the following month. Even though the paper included with their new card also says, “Please update your information with your billers.”. They just activate their cards and move on. Life is far too busy to be bothered with simple, but mundane tasks.
Then we get much nastier calls during the following month when their payment fails. Such as:
My card is the same!
Hey, now it’s a month later. You’ve forgotten about getting your new card. Sadly our system won’t accept payment if the date on the card doesn’t match what we have. Especially if it is passed the expiration. Sure your card number may have remained the same, but not the expiration date. Now that date has come and gone and we can no longer process your payment. Like it or not, a simple phone call is needed to update this with us. Please though, leave your attitude out of the conversation. It’s not our fault you didn’t call.
Only the date has changed.
Sure, OK. No problem. Many times this is the case. However, when you call, we always ask the same questions so as to keep card processing failures from happening.
- Does the name on the card still appear as [insert customer name here], such as Henry R Dependett?
- Is the card still a [MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover]?
- Does the card still end in [last four digits], 5432?
- Do you still live at [customer address on file]?
And you can hear the annoyance in the customer’s voice. Like asking these few questions has somehow interfered with their busy day. I’m sorry, I’m trying to be thorough so you won’t have to call back angry because your payment was rejected. I’m not being stern, I’m not raising my voice. I’m simply asking questions to help you help yourself.
No matter what, some still call back later pissed off because they got another email from us saying their card payment was rejected. If you look at the images above carefully, you’ll see why. Generally always happens with the 5 being changed to a 2. Or vise-versa. I guess they look similar. One number is all it takes to make a card fail. However, I’ve taken calls where the last 8 numbers are different even though I asked them on the previous call if it was right. I guess they were still looking at the old card. Still I don’t know why they take it out on me. I asked.
My bank should’ve notified you!!
Uh… No. They don’t do that. That’s why when they send you a new card, there is a paper attached with remindful statements such as, “Please update your information with your billers.”. Just saying, reading is fundamental. Again, park your attitude.
I mean I get it. Some people just can’t be bothered with taking an hour or two out of their busy day to call 3 – 10 businesses or logon to 1 – God-knows-how-many websites and update their credit card information. You have these setup so you don’t have to call them, or log on to them every month to simply make a payment. That’s too much work. Golly gee. Sorry your life is so horrible. Goodness knows we try to help by sending you reminders. Your bank gives you pointers too. We try to be thorough on the phone. Yet no matter how hard we try, some folks still call with fire in their eyes and hate in their voice because something went wrong and they got a nasty email or their service was cut off for nonpayment.
Then & Now
I’ve been a manager before at a couple of different places. Handling customer concerns, training new employees, hiring and firing and disciplinary measures when needed. There’s no way I could do that in today’s world. Even if it wasn’t for the worry of having another heart attack due to the stress it can cause in a fast pace food chain. If I were in excellent health I would simply be a very hated individual. Mainly because I would expect the employees to actually do their job. As I would also expect the other management to set a good example for the crew.
I’ve watched the world change dramatically from the introduction of the internet, computers and the now dominating social media and smart devices. This past year has been an up close view as to why standards in the convenient food (no fast food place is actually fast anymore) workplace have declined severely in the new age.
Dress Code
Although I don’t know of many places that do this, the place I work at, has no real dress code anymore. We just got bought by a new franchise owner from out of town. Since then, the black t-shirts with the company logo and khaki pants/shorts are no longer a requirement. You can wear what you want. Hence I’ve seen dirty shirts and jeans and shorts that are all torn up. In this environment I work, it should at least be clean, decent jeans and a company shirt. At the very least, look clean wearing clothes with no holes and like you actually care about your job. For the customer’s sake, fake it.
Poor Cleaning
Many times I will walk into the store and the floors look like they haven’t been mopped in days. Dirty pans stacked high. The area where the food is made is a wreck. If I were the customer walking into a restaurant, the first thing I do is look at the cleanliness. If it looks like a rat-hole, I tend to walk right back out. I don’t want my food made in a place where they don’t keep a fairly clean kitchen. Whatever happened to “clean as you go”. I remember that being a policy in many employee handbooks over the years. This is especially annoying when the crew is standing around playing on their phones or chatting with friends, family or coworkers amid the destruction. My philosophy has always been, “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.”. It would be different if everything was in order and then they had nothing to do.
Job Description
It doesn’t matter if you are a crew member, driver or manager. There are things that are expected of every employee. This way the workload won’t fall squarely on only a few individuals. You must be able to help make food, box food, prep food, answer phones to take orders, run the cash register, stock the makeline and clean. If you are weak in any area of your job, it’s the manager’s duty to help you strengthen this weakness so that the employee can be a valued part of the team.
Instead, some employees who manage to show up for work on time and only have to achieve some of the responsibilities to be valued as good enough. If they don’t want to take orders, operate the register or answer phones; it’s ok to make others drop what they’re doing to pick up the slack. If they don’t know how to clean the bathrooms or floors, just do a poor job and then the other employees who do those same duties at closing will take care of it.
Honestly that makes for a very unhappy work environment. If some employees have to make up for the weaknesses of part of the team on a consistent basis, they will feel they have to work twice as hard to make the same paycheck. Which will make the good employees quit eventually.
Personal Calls and Texts
In the good old days before smartphones, you weren’t allowed to use the company phone for personal phone calls unless it was an emergency or had gotten the manager’s permission prior to making the call. This kept employees doing what they get paid to do, rather than getting paid to socialize. Holy hell has that changed. You hear an alert noise or buzz and someone will drop what they are doing and beeline straight for their phone. In today’s society you expect that from teenagers as their phone is their world. God forbid they actually go out and do things. I digress. However smartphones and social media have pretty much taken a hold of the world. Turning people of all ages into helpless minions compelled to answer the all mighty tones and buzzes produced by their pocket devices. I’ve seen old people text while driving now. As if they didn’t have trouble behind the wheel. I digress… again.
In the workplace it’s very detracting to the workflow. Especially when there’s a lot going on. Suddenly a noise and grandma stops making food and checks her phone. She tries to be sly about it and walk around the partial wall where the break table is. Same goes for the young married man. His pants vibrate and suddenly he has to use the bathroom. Right… Like none of us have a clue what he’s really doing.
I admit I check my phone too, but not when it goes off. It can ding and buzz all it likes. It will wait until there’s little to nothing going on. I use a very standard ideal. Unless it’s an emergency it can wait. If it’s a real emergency. A true bonafide life emergency. Then don’t call me, call 911 first. Afterward leave me a text or voicemail and I’ll come as soon as I can. It won’t help anyone if I just drop what I’m doing to call 911 for you.
Friends and Family
This kills me. Doesn’t matter if the place is dead or busy. People wander in and just distract employees by interrupting their work to chat. Wait, what? If that happened when I was a manager, I’d ask the offending people to leave if we were busy. Or if we were slow, I’d ask the employee to take a 15 minute unpaid break. I’m not about to let someone get paid to just socialize with their friends or family members. They can do that on their own time. Are there no standards anymore? Talk about your personal lives on your own time. Not the company’s time.
Drama and Facebook
This one is just as bad as the Friends and Family. There is always some rant about someone’s ex or something that got posted to Facebook. Who the hell cares? The employee is there to do a job. Not worry about social media and relationships.
Overall I know it’s a low paying job, but honestly there has got to be people out there who would actually work for their pay. Just because you show up, doesn’t mean you should get to just play on your phone, do a half-assed job and socialize while looking like a bum. While a handful of people do what is expected of them. While I wish I could bring my concerns up to the person in charge. I can’t. The last time I tried, I got a whole lot of hate from that person. So no rocking the boat for me. I’ll shut up and endure for now. I hope to find a new job much like my day job where I get to dress decent and work in a clean office. This night job is incredibly taxing on me physically. But hey, my floors look awesome 🙂
When you order…
Every single day I have to deal with stupid people. We all do I’m sure. I swear it’s getting worse as time goes on. It’s not helping that I now work over 40 hours a week between two jobs. It’s taxing to say the least. My day job I am more understanding of when folks come off as stupid because I don’t expect them to know what I know about computers and technology. At my night job however, it’s just mentally draining to deal with idiots.
It’s not like I get one or two every couple of nights. It’s several. Every single night I work. God knows I try to make everyone I talk to laugh. For the most part I can. Silly voices, funny quips and little things I do when I show up at their door so that I can get them to like me. If they like me, the better the tips. It’s a very simple formula.
It’s when they call to place the order that it gets hard to deal with them. I’ll explain some of the calls I take very regularly that make it hard for me to not want to reach through the phone and punch people in the face for their blatant stupidity. If it’s Half-Price night, Friday or Saturday night and the phones are ringing off the wall, we don’t really have the patients for stupidity. Other customers want their food made and delivered. If you’re tying us to a phone, then food is getting cold and orders aren’t being made. When you are a delivery driver, that’s not all you do. You do everything and then deliver too. It’s that way at every place I’ve ever worked. Domino’s, Papa Johns, Chanello’s and the place I work now.
All of us clerk types suffer from stupid customers.
The Credit Card
Why do folks have so much problems dealing with these? You called and ordered. You want to pay for it now and… “I have to go get it out of the car.” “Expiration date? Oh let me get it back out of my purse.” “What do you mean declined?” Two things would make this all go so much smoother. Know what you want to order and have your credit card in hand.
Giggling Gaggle of Teenage Girls
Oh holy shit… Every single night there ends up being a group of teenage hormones calling up. Giggling their asses off and it takes a good 5 – 10 minutes just to take their order as they can’t make up their minds, can’t afford the price quoted or can’t stop laughing. I’ve noticed that over the years. It’s like when teen girls get together, the over all I.Q. level drops drastically. Maybe it does with boys too, but they aren’t so obvious about it.
Little Timmy or Tammy
You know it might be heart warming to want your little 8 year old to order pizza for you. But unless it’s a quiet Monday afternoon at around 3pm, the aww factor is lost on us taking the order. We’re busy and don’t have time for little kids who can’t enunciate or are way too shy. I’m all for it if you can get them to practice their lines first. Then it’s cute. Otherwise mommy or daddy needs to take care of business.
Do you deliver?
This one kills me. Every couple of days I get this one. Just two days ago I got these exact words. “Do you deliver here?” Where? I’ve no idea where you are. So I ask for the address. I get some neighborhood name like, “Meadow Farms”. I clarify I’m not from Petoskey and don’t know the neighborhoods by name. Asked for the address again. I get the road name. What house number? It took 5-6 tries to get the address. Even then, they didn’t give me the city. Turns out they live in a different town. So I give them the number to a different store. They proceeded to ask if they deliver to them. Call and ask. Why is it so hard to give us an address? If you don’t know where you live, we can’t deliver. Simple as that. Same goes for the phone number. We always ask for it in case we get lost or need some help pin pointing you live on a hill, in the woods and we should be able to hear the banjos in the distance. We have a massive delivery area. Some places are redneck hell. Yet folks don’t remember their phone number either. You’re talking on it, so might want to look. Sorry caller ID doesn’t always get a number for us.
Uh…
The constant muttering. Oh how I hate it. Uh… Um… If you don’t know what you want, think it over and call back. We don’t have “um” for a topping. We don’t know where “uh” is. Take your finger out of your nose and stop drooling on yourself.
How Much?
“How much is a large pizza?” Depends on what you want on it folks. Specialty pizzas are generally a set price while making your own costs per item. Plus is it pick-up or delivery? We have specials sometimes. It’s better to tell us what you want and wait for the total. If you don’t like it, then make changes. Asking how much before hand won’t work well.
Oh! And…
You’ve got their order complete, you’ve hit print and it’s now off the screen. Many times you’ve already totaled out their payment with a credit card, and now they want to add something or change something. Our setup doesn’t allow us to just void their credit card purchase. Oh and God forbid you tell them they have to pay for the extra with another credit card payment or with cash. Which means they were hoping you’d let it slide and give them a little something for nothing. I’m sorry folks, that’s not the business we’re in. You want paper plates? Sure that’s free. Sauces? Not so much. At 75¢ each, that adds up quickly and the boss wouldn’t appreciate giving $3 of stuff away 10-15 times a night.
Douche-bag on the Line
This is the asshole who wants someone else to order, but he or she is on another phone constantly correcting the person placing the order. Or is in the room, but yelling and interrupting. Just put the douche-bag on the phone and let’s get this over with already.
Hello?
I never get why when you can’t hear someone, they insist on not hanging up and calling back. Instead if it’s all static, they just start yelling. Like I’ll somehow hear them over the noise. Instead they are just adding to it. They could simply try to reconnect by calling back or waiting until they are in a different location where they get better signal. Instead they “bang their head against the wall” trying to make it work.
At the Door…
Then there’s the assholes who when you get to the door do some of the dumbest shit ever.
Not Home or Not Paying Attention
You get to the door and no one answers.
I took an order to an apartment complex. No one answered. After 4 tries and trying to call them, I started to leave. They came in the complex with ice cream. They weren’t even home.
They call from work and we beat them to their own house.
Watching a movie at full blast and they can’t hear the door or their phone.
No Money
Suddenly they can’t pay for it. This happens more often than not with rich people. Massive house or at a super fancy hotel. Money to burn and can’t find any cash when you get there. Poor folks pay with coins at least. Rich have to call people or run to an ATM. Why didn’t they just put it on a credit card in the first place?
Do You Take Credit Cards?
Seriously? I get to the door, the customer doesn’t have enough money and wants to know if I can take a card on the spot. OK being me I can. But it’s charged to my business and not the pizza place. Then I have to go to work and pay for it. So there had better be a damn good tip involved. But in most cases, no we can’t do that. The customer should’ve used some brain power to know if they had the money before they finished their order with us.
And for fuck sake parents. Teach your kids to put pants on when they answer the door! Nothing makes a driver feel more creepy than having some tween open the door in their underwear.
Workplace Drama
Something I haven’t had to deal with in over a decade. Working in a small company with great people. No one ever really complained about each other and we all do our part. Sure there’s the discussions about the customers and the drama they cause, but there has been virtually none amongst ourselves. It has been awesome. I’ve gone to work in a decent to good mood and generally left the same way. I didn’t feel like the workplace was dragging me down. Sure, customers could put me in a bad mood sometimes, but not the co-workers.
Returning to the world as a Food Transportation Specialist (you like that title don’t you), it hasn’t been quite as nice. I had forgotten how folks can be easily drawn into other peoples problems and somehow make it part of their own lives. What’s worse is I find myself doing it too. It’s like some sort of disease. I try not to be sucked in, but sometimes it’s like you just want to be included in it somehow. I must find a way to maintain my distance from that nonsense. It really can wear a person down quickly in their emotional levels.
That and of course my health seems to be an issue for some of my new co-workers. Every job I’ve applied for in the past 6-8 months, I’ve been upfront with my heart condition. This place was the first to take a chance on me. I make fairly good money. Sometimes I make more delivering food than I do fixing computers. I try not to work too late so I can get decent sleep for my day job. Which I also explained takes precedence over the night job. This and I also admitted I won’t be the fastest moving person, but I will do adequate or better work as long as I feel good. The big boss man was cool with that. We also agreed, that on occasion I would end up working really late if we were busy. Not a problem.
Up until a couple of nights ago, I’ve had no issues with any of my symptoms cropping up. Sadly the past two nights I’ve been hurting. I didn’t ask to go home, I didn’t make much complaint other than to make it known so they would be aware that I may perform less than good. Unfortunately for a Sunday night, it was like a Friday during football season. We didn’t have enough people to handle the business and we did the best we could. Deliveries weren’t an issue. The dishes however, had piled up quickly. I was assigned to do them. I did so diligently but I wasn’t feeling good so I set a pace and worked at them steadily. Once we had closed for the night, I was still working cleaning up the dishes. The night manager was suddenly in my face about having to hurry and smile. I politely reminded her I hurt. She kept at me with hurrying. I was a bit annoyed at her because she just didn’t seem to respect the issue.
Last night I had a bit of Angina. It wasn’t bad, but I ended up relenting to taking a Nitro tab. Which of course is instant headache. Thankfully that put me straight after a few minutes. That and I was able to get out at a decent time and get a good nights sleep finally. So now I feel pretty good. I’m so thankful that I don’t have things like this happen often. Still… Could do with out the workplace drama.
Celebrating Mediocrity
This is one of those things I just could never get my head around. Why celebrate or award those who just do what they are supposed to do? The things we give way too much attention, just to say great job on doing what your told or should have been expected to do all along. Are people so weak now they need a cheering section for every little thing? I would have to say so, as it happens so frequently. Personally, I find it absolutely nauseating.
I see it everywhere. In the news, in life, watching others and having dealt with it for other people. Though I’ll just speak from my own experiences this time.
I understand when someone goes above and beyond their call in life or exceeds the expectations of many, that they should be recognized. Maybe not every hero in our world does, but there are those who have been awarded for their deeds. That is great. I hope that continues and I pray that anyone who does something worthy, is given the praise they deserve. Just not for mundane things like doing your job satisfactorily or coming to work on time always. I haven’t taken a sick day in over a year. While it may be noticed I did so with heart disease, I certainly don’t want to make it a big deal. So I lived another year without incident. I suppose that’s not bad for a man who had 3 heart attacks back to back. Yay me. That’s all the recognition I need for that.
Now let’s talk about the things I have been given completely unnecessary awards for. As well as the recognition I believe I should’ve never received.
Most recently, my pharmacy has started to grade their customers on their performance. I received a score of 100%. I basically never failed to fill or pickup a prescription for an entire year. Wow, that’s pretty good for a guy who has only been working part time for the past several months and still manages to come up with the over $1300 for the co-pays in the past tax year. Yes you read that right. Still… Whoopty Fucking Doo folks. If my pharmacy really wanted to recognize my achievement, how about no co-pays for a month? Yeah… Not likely.
I have several memories of mediocrity being recognized was while I was in the Navy. I received two awards and four letters of commendation during my four years on board the USS Enterprise. I even received the Naval Achievement Medal (which brought me much hatred) and a boost in rank without going through the normal channels (also much hate).
In the Navy I ended up in a position because of my math skills. So that got me a fairly nice desk job overseeing the ships budget. I was essentially the accountant. Anyone who spent money, reported to me. Certainly beat what I was trained for, Aviation Supply. That would’ve had me spending my time kicking boxes about the store rooms. Instead, I got an air conditioned office and a comfy chair. At the time, in the early 90’s, email was restricted to Officers only. Yet, this lowly enlisted man (only an E-2 when I took the job), got to have one. They had to give me clearance and all sorts of paperwork because at the time it was almost unheard of. OK, so some recognition but nothing crazy. That is until they did some major inspection and quizzed me on my job. I aced it. Still it was my job to keep tight track of the money. So the letter of commendation and being pressed and dressed so the Captain could say something useless and shake my hand was a bit much.
I was also known for my skills with a sponge, wax and a buffer. I could make floors shine. Mainly I only did the ones near the Supply Officer where I worked. He spoke up one day and I was put in charge of a four man team to wax the floor for the Officer’s Mess where President Clinton was going to dine while visiting our ship at sea. OK whatever. Officer says, enlisted does. Simple as that. While the president was on board, I was back at work in my office. Clinton said to our Captain, “I can see my reflection in this floor.”. Next thing you know I’m in the hangar bay, pressed and dressed again for another commendation letter. I waxed a floor as the Officer ordered. It was my job to do it right. I don’t see the need to be awarded. A simple email from someone saying “Good job!” or “Clinton liked your floor.” would’ve been just fine.
Another job I did was requisitioning and filing of orders for supplies. Paperwork rather than carrying heavy things about. It was a job normally assigned for a First Class Petty Officer (E-6). Just shy of wearing the Khaki’s of a Chief Petty Officer. Why I don’t really know. It’s not hard except when you have to chase lost cargo down by phone. I was trained as an Airman Apprentice (E-2) to do the job. The First Class went on leave and I (then an Airman E-3) got hit with one of those nifty inspections. Again, try as they might to trick me or hit me for something wrong. I did everything right. This was when I got the double header of the Naval Achievement Medal and the boost in rank to Third Class Petty Officer (E-4). Just for doing my job. Again, pressed and dressed. This time with a ship wide announcement from the Captain congratulating me for passing the inspection flawlessly. A pat on the back would’ve been fine. Certainly would’ve been better than the weeks of hate I received.
I also received a letter of commendation for my extra activities with firefighting and duties on the mooring team. Though never did I save anyone’s life or do something spectacular. I simply did my job and they went nuts for it. I don’t know why. Actually, I really resented it at times.
I have to agree with Mr. Incredible. Things like moving from the 4th grade to the 5th grade, is NOT a graduation. It’s merely changing schools in most cases. You still have to survive eight more years and getting your diploma. Now that’s something worth celebrating. Changing buildings is not.
Start at 52 seconds.
Then again, we do the opposite too. We celebrate those we love way too much sometimes. Simply speaking we throw ridiculous amounts of cash at sports personalities, while our veterans have to struggle to feed their families sometimes. Our priorities as a whole are astonishingly out of whack.
You Said… You Always…
Does anyone else get really annoyed at other people who simply think they know absolutely everything about you? They think they know your every move, your every desire and every detail of the routines in your life? I know it drives me bat-shit crazy. Especially if I do anything they think is out of character. They then take quick notice and proclaim that I don’t do or I’ve never done that. God forbid I have any individuality and actually change something.
It wouldn’t be so bad if they simply noticed and accepted the change. Instead they have to defend what they know to be true and even start to argue with you as if they absolutely have to be in the right. Like somehow you have suddenly done something unforgivable. This gets even more annoying and frustrating when they think you have said or did something in the past, or been some place before; and you have never. They just about lose their composure in an attempt to say they could not be in the slightest wrong.
Let me give you some examples.
Someone wanted to make a Mexican Omelet. I was in my room at the time. I came out sometime later and they were upset as there wasn’t any Salsa in the house. Suddenly I get, “You didn’t buy any salsa this week? You always buy salsa.”. I looked at them confused as I haven’t bought salsa in over a month. Was I at this point supposed to apologize and be sorry I didn’t buy salsa? Was I in charge of buying it and keep it in stock? I generally only buy and eat my own food unless invited to share theirs or feel like sharing mine. The exception being condiments. I guess salsa is a condiment. OK whatever.
A conversation started over a store in town. I was asked if they carried some item. I said, “I don’t know. I’ve never been in there.”. Suddenly I felt like I was being scolded for lying. Not only have I been in there, but they took me there. Now I had to think but just could not recall ever having been in that particular store in my entire life. I was sure they had me confused with someone else. This went on for several minutes, and I finally shut up as there was no winning. A few months later, I did go in that store and sure enough, I had never been there prior. Though it struck me funny that if they so vividly remember my being there with them, why didn’t they remember if the store carried the item they wanted?
I pointed out a movie to someone the other day. I am Legend starring Will Smith. I said, “It’s a good movie.”. I was attacked with, “You hate Will Smith.”. Dumbfounded about that statement. I exclaimed that I liked watching the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I’ve seen Independence Day, I Robot, Jersey Girl (he wasn’t the star but was in it), all the Men in Black films, Bad Boys I and II, Hancock, The Pursuit of Happiness, Wild Wild West and many more. I think you can safely say I like Will Smith as an actor. “You said he sucked and you hated Wild Wild West.” Uh… I own Wild Wild West and enjoy watching it. Again, another argument I was about to lose even though I was right.
These are just a few of the examples from over they years from different people. Though I have to ask, what the fuck!? How does anyone just assume they know everything about someone else? Worse they defend what they know to be true rather than admit they might be wrong.
Sure I have my share of routines and habits. Maybe more than some. I do eat a lot of Turkey these days. Low fat, low sodium food. I do a good house cleaning on Tuesdays. But doesn’t mean I never miss a Tuesday. Maybe work was long and I did it on Wednesday. In the summer I walk every day I can. Providing I feel good and the weather cooperates. But if I change my routine, it shouldn’t be the spark of an attack of my character. It shouldn’t frustrate anyone for any reason. I know if someone else does something out of the norm, I may take notice. I may even say, “Huh, I didn’t know you were into that.”. Still I would accept and make note in case I needed that info in the future. I certainly wouldn’t give that person grief over my own misinformation. So long as it’s not harmful to my own being. Why should I really be concerned at all? Just makes me wonder why so many others get upset over such things.
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