Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Virginia > Northern Virginia
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 09-12-2010, 10:25 AM
 
2,688 posts, read 6,669,676 times
Reputation: 1291

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by LetsRock View Post
POS jobs??? I love how people feel that retail jobs are so low on the respect scale. America is turning into a service economy. These are the jobs that will survive. Customer service skills are a must if you want to sell a lot and make any form of commission.
I don't think it's necessarily true that all retail jobs will survive, as more and more people (myself included) do more and more of their shopping online. In a lot of cases I can complete my entire purchase online, including finding coupon codes for discounts that may not even be available in a store, in less than the time it would take to drive to the store. You are right though that customer service skills are a must, even more so now when people can choose whether to shop online or in a store.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 09-12-2010, 10:47 AM
 
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,691 posts, read 41,633,601 times
Reputation: 41324
Quote:
Originally Posted by CAVA1990 View Post
I was in a Wachovia on Route 1 yesterday that only had one teller on duty and a line almost out the door. The manager said they had four openings they were having trouble filling. There seem to be plenty of jobs available here in FFX County if one can afford to live here or commute in.
Actually if that Wachovia was down by Woodlawn/Ft. Belvoir that was my former job. If it was in Hybla Valley I could understand why there are four openings (DM me if you want the story.)
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-12-2010, 10:53 AM
 
2,612 posts, read 5,574,783 times
Reputation: 3965
What's amazing about the post and responses is that people are at all surprised by this. What did you think it was like at jobs that don't require any skills/experience/education/etc? It is and has always been the case that such jobs involve poor management, poor treatment, poor wages, and so on. Waiting tables isn't much better. Of course, not everyplace is horrible, but if you have enough of such jobs you'll soon see that many of them are like that.

Working my way though a million of years of grad school I had just about every kind of low-level part time job you can get, and about half of them were either what the op described or much, much worse. I've even had full time jobs that required a master's degree that were pretty awful. What kind of charmed lives have all of you led that this is news??? You must be incredibly lucky or very skilled in some great job area.

The way to avoid the POS jobs is what my parents always told me - education. Of course, it turned out that that didn't include the liberal arts, but that's a whole other story...now in my 40's I've finally managed to amass the right credentials to buy myself job security and respect (if not a great salary) but it took a lot of planning, training, and experience to get here.

So although I agree its wrong for any employee to be treated that way, I don't agree that someone with no skills or experience should really be expecting any different. If you ask me, it's a life lesson on the importance of making the right education and career choices.

Over the years, here are some of the easy-to-get jobs I've had that paid more than minimum wage and WEREN'T always horrible - maybe your son could look into some them:

dog-walking/pet sitting - this was a great one - choose your own jobs and hours, don't have to deal with a boss or coworkers (except the furry kind)
baby-sitting (10-12/hour)
waiting tables - one can start as a busboy or dishwasher, sometimes a hostess/host
tending bar - you can usually get on the job training if you start as a cocktail waiter or busboy
office temp
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-12-2010, 11:42 AM
 
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
14,129 posts, read 31,186,597 times
Reputation: 6920
Quote:
Originally Posted by marie5v View Post
What's amazing about the post and responses is that people are at all surprised by this. What did you think it was like at jobs that don't require any skills/experience/education/etc? It is and has always been the case that such jobs involve poor management, poor treatment, poor wages, and so on. Waiting tables isn't much better. Of course, not everyplace is horrible, but if you have enough of such jobs you'll soon see that many of them are like that.

Working my way though a million of years of grad school I had just about every kind of low-level part time job you can get, and about half of them were either what the op described or much, much worse. I've even had full time jobs that required a master's degree that were pretty awful. What kind of charmed lives have all of you led that this is news??? You must be incredibly lucky or very skilled in some great job area.

The way to avoid the POS jobs is what my parents always told me - education. Of course, it turned out that that didn't include the liberal arts, but that's a whole other story...now in my 40's I've finally managed to amass the right credentials to buy myself job security and respect (if not a great salary) but it took a lot of planning, training, and experience to get here.

So although I agree its wrong for any employee to be treated that way, I don't agree that someone with no skills or experience should really be expecting any different. If you ask me, it's a life lesson on the importance of making the right education and career choices.
This seems to be a peculiarly American condition due largely to our lack or sophistication. When I travel in other places, including other highly industrial countries in Western Europe or Japan (where they'll even origami wrap your purchase), retail workers are well treated and appear happy doing what they're doing. The problem is that American consumers are for the most part cheap clods who won't pay for decent service except on "special occasions". Elsewhere, just about every purchase is treated by the buyer and seller as a special occasion.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-12-2010, 12:01 PM
 
2,612 posts, read 5,574,783 times
Reputation: 3965
Quote:
Originally Posted by CAVA1990 View Post
This seems to be a peculiarly American condition due largely to our lack or sophistication. When I travel in other places, including other highly industrial countries in Western Europe or Japan (where they'll even origami wrap your purchase), retail workers are well treated and appear happy doing what they're doing. The problem is that American consumers are for the most part cheap clods who won't pay for decent service except on "special occasions". Elsewhere, just about every purchase is treated by the buyer and seller as a special occasion.
I don't think it's our lack of sophistication. I think it has more to do with different things being valued in different places. For example, in Italy waiters are well-paid (and don't even rely on tips), and waiting is considered a legitimate profession. That shows that Italians place greater value on the dining experience than we do. Likewise, in some countries doctors are not so highly respected as in the US, and in other places business people are not considered respectable at all. The prestige attached to a job varies with the country based on cultural history and belief.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-12-2010, 01:33 PM
 
Location: DMV
10,125 posts, read 13,952,006 times
Reputation: 3222
Those low wage jobs are the worst. My first job was at Bob Evans Restaurants and that was quite a humbling experience. I received treatment there, very similar to that of the OP's son. Unfortunately a lot of these managers think because you work those jobs, they have some ownership over you. They definitely don't support anyone that is trying to advance themselves, like college students because they want you become a slave to that job. I know this might sound extreme, but if people are fed up with the treatment they receive then maybe it might help if they contact the regional manager or go to OSHA. Everybody has to answer to someone and I never live with the idea that someone has power over me. Again I know that might be extreme but if he plans on keeping that job, maybe somebody needs to put that manager in his place.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-12-2010, 01:39 PM
 
2,688 posts, read 6,669,676 times
Reputation: 1291
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alanboy395 View Post
Actually if that Wachovia was down by Woodlawn/Ft. Belvoir that was my former job.
I guess that means you're irreplaceable !
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-12-2010, 02:01 PM
 
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
14,129 posts, read 31,186,597 times
Reputation: 6920
Quote:
Originally Posted by marie5v View Post
Likewise, in some countries doctors are not so highly respected as in the US,
The way the healthcare industry is moving here, it will true in the U.S. as well, particularly for General Practicioners. Most medical decisions will be made by intricate computer models with doctors acting as mere hourly or salaried service functionaries much like your auto mechanic. I'm certain that soon they will also have some manager treating them like dirt and consumers will be just fine with that, if it means a cheaper cost of care.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-12-2010, 06:05 PM
 
2,737 posts, read 5,442,510 times
Reputation: 2305
Quote:
Originally Posted by marie5v View Post
I don't think it's our lack of sophistication. I think it has more to do with different things being valued in different places. For example, in Italy waiters are well-paid (and don't even rely on tips), and waiting is considered a legitimate profession. That shows that Italians place greater value on the dining experience than we do. Likewise, in some countries doctors are not so highly respected as in the US, and in other places business people are not considered respectable at all. The prestige attached to a job varies with the country based on cultural history and belief.
Another factor is that in many countries in Western Europe, employers are forbidden by law from doing many things that they are perfectly free to do here. There is a smaller difference between how the top paid workers are paid and treated and how those on the lower rungs are.

Some employers here could also benefit from understanding that the better they treat their employees, the better their employees will treat them, and their customers.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-12-2010, 06:12 PM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,613 posts, read 77,439,770 times
Reputation: 19101
Quote:
Originally Posted by CAVA1990 View Post
There seems to be a popular myth out there that waiting tables is an entry level job. It's not. Tips are good (where else can you keep 15-20% of the money your employer makes?) and so they're sought after and filled by people with lots of experience, particularly in the nicer places where the average check is fairly sizable. A more realistic entry level position for her in food service would be a counter person at a sandwich or coffee place.
People grossly underestimate how much money servers can make. A friend and I dined out in National Harbor on Friday, and we ended up leaving a $20 tip. Our server appeared to be tending to two other tables simultaneously as well. Assuming they all left a similar tip, then that was $60/hour made just in tips for that server (assuming they can keep all of them and don't have to split with the bussers and hosts/hostesses). I make less than $25/hr. in comparison for what I do for a living.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Virginia > Northern Virginia
Similar Threads
View detailed profiles of:

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:21 AM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top