Paranoia about being fired (employee, unemployment, job, careers)

[DavieJ89]

If there are any regular posters on here, you'll remember that back in December shortly before Christmas I was suspended from my cashier's job at a grocery store for a week I wont get into why again, just look for the thread on my profile

To sum it up simply, I said something a customer didn't like and that I ignored her

Ever since I had returned around Christmas time I have been totally paranoid about stepping out of line with the customers, being 10X as nice to them (I was already very nice to begin with) and I just stick to the usual things I am required to say "How are you doing" "Did you find everything ok?" "Is plastic ok" "Have a nice day, you saved $30 today" stuff like that

Even so, I still wake up every morning wondering if I will still have a job, or if my boss is going to give me the ax. I really think my days at my company are numbered

This week has been particularly tough though. I love to talk to people so even now I occasionally start unnecessary conversations with my customers but I dont think I have said anything out of line as far as I know. I really am trying my best to please every customer, but I feel like my best isn't good enough. I feel like the worst cashier my store has.

I also had and still have a bad habit of talking to my bagger, though most customers don't seem to care, it was one of the reasons I was suspended for a week. And I happened to end up with a lot of talkative baggers this week. I'd really rather just bag for myself then get distracted from the customer by a bagger. A lot of times customers swear stuff rang up wrong, and rather then send my bagger to go find it, I do it myself because the baggers are too slow, poorly trained and take forever finding the item, so I go after it myself quickly (I dont run) but my boss stil lchews me out about it and tells me to either ask my bagger (I usually dont have one) or ask a manager (all of which are usually too busy counting their bonus money or bad mouthing employees like me behind our backs which I have overheard them before, but they dont know) they are usually in the computer room

Anyways, is this paranoia about losing my job unfounded, rational, or do I just need to tray and relax and do my job? Like I said I'm giving my best but at the same time I feel like my best isn't good enough because I feel my boss has set the standards too high for me

He sets different standards for different employees, and most often times the slackers (who also get the most hours) get away with EVERYTHING. Whereas I cannot fart without them chewing me out about it

[FutureBrennanDad]

Well, I will start out by letting you know if that is how you feel then yes it may happen. You said you are doubting your abilities well that will show even when you do not think it does. If you are unhappy with the situation have you looked for other employement. If you have heard the managers talking bad about someone else what did you do about it? You can not speak about the other employees having a different set of standards because you do not know what is said to them or how they are rated, you only know what you see and that will not be everything. My best advice would be look for another job where you do not have to live with fear. I was in a job that I felt like it was only a matter of time for anyone because the company was not loyal to their own but would bend over needlessly to the customers, I switched careers and am happier now than ever. Good luck to you.

[GypsySoul22]

First off, and I mean no disrespect to you or cashiers or baggers or anyone else..

You're a cashier right now. You sound like a young person. Why not use this time to study or train for some other job so you can have something else to fall back on. Being a cashier is fine but maybe in the future you want something more stable/less stressful/with more money or opportunities.

[DavieJ89]

Originally Posted by FutureBrennanDad

Well, I will start out by letting you know if that is how you feel then yes it may happen. You said you are doubting your abilities well that will show even when you do not think it does. If you are unhappy with the situation have you looked for other employement. If you have heard the managers talking bad about someone else what did you do about it? You can not speak about the other employees having a different set of standards because you do not know what is said to them or how they are rated, you only know what you see and that will not be everything. My best advice would be look for another job where you do not have to live with fear. I was in a job that I felt like it was only a matter of time for anyone because the company was not loyal to their own but would bend over needlessly to the customers, I switched careers and am happier now than ever. Good luck to you.

THats how my company is, they bend all the employees over to the customers even if what the customer does is wrong (using more coupons then he is supposed to) or giving away stuff for free that didn't ring up wrong and was just in the wrong place (our store policy is that if the scanned price is higher then what the tag says, the item is free, lots of stuff ends up in the wrong place and customers DEMAND they get it for free, and usually cause big scenes)

And I can speak about the other employees. I have a coworker Wilson (name changed) he's 19 years old, spends most of his shift on his cell phone, doesn't grab carts, doesnt follow the dress code, jsut costs the company money in general. Yet he gets just as many hours as I do and is getting a promotion Whats wrong with this picture?

Im seen by many of my co-workers as a role model employee for the service I provide and my old fashioned hard work pays off ethic. Im 20 BTW in case anybody didnt know. I used to have high hopes for a career into management into my company. But over the past year since I was promoted, too many things have gone wrong and I have seen my company's true colors. In spite of deserving to get full time status, my boss REFUSES to give it to me, as well as a spot on the customer service desk which I have registered interest for.

Where I work, people are promoted for personal reasons, and not actual merit, good customer service and hard work. Even the customers at my store say my perpetually happy boss is the biggest phony they've ever met. And I know he's a phony because I know him very personally. He's actually quite miserable when not on the sales floor

I am considering transferring back to my old store, where hard work was rewarded and the slackers were not put up with. They have several time positions in the stock department open, more opportunities in that department, more pay, more hours. We'll see

[Magnolia Bloom]

You've said that you are not supposed to leave the register for price checks, but to get the bagger or a manager to do it- yet you continue to do so.

You've said that you have been told not to engage in conversations with the baggers while ringing up customers, but you continue to do so.

Also, there used to be a saying- the customer is always right. You seem to resent your customers. Maybe a transfer to the stockroom would be a better fit for you. It doesn't matter what you consider good customer service. It matters what the company considers good customer service. If you can't break the two habits above, yeah, you probably will be fired.

BTW- MANY shoppers get POed when a cashier chats with the bagger while shoving items past the scanner. Most won't say anything, they will just avoid your line in the future.

[billybobwv]

Originally Posted by DavieJ89

And I can speak about the other employees. I have a coworker Wilson (name changed) he's 19 years old, spends most of his shift on his cell phone, doesn't grab carts, doesnt follow the dress code, jsut costs the company money in general. Yet he gets just as many hours as I do and is getting a promotion Whats wrong with this picture?

Sadly this sort of thing happens all the time in a LOT of different business.

I can remember back in 2005 when I was working in radio one of our program directors HATED a member of his own staff, calling him a "liar" on so many things like the time the employee said Kansas City isn't on East Coast time ( the PD said it was..yes I know it isnt but he was "..the boss" ), making strange demands like whenever the employee would go on vacation, the destination had to be approved by the boss and how he must "check in" with work such as giving the motel/hotel phone number- no cell phone number..etc..etc..Despite being a hard worker and putting up with the crap he was never promoted.

Yet there was another employee on his staff who DID lie all the time enough to make him another Homer Simpson, did disappearing acts on the weekends to the point NOBODY knew where he was even though he was scheduled to work, cussing everyone at work, smoked on the job at his desk even though smoking wasn't allowed in the building ( he claimed he had to smoke because he "at one time" had bipolar ) anyway this guy was FULL OF IT !!.....yet he was promoted several times over the years.

It happens...sad to say.

[TFW46]

I agree with everything Magnolia Bloom said, even though she said it much nicer than I might have.

[dmarie123]

Originally Posted by Magnolia Bloom

You've said that you are not supposed to leave the register for price checks, but to get the bagger or a manager to do it- yet you continue to do so.

You've said that you have been told not to engage in conversations with the baggers while ringing up customers, but you continue to do so.

Also, there used to be a saying- the customer is always right. You seem to resent your customers. Maybe a transfer to the stockroom would be a better fit for you. It doesn't matter what you consider good customer service. It matters what the company considers good customer service. If you can't break the two habits above, yeah, you probably will be fired.

BTW- MANY shoppers get POed when a cashier chats with the bagger while shoving items past the scanner. Most won't say anything, they will just avoid your line in the future.

Excellent points. OP thinks she is the best worker in the store, but can't follow simple instructions. It doesn't matter if she thinks she *should* be allowed to do those things....she is NOT allowed to do those things. She is being basically insubordinate to her boss....why would they want to promote her or give her more hours?

[DavieJ89]

Originally Posted by dmarie123

Excellent points. OP thinks she is the best worker in the store, but can't follow simple instructions. It doesn't matter if she thinks she *should* be allowed to do those things....she is NOT allowed to do those things. She is being basically insubordinate to her boss....why would they want to promote her or give her more hours?

IM A GUY in case you didn't know, not a girl

And to Magnolia Bloom

I do the price checks myself because like I said the baggers are clueless and dont know where anything is with the exception of a few those who do kno will take their sweet time and even stop and talk to somebody they know leaving me and an increasingly PO'ed customer waiting, and the supervisors are never around. I'd get in more trouble for just giving something away without checking the price on it first, rather then going to check myself which can be done quickly and efficiently. I never said I was the best worker in the store, but I dont waste my time taking are of customers I try to deliver my best

As far as talking to my baggers, for some reason it has been exceptionally difficult this week, but I HAVE been making my best effort not to talk to them, but as usual my best isn't good enough

Yeah I probably will get fired. But I deserve it right? After all, I seem to be a failure at life anyways

[wannabee]

Originally Posted by DavieJ89

Anyways, is this paranoia about losing my job unfounded, rational, or do I just need to tray and relax and do my job?

The conversations are unnecessary - stop having them. It is not your job to talk to the bagger other than to ask for a quick price check - so stop doing that. News Flash: CUSTOMERS DO CARE THAT YOU ARE TALKING TO THE BAGGER WHILE YOU ARE SCANNING THEIR ITEMS! It infuriates me to no end. I smile and say thank you as I leave, even though I am cursing them out in my head. You may think customers "don't seem to care" because they aren't complaining to you or to the manager (for many reasons). I seethe all the way home. I am an introvert so it takes a lot for me to complain or initiate a confrontation. So remember that the next time you need to run off at the mouth. Silence does not denote agreement or acceptance.

Don't blame it on talkative baggers, it takes two to have a conversation. It is not up to you to decide how best to serve the customer. Doing your job means following directions (even when you do not agree with them).

Oh, and your paranoia is not at all unfounded.

Originally Posted by Magnolia Bloom

You've said that you are not supposed to leave the register for price checks, but to get the bagger or a manager to do it- yet you continue to do so. You've said that you have been told not to engage in conversations with the baggers while ringing up customers, but you continue to do so. Also, there used to be a saying- the customer is always right. You seem to resent your customers. Maybe a transfer to the stockroom would be a better fit for you. It doesn't matter what you consider good customer service. It matters what the company considers good customer service. If you can't break the two habits above, yeah, you probably will be fired.
BTW- MANY shoppers get POed when a cashier chats with the bagger while shoving items past the scanner. Most won't say anything, they will just avoid your line in the future.

What magnolia said. As they say on American Idol "One thousand percent YES" to what she said.

Originally Posted by dmarie123

Excellent points. OP thinks she is the best worker in the store, but can't follow simple instructions. It doesn't matter if she thinks she *should* be allowed to do those things....she is NOT allowed to do those things. She is being basically insubordinate to her boss....why would they want to promote her or give her more hours?

Yes dmarie.

Insubordination is the act of a subordinate deliberately disobeying a lawful order from someone in charge of them.

Watch out for this as you could be denied unemployment.

Originally Posted by DavieJ89

Yeah I probably will get fired. But I deserve it right? After all, I seem to be a failure at life anyways

No need for such a negative attitude - dude.
There are PROS here such as the realization that maybe customer service isn't your calling. You are still young and have much more to experience in life.

Requirements for any job:

1. Show up on time
2. do what you are told
3. go home

I'm about to go to the supermarket now and I am cringing because my chance of getting a cashier who knows how not to be chatty with the bagger is about 50%!

Not all cashiers do that, but it's extremely common for cashiers between 16 and 21 years old to do that.