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I am starting to notice more and more that whenever I go to a store or restaurant here in Denver my blood pressure starts boiling and I have to bite my tongue not to tell off someone on an almost daily basis here! I don't know if they don't think Black people deserve decent customer service or what but they need to learn I'm not from here and I will raise hell!
People here seem to take their sweet ass time to do **** around here. It's like hurry the hell up dammit I have things to do!
I can name several examples of bad customer service in just the past week:
Best Buy: I arrived on time to a 3:30 audio install appointment. I pull around the back and the door and garage is locked. I walk around inside the store and the guy supposed to be working on my car spent 20 minutes talking to some customer and I'm just standing there waiting for him to finish and he knew I was there. Then finally he tell another rep to set me up until he's done with the other customer. I went OFF and told him I had a 3:30 appt. and I'm who you should be focused on Meanwhile I'm late for my chiropractic appointment because they dragging along helping someone who probably just walked in.
Perkins: This guy going to give me my to-go order in a doggone box without a bag. It wasn't until I left the place that I realized what he did. I'm like what the hell? Why this fool ain't give me a bag to take this home in. This better not spill!
Gas stations: Some of these people working behind the counter be so slow. I sat in line for like 5 minutes earlier today because the cashier was helping this lady do God knows what counting quarters or whatever.
AutoZone: I had a meltdown couple months ago in an autozone because I was already on a tight time frame. There were several people in line. I waited patiently for like 10 or 15 minutes. This girl had me walk to a register and said someone would ring me up. I turn and see a different cashier ring up someone else! I was like, LOOK! I WAS IN LINE BEFORE HIM, YOU SEE ME STANDING UP HERE AND GOING TO RING HIM UP, DAMMIT I HAVE THINGS TO DO THIS IS RIDICULOUS!
Post Office: I'm getting a money order for $3,000 last week and this lady going to ask me if I won something? As if a Black person my age doesn't have the capability to come across that type of cash. Now I bet if it was some older White person she wouldn't of said anything. She'd be yes siring and yes mam'ing them out the door. So why you have to say that about me?
I can probably name more but these just off the top of my head. And don't tell me this isn't a Denver issue and it's "just general". No...these people in Denver act like they slow and don't have any common sense and stuff like that irritates me. I don't like having to tell people off everytime I go into a store. But I've been having to because they just act so damn silly out here.
No offense but you seem to have a huge chip on your shoulder. I've lived in Colorado 22 years and initially when I read your post title I could sympathize. Just a couple days ago I'm driving down a two lane road going only a couple miles over the speed limit because it's a notorious area for cops catching speeders and I do NOT want to pay a speeding ticket right now. The car behind me is riding my ass and when it opens up to another lane he drives past and pumps his arm at me and the car behind him guns it, cuts in front of me and back over, rolls his window down and flips me off as if I was going UNDER the fricking speed limit. What the HELL is wrong with people these days???!!! It's because so many people are ME, ME, ME and I don't give a damn about how precious any one else's time is but my own! This was the impression I got after reading your rant above and for all I know you could have been the one flipping me off!
I've definitely gotten irritated with people screwing around in retail settings but you are NOT the only customer and your time is worth no more than anyone else's!!! While I understand that Denver is not very diverse, it only shows an even bigger chip you have with the several references to your race being a reason for not being served faster. You just sound impatient and bitchy to me regardless of your skin color. There are more important things in life to get upset about.
Cruising, are you by chance from out of state, or a recent transplant? I'm from the East Coast, and when I first moved to the midwest, it felt like everyone lived in slow motion. It was a definite adjustment. I've only spent a brief amount of time in Denver, and I'd put it between the two. Not as frantic as back east, but not as slow as Nebraska. But like I said, only limited experience. If you're from a faster paced area, I can see how there would be some frustration.
Moved from fast-paced California to slow-paced Missouri and love it. Being retired helps since I'm not in a hurry for anything but here, people talk to you, inquire about your day and actually care how it's been and are polite, friendly and helpful. The cashier talking to the person in front of me will spend as much time and attention on me as he or she did on them.
Life's too precious to rush through. It should be savored. In contrast, I found the left coast to be curt, bordering on rude - hurry to get my money and then I was expected to get the hell out of the way so they could collect from the person behind me. I much prefer the less hurried lifestyle.
Anger is merely wasted emoptional energy, usually fear-based, that could be better spent on more pleasant pursuits.
I am starting to notice more and more that whenever I go to a store or restaurant here in Denver my blood pressure starts boiling and I have to bite my tongue not to tell off someone on an almost daily basis here! I don't know if they don't think Black people deserve decent customer service or what but they need to learn I'm not from here and I will raise hell!
People here seem to take their sweet ass time to do **** around here. It's like hurry the hell up dammit I have things to do!
I can name several examples of bad customer service in just the past week:
Best Buy: I arrived on time to a 3:30 audio install appointment. I pull around the back and the door and garage is locked. I walk around inside the store and the guy supposed to be working on my car spent 20 minutes talking to some customer and I'm just standing there waiting for him to finish and he knew I was there. Then finally he tell another rep to set me up until he's done with the other customer. I went OFF and told him I had a 3:30 appt. and I'm who you should be focused on Meanwhile I'm late for my chiropractic appointment because they dragging along helping someone who probably just walked in.
Perkins: This guy going to give me my to-go order in a doggone box without a bag. It wasn't until I left the place that I realized what he did. I'm like what the hell? Why this fool ain't give me a bag to take this home in. This better not spill!
Gas stations: Some of these people working behind the counter be so slow. I sat in line for like 5 minutes earlier today because the cashier was helping this lady do God knows what counting quarters or whatever.
AutoZone: I had a meltdown couple months ago in an autozone because I was already on a tight time frame. There were several people in line. I waited patiently for like 10 or 15 minutes. This girl had me walk to a register and said someone would ring me up. I turn and see a different cashier ring up someone else! I was like, LOOK! I WAS IN LINE BEFORE HIM, YOU SEE ME STANDING UP HERE AND GOING TO RING HIM UP, DAMMIT I HAVE THINGS TO DO THIS IS RIDICULOUS!
Post Office: I'm getting a money order for $3,000 last week and this lady going to ask me if I won something? As if a Black person my age doesn't have the capability to come across that type of cash. Now I bet if it was some older White person she wouldn't of said anything. She'd be yes siring and yes mam'ing them out the door. So why you have to say that about me?
I can probably name more but these just off the top of my head. And don't tell me this isn't a Denver issue and it's "just general". No...these people in Denver act like they slow and don't have any common sense and stuff like that irritates me. I don't like having to tell people off everytime I go into a store. But I've been having to because they just act so damn silly out here.
The BestBuy person was rude. That person should've cut the other customer off right away and come to help you (unless they were discussing something work-related). That would no doubt be the company's top priority, but things can get iffy since all customers are any company's priority. Anyone who has worked in any kind of service job knows how hard it can be to cut off a chatty customer.
The Perkins guy probably made a genuine mistake and didn't think anything of it, not giving you a bag. The gas station person was probably held up with an annoying/difficult customer but I can relate, that happened to me one night at a gas station when I had to use the bathroom and had to get a key. But that's usually not the cashiers' fault.
I work at a major department store and I've been on the other side of the curtain too, being stuck at a register with somebody whose issue is holding a whole line up. Nowadays I'll turn off my light so customers can make the choice to go somewhere else while I'm helping one customer. They may get mad but oh well.
The Post Officer person might've been joking, but either way that's a comment that would fall under the "things that make you go hmmm" category. I would chalk it up to poor social skills and move on (however you were there and not me).
The AutoZone person was also rude but again probably made an honest mistake, not seeing you. Going off on him was probably not the best way to go, but I can relate to it.
FYOI customer service is a rough job. Pretty much everything an employee does (or doesn't do for that matter) can turn around to bite them at any time. I don't know how people do it for a long time, I've been doing retail for two years so that I can transfer to where I want to live, which happens to have a high unemployment rate. I'm also in college. Sometimes it's just not worth it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luvs2Trvl
No offense but you seem to have a huge chip on your shoulder. I've lived in Colorado 22 years and initially when I read your post title I could sympathize. Just a couple days ago I'm driving down a two lane road going only a couple miles over the speed limit because it's a notorious area for cops catching speeders and I do NOT want to pay a speeding ticket right now. The car behind me is riding my ass and when it opens up to another lane he drives past and pumps his arm at me and the car behind him guns it, cuts in front of me and back over, rolls his window down and flips me off as if I was going UNDER the fricking speed limit. What the HELL is wrong with people these days???!!! It's because so many people are ME, ME, ME and I don't give a damn about how precious any one else's time is but my own! This was the impression I got after reading your rant above and for all I know you could have been the one flipping me off!
I've definitely gotten irritated with people screwing around in retail settings but you are NOT the only customer and your time is worth no more than anyone else's!!! While I understand that Denver is not very diverse, it only shows an even bigger chip you have with the several references to your race being a reason for not being served faster. You just sound impatient and bitchy to me regardless of your skin color. There are more important things in life to get upset about.
About the traffic people, that stuff happens all the time. Wouldn't it be sweet if a cop came around the corner and saw someone riding you? I guess the vengeful side of me secretly wishes that to put Denver drivers in their place but it never happens.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mach50
My wife is originally from Miami and the slowness factor here is her #1 complaint, doesn't really bother me though.
I would think people would enjoy "the break". Haha.
That laid-back attitude is why I'm here. Any inconvenience is counter-balanced by the pleasantness of the customer service people I encounter. Everybody's been a ray of sunshine, and some of the counterpeople I encounter regularly even know my name after just a few months. Good luck finding that in Jersey.
CrusingUSA, two pieces of advice no matter what you do with your life that I wish people had given me when I was your age: 1) See a therapist. 2) Take up meditation.
Both will help your happiness levels. Trust me. And you may have to see a few therapists before you find the one that's right for you, btw.
Wow, sounds like someone needs a vacation! I find the attitudes of most people in northern Colorado very courteous and polite. Admittedly, the post office employees in my town drive me crazy as they seem to think that chit-chatting with customers is part of the job while everyone else is waiting in line, but if that's the worst that happens I can live with it. Compared to where I come from, where it's all you can do to get a shop assistant to say "Hello" or "Good morning" or even acknowledge your existence Colorado is the sweetest place on earth.
Sounds like a city on the East Coast would be a better fit for you.
I'm not saying that the person at Best Buy wasn't rude (he was), but if you're having meltdowns on a weekly basis, maybe it's time to break your lease and move somewhere else. The rest of the 'issues' could be interpreted in a lot of ways. Maybe you're correct that it has to do with your race, but really, how would you know for sure? My bet would be that it's not because of race, but how would I know for sure? We'll never know the true intentions behind the actions of the people you mention.
Perkins? Could have been that the guy didn't even think about it. I bet if you asked, he would have given you a bag. Gas stations? I always pay at the pump so I never go inside. I hate waiting in line. The Post Office? None of her business, but maybe she's just not used to people coming in and asking for money orders for a few thousand dollars and wanted to make small talk. Auto Zone? I've had that happen to me, too, and have walked out of the one at Monaco and Evans on numerous occasions because I don't have the time to stand in line for 20 minutes while the employees BS with each other.
I've lived in the East and West Coasts, and I find that things in Denver are generally a bit slower and more laid back, but I don't mind.
Location: Born & Raised DC > Carolinas > Seattle > Denver
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Being black myself, and I have yet to experiene anything like what you explained. Denver is BY FAR the least diverse place I've ever lived, but it doesn't bother me. Sure, some folks might be a little slow with service, and even rude at times, but that's everywhere.
Trust me, I lived in North and South Carolina from 2001-2007. You wanna talk about flat out racism, I can tell you some stories.
My wife and I are going to be the only black people in our entire neighborhood, and were fine with being "the tokens" LOL.
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Meanwhile I'm late for my chiropractic appointment because they dragging along helping someone who probably just walked in.
