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I don't agree. There are plenty of people whose degree of niceness is based on your status.
Oh, they might talk a good game for a while, but a person who is basically rude is going to give themselves away every time. They might suck up to someone with perceived status, but eventually, their true nature is going to come out when they least expect it -- when they yell at the pizza delivery guy when the pizza is 2 minutes late, or tear a secretary apart for a minor mistake. They can't help it.
***Sidebar: I will get flack for this last part and I really hate to say it.***
I sometimes think (but would, of course, never say) "You are likely unskilled and uneducated and are likely inexperienced, at least at any work other than your service job.
A lot of people think the same way but.... I think most of them would be surprised at the reality.
In the many years I've been in retail the number of 'uneducated, unqualified for anything else' career worker makes up a small part of the staff in our company. Most of the younger ones are students working while in school, older ones are retired from other careers and just looking for something to do, mgt almost all have degrees, and a lot of the rest are people working second jobs. We've had teachers, nurses, doctors wives, real estate agents, occupational therapist, students in chemistry, engineering, pre-med, etc Some of those people working in retail have more money in the bank than you can shake a stick at (cashiers who go on cruises or fly to Alaska to go fishing, or own a dozen rental properties, the managers that have a few million in the bank, not that you'd know just by looking) I'm always kind of amazed that so many people seem to assume that nearly everyone they see working a service job is a slacker who can't do any better, so it's perfectly okay to treat them as 'less than'.
I do think there is a lot of resentment that comes out in the way of rudeness simply because so many people in service jobs are automatically assumed to be 'beneath' the customer. If you were an engineering student stocking shelves at night and some pencil pusher in a suit snapped his fingers or whistled to get your attention wouldn't you be less inclined to give them the subservient act they obviously expect?
A lot of people think the same way but.... I think most of them would be surprised at the reality.
In the many years I've been in retail the number of 'uneducated, unqualified for anything else' career worker makes up a small part of the staff in our company. Most of the younger ones are students working while in school, older ones are retired from other careers and just looking for something to do, mgt almost all have degrees, and a lot of the rest are people working second jobs. We've had teachers, nurses, doctors wives, real estate agents, occupational therapist, students in chemistry, engineering, pre-med, etc Some of those people working in retail have more money in the bank than you can shake a stick at (cashiers who go on cruises or fly to Alaska to go fishing, or own a dozen rental properties, the managers that have a few million in the bank, not that you'd know just by looking) I'm always kind of amazed that so many people seem to assume that nearly everyone they see working a service job is a slacker who can't do any better, so it's perfectly okay to treat them as 'less than'.
I do think there is a lot of resentment that comes out in the way of rudeness simply because so many people in service jobs are automatically assumed to be 'beneath' the customer. If you were an engineering student stocking shelves at night and some pencil pusher in a suit snapped his fingers or whistled to get your attention wouldn't you be less inclined to give them the subservient act they obviously expect?
I repped you for this post but had to comment anyway. Thank you for saying all this. It's so true but people just automatically lump ALL employees into the same pile. Even when I worked as a waitress I can't tell you how many people told me I should "go to school and get a real job" and I just laughed to myself because I was very sure I made more than they did! I DID go to college. lol When I was a manager I had plenty of educated people working as waitresses, bartenders and cooks. Mostly during the summer but often as a second job in winter as well. Food service people are looked down upon as much as retail people and I find it partly funny and partly sad.
I will say that at my store we don't get much of that 'snobby' attitude from customers because they are in the same 'class' as we are. We don't have a lot of "upper middle class" folks around and even fewer "upper class" folks. We all work for about the same wages, just different jobs for different companies but mostly all service jobs. So nobody feels like they are better than the rest of us. I HAVE worked in a different environment and there's a difference, for sure, but even so most people are pretty nice and no problem.
People are often far ruder to service workers because the job is viewed as menial and beneath them. Unless service somewhere is just terrible, I always try to give the benefit of the doubt.
Most of the younger ones are students working while in school, older ones are retired from other careers and just looking for something to do, mgt almost all have degrees, and a lot of the rest are people working second jobs. We've had teachers, nurses, doctors wives, real estate agents, occupational therapist, students in chemistry, engineering, pre-med, etc Some of those people working in retail have more money in the bank than you can shake a stick at (cashiers who go on cruises or fly to Alaska to go fishing, or own a dozen rental properties,
LOL exactly.
I totally agree with you. One employee I have right now likes the layout of my store. He also likes what I have to sell. (I have a very niche market). He told me he works at my retail store in order to gain knowledge because he wants to open a franchise type of business himself. Although I am not a psychic, I bet he came from a very financially well off family and he himself is pretty comfortable financially.
Location: Democratic Peoples Republic of Redneckistan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Emigrations
People are often far ruder to service workers because the job is viewed as menial and beneath them. Unless service somewhere is just terrible, I always try to give the benefit of the doubt.
I think its some kind of weirdo power trip that cause certain folks to act that way..my wife was a floral designer in a upscale shop for many years. She would talk to clients during some very happy and some very sad points in their live and she said the WORST people to deal with were girls for prom or homecoming..their mothers were generally rude to her and so were the kids.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lilyflower3191981
LOL exactly.
I totally agree with you. One employee I have right now likes the layout of my store. He also likes what I have to sell. (I have a very niche market). He told me he works at my retail store in order to gain knowledge because he wants to open a franchise type of business himself. Although I am not a psychic, I bet he came from a very financially well off family and he himself is pretty comfortable financially.
I agree with this as well..I have an uncle who started the first vid rental store in this region and ended up selling out with 12 stores..he sold out to a large franchise for more numbers than I can count and he fished,boated and cruised until he was sick of it..he started working as a saleman at a Honda dealership because he rides and likes the product..very few know he could buy that dealership 10x over and not even notice it...he's very kind to the customers and to my knowledge he hasn't had to deal with to much BS.
By service jobs, I mean housekeeping and cleaning jobs. I have a job that requires cleaning and housekeeping at a fairly large company. One day a company executive( who I don't directly work for) comes in, snaps his fingers, and says rather loudly "hey cleaning lady, there's dirt on the floor over here". Or someone will just tell me they want something done rather than ask.
But it's not just in the company I work at. I was at a hotel one time and somebody said "housekeeper, you can clean our room now." Once I went to a restaurant, someone had to get the attention of a waiter by whistling at him.
Sad but that is the truth,, when I university student I did a part time job at a hotel, yes I knew how people treat me with my own experience. I think those people are blind by the status. But I met very good people too during my part time job. oh boy when I remember that period I thank god for giving me the courage to learn more and more. But I learn to respect them from my own experience. They should deserve some respect as humans what ever the job they do.
If someone is rude it's a reflection on them not the person regardless of the job.
Rude and ill mannered people are usually quite insecure and try to make themself important by trying to act superior, this type of behavior is nonsense. I always wonder why rude people don't expect more from themself ex. treating others with fundamental decency.
It's sad to see how rude and obnoxious many people have become, they just end up embarrasing themself and are too ignorant to realize.
Everyone creates their own karma good or bad, energy always has a way of coming back around.
OP - Try to just let rude behavior pass you by and don't take it personally, because it has very little to do with you and everything to do with their self worth and lack of decency.
Blessings
Ps I miss the world when everyone was polite and well mannered, if anyone ever behaved rude it was noticeable and they were embarrassed.
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Thank you for saying all this. It's so true but people just automatically lump ALL employees into the same pile. Even when I worked as a waitress I can't tell you how many people told me I should "go to school and get a real job" and I just laughed to myself because I was very sure I made more than they did! I DID go to college. lol When I was a manager I had plenty of educated people working as waitresses, bartenders and cooks. Mostly during the summer but often as a second job in winter as well. Food service people are looked down upon as much as retail people and I find it partly funny and partly sad. 
oh boy when I remember that period I thank god for giving me the courage to learn more and more. But I learn to respect them from my own experience. They should deserve some respect as humans what ever the job they do.
