Signs that staff motivation is on the floor

thelad95 · 24-12-2015 06:49PM #1

With many retailing and catering staff worked to the bone at this time of year, what do you think are the two major signs that they've stopped giving a toss and their motivation is on the floor:

1. Retail staff don't bother greeting you and you have to ask for a bag yourself.

2. Ask for a big fancy drink that undoubtedly takes a fair bit of effort to make and the machine is mysteriously 'out of order'. This usually only happens when they're managers aren't around!

What other signs do you notice?

cml387 · 24-12-2015 06:53PM

Mostly caused by customers imagining that staff are psychic, or customers ordering elaborate drinks on Christmas eve in a heaving bar.

the evasion_kid · 24-12-2015 06:56PM

when they slide you a piece of paper with just the word "help" written on it.....

MightyMandarin · 24-12-2015 07:11PM

cml387 wrote: »

Mostly caused by customers imagining that staff are psychic, or customers ordering elaborate drinks on Christmas eve in a heaving bar.

This. Most of my irritance while working at a bar is not caused by management, but the bar being full of annoying arsehole customers.

In the past 2 weeks I've dealt with pr*cks adding drinks on to the order each time I return to them, asking for a guinness right at the end of an order, complaining about price, looking for my opinions of drinks we don't stock, ordering the most obscure cocktails in the world, all while the bar looks like a scene from Saving Private Ryan.

Obviously crappy customers come in all the time, but christmas just seems to bring out all of them at once. Maybe it's a 12pubs thing, I dunno.

Squidgy Black · 24-12-2015 07:15PM

Retail staff don't need to greet you. This is one of those poxy americanisms that people expect. Staff are extremely busy this time of the year, so I think it's forgiven if they're just trying to do their job instead of going out of their way to say hi or welcome, when all you're doing is shopping.

And again bars are jammed and bartenders just don't want to deal with tricky elaborate drinks when they've another 20 punters waiting on their pints.

OldMrBrennan83 · 24-12-2015 07:17PM

This post has been deleted.

24-12-2015 07:20PM

MightyMandarin wrote: »

This. Most of my irritance while working at a bar is not caused by management, but the bar being full of annoying arsehole customers.

In the past 2 weeks I've dealt with pr*cks adding drinks on to the order each time I return to them, asking for a guinness right at the end of an order,.

Pricks because they order different drinks? Wha?

And unless you've worked in a bar, you've no reason to know the significance of ordering Guinness at the end of an order.

TallGlass · 24-12-2015 07:20PM

Not everyone is happy to get a 'hello' you might even find a few customer complaints.

This is my first year out of retail in 7 years.

I don't even know what my life is, I am off till next Tuesday. Is this what people do in the normal world? I'd be lucky to get 12 hours off over this period previously. Spare a thought for the poor guy getting paid phek all to put everything on the table for you this Christmas.

I say fair play to all the guys doing the hard graft getting it all ready. Congrats another successful year so far. Also spare a thought for the ES tomorrow still working away.

MadDog76 · 24-12-2015 07:29PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Pricks because they order different drinks? Wha?

And unless you've worked in a bar, you've no reason to know the significance of ordering Guinness at the end of an order.

Of course a course a customer is entitled to order any drink he/she wants that is on offer ........... but every eejit knows that Guinness takes a while to settle so should be ordered first, c'mon!

24-12-2015 07:34PM

MadDog76 wrote: »

Of course a course a customer is entitled to order any drink he/she wants that is on offer ........... but every eejit knows that Guinness takes a while to settle so should be ordered first, c'mon!

But you're ordering them all at the same time, you're not waiting for the Guinness to settle before you order the rest. How is every eejit meant to know that most barmen will make the drinks in the exact order you ask for them. They're not being pricks by not realising it, they just, well...don't realise it.

Bulbous Salutation · 24-12-2015 07:40PM

They wear a Tesco top.

MightyMandarin · 24-12-2015 07:51PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Pricks because they order different drinks? Wha?

And unless you've worked in a bar, you've no reason to know the significance of ordering Guinness at the end of an order.

No problem with ordering different drinks, but try and say them all at once so I only have to return to you with them and then with your change, rather than going back and forth as you add something on each time.

I think it's common knowledge to anyone who's been in a bar a few times that Guinness takes longer to make than any other drink because of how awkwardly it must be made, so mentioning it first makes an order so much easier.

24-12-2015 07:59PM

MightyMandarin wrote: »

.......
I think it's common knowledge to anyone who's been in a bar a few times that Guinness takes longer to make than any other drink because of how awkwardly it must be made, so mentioning it first makes an order so much easier.

When the bar is as busy as you say would a decent bar person not have a Guinness or two settling ready for the final drop to be dispensed?

ptyloch · 24-12-2015 08:10PM

Augeo wrote: »

When the bar is as busy as you say would a decent bar person not have a Guinness or two settling ready for the final drop to be dispensed?

No, you never know when is the next Guinness going to be ordered, could be the whole bar drinking G or only 1 or 2 customers. Would you want a pint of Guinness that's been standing and settling there for 15-20 minutes?

Any decent bar person would never do this!

El Horseboxo · 24-12-2015 08:18PM

ptyloch wrote: »

No, you never know when is the next Guinness going to be ordered, could be the whole bar drinking G or only 1 or 2 customers. Would you want a pint of Guinness that's been standing and settling there for 15-20 minutes?

Any decent bar person would never do this!

I remember being in a bar in Dublin years ago that were pouring Guinness pints just to have them ready to go. And Guinness reps had dropped in for some promition. They weren't too happy at the practice.

Valetta · 24-12-2015 08:28PM

thelad95 wrote: »

With many retailing and catering staff worked to the bone at this time of year, what do you think are the two major signs that they've stopped giving a toss and their motivation is on the floor:

1. Retail staff don't bother greeting you and you have to ask for a bag yourself.

2. Ask for a big fancy drink that undoubtedly takes a fair bit of effort to make and the machine is mysteriously 'out of order'. This usually only happens when they're managers aren't around!

What other signs do you notice?

"I work in retail. Fûck Christmas."

Quote from one of your other posts.

And you have the cheek to complain about staff ?

What an attitude.

Crazyteacher · 24-12-2015 08:33PM

Asked an m and s employee if they would pass me a set of fairy lights down from a high shelf yesterday and he actually threw them in to my trolley and walked off.

nullzero · 24-12-2015 08:36PM

Was in a German run supermarket the other day. Two members of staff taking about only being a number and not giving a fvck anymore. Lovely to hear.

fleet_admiral · 24-12-2015 08:40PM

I am only home from work an hour when I should have been off at five. The reason; arseholes ringing in and booking tables despite the fact that we arent taking bookings on xmas eve. Instead they (three tables of 8) walk in 3 minutes before I close the kitchen and order but put a hold on the food because they want a round of drink first.
Spare a thought for us folk working in pubs at this time of year, we have young kids too and want to get home to them

Ciderswigger · 24-12-2015 08:40PM

nullzero wrote: »

Was in a German run supermarket the other day. Two members of staff taking about only being a number and not giving a fvck anymore. Lovely to hear.

My old boss once said that to me. He was like 'just know that nobody is irreplaceable. And each person is nothing but a number'. It came out of nowhere and did shock me but it's something I've taken with me and try to remember in other jobs.

average_runner · 24-12-2015 08:47PM

Ciderswigger wrote: »

My old boss once said that to me. He was like 'just know that nobody is irreplaceable. And each person is nothing but a number'. It came out of nowhere and did shock me but it's something I've taken with me and try to remember in other jobs.

No matter what job u work, ur a number.

Hate when bar people get my order wrong, then say I am drunk.
Problem is, I wasn't drinking.
Works both ways.

Ave Sodalis · 24-12-2015 08:58PM

thelad95 wrote:

1. Retail staff don't bother greeting you and you have to ask for a bag yourself.

Something many people still haven't realised, despite it being in place for years, is that bags have a government charge on them. There is no way I'd ask someone if they would like a bag because I then have to charge them for it. I couldn't count the number of people who are still shocked when I tell them it's 20c... and then think the shop is being a rip off...

Wompa1 · 24-12-2015 09:04PM

_Tyrrell_ wrote: »

Retail staff don't need to greet you. This is one of those poxy americanisms that people expect. Staff are extremely busy this time of the year, so I think it's forgiven if they're just trying to do their job instead of going out of their way to say hi or welcome, when all you're doing is shopping.

And again bars are jammed and bartenders just don't want to deal with tricky elaborate drinks when they've another 20 punters waiting on their pints.

Depends. I don't think anybody wants the over the top greeting as you walk in the door, that is very annoying. I've been living in the US for 4 years and it drives me up the wall but in fairness to them, they are just doing a job and trying to do it well, so can't fault the workers.

BUT it's lousy if you go into say Dunnes (where it always seemed to happen) you get to the till and they don't even acknowledge you're there. No hello, no eye contact. I worked in retail in Ireland for almost 10 years. I can get that workers can have a bad day and kind of switch off but every time. It dehumanizes shopping. In which case, may as well just shop online. Who cares about saving jobs, if they don't want them.

thelad95 · 24-12-2015 10:20PM

sup_dude wrote: »

Something many people still haven't realised, despite it being in place for years, is that bags have a government charge on them. There is no way I'd ask someone if they would like a bag because I then have to charge them for it. I couldn't count the number of people who are still shocked when I tell them it's 20c... and then think the shop is being a rip off...

I'm obviously talking about paper bags which are free......

thelad95 · 24-12-2015 10:24PM

_Tyrrell_ wrote: »

Retail staff don't need to greet you. This is one of those poxy americanisms that people expect. Staff are extremely busy this time of the year, so I think it's forgiven if they're just trying to do their job instead of going out of their way to say hi or welcome, when all you're doing is shopping.

And again bars are jammed and bartenders just don't want to deal with tricky elaborate drinks when they've another 20 punters waiting on their pints.

It's Christmas, it takes no effort to say 'Hello', 'Goodbye' and 'Have a good Christmas'. In fairness though, a lot of them are working crazy hours at this time of the year and possibly only getting 4 or 5 hours sleep before coming back into the stockroom.

Ave Sodalis · 24-12-2015 10:27PM

thelad95 wrote:

I'm obviously talking about paper bags which are free......

In what way did you make that obvious? How many shops have paper bags? We don't.

thelad95 · 24-12-2015 10:27PM

sup_dude wrote: »

In what way did you make that obvious? How many shops have paper bags? We don't.

Most retail outlets do, especially at this time of the year.

Figbiscuithead · 24-12-2015 10:38PM

I only have pleasant dealings with retail/bar/restaurant staff when I'm home. All my Irish friends who're living abroad and I comment on how genuinely nice everyone in shops and bars are in contrast to the countries we live in.

OldMrBrennan83 · 24-12-2015 10:40PM

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Figbiscuithead · 24-12-2015 10:47PM

Patww79 wrote: »

In the likes of the US or mainland Europe they're after tips but at least they're nice, however fake it is. They're ignorant pricks anywhere you go here.

*sniff*

OldMrBrennan83 · 24-12-2015 10:50PM

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Wompa1 · 24-12-2015 11:25PM

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

If you mean it and your nice, you're making an effort to be nice. If you're doing it for tips. You're still making an effort. I think the term fake is too loaded. It's not fake to make an effort to provide a friendly service.

I have had memorable experiences with people work in retail and the like in Ireland and bad. Don't think everybody is an arse. When I worked in retail, I made my best effort to be nice...I wasn't getting tipped, I just wanted to do the best job possible.

the_syco · 25-12-2015 12:19AM

Deleted User wrote: »

And unless you've worked in a bar, you've no reason to know the significance of ordering Guinness at the end of an order.

The person who adds the Guinness at the end of the order will be the first to complain about how long it's taking :pac:

TallGlass wrote: »

This is my first year out of retail in 7 years.

After doing the pub pretty much every xmas for a few years once upon a time (and then back doing the xmas period for a year or two after I had left), I had completely forgotten what to do on the days after xmas!

Deleted User wrote: »

How is every eejit meant to know that most barmen will make the drinks in the exact order you ask for them.

The eejits in question most often wait until all the pints are pulled, and then ask for a Guinness, with the money in their outstretched hand.

fleet_admiral wrote: »

Instead they (three tables of 8) walk in 3 minutes before I close the kitchen and order but put a hold on the food because they want a round of drink first.

On the one side, the manager probably doesn't want to turn down 24 people, but on the other side, they'll find themselves with a lot less experienced staff if they allow this crap, imo. And tbh, if they knew you weren't taking bookings, I'd wonder if they did it on purpose.

fleet_admiral wrote: »

Spare a thought for us folk working in pubs at this time of year, we have young kids too and want to get home to them

Xmas eve is unpredictable. Have done a few quite ones when I worked in the pub a decade ago as a lounge boy, but also some mental-busy-until-the-Gardai-came-in-at-midnight-to-make-sure-we-stopped-serving xmas eves. And the latter would often be profitable to barman and lounge staff alike.

In saying that, a few of the older staff would be getting home at 2am to put the presents under the tree with the knowledge that they'd be woken at 7am for the presents to be opened.

DareGod · 25-12-2015 11:39AM

Most shops do use paper bags actually, except the supermarkets. But if you want a bag, ask for it.

And if you don't know by now that Guinness should be the first drink ordered then you don't deserve it.

Retail and service staff are troopers during the year and are god damn war heroes at Christmas time.

Dr. Mantis Toboggan · 25-12-2015 11:47AM

MightyMandarin wrote: »

This. Most of my irritance while working at a bar is not caused by management, but the bar being full of annoying arsehole customers.

In the past 2 weeks I've dealt with pr*cks adding drinks on to the order each time I return to them, asking for a guinness right at the end of an order, complaining about price, looking for my opinions of drinks we don't stock, ordering the most obscure cocktails in the world, all while the bar looks like a scene from Saving Private Ryan.

Obviously crappy customers come in all the time, but christmas just seems to bring out all of them at once. Maybe it's a 12pubs thing, I dunno.

If drunk people annoy you i don't think a pub is ideal for you to be working in.

I get what you're saying about the 12 pubs thing. Only dickheads do it.

OldMrBrennan83 · 25-12-2015 11:49AM

This post has been deleted.

Signs that staff motivation is on the floor

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