Are We Really Better Off (100th Blog Post)

Many times in this blog I have made complaints about the service industry. I have picked on un-educated people and old people in particular and the frustration they cause me when I am being served by them. There is no excuse for their failure to provide me with good service, but the reason we have to put up with it is because of the good economy we are experiencing here in Newfoundland.

With the economy booming and good paying jobs being somewhat plentiful (depending on the industry), people with any level of education are no longer settling for service jobs that pay minimum wage or only a little bit above. They are going on to other jobs that do not necessarily require any formal education but are paying good wages because the company is experiencing a boom. This leaves the low paying service industries desperate for employees just to meet staffing requirements, and as a result you get people filling these jobs that have absolutely no concept of customer service or responsibility. This explains the un-educated section of the job market.

The good economy has also caused older people, who either never worked before or were supposed to be retired, to enter/re-enter the work force. The inflationary effects of the economy are very obvious. Just go to the grocery store and you'll notice it. What this does is puts an enormous amount of pressure on people on fixed incomes and they need to supplement that income somehow. They do this by filling the vacant jobs in the service industry and when they get their they are over their heads because they are not familiar with the processes. Being older they are also less receptive to training and tend to learn at a slower rate (yes there are lots of exceptions). Another major issue is they are extremely unmotivated. If I was 60 years old and working at Tim Hortons, my motivation level would also be in the shitter, that's for sure.

So are we really any better off with this economy? Not to jump on a bandwagon with all the "occupy" movements, but have we just created a place where the really rich get richer and the really poor get poorer? Or am I reading into this way too much? I guess with the good you have to take the bad, but either way I'm still not happy with the service I've been receiving!

Bad First Impressions (Guest Blog by Kim Mattsson)

Seriously? Get some common sense people!

Working in the restaurant industry I’ve seen people do some pretty stupid things, things that the average person would think are common sense aren’t necessarily common sense for everyone.

Take for example applying for a job. I’ve seen people come in at lunch or supper (which I will cut them some slack cause even though it’s the worse time for us it may be the only chance they had to drop one off), but there is NO EXCUSE for coming in to drop off a resume in your pyjamas! Really, do people not realize that this is their chance to make a good first impression?

Let’s move on to the people that drop off their resumes in pairs. Yes that’s right, some people come in with a friend or boyfriend/girlfriend and BOTH hand in a resume. Seriously, do you want the job? Usually we are filling one position at a time, so don’t bring the competition with you. Also do you think we want to hire people in a relationship? Trust me, from experience no one wants to be around that drama!

Can’t forget to mention the girls that come in with a “body guard”, by this I mean 2 people walk in the door, the guy stands off to the side and looks intimidating while the girls drops off her resume, then they both leave, or sometimes get a table and stay for something to eat, which is even more awkward.

Also, can we suggest you get a professional e-mail address? No one is going to take you serious when your email address is itsallgood@cyberdude.com. Okay that one is an inside joke, but people seriously have no clue. I’ve seen cookielover@hotmail.com, djspinsalot@hotmail.com, and the list goes on, doesn’t take much to get a proper email address I suggest everyone gets one that isn’t so embarrassing.

Also, spell check never hurt anyone. Seriously, whatever word processing program you’re using most likely underlines words that are misspelled. So again no excuse. While you’re at it, no one really cares about your hobbies section. You’re applying to work in a restaurant that gives people sombreros and a lame song for your birthday, no one cares if you like star gazing, or taking pictures, or martial arts. If it’s not applicable to the job don’t waste your time telling us about it.

Finally, don’t tell the people you are giving your resume to that you really want the job because you hate your current job and then go on to bash your employer, this will get your resume straight to the garbage.

Paul’s word of Advice: get someone who has a better job than you to proofread your resume.

U-Haul Making it Right (Power of Social Media)

I blogged a couple of weeks ago about a bad customer service experience I had with U-Haul. I had sent them a letter only to receive no reply, which was more frustrating. After I had posted my blog with my letter, I received a Tweet from U-Haul Customer Service apologizing and asking me to contact them so they could "make it right", so I decided to do just that.

I want to commend them for their effort. Not only did I receive a refund of $50, but I also received a transferable credit of $45.00 off my next U-Haul purchase, which was smart on them because it ensures I, or someone I know will use U-Haul for their next move, and it will give U-Haul a chance to redeem themselves and get me back on their side as a customer.

This whole experience just goes to show the power of social media. It was through these channels, and not the regular ones, that I was able to get some satisfaction out of a company. It really shows how things are changing in B2C enterprises, and I think its for the better.

A Congregation of Assholes

I took an alternate route to work this morning, and therefore ended up at Tim Hortons on my way. This isn't me bashing Tim Horton's service this time, but it seems like whenever you go to a coffee shop there is always a congregation of assholes.

Of course, asshole is in the eye of the beholder, and I think that's what is funny about it. Everyone in a coffee shop, especiallly early in the morning, thinks everyone else there is a total asshole. Its a rushed place, people are cranky in the morning, so every little thing tends to piss people off and I assume everyone hates each other in these scenarios. Here's a few examples:

-Guy in drive thru ordering food and not just a beverage - asshole
-Guy who can't get his Tim's Card or Debit Card to work - asshole
-Woman who is a regular and slows down the line by chatting with the employees - asshole
-Chick who keeps looking back in line like she's afraid someone is gonna shank her form behind - asshole
-Staff who are incompetent or just standing around doing nothing - assholes
-Overly chipper guy who is super happy about the morning - asshole
-Dude who keeps sighing in line because its taking a while even though sighing won't help - asshole

Basically the point is, in this type of environment, every little thing a person does seems bigger than it actually is and its seems like a coffee shop is just a congretation of assholes.

Agree? Disagree?

My Letter to U-Haul

I wanted to express my frustration with my U-Haul experience on September 17th, 2011. I booked my truck online and was told to arrive at the location in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland at 9:00 am to pick up my truck. Upon arriving at the building, it was not open and nobody was there. I wait until 9:05 am and then call the local number I was provided. Somebody finally answers and I am asked to wait another 20 minutes until he arrives at the location.

When the agent arrives, he informs me that U-Haul did not contact him to let him know about the reservation, and he was about to leave town and was lucky I caught him before he left.
The lack of communication between U-Haul and its agent is ridiculous and almost resulted in me not getting a truck for my move. I am very disappointed in the service I received because somebody neglected to perform the due diligence necessary to ensure I was able to pick up my truck at the time and place it was GUARANTEED to me.

This carelessness on the part of U-Haul has made me quite bitter and as a result, the next time I am in need of rental equipment to help me move, or am in need of storage I will be looking to other companies to provide me with these services.

I hope this e-mail reaches the appropriate party so that future customers will not experience such a lack in customer service.
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I received a quick automated e-mail reply from U-Haul which linked me to the exact place I just entered this feedback. So I guess that's as far as it goes!

Sit Com Idea!

Wanted to pitch a quick idea I had for a hilarious Three's Company type sit com to appeal to some college kids:

There is a 3rd year College Student who's just been kicked out of his dorm on campus because of academic probation, who now needs a place to live. The only problem is, the vacancy rate in the city is pretty much 0% and without any good references, he has very few options...until he comes across an ad at the University Centre which says roommate wanted to share a house with 3 girls. Only problem is, only females can apply!

Our main character decides to go for it and goes in drag to the interview for the apartment and ends up fooling the landlord and the other girl's parents enough that they all approve and he gets to move in. Upon moving in, the other 3 girls (who will be hot), figure out the hoax, but not being as uptight as their parents and landlord embrace the idea of living with this guy. However, just like Jack Tripper having to pretend he is gay whenever Mr. Furley/Roper were around, this guy has to try to pull off being a chick when other people are around. This leads to lots of awkwardly hilarious moments in this guys life and all sorts of hijinx.

Now for someone to steal this idea on me! Leave good ideas for a title in the comments section!

Beer While You BBQ?

Why do men feel the need to drink a beer while barbequing? You wouldn’t be drinking that beer if someone else was cooking for you instead. You’d be off doing something else. And men always drink ONE beer while BBQing. No more, no less.

Don’t spout off bullshit like “well I’f I’m BBQing, it’s nice out so I got to have a beer.”

I am fully supportive of a beer on a nice, hot, sunny day.  But men bbq in bad weather, and still drink a beer.

What the fuck is up with that man? It’s just to try to be cool in front of your friends while you BBQ.

And what’s that? Keith is outside now, by himself, having a beer and bbqing. So it isn’t to be cool either…because you MEN have done this 1 beer while BBQing thing so often now that it has become HABIT for you and you do it even when BBQing alone!

That, my friends, is a sign of alcoholism.

-Guest blog by Kara Barrett