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Post by andrewd on May 8, 2007 20:47:04 GMT -4
Is it just me, or has the work quality gone down a lot in the last 5 or so years? I'm noticing long waits at retail places, landscapers that don't show up when they say, and tonight the carpet store was supposed to be here at 5:30 and never showed. It's not only young people, like the Food Lion checkout people but everyone that deals in customer service. (OK, not "everyone", but a lot). Am I just becoming an old geezer?!?
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Post by shoreman on May 8, 2007 21:25:51 GMT -4
I agree. I was also thinking, if Cracker Barrell does open on the Island, where are they going to get the help? I know that all of the Cracker Barrel's I visit when travelling have good, courteous help, don't think your going to find that with the talent pool around here!
Gee, just think of all of the rocking chairs that will be stolen!!
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Post by outlaw on May 8, 2007 23:29:19 GMT -4
The business I've worked for for many years has hired people who come in, accept work and equipment, and never come back. It's really hard to find reliable, honest people, so we all have to settle for mediocrity or worse.
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Post by kl on May 9, 2007 7:39:45 GMT -4
And as long as we, as customers, continue to accept this sort of customer service, or the lack thereof, then that's the service we'll continue to get. There are many businesss' out there, striving for your money, and willing to go above and beyond, are the business's we should be giving our money too.
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Post by matt on May 9, 2007 8:40:05 GMT -4
...nevermind...
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Post by ljp on May 9, 2007 11:18:43 GMT -4
You are all soooo right! For some reason the talent pool even in our little town really sucks! It seems like most feel like they are too good to serve you. Cheaper prices do mean cheaper service, precisely the reason Nordstroms is so expensive. They put a lot into ensuring good service. Matt, I used to be a small business consultant, and one of the things I would tell my clients to help solve this problem is to offer incentives. Small things that can be, if you work into your annual budget small in cost. Like: Mystery Shopping or managers listening to employees care with clients.
Reward the ones who meet and exceed a preset list of specifications. Reward them with gift cards to Starbux or a restaurant. You can even incorporate the costs into your annual advertising budget, because after all what is the greatest advertising resource for an employer? Reward them will a shout out in a regular meeting. I have seen things like Spirit awards, given out at regular meetings for great service or for going above and beyond the call, allowing the person to not only be recognized by their employer but also their peers. Accumulate so many of them and get $50.00 to Westfield Mall or a local bar (depending what would interest your employees the most) and make a big deal about it. When you reward begin applauding.
I have seen all of these work wonders. Some use (and off of the top of my head I forget the company) and internet based gifting system. The employee gets a $5 gift to spend at a list of different companies, they go to the internet and choose one. $5 isn't a lot to spend at say Home Depot, but get a handful of those gift certs and it adds up. Also you can offer $$ incentives based on quarterly profits. Reward those that stand out. As much as we don’t want to admit it, we look for our bosses approval just like a child does from a parent. To hear your dad say, “ I am proud of you” means the world. The same goes for your boss. It makes you feel good about yourself and proud of who you are and what you do. A happy employee is a productive employee. Just a thought.
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Post by kl on May 9, 2007 12:57:22 GMT -4
Because there's huge chasm, between the owners, and the actual workers. When that lowly employee is schlumping for $7.00 an hour, and he just read that the ceo got 25 million in salary, bonus' and stocks... It needs to trickle down like a tidal wave from the top down. And if America just stands up, and with all these big boxed stores closing up, or moving, and leaving this huge shell behind, I say the county takes it over, hires people, and starts producing goods that are Made in America again.
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Post by matt on May 9, 2007 13:19:48 GMT -4
Because there's huge chasm, between the owners, and the actual workers. When that lowly employee is schlumping for $7.00 an hour, and he just read that the ceo got 25 million in salary, bonus' and stocks... It needs to trickle down like a tidal wave from the top down. And if America just stands up, and with all these big boxed stores closing up, or moving, and leaving this huge shell behind, I say the county takes it over, hires people, and starts producing goods that are Made in America again. Until about the time I read the word "county"... I was in reasonable agreement. I can't tolerate the goobermint competing with private business. What it SHOULD say is "a private citizen buys the shell, fits it for manufacturing as appropriate to the area, and starts producing goods that are 'Made in America' again." Better yet, someone uses the box store to sell goods made in America at fair prices, and we d**n Americans start paying fair prices if we want quality that is Made in America. Stop shopping WalMart
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Post by kl on May 9, 2007 15:05:31 GMT -4
Thank you Matt. But my thinking was the gubment helped that big box move into the county, and build, then leave. Shouldn't the county then assist with local buyers, who have a business plan? And will support and hire within the community? Just a thought, because I read all the time on the sweetheart deals that local goverments give to corporations that may or may not build there.
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Post by matt on May 9, 2007 15:43:08 GMT -4
No problem with the County assisting local buyers/companies or giving deals to local employers... (not to nitpick, but) you said "County takes it over, hires people, and starts...."
I think we do agree.
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Post by bchevy on May 9, 2007 17:51:29 GMT -4
It all goes back to parenting, Most, or A LOT of Parents GIVE their kids ANYTHING they CRY FOR. No Chores, Fat, and/or lazy Kids playing their computer games entering the work force is turning into a disaster.
Look at Ocean City, They can't get enough hlep for the summer jobs, WHY? because the kids/high school grads, college students are staying home and milking more our of their parents. When they do get the boot and have to go get a real job,,,, They are clueless in the real world.
I too have sat on interviews of young people for jobs, they want top pay, slacker work, and evenings & weekends OFF.
NEXT!
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Post by einebierbitte on May 11, 2007 4:27:36 GMT -4
I too have sat on interviews of young people for jobs, they want top pay, slacker work, and evenings & weekends OFF. NEXT! I came home from work one day not to long ago and my daughter had a couple of job applications sitting on my desk... (she's a SR in H.S and we haven't pushed for her to work because she needs to concentrate on going to school and turning in her work and graduating) Anyway I was looking over her application, and about fell out o my chair when I got to the part about Hours Available..... Monday, Wed, Thurs, and an occasional Sunday available to work... Not avail on Tues, Friday nights or Saturdays... I asked her why should would put that down and her answer was...well "that's my time".... I told her no prospective employer isn't going to even consider hiring you if your not going to be available for weekends... Get this she was applying for a wait staff job....We all know whens the busiest time.... Then she wonders why she never gets calls back..... Well since then she has modified her resume to read: "Will work any hours, available every weekend, willing to do anything.... LOL!! Probably has a lot to do with the fact that she doesn't get a car till she has a steady job and shows she can make the car payment... Sucks to be her right now...18, no job, no dl, no car..... Perhaps we need to concentrate on finding her a husband.....LOL!!!!!
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Post by matt on May 11, 2007 10:08:09 GMT -4
...nevermind...
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Post by einebierbitte on May 11, 2007 11:43:58 GMT -4
I have to reply to you Matt....
About work ethics and why my daughter isn't working at the moment...It certainly isn't because we pamper her and shower her with money...She has to earn every penny that she gets from us by doing chores and stuff around the house...
She is no means a 4.0 scholar either, and whether or not she graduates in 2 weeks is still up in the air. We don't allow her to work because she can't get to school on time, can't seem to stay in school and doesn't do her work. Hence...the remarks... It's more important to ensure she goes to school and get that diploma then to get a job at this point. A Job is a priviledge at this point.
Remember not all High Schoolers who don't or aren't working are for other reasons as well a not always as being spoiled by the parents.
Besides....My barely passing daughter knows the value of the dollar and when she does work she gives it her all...She just doesn't want to work on the weekends.... cause well...She's 18 and wants to do what she wants and not what she has to....
Reality will set in fairly quick ....in about 3 weeks.......heheeh!!!!
My other child who graduated last year...worked all thru school, but he went to school, kept his grades up etc. etc. etc...so having a job wasn't an issue with him....
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Post by shorti on May 11, 2007 15:32:15 GMT -4
I would have to agree to a point here about it being the new generation. Parents nowadays give into kids way too much! I have to say, I've been guilty of giving in to my boy just cause it was easier... but that rarely happens and typically over little stuff... But i see these kids in high school driving nicer cars than I have ever had - knowing that it's their parents who pay for it or most of it. I paid 1/2 of my first car @ 16 - saved every penny & my folks told me they'd match it - Then I got into an accident and totaled my car - My folks got me a new car & I paid the insurance. Spoiled - well yeah, a bit... I can admit that... BUT I always worked - I did chores around the house for "allowance" and kept a part time job or babysat. I understand what eine is saying about her daughter now... if my son was having that type of issue w/ school, a job would be a priviledge. Just my 2cents...
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Post by ljp on May 13, 2007 10:25:16 GMT -4
Do you think it is a result of socio-economic growth? I mean when I was a kid everyone around us was middle to lower middle class. My parents worked harder than most because they didn't have college educations. We never, nor did any of my friends, had anything given to us. I was talking to a neighbor recently who has 1 child in high school and one about to enter HS. She comes from pretty much the same background I did.
We realized that because the economy is stronger than say it was in the 70's and early 80's when we were coming up, and our parents were dead set on making sure their kids had what they didn’t growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, that people make a lot more money now. We all feel like we need to provide our children with the things we never had and felt like we were missing. I have another friend I grew up with. She and her husband do VERY well now, he owns a very successful business, yadda yadda. Her kids are so spoiled I can't stand to be around them. I am sure that she doesn't realize the monsters she has created because she wants to make sure that they have the most toys and the best clothes for school. It's like she is trying to make sure that her kids are popular. Her kids are like 12 and 7. They both have an Ipod (the big $400 one), Shuffle, video Ipod. Every year that a new Playstation or Xbox comes out they both get one. Things like that. There is nothing these kids could want for, really nothing. What do they have to work towards? Are they learning you have to work to live or provide? The answer is no. What they have learned is that in life you get everything you want and you can whine if you don’t so that you can. What kind of adult does this make? One that expects or demands the unreasonable. Or the teenager who thinks they are too good to allow a job to interfere with their social schedule. No offense ladies who are currently having this problem it is just a sign of teenagers today. Not all are spoiled like my friends children, but with an easier life they don't see the need to work towards anything. Not to mention the spoiled friends that affect your teenagers just the same.
It seems like this is a common thread though. Does the desire for ‘better for our kids’ cloud decisions to provide for them vs. deny them?
I know I couldn’t wait to get a job when I was 15. My parents didn’t want me to work, but I wanted things, I wanted responsibility. I knew I needed to work hard to get them and worked every hour that my parents allowed me to. While waiting tables, the better job I did the more $ I made so I continued. I shutter to think what would happen the first time a customer makes demands on my friends daughter (the spoiled one) or really I shutter to think what would happen if she ever got a job.
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Post by outlaw on May 13, 2007 15:39:26 GMT -4
It's hard out there for a parent and for teens. We have found with our teen, whose grades are really good, that a weekend job cuts way down on time for getting into trouble, and the extra money turns "gimmes" into if you really want it, buy it yourself. It's surprising how much they can live without when they have to pay for it. If the grades weren't good though, I don't think we'd allow the job. Every kid and every situation is different, and we all have tough choices to make.
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Post by kl on May 14, 2007 7:03:42 GMT -4
But, is parents, who are in our 30's and 40's, and most likely, as parents, both are working outside the house, tend to have that "guilty" feeling, as we work 40+ hour weeks, on top of our commutes, to afford our mortgage, tend to overspend often on their children, to over compensate for our feelings of neglect. And most children, tend to take advantage of that. I think there are alot of single items, if lumped into a group, could explain this. We're spending more time commuting, the jobs, that can pay us a livable middle class wage, are farther away, leaving us little time to enjoy what I'm sure all of us had worked so hard for. Owning a home, and giving our children a safer, and better environment.
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