You must have a nice grill. I couldn't see him telling you that if your mouth was full of gold.

SCNDLS said:

Service industry jobs are such a joke in that regards. You're busy as hell, some pig of a customer's giving you shit for his bad day, and you're supposed to smile and be chipper through the whole thing.

When I rule the world, decision makers and other suits in the business will have to actually do the jobs they dictate before they get to sit at a desk. You didn't flip burgers/busk tables/work the cash register? Then you don't get to run the company.

meow85 said:

I like that concept, because I believe that life experience is most valuable (and I've worked service industry/retail myself), but in all fairness there are folk who bust their asses in other ways instead. That's a perfectly valid choice to make IMO.

People who don't want to be pleasant all the time don't have to work service industry if they don't want to. They have choices as well.

DesireeNevermind said:

You ain't right

Nothinbutjoy said:

The worst case of it

AndGodCreatedMe said:

ThreadCula said:

you're perverse, I like that

Comment 1: Kids have asked me why I smile so much. I always ask them if they want a teacher who scowls and just looks mean (like the rest of my coworkers) all day:


Comment 2: Yes, SCNDLS, there are women left like that. My friend's wife said to him one night, "I'm gonna just lie here. Do whatcha gotta do and get it over with. I'm tired of this."
And from that moment on, that's what she did.
They're separated now.

johnart said:

I've always said that everyone should have to work in some service capacity at some point in life. I learned just as much about managing corporate clients and dealing with supervisors from waitressing and working in retail as I did from getting a Master's degree.

chocolate1 said:

No wonder. These women better find their inner freak if they wanna keep a man.

SCNDLS said:

johnart said:

Y'know what's funny, john? When people think that the "suits" just fell out of bed one morning - right into a management position.

Most people in management did perform the type of job they now supervise. And they were good enough at it to get their asses promoted, the Peter Principle notwithstanding.
[Edited 8/25/09 17:17pm]

johnart said:

I see your point, but my beef is mostly with suits in companies making decisions for the underlings without having a clue how that might effect their ability to perform their job or their morale. It's unreasonable to expect staff to be cheery even under stressful situations, or to be satisfied with unliveably low wages, or to have only a certain amount of time allotted to certain duties with no consideration of conditions.

The longer I do this kind of work, the more obvious it becomes to me that those in charge have no idea what they're doing. So if I had any say in the matter, anyone working on the desk end of the retail or service industry should have to work as staff in one of their own stores/restaurants/hotels before they are allowed to make decisions or decrees which directly affect said staff.



Anyone who says this kind of work isn't demeaning and demoralizing clearly never had to do it.
[Edited 8/25/09 18:19pm]

Genesia said:

It's so cute that you believe that.

meow85 said:

Well, you just keep thinkin' the way you think, honey. I'm sure you'll be rewarded in kind.

complete strangers tell me to smile all the time. One of these days, they are going to get a smile and a "FUCK YOU".

Yeah, I've been told that.

My favorite time was when a supervisor had just learned that I was interviewing with a bigger, better company. He didn't want to just come out and have that discussion with me, so he tried to act as if he were imparting some professional wisdom, master to apprentice and such.

"You should smile more, tell more jokes," were his words, I believe. (I'm not even going to get into the subtext to that mess; I'll simply allude to it.)

The irony lay in this: That day, I was wearing a tie featuring:



When I pointed this out, he just sputtered....

... and that's when I smiled for him.

Vendetta1 said:

I ain't a-skurred of trynna get a smile out of you.

johnart said:

Well I'll smile for you because I love you.

And i'm trying to convince you to paint me my own copy of Joy In Repetition.

Vendetta1 said:

LAWD!!! I had no clue about that!

For those who have no fuckin idea WTF u talkin about:


Joy in Repetition
Acrylic on canvas
24x36"

johnart said:

I mentioned it on the underground that I wanted my own. Velo got to it before I did. If you paint another one or even have a print, I will buy it.

Vendetta1 said:

Well, geez, Ivy - you only have the bestest smile in the whole world.

Vendetta1 said:

That's awesome. Can you do that for me, too, but using this?

Genesia said:

You are such a sweetie.

johnart said:

oh my goodness.

INSATIABLE said:

Isn't it amazing? Our friend Velo has that hanging in her livingroom here in Chicago. She better never turn her back when I'm at her place.

Vendetta1 said:

!

When I graduate and finally have disposable income, I can't wait to buy a piece from John

INSATIABLE said:

I so all y'all!

Here it is in our friend's home (the other painting is mine as well):


PS. At one point I will finally have my shit together enough to do a Web-exhibit (here and at the NPGU) of Prince song-inspired paintings.

i almost never smile at work. i hate that fucking place SO MUCH!