Minimum wage jobbers you can relate to or have sympathy for

[badger]

It's a slow Monday morning, so I figured this would be a fun idea. I'll start...

After several summers of retail cashiering, there is no job I have more sympathy for than that of a cashier. No matter how miserable my day is going, I always try to be cordial to the poor, lowly cashier that either wishes they had a different job and can't stand their life, or is only doing this to earn extra money and just wants to be a good cashier until they move on in a few months.

Cashiers deal with every customer. Managers will hide in their office and boss others around, store associates will take hour-long breaks and not answer their phones when you beg them to help customers and department leaders will spend the day downstocking merchandise. When the customer can't find anyone to help them, they turn to the cashier... not always in the most cordial way, and not realizing that cashiers are in the same boat as them - not having any help from the other employees when they need it.

It is from my time as a cashier that I have learned the most effective means of customer service - that you are the only one available to help customers, even if you have no ability to help them. Customers will take out all of their frustration on you and you just have to zone it out, realizing that it's not your fault. And most importantly, when you move onto your desired or dream job with higher pay, better hours and a place where you don't have to stand on concrete all day getting yelled at by unhappy customers, you will appreciate what you have a little more and show sympathy and respect to those that aren't quite there yet.

Anyone else?

[NormanPride]

I've worked in food service a lot, both as a server and a cook of sorts. This both gives me insight into how hard it can be to be a great server. I also know how little they make and what a huge blow it is to the self-esteem of a server to get stiffed on a tip.

But most of all, I think doing the minimum-wage gig taught me that everyone works hard for what they get. And if you see someone slacking off, there's just no reason for it.

[Frozen Sooner]

Tellers. People flip them a TON of undeserved **** for things completely out of their control.

Honestly, any job in customer service. Yeah, there's crappy customer service out there for sure and it's unforgivable. Still doesn't mean that the default setting for dealing with customer service people should be being as big a dick as you possibly can.

I'm constantly amazed at how completely and unthinkingly rude people are all the time. Just take a second and say "please" "thank you" and "have a nice day." You might be surprised at how much better people respond to you.

[jaux]

My first thought was "combat infantryman" but since they get paid much more than in my day, I'd say:
hotel/motel cleaning person
Most people away from home are pig dogs.

[badger]

Tellers. People flip them a TON of undeserved **** for things completely out of their control.

I totally didn't think about this, but if someone taking money gets a tough time, I can only imagine how tough it is for someone responsible for handing out money... like the reeeeturn desk that I was sometimes assigned to.

Seriously - the cashier that has to work returns also has absolutely no say in the policy that doesn't allow you to get as much money back as you want in the form that you want (much like the teller can't cash your check for whatever reason and doesn't have the power to just willfully hand out cash as they please).

Also, much like I'm sure tellers have this ability, return desk cashiers can make your life as miserable as you're making theirs. If you are a prick, they are going to call over the manager that always says "No." If you are nice, they just might be able to help you.

[yermom]

customer service is a cake walk compared to real work ;)

i worked for one day. one. day. as a temp to hire at a manufacturing plant in Tulsa. hard hats, gloves, ear protection, eye protection, steel toed boots. outside in July. i also spent a month working as a temp on an assembly line making fish locators.

i spent the next 3 or 4 years dealing with user's problems directly, and at times forgot they were paying me.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

Not exactly minimum wage, but small business owners who are starting a business often have to pay themselves minimum wage or less in order to keep their heads above water. And they often have to work a gazillion hours/week without paying themselves overtime.

[Scott D]

customer service is a cake walk compared to real work ;)

i worked for one day. one. day. as a temp to hire at a manufacturing plant in Tulsa. hard hats, gloves, ear protection, eye protection, steel toed boots. outside in July. i also spent a month working as a temp on an assembly line making fish locators.

i spent the next 3 or 4 years dealing with user's problems directly, and at times forgot they were paying me.

somehow this image makes me laugh a bit.

[Scott D]

I'm constantly amazed at how completely and unthinkingly rude people are all the time. Just take a second and say "please" "thank you" and "have a nice day." You might be surprised at how much better people respond to you.

I'm going to second this one. I always try to say thank you and have a nice day whether it be at a checkout counter, a drive thru, or as I'm leaving a store/restaurant. It's amusing to see how often you catch someone off guard by saying it.