Help Wanted

I’m sure you’ve seen the signs. 

“We are short staffed. Please be patient with our workers.”

“Please accept our apologies. Temporary hours adjustment.”

“We all quit. Closed!”

Yes, it is a tough time for many businesses struggling to keep running with fewer workers. We can get into a debate about why this is happening but that is not my goal here. We can all agree the current situation is pandemic related and the problem is real. 

My favorite local restaurant just cut back their hours while praising the people that are showing up for their shifts each day. I’ve eaten there twice in recent weeks and the staff has been amazing and my gratuity has reflected that. 

I am not a frequent restaurant goer by any means and personally, while wait times have increased no matter where you go, it hasn’t affected me that much. I am patient and would never complain. Most times I am just happy to be anticipating a meal that I didn’t cook in a place that is not my home.

But my daughter works in the service industry and I know how hard she has been working for minimum wage. She is still new to the employment world and her paycheck and tips continue to be a source of great joy and spending freedom. But there is a lot that goes behind that monetary reward and the stuff she has had to endure, since she started,  gets under my skin.

Many places are hiring whoever walks through the door and appears willing to work. Sometimes the person who shows up for an interview isn't who shows up after they are gainfully employed. My daughter works with a variety of people with a variety of work ethics but for right now a body is better than nobody. 

But what has surprised me the most about her job, is the stories about customers who decide to take out their bad day, frustrations or lack of manners on a teenage kid. She has been called names, treated rudely and spoken to in ways that embarrass me to think about. I know there have always been bad apples out there but to get your panties in a bunch over a cup of coffee and a donut, I personally do not understand. 

Each day she comes home from work, she has a handful of stories about people behaving badly. The good thing about her is that she is still youthful and optimistic. She has even admitted to me, “Mom, for every bad customer there are many more good people.” I love that about her. I would have quit that job a long time ago but the camaraderie she has with her fellow employees helps get her through her shift with a few laughs and a shared bag of tips. 

Now that the procedures have changed at her place of employment, people can now go in and place their order in person. My husband and I stopped in the other day and to see her sweet, smiling face behind the covid plexiglass which filled us with pride. 

How could someone be rude to this delightful, young lady? 

Just the other day, someone threw a bagel at her. No folks, I am not making this up. When I heard this story, I was filled with rage. Luckily, the covid barrier protected her from being hit but her reaction was classic. She just laughed. Her manager took it from there and amazingly reacted much like I would have, chasing the customer down in the parking lot. 

I was thankful for this man and his protective instinct. I was happy she was able to laugh at the situation and realize there was something more going on with this person. Other customers who witnessed the incident reacted with compassion and a short time later someone came through the line and complimented her which gave her a boost of kindness to get her through the next couple hours. 

As I mentioned before, there are far more nice customers than rude and I feel this job is teaching my daughter important customer service skills. I have seen her give big tips while ordering out in solidarity of service workers everywhere. I myself have started using those tip jars that now seem to jump out at me on counters everywhere I go. 

We need to show our appreciation for the people that are showing up, knowing that not every customer is a peach to deal with. We need to especially support the young workers who are getting their first taste of being part of the workforce to encourage them to be good employees and to not get discouraged when people can’t act appropriately. 

We need to be the light to overshadow the darkness that often rears its head over a meaningless iced beverage and a sugar filled pastry