In my last post, when I said "That's a blog for another time", this is that one. Another time has arrived.
Over the the past couple of years, I've been hearing the same commentary on the labor market from everybody & their brother. I've even said it myself a few times. "Nobody wants to work".
That's an inaccurate statement.
It's no secret that the service industry is suffering the most. Yeah, we've heard about fields like plumbing, where not enough people are pursuing careers to replace the professionals that are retiring. I think we could all agree, though, that you are most aware of the "labor shortage" when you are waiting in line. Whether that's at the grocery store, the coffee shop, the bank, or the fast food drive-thru.
Nobody wants to work... for customers.
It is true, that in March of 2020, a lot of people took time off from work because they were afraid, and some of those people found ways to stay home for a while collecting unemployment. Many managers were all so sure that when the extra unemployment came to an end, people would come pouring back to these service industry jobs that they would so desperately need. Certainly before the holidays. It never happened. It only got worse. Even when the state was offering bonus checks to encourage people to go back to work.
There are some lazy folks out there, for sure, but overall, people want to work. Or at least, they're willing to work, because they want to make money. I've been working in retail, specifically customer service, for nearly 12 years now. I don't plan on doing this full time for much longer. I couldn't even count the number of times, in recent years, that I have said "I don't want to work with the public anymore".
There has been so much debate in recent years over minimum wage. Specifically, whether people doing jobs with little skill required should be paid more. The arguments for a higher minimum wage include factors like inflation and a higher cost of living, and the arguments against point out that entry level jobs are not meant to be long term careers.
I would like to suggest that the argument over minimum wage is irrelevant. If companies want to keep their businesses staffed, they need to be competitive, and that means minimum wage is simply not good enough. Skill level and experience are not the only reasons to pay employees more. There is often a differential for people in all industries to work overnights. This is not because more skill is required between 10pm and 6am. It's because nobody wants to do it. It is simply incentive to get more people to work those lousy hours.
This is why cashiers, fast food burger flippers, and cart pushers want more money. As technology has advanced, and people have come to expect everything instantly, customer service has only become a less desirable field. People are spoiled and demanding, and we're all pretty sick of it. Even during a staff shortage, that everybody knows about, customers still expect to be catered to.
On top of wanting higher wages, we're sick of being treated like servants by customers acting like complete assholes, only to have a manager step in and give them everything they want, and sometimes a gift card to boot "for their inconvenience".
A couple of weeks ago, my boyfriend, who is a manager with the company, told a belligerent customer "please don't talk to my associate like that". The customer responded "I can talk to him anyway I want". My boyfriend refused him service, and the associate was very grateful (my hero). This is what managers need to start doing more of. Companies should stop trying to please the customer at the expense of the associates' dignity.
I can think of several customers over the years, that were nothing but jerks, and we saw them coming a mile away. One in particular, was a loose canon, and we had all asked many times to simply have him banned from the store. Every year the Hannaford associates fill out a survey, that is supposed to be about our experience, but 2 of the questions last year were "What would encourage you to recommend shopping at Hannaford?" and "What would you like to see offered at Hannaford to support an even better customer experience?". Literally questions about increasing customer traffic and sales. I'm not passionate about the customer's experience. I don't care. I show up at work to collect a paycheck. I feel confident assuming that my coworkers show up for the same reason. For so long it's been all about not losing the customer, but I think it's time to worry more about keeping the employees. Customers make empty threats to never come back all the time. We see them again the following week, or even the next day, acting like their public temper tantrum never even happened. Associates, however, usually mean it when they have been pushed too far and they say "I'm done with this place".
So, I would recommend being kind to the people ringing up your groceries and serving your food. Those of us who are still sticking around are doing a lot of extra work, and there's not much keeping us in our current roles. Don't be standing in line, bitching about how "nobody wants to work".
False.
Nobody wants to be called incompetent because your card isn't working, due to insufficient funds.
Nobody wants to be asked "Can we speed this up a little bit, because we have somewhere to be", while trying to process your 4 general assistance vouchers from the city.
Nobody wants to take your phone call to "talk to a manager about the store's lack of staff", unless you're applying for a job.
Nobody wants to give you double your money back, because you didn't like the organic vegan salad dressing that you bought.
Nobody wants to go fetch the cart that you left in the farthest reaches of the parking lot.
Nobody wants to blow up 24 balloons with a 20 minute notice for the party that you've known about for at least 2 weeks.
Nobody wants to hear your "I just made it" jokes when a bill is marked with a counterfeit pen.
Nobody wants to remake your complicated beverage 5 times.
Nobody wants to handle the sweaty money you just pulled out of your bra.
...And absolutely nobody, wants listen to your assessment of how to fix the self scan, when you are the reason that it needs to be fixed.
The employee shortage is not getting better any time soon. Many of us want to leave, and there's a lot of options out there, that are higher paying &/or more flexible, so we all have the option to go elsewhere. Companies are going to be forced to further reduce hours, and raise prices to offer more competitive wages. So, expect to either adapt or live in constant frustration, as the lines just keep getting longer.
I hate to sound negative, but I think it's important for people to understand why nobody wants to do these jobs anymore, because the problem can't be fixed if it's not identified.
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