Guest Post- Some Holiday Cheer. Please?

My long-time online friend wrote the following article and it perfectly puts into words the way I feel about bullies and people who look down on others.

After thinking about the entitled jerk behaviors I witnessed last night at the airport...

Here’s some perspective for all the ridiculous rage monster crazies, AND so we all can avoid *being* them this time of year 😂 because we’re all capable lol:
If you can afford to fly in a plane somewhere, or be picking up a loved one who can afford to fly to *you* for a happier holiday, get over your angries. It’s hectic at airports, stores, and restaurants between now and New Years.
PLAN AHEAD. WAY AHEAD. IT’S THE HOLIDAYS (duh).

It’s a really big pet peeve of mine when people who *don’t* plan ahead make their self-inflicted stress/lateness/rush everyone else’s fault and expect special accommodations *on top* of us all putting up with their ridiculous ragey tantrums. Anyone who has worked in retail/restaurant/customer service/airports literally laughs at and mocks people like this in employee break rooms everywhere. And puts your name on a black list. Because yeah it’s everyone else’s fault and we are all incompetent idiots that you aren’t given special permissions to jump a line, park in ....

your ‘I’m special so I get to do this’ (illegal) way on the inbound road shoulder to SeaTac, or can’t get through a process (TSA, cashier line, parking garage) fast enough for where you have to be next. Be one of the good eggs and plan ahead for the NICETIES of your HOLIDAY life - ex: waiting in line at any 1%-er store at Bel Square Mall (because they’re ALL 1%-er stores, and we in Seattle are ALL 1%-ers in The World), picking up family who FLEW ON A FREAKING AMAZING PLANE to you -1%er transport btw, EATING OUT - yes another 1%-er only activity, etc.

PLAN AHEAD. It’s no one else’s fault there’s a crowd or a line when you’re cutting it close/late. It’s your fault. Own that. And stop being a selfish power-up type jerk to get what you want. That’s another pet peeve of mine. Wealthy/powerful/heavyweight type people who think their status/money gives them the right to power up. Anywhere. Everywhere. Even when their current rush/problem is their own fault. Get over yourself is what they need to hear. And, ‘You’re not extra special as just a human being running your average joe blow errands. You're just IN LINE. You’re just AT A RESTAURANT anyone can go to. And you will wait just like the people you think you’re better than. When I’ve run a front counter anywhere at my jobs in the past, I watched the cutters like a hawk especially at busy holidays. I have told women and men who got pushed back to come to the front of the line where their spot was before some entitled jerk snakily stepped in front of them. I saw all of that. Saw the smug selfish behavior. I always gave the cutter the evil eye and there’s nothing they can do about it. I’ll even ask an extra person to come ahead of them even if they weren’t ahead. And that extra person almost always knows what I’m doing and they smile that knowing smile. It’s hilarious. The first person who got cut is just relieved I’m observant and fair. But the extra person is in on it with me and plays their part super well by acting extra happy and friendly and are louder about it than is normal. It’s awesome entertainment.

People are really something else around here anymore. The entitlement is UGLY. It’s laughable. All of us who are down to earth, equitable types laugh at these people’s tantrums and behaviors. It’s also funny because in their fury, so many bad things happen to them - things like the lady breaking her glasses last night. Glasses aren’t cheap. Couple hundred dollars down the drain right there. 😂

I’ll tell you a silly but very satisfying story in a funny/retail employee way. I worked at a store once a number of years ago where a woman customer went crazy on a young employee who was cashiering. Fairly new employee on our staff. The bully woman wanted to return a bag she had destroyed after YEARS of owning it. Said it was looking worn out or some bs like that and that it was only good for the trash because it was ‘trash quality’, blah blah blah. She went off and bullied the young employee over wear and tear that happens when you use a bag for YEARS. Duh. It was nowhere close to the warranty period. Years beyond. This young cashier came to me privately all regretful with her story because she had given into this bully lady and refunded her partially (gave store credit for what a similar clearance bag was worth in the system as her bag wasn’t even in the system anymore it was THAT old of a purchase). I told her let me see the bag. It was filthy and used and old. So of course it was ‘worn out’ looking. I said well, this is going into the compactor and don’t worry. We take the hit on this one. But here’s how you handle those kind of people for the future, etc. I gave her some thoughts on how to stand up for herself and the store better, uphold store policy, let customers be upset with a ‘no’ and be totally ok with that, and don’t say anything further because it’s not necessary to care if someone is trying to scam us. All young women need that kind of mentoring. For life. Against all kinds of power-up, scammy, selfish, bully people. Anyway, as she was walking back out to the bag dept feeling better, I said, ‘And by the way, which of the lady’s gift cards do you want? Because she left them all in her trashy bag zippered pocket. Let’s go shopping on lunch!” And then I told her to take a break and personally enjoy tossing the nasty bag in the compactor outside the warehouse, and if the woman comes back later today in a panic for her gift cards, you do one thing - go to the warehouse to “check for it” and then come back out and say, “We compacted the bag like we do with all our trash. We aren’t allowed to keep unsellable inventory in back.” I told her ‘You can take the opportunity to practice your matter-of-fact, no BS manager face. That woman will stand down to you and walk away. She won’t admit that she’s the stupid one and the stupid thing she did as she scammed our store out of a wrong return. Watch. It’ll play out just like I say if you do exactly what I’m telling you.’ And it did. The woman came back but never admitted why she wanted to know if we still had the bag. She just left sheepishly knowing that nothing could be done and in fact we had done exactly what she demanded - “trash this trashy low quality bag!” 😂
 
Over several lunches, this young employee and I bought a bunch of clothes with the gift cards and had lovely expensive coffees for a good number of weeks. And that my friends, is called karma. And it’s also called mentoring with a brain and a smile. And a little leadership sass. 😂 As well as retail knowledge that gift cards aren’t traceable, refundable if lost, etc. NO store employee does that for any customer. It’s code in retail that gift cards are never to be followed up on or credited if lost. Tough poopsies if you ‘gave’ yours to a young employee making minimum wage and told her to take out ‘this trash.’ 😉

My point in all this is: don’t be the jerk. It doesn’t pay. 😂😂😂 Especially at the holidays. Because you are missing THE ENTIRE POINT OF THE SEASON. And because you’ll be the one making the mistakes and it’ll cost you. That woman last night is probably out a couple hundred dollars for new glasses. The woman with the bag - same thing. It’s expensive being an entitled rage monster lol. Plus your very health can be at risk. People really do spit in your food and short you quantity if you’re one of those jerks at a restaurant. You think wait staff don’t bring your jerk story to the back where your food is being prepped by their buds? LOL. Don’t be naive. Back-of-house in all retail and restaurant is usually a crew of people who are tight friends. Suffering the public does that. 😂

Over and out y’all! Have a holiday season full of CHEERFULNESS & KINDNESS TO ALL!
#meanpeoplestories #behindthescenes #retailandrestaurant #bekind #planahead #karma #happyprivilegedholidays #weAREthe1percent #givingthanks