Hardly surprising: "Professionalism less than desired in entry-level employees :td

Here's some good ammo against the "chyldrun are the fyoooture" bingo. The fyooture is here, and it ain't pretty. fuck

The one thing that is surprising is that the Sneauxphlaykes recognize entitlement even amongst themselves.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/professionalism-less-than-desired-in-entry-level-employees

Professionalism “Less than Desired” in Entry-Level Employees
Released: 12/13/2010 11:00 AM EST
Source: Dick Jones Communications

Newswise — Researchers at the Center for Professional Excellence (CPE) at York College of Pennsylvania continue to find that students aren’t making the grade as professionals in the workplace, according to the annual nationwide survey on the state of professionalism among young workers.

In 2009, 37.3 percent of respondents felt that less than half of all new graduates exhibited professionalism in the workplace. This year, that number virtually remains unchanged at 38.2 percent. Nearly a fourth of survey-takers said that professionalism in young workers had decreased, while more than 15 percent of respondents believed it had increased.

“If there is good news from this survey it is that things are not getting worse,” said David Polk whose firm, the Polk-Lepson Research Group, was commissioned to complete the study.

The study, in its second year, also added a new component. Along with surveying more than 400 business leaders and human resources professionals nationwide, the survey also asked about the same number of current college students and recent graduates from around the country the same questions.

“There are some really interesting findings from the students’ responses,” said Polk. “Many of the student responses mirror what business leaders and HR professionals had been telling us.”

The 2010 study did find a few new traits that young workers aren’t displaying on the job. Internet etiquette, the ability to accept personal responsibility, and the ability to accept constructive criticism all were found to be absent from many unseasoned workers. fuck Survey developers determined this by asking which traits are most important for professionals and then having respondents evaluate those traits in new employees.

“It was really surprising to see the importance ratings alongside the prevalence ratings,” said Polk. “New employees are lacking the professional qualities that are deemed to be important. The largest gap exists for accepting personal responsibility and for decisions and actions and being open to criticism.” Interestingly, students also perceive this gap between importance and prevalence when rating the same qualities. However, they tend to feel they demonstrate more professionalism than employers actually experience.”

The CPE survey also reaffirms several findings from last year, such as new employees continue to be concerned with advancement opportunities more so than they probably should be, and information technology (IT) etiquette problems are not getting any better. fuck

The percentage of respondents reporting an increase in the number of IT etiquette problems has remained the same between 2010 (38.4 percent) and 2009 (39.1 percent), but the percentage experiencing a decrease in the problem dropped precipitously from 44.8 percent in 2009 to 10.7 percent in 2010.

“Some of these problems in the workplace are the same things we are seeing in the classroom,” said Polk. “Students and employees alike are text messaging, surfing the Internet, and responding to cell phone calls at inappropriate times. It appears that for many the need to be in constant contact with friends and family has become an addiction. The addicted no longer see it as rude to be obsessively responding to calls or text messages.” fuck

Student recognize the existence of IT problems surrounding social networking sites like Facebook and the micro blogging site Twitter. More than 8 in 10 student respondents who believe IT etiquette problems are on the rise identified text messaging at inappropriate times as an IT problem that exists in the workplace. fuck

While companies of all sizes are reporting IT-related etiquette problems, larger companies – those with 50 or more employees – are more likely to see an increase in these issues.

A “sense of entitlement” continues to be a seen in younger workers. Entitlement, defined as expecting rewards without putting in the work or effort to merit the rewards, fuck was the most cited reason (21.5%) for a decline in professionalism over the past five years. More than half of all respondents, 55.3%, say that young workers feel more entitled than their peers five years ago. Only 6.0% said it remained the same.

Roughly a fifth of those surveyed blamed an increase in entitlement as the need for instant gratification. Other respondents said younger workers had been coddled, expected mid-career treatment as an entry-level employee and had a lack of work ethic. fuck fuck fuck

Students and recent graduates, for the most part, agree with business leaders that there has been a change in the sense of entitlement of younger workers. More than half of all student/recent graduate respondents reported an increase in the sense of entitlement among young workers.

The top reasons that employers gave for increases in a sense of entitlement were the need for instant gratification (19.0 percent); having been coddled (11.1 percent); a general feeling (10.6 percent); new employees expecting mid-career treatment (10.6 percent); and a lack of work ethic (8.3 percent). Students’ reasons for this sense of entitlement paralleled those cited by employers. fuck

Researchers wanted to know if the age of the respondents played a role in determining whether or not a sense of entitlement existed. It would be logical to assume that younger respondents would be less likely to say that entitlement among new workers had increased. However, the study found the opposite. The younger the employer respondents, the more likely they were to see an increase in entitlement.

Overwhelmingly (96.3 percent) respondents continue to say that professionalism does factor into the decision to hire or not hire an individual. The “ability to communicate” factored as the top method of evaluating professionalism. HR professionals and business leaders also frequently said that one’s attitude or demeanor played a role in determining professionalism.

In the 2009 survey, the business world held colleges and universities accountable for preparing young workers for the workplace as 97.6 percent of respondents believed that this should be the role of colleges regardless of a student’s major. Given that, respondents this year were asked to give suggestions on how this could be achieved. The top three responses were through internships/hands-on experiences (25.0 percent), classes on etiquette (15.2 percent) and teaching common courtesy and personal responsibility (9.3 percent).

[So now colleges are supposed to be teaching personal responsibility, because the parunts failed to do so and failed to pawn their job onto the public schools.] fuck

Due to the responses from last year’s survey, York College of Pennsylvania created a series of professional development seminars for students. Respondents said college-hosted seminars continue to be a valuable tool for young workers. In fact, of those business leaders and HR professionals surveyed, roughly only a third (36.5 percent) had in-house programs designed to orient new employees to professional behavior.

[EMPLOYERS are supposed to "orient" people to professional behavior??] fuck

Student respondents reported three to one that colleges which offered professionalism programming were a valuable tool. As expected, the older students get, the more they recognize the importance of professionalism.

Respondents cited the most frequent means of hiring new employees is by direct contact with the company (63.5 percent). Employee referrals were almost mentioned as often 62.1 percent. Fewer than four in 10 respondents use job aggregator websites such as Monster, CareerBuilder and HotJobs to hire employees.

The sample size of this survey consisted of 430 people. It has a margin of error at 4.7 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. The sample consisted of nationwide HR professionals and business leaders. The sample size from students and recent graduates was 436. Student responses were geographically diverse. Data was collected via an online survey. The top three industries represented in this year’s survey were service (24.0 percent), manufacturing (19.3 percent) and retail (11.2 percent). Roughly half of all survey-takers held graduate degrees and more than a quarter held positions as President/CEO/CFO.

fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shauna's like a gluten-free Jim Jones for dumb, lifeless middle-aged women. I swear, this bitch could set fire to a orphanage and they would applaud her for bringing them light. ~ Miss Hannigan

Why should it be the responsibiilty of the colleges to prepare the kyds for the workforce?

Yes, they can help with academic knowledge and skills, but if people are waiting for colleges to make kyds civil human beings, that's way too late.

One of the first things parents can do is to be good workers themseles. That means not taking 7,436 kyd-related calls during the workday. That means Sneauflake' can't call Mommy for Every Little Thing at work.

Honestly, I feel sorry for kyds today. Many of them are not expected to contribute anything to the household in the form of chores. They are coddled, hyper-managed, given "mentally enriching, age appropriate" activities instead of having to work for anything.

Mummy and Duddy are constantly hovering, and they never have any time alone. No wonder they can't manage themselves.

The parents are too busy catering to them, entertaining them and telling them what to do next. Make them work for things and hold them accountable. Teach your kids to LISTEN to people and TALK to people and hold a conversation that does not involve a Blackberry.

/Old Codger mode

So, if the new breed of freshly minted "professionals" is so lacking, why don't they stop hiring them and start hiring seasoned, mature-acting, real professionals who are out of work? Maybe, if the new kids on the block were held to the same standards as everyone else (no texting at work, dress professionally, practice good "netiquette", learn the job at hand before talking about promotions, etc.), they'd lose their sense of entitlement and actually work. No, kids, sitting behind a desk, texting all your friends does not = work. Doing work = work.

Furthermore, how did all these young adults escape their teen years without knowing how to behave in a work environment? We had things like "mock job interviews" in our English classes. We had to dress professionally; sit properly; answer questions respectfully; not fidget; ask responsible, probing questions about the mock company; save salary questions until the end of the interview; etc.

Our school was not run like a day care. The teachers were actually allowed to teach (unlike today's teachers who are brilliant, dynamic professionals who are not given a chance to actually teach). Our dress code was enforced. Our rules were enforced. No, as students, we didn't like it, but we learned how to follow the rules. Our individuality was not stripped. We learned how to express our individuality within boundaries, and we were better for it.

Never once were we told we were entitled to anything with no strings attached. We were told we were entitled to anything we worked our butts off to earn. EARN is the key word. The new "professionals," so recently hatched, feel they are entitled to a job first in which to prove themselves after they get it. My generation was taught that we had to earn the job first and continue to improve in order to keep it.

WTF is going on nowadays? Should I just buy a house so I can have a yard in which to sit and shake my cane at the young upstarts?

It's your hell; you rot in it!

I use being CF as a selling point- and I know I'm not the only one.

You're right, Rose Red, I've done the same thing and it's made the difference.

I don't think any company should have a "training program" for professional behavior. Employees should be given a handbook when they are hired that outlines what is expected of them, and the consequences if they don't follow it. If they are lazy and don't bother to read it, they get fired. If they read it and blow it off, they get fired. Either way, you're cutting away the dead wood that doesn't want to be an adult and act like they want to EARN a living instead of fart around text messaging or e-mailing their BFFs all day long. Get rid of them and tell them why. Maybe they'll take their next job (if they can get one) more seriously.

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Sorceress
You're right, Rose Red, I've done the same thing and it's made the difference.

I don't think any company should have a "training program" for professional behavior. Employees should be given a handbook when they are hired that outlines what is expected of them, and the consequences if they don't follow it. If they are lazy and don't bother to read it, they get fired. If they read it and blow it off, they get fired. Either way, you're cutting away the dead wood that doesn't want to be an adult and act like they want to EARN a living instead of fart around text messaging or e-mailing their BFFs all day long. Get rid of them and tell them why. Maybe they'll take their next job (if they can get one) more seriously.

So true, Sorceress!
When I landed my first professional job, I watched my Ps and Qs. I didn't want to go back to the world of minimum wage. Of course, I wasn't spoiled and the last thing I would think about is moving back in with my parents if I got fired -- so I made sure that didn't happen.

From what I read in stories about education, a lot of schools are focused on "teaching to the test" to improve their scores so they can obtain funding. Forget about teachable moments and true life skills -- if it's not on the test, forget it!

Seriously, I learned a lot of civil mannerisms from watching old movies. But Dog knows that kids have to have every fucking film remade so that it can be CGI-ed to death.

Manners that I picked up from old films:

"Won't you come this way, please?" or "Won't you go in, please?"
"[Name], is this your first visit to the library in a while?"
"Let me see what the trouble is."
"Yes, sir/madam" and "No, sir/madam."
"Thank you for waiting, and I have not forgotten about you, sir/madam."
"Thank you for your patience, and I will do all that I can to find an answer for you."

Etc., etc., College is not going to teach you this, and increasingly, other workers do not model this behavior. As I was growing up and the kids around me were swearing every other word, and using "ain't" and double negatives, I looked to my movie heroes for clues on how to escape my situation.

I am still working on those honey-sweet insults to deliver to angry officezilla moos!

We live in a world where there are far too many of us. Companies are busy outsourcing to low-cost countries. Natural resources are dwindling. Low-skill jobs are vanishing, and being replaced with automation.

And yet, somehow, it appears that society has collectively decided that, in the face of these challenges, the solution is to condemn intellectualism, foster a sense of entitlement among the young, and gut the education system until everyone is treated as a winner regardless of effort or merit. That will really make young people valued!

I look at the world around me and I see many reasons why I should continue to learn, strive, and achieve. Somehow, other people look at the world and find reasons to relax and be complacent. I wonder if they're looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses, or if they are just completely incapable of logical thought. ...Then they decide to bring children into this world, leading to the conclusion that most people are utterly insane--so adept at denying unpleasant facts that they make serious decisions on the basis of their dreams.

Many millions of Americans in the 30-45 age range are jobless or underemployed, especially men in this "mancession". If the recent grads have entitlement attitudes, they use company computers to surf the net, and other inappropriate behavior, try hiring people who need the money and who have the proven ability to work in a professional manner.

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ShimmyMuse

Manners that I picked up from old films:

"Won't you come this way, please?" or "Won't you go in, please?"
"[Name], is this your first visit to the library in a while?"
"Let me see what the trouble is."
"Yes, sir/madam" and "No, sir/madam."
"Thank you for waiting, and I have not forgotten about you, sir/madam."
"Thank you for your patience, and I will do all that I can to find an answer for you."

THANK YOU BUDDHA! I'M NOT ALONE!

I always thought if I had to cop attitude at the job, or take a low-wage, high-shit position I'd imitate my idol, Clarissa Saunders from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington! I think I'll hit up Extratorrent and DL To Have And Have Not and Dance, Girl, Dance.

i had this gas guy at wawa texting while getting my gas. neverminding the notion that there are signs all over the damn place warning about cell phones and gas fumes-this is a safety and security risk. how do i know he's not texting my debit card number to someone? or photographing me or my car for a potential robbery target? not to mention, wawas are dangerous places-people fly in and out of there like crazy-this is all wawas with gas pumps. they are ultra popular and almost always ultra busy. it only takes a second for homebrew to step off a curb while texting and into the path of a customer's car or truck. not to mention, it is fucking unprofessional as hell to whip out a phone with a customer RIGHT THERE and TOTALLY ignore them so you can text. i stopped at another wawa after debating this in my head for ten minutes (they are that common) and called wawa's headquarters to report this guy. don't think i ever saw him again.

at one acme here, i saw a cashier with ass pants. i was not thrilled. someone must have reported it...never saw it or him again.

young people just don't get it in their minds that these things are not just "hatin' on them". there are reasons things are done. customers want to feel they are appreciated for coming there to spend hard earned money-not play second fiddle to jeremy's facebook status. and they don't want to see his underwear or tattoos. they want to feel they are buying things in a clean, professional place, not hot topic. there's also safety and security-ass pants can cause falls. texting devices can be used to send video of customers (if you work in some places, this is a huge confidentiality no-no!) to facebook or youtube, photograph credit card numbers and store them or send them or some other mischief.

and most of all-if you are spending time texting instead of working-you are stealing. you are being paid for your socializing. stop it.

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zatoth
i had this gas guy at wawa texting while getting my gas. neverminding the notion that there are signs all over the damn place warning about cell phones and gas fumes-this is a safety and security risk. how do i know he's not texting my debit card number to someone? or photographing me or my car for a potential robbery target? not to mention, wawas are dangerous places-people fly in and out of there like crazy-this is all wawas with gas pumps. they are ultra popular and almost always ultra busy. it only takes a second for homebrew to step off a curb while texting and into the path of a customer's car or truck. not to mention, it is fucking unprofessional as hell to whip out a phone with a customer RIGHT THERE and TOTALLY ignore them so you can text. i stopped at another wawa after debating this in my head for ten minutes (they are that common) and called wawa's headquarters to report this guy. don't think i ever saw him again.

at one acme here, i saw a cashier with ass pants. i was not thrilled. someone must have reported it...never saw it or him again.

young people just don't get it in their minds that these things are not just "hatin' on them". there are reasons things are done. customers want to feel they are appreciated for coming there to spend hard earned money-not play second fiddle to jeremy's facebook status. and they don't want to see his underwear or tattoos. they want to feel they are buying things in a clean, professional place, not hot topic. there's also safety and security-ass pants can cause falls. texting devices can be used to send video of customers (if you work in some places, this is a huge confidentiality no-no!) to facebook or youtube, photograph credit card numbers and store them or send them or some other mischief.

and most of all-if you are spending time texting instead of working-you are stealing. you are being paid for your socializing. stop it.

Zatoth, didn't you say you were from NJ? Is it true that you don't have to pump your own gas in NJ? I've only been there once in my life, and I remember having someone pump our gas for us while there.

Was anyone else subjected to that etiquette film as a child? I remember watching it every year in school. I was in grade school in the '70's, and the film was old then - it was made in the fifties. Anyway, it basically took this family (mom, dad, son, daughter) through the day, showing us how the Perfect American Family ought to behave! The first time I watched it, in first grade, I can remember feeling this horrible sense of shame, because my family was so different...my Mom didn't wear high heels and pearls to the dinner table, and my brothers didn't don suits! Also, my dad was a blue-collar laborer who worked nights. The dad in the film drove a fancy sports car, carried a brief case, and looked like a Ken doll. As I got older, I realized what a bunch of crap that was - NOBODY'S family was like the film family! However, the actual message of the film, which was, basically, to act civilized, was pounded into me. Do they even teach manners and etiquette in grade school anymore? I'm guessing not, since the majority of my high school students behave like wild animals.

There is a huge unemployment issue in the UK for under 24s (grads and non-grads) and everyone's standing around scratching their heads about it. Frankly the issue is that no one wants to hire the under 24s because they are stupid, lazy and selfish through and through -- which precludes higher behaviour like genuine manners and professionalism.

This is exactly the kind of pathetic turnout we always expected from late-model parenting. Self-absorbed, callow, ego-sodden shit-for-brains who think that claiming they can do something is the same as actually being able to do it. They also have no concept of rank, so it comes as a hell of a shock in the workplace that they are actually "third class citizens" compared to senior management. They're so used to being handed everything on a plate, and for adults and teachers to be all a-flutter around them, praising their every tiny little effort, that they can't deal with the real world where nobody is interested in holding their hand or giving a fuck about what they want or how they feel about carrying out a task. They are common garden snails who describe themselves as precious exotic butterflies.

- - - - - - - -
"The death of creativity is a pram in the hallway"
- Cyril Connolly

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gymrat
Was anyone else subjected to that etiquette film as a child? I remember watching it every year in school. I was in grade school in the '70's, and the film was old then - it was made in the fifties. Anyway, it basically took this family (mom, dad, son, daughter) through the day, showing us how the Perfect American Family ought to behave! The first time I watched it, in first grade, I can remember feeling this horrible sense of shame, because my family was so different...my Mom didn't wear high heels and pearls to the dinner table, and my brothers didn't don suits! Also, my dad was a blue-collar laborer who worked nights. The dad in the film drove a fancy sports car, carried a brief case, and looked like a Ken doll. As I got older, I realized what a bunch of crap that was - NOBODY'S family was like the film family! However, the actual message of the film, which was, basically, to act civilized, was pounded into me. Do they even teach manners and etiquette in grade school anymore? I'm guessing not, since the majority of my high school students behave like wild animals.

Was it called A Date With Your Family? Because if it was, MST3K has that one covered:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Hh4M4vipAo

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rainbow

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zatoth
i had this gas guy at wawa texting while getting my gas. neverminding the notion that there are signs all over the damn place warning about cell phones and gas fumes-this is a safety and security risk. how do i know he's not texting my debit card number to someone? or photographing me or my car for a potential robbery target? not to mention, wawas are dangerous places-people fly in and out of there like crazy-this is all wawas with gas pumps. they are ultra popular and almost always ultra busy. it only takes a second for homebrew to step off a curb while texting and into the path of a customer's car or truck. not to mention, it is fucking unprofessional as hell to whip out a phone with a customer RIGHT THERE and TOTALLY ignore them so you can text. i stopped at another wawa after debating this in my head for ten minutes (they are that common) and called wawa's headquarters to report this guy. don't think i ever saw him again.

at one acme here, i saw a cashier with ass pants. i was not thrilled. someone must have reported it...never saw it or him again.

young people just don't get it in their minds that these things are not just "hatin' on them". there are reasons things are done. customers want to feel they are appreciated for coming there to spend hard earned money-not play second fiddle to jeremy's facebook status. and they don't want to see his underwear or tattoos. they want to feel they are buying things in a clean, professional place, not hot topic. there's also safety and security-ass pants can cause falls. texting devices can be used to send video of customers (if you work in some places, this is a huge confidentiality no-no!) to facebook or youtube, photograph credit card numbers and store them or send them or some other mischief.

and most of all-if you are spending time texting instead of working-you are stealing. you are being paid for your socializing. stop it.

Zatoth, didn't you say you were from NJ? Is it true that you don't have to pump your own gas in NJ? I've only been there once in my life, and I remember having someone pump our gas for us while there.

yup-it is illegal to pump your own gas in nj. that and the fact we have refineries here has us always lower than the national average on gas. the law was done i believe in the 70's in order to create jobs, but because an attendant handles operates the pump, there is less theft and accidental spilling (unless you get the morons i got a few times who think "topping off" means bathing the side of your suv in gasoline).

here's a few other things:

-graham crackers originated in nj
-as did welch's grape juice
-and hires root beer
-and magnetic tape for recordings
-there was also an amusement ride company, pretzel amusement ride co., that was noted for rides such as "wacky shack" dark rides. pretzel was famous for the single track dark rides.
-we are the only state with an official state demon

and when our revolutionary dudes wanted to protest tea taxes, we burned the tea-screw tossing it in the water!

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zatoth

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rainbow

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zatoth
i had this gas guy at wawa texting while getting my gas. neverminding the notion that there are signs all over the damn place warning about cell phones and gas fumes-this is a safety and security risk. how do i know he's not texting my debit card number to someone? or photographing me or my car for a potential robbery target? not to mention, wawas are dangerous places-people fly in and out of there like crazy-this is all wawas with gas pumps. they are ultra popular and almost always ultra busy. it only takes a second for homebrew to step off a curb while texting and into the path of a customer's car or truck. not to mention, it is fucking unprofessional as hell to whip out a phone with a customer RIGHT THERE and TOTALLY ignore them so you can text. i stopped at another wawa after debating this in my head for ten minutes (they are that common) and called wawa's headquarters to report this guy. don't think i ever saw him again.

at one acme here, i saw a cashier with ass pants. i was not thrilled. someone must have reported it...never saw it or him again.

young people just don't get it in their minds that these things are not just "hatin' on them". there are reasons things are done. customers want to feel they are appreciated for coming there to spend hard earned money-not play second fiddle to jeremy's facebook status. and they don't want to see his underwear or tattoos. they want to feel they are buying things in a clean, professional place, not hot topic. there's also safety and security-ass pants can cause falls. texting devices can be used to send video of customers (if you work in some places, this is a huge confidentiality no-no!) to facebook or youtube, photograph credit card numbers and store them or send them or some other mischief.

and most of all-if you are spending time texting instead of working-you are stealing. you are being paid for your socializing. stop it.

Zatoth, didn't you say you were from NJ? Is it true that you don't have to pump your own gas in NJ? I've only been there once in my life, and I remember having someone pump our gas for us while there.

yup-it is illegal to pump your own gas in nj. that and the fact we have refineries here has us always lower than the national average on gas. the law was done i believe in the 70's in order to create jobs, but because an attendant handles operates the pump, there is less theft and accidental spilling (unless you get the morons i got a few times who think "topping off" means bathing the side of your suv in gasoline).

here's a few other things:

-graham crackers originated in nj
-as did welch's grape juice
-and hires root beer
-and magnetic tape for recordings
-there was also an amusement ride company, pretzel amusement ride co., that was noted for rides such as "wacky shack" dark rides. pretzel was famous for the single track dark rides.
-we are the only state with an official state demon

and when our revolutionary dudes wanted to protest tea taxes, we burned the tea-screw tossing it in the water!

Hmmm...Maybe I should move to NJ. I HATE having to pump my own gas. I'm sorry I threadjacked.:redface

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rainbow

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zatoth

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rainbow

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zatoth
i had this gas guy at wawa texting while getting my gas. neverminding the notion that there are signs all over the damn place warning about cell phones and gas fumes-this is a safety and security risk. how do i know he's not texting my debit card number to someone? or photographing me or my car for a potential robbery target? not to mention, wawas are dangerous places-people fly in and out of there like crazy-this is all wawas with gas pumps. they are ultra popular and almost always ultra busy. it only takes a second for homebrew to step off a curb while texting and into the path of a customer's car or truck. not to mention, it is fucking unprofessional as hell to whip out a phone with a customer RIGHT THERE and TOTALLY ignore them so you can text. i stopped at another wawa after debating this in my head for ten minutes (they are that common) and called wawa's headquarters to report this guy. don't think i ever saw him again.

at one acme here, i saw a cashier with ass pants. i was not thrilled. someone must have reported it...never saw it or him again.

young people just don't get it in their minds that these things are not just "hatin' on them". there are reasons things are done. customers want to feel they are appreciated for coming there to spend hard earned money-not play second fiddle to jeremy's facebook status. and they don't want to see his underwear or tattoos. they want to feel they are buying things in a clean, professional place, not hot topic. there's also safety and security-ass pants can cause falls. texting devices can be used to send video of customers (if you work in some places, this is a huge confidentiality no-no!) to facebook or youtube, photograph credit card numbers and store them or send them or some other mischief.

and most of all-if you are spending time texting instead of working-you are stealing. you are being paid for your socializing. stop it.

Zatoth, didn't you say you were from NJ? Is it true that you don't have to pump your own gas in NJ? I've only been there once in my life, and I remember having someone pump our gas for us while there.

yup-it is illegal to pump your own gas in nj. that and the fact we have refineries here has us always lower than the national average on gas. the law was done i believe in the 70's in order to create jobs, but because an attendant handles operates the pump, there is less theft and accidental spilling (unless you get the morons i got a few times who think "topping off" means bathing the side of your suv in gasoline).

here's a few other things:

-graham crackers originated in nj
-as did welch's grape juice
-and hires root beer
-and magnetic tape for recordings
-there was also an amusement ride company, pretzel amusement ride co., that was noted for rides such as "wacky shack" dark rides. pretzel was famous for the single track dark rides.
-we are the only state with an official state demon

and when our revolutionary dudes wanted to protest tea taxes, we burned the tea-screw tossing it in the water!

Hmmm...Maybe I should move to NJ. I HATE having to pump my own gas. I'm sorry I threadjacked.:redface

it's one reason i might never leave nj.

You should see the emails I get from some of these young assholes. Poor grammar, misspellings, all jammed together in a dumb paragraph... It's so sad... I'm like, how the fuck did this dipshit get HIRED?

I was also subjected to those 'etiquette' films. Only a few when I was in gradeschool. I also had mock interviews and had to draft a resume in high school English class.

It's awful that so many older folks are out of work while these entitled fucks get jobs. I just watched "Unstoppable" and it pissed me off. The whole dilemma started because of two young, lazy idiots.

I am starting a company because I know that I will not last one week in a job, especially if I pull my early morning foul tempered Rotwang routine...Sometimes I look in the mirror and I am afraid that I am more than two fries short of a happy meal. I can spell and be polite but working with me would be like working in a room full of landmines because anything can set me off into half crazed mad scientist world domination mode.

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Rose Red
I use being CF as a selling point- and I know I'm not the only one.

It has never gotten me any extras but I also cannot say that it has costed me anything, either.

I have a theory that one reason the economy is bad off (besides energy issues) is poor customer service. I can think of many times when I have been treated badly in a business, almost about half the transactions I do. Now you can blame me and blame the customer that I feel badly but I find more inappropriate behavior now than in the past. Business has to fire the people who mistreat others and not make excuses for them. I can think of so many examples.

One is that I worked as a medical transcriptionist for a hospital and one of hte fellow MTs was "an awesome transcriptionist" but would constantly laugh, cry, talk to herself, had constant odors, dirty clothes, and make death threats to coworkers.:crz Yet she was never fired until she did a theft because they "accepted her for what she is". Everyone already there told me: "We all know she's nuts":crz. Meanwhile, we had to put up with the odors, crying, threats, etc.

So businesses, stop making excuses for your bad employees and don't hire them in the first place!

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mr. neptune
I have a theory that one reason the economy is bad off (besides energy issues) is poor customer service. I can think of many times when I have been treated badly in a business, almost about half the transactions I do. Now you can blame me and blame the customer that I feel badly but I find more inappropriate behavior now than in the past. Business has to fire the people who mistreat others and not make excuses for them. I can think of so many examples.

One is that I worked as a medical transcriptionist for a hospital and one of hte fellow MTs was "an awesome transcriptionist" but would constantly laugh, cry, talk to herself, had constant odors, dirty clothes, and make death threats to coworkers.:crz Yet she was never fired until she did a theft because they "accepted her for what she is". Everyone already there told me: "We all know she's nuts":crz. Meanwhile, we had to put up with the odors, crying, threats, etc.

So businesses, stop making excuses for your bad employees and don't hire them in the first place!

i worked in a professional photolab that i affectionately referred to as "the ancora work program" (a major mental hospital is in ancora, nj)

This doesn't surprise me, in the least. Earlier, I was eating at a Chinese Restaurant, and half-way through, a bunch of bamboos for punks teens rolled in. This is our future, folks, and we're screwed.

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lab mom

I've seen this a bit at my work too. People coming in in their jammies. Don't get me wrong - business casual is the dress code. If you want to come in in a t-shirt and jeans, then you can. But pajamas? I couldn't make myself leave the house in my sleep pants, let alone go to work.

My generation is mostly taking after their mommies: Mommy expected to get everything for nothing, so that what these assholes expect. To be handed a six-figure job right away and be able to play on Facebook and their iPhones all day long and still get paid. And trust me, I've got a bit of a rebellious attitude due to having my personal freedoms taken from me unnecessarily all my life, but even then I know how to act and how not to act in the workplace (well, maybe save for when I wrote "This place is a scam" on my work station a few days ago when I was pissed off).

Etiquette classes aren't going to do shit for these people - they'll just see it as another "stupid" class they can sleep through, like algebra and English. They will expect raises simply for showing up each day and putting forth hardly minimal effort. They will take several long breaks each day and then complain when they don't get paid for being on the toilet for 45 minutes texting about their turds.

I say put the actually professional people of all ages in the positions that require professionalism and let the adult brats be the burger flippers and janitors.