Line's Over Here, Bud
Several days ago Hawk and I visited a popular ice cream shop on our way home from a day of hiking. It was a warm evening at around 7pm after a very hot day; an ideal time to visit a great ice cream place. Other folks obviously thought so, too, because the restaurant was crowded. There was a whole girls' soccer team in line in front of us at the ice cream counter, not to mention various people standing in the lobby waiting for tables for dinner service.
Just as we'd gotten to the front of the line for ice cream and were "next" to place our orders, a guy walks in the front door and sashays up to the check-out register. After having looked around at all the people standing/sitting in the lobby he loudly asks at the (empty) register, "Is this where I order ice cream?"
One of the ice cream employees, seeing someone at the cash register, walked up to help him. The man repeated his inquiry: He'd like to order ice cream, and wonders if this is where he starts. Like the 10 or so of us in line at the ice cream counter (people had come in after us while the soccer team was ordering and paying) were just standing around for the fun of it. And worse, the tired and overworked employee agreed to take his order- letting him completely cut the line of people who were waiting patiently.
"Excuse me," Hawk called out. Then louder, to get his attention. "EXCUSE ME! The line's over here."
The customer feigned surprise. "Oh, there's a line?"
"Yes, it's behind us," Hawk pointed out.
"And everyone else who's waiting," I added.
The guy looked at the line again and left.
It pisses me off that some people play stupid games like this, feigning ignorance when it's pretty obvious they know damn well they're angling to cheat the unwritten rules.
It also pisses me off that the employees were about to let him get away with that. Employees wanting to avoid conflict, I understand. I get the mindset. But employees have to stick up for the obvious unwritten rules. Like, No, you can't just push your way to the front of the line and be served first.
And from the employees' perspective it doesn't have to be conflict. It's not conflict if they address it promptly and correctly the first time. A simple, nonthreatening answer like, "Great, and welcome in, sir! The line for ice cream is over here [pointing] to the right," nips it in the bud.
Just as we'd gotten to the front of the line for ice cream and were "next" to place our orders, a guy walks in the front door and sashays up to the check-out register. After having looked around at all the people standing/sitting in the lobby he loudly asks at the (empty) register, "Is this where I order ice cream?"
One of the ice cream employees, seeing someone at the cash register, walked up to help him. The man repeated his inquiry: He'd like to order ice cream, and wonders if this is where he starts. Like the 10 or so of us in line at the ice cream counter (people had come in after us while the soccer team was ordering and paying) were just standing around for the fun of it. And worse, the tired and overworked employee agreed to take his order- letting him completely cut the line of people who were waiting patiently.
"Excuse me," Hawk called out. Then louder, to get his attention. "EXCUSE ME! The line's over here."
The customer feigned surprise. "Oh, there's a line?"
"Yes, it's behind us," Hawk pointed out.
"And everyone else who's waiting," I added.
The guy looked at the line again and left.
It pisses me off that some people play stupid games like this, feigning ignorance when it's pretty obvious they know damn well they're angling to cheat the unwritten rules.
It also pisses me off that the employees were about to let him get away with that. Employees wanting to avoid conflict, I understand. I get the mindset. But employees have to stick up for the obvious unwritten rules. Like, No, you can't just push your way to the front of the line and be served first.
And from the employees' perspective it doesn't have to be conflict. It's not conflict if they address it promptly and correctly the first time. A simple, nonthreatening answer like, "Great, and welcome in, sir! The line for ice cream is over here [pointing] to the right," nips it in the bud.