Hello all. So today I had my first bar shift and it was really fun. More importantly I am not so sore and exhausted from bussing I could drop. Nice!
I have realized about me that I really dislike inane conversations with people I don't know. It is fine at work for the most part, because it is part of customer service to pretend you care and to be polite. It's other times. I wonder if I have become really impatient or if I just dislike most people. I think it is just that I am not overly social unless I know people, and it makes me uncomfortable to try and make small talk. So the discomfort turns into irritation.
Case in point: I got of work today and was still in my work clothes and I stopped at Safeway to buy some dinner food. A man saw I was wearing an apron and asked me what aisle tuna was on. I pointed at the "Sierra Nevada" logo my apron has and told him I didn't work at Safeway. He apologized, I said no problem. OK, that should have been the end. There was no reason for he and I to continue to converse. But....
Annoying Guy: Oh Sierra Nevada! I'd rather be there!
Me: ::fake laugh:: Yeah, I wouldn't. (Yes, annoying guy, I am sure you'd rather be at the brewery out to dinner than grocery shopping. I am so glad you pointed that out.)
Annoying Guy: Hehe! I bet. I know a guy over there, names Gracin, he works there too! Do you know him?
Me: (inward groan) Uh.... no, I don't. Does he work in the kitchen? Because I work on the floor, and I don't know all the kitchen guy's names.
Annoying Guy: No, no! He works with you! Gracin! You know, Gracin!
Me: Uh, no sorry, I don't know Gracin.
Annoying Guy: Are you sure? Gracin Ford?
Me: Well, there is a Nolan Ford....
Annoying Guy: Yeah! Nolan! That's Gracin's brother! I mixed them up because they're brothers! I know Gracin!
OK, so now what am I supposed to say? Wow! You know the brother of someone that I work with once in a while and vaguely know! We're practically related! Why was I involved in that incredibly pointless conversation? Why couldn't he have just gone and found his tuna?
So then I go to the checkout stand.
Annoying Clerk who really should know better: Oh, Sierra Nevada, do you know Sean Alexander?
Me: ::sigh:: No, I don't.
Annoying Clerk who really should know better: He is one of the guys that comes in and cleans up after you all leave!
HOW WOULD I KNOW HIM THEN????
Me: Oh, yeah, they come in after we all leave so I don't know him.
Annoying clerk who really should know better: Well, it's no loss! He is a goofy guy! Really goofy! Now, Bob, he's also on clean up, nice guy. He is about 6'2, wears glasses.
So I nod and smile and think "I DON'T CARE." What am I supposed to do? Stay late at work one night, look for a tall guy with glasses and ask if he knows some clerk whose name I don't remember at Safeway?
Sheesh!
6 comments:
Thats hilarious! I remember running into Safeway wearing my Starbucks apron, a few years ago, and people asking "do you work here?"
Seriously?!?
I think they just wanted to talk with the hotness that is me.
Congrats on your first bar shift! How were the tips?
Tips were OK. It was a slow day that should have had only 1 person working. But because I was training, there were two of us so we split tips. So I ended up with $25. If I had been alone, which I would have normally been, it would have been $50. Better shifts will be more money, so even if I have to split them it will be better. A Tuesday day shift is the worst outside bar shift there is, which I am getting because I am just starting in there. So, a crappy day should give me about $50.
Sounds like you had an interesting day.
I don't like talking to strangers unless I start the conversation and then only continue if I find them interesting. Or...If I need some tuna, whatever!
Moral of the story:
take off your damn apron.. or... see if the shirt you are wearing is see-through!
Valerie... I laughed at your inner thoughts... of course any one can be pleasant with small talk... it is the inner most thoughts that get me through them.
I believe you are great at conversation... pick a subject each day and only talk about that to customers...something you are real familiar with... say, music..
People are funny aren't they?
serious no matter when i go into safeway people aske me where stuff is im usually either wearing sweats lookig like a scrub or pushing a cart with a 4 year old in it! this used to annoy the hell out of me, now if people ask me where something is i just make up an aisle number, i figure hey i may be right, and if i am well good for them, if im not well that is what they get for being stupid and asking me when i clearly dont work there.
yeah, we used to get calls for take out for a local restaurant. After awhile I just started to take the order.
Post a Comment