Because nobody else will listen

This will be a long post. You have been warned.

I’m finding it increasingly difficult/stressful at my job. Mainly because since I became a shift manager, I managed to piss off some employee, employee A, who has now decided, above all else, to make my job hell now. When I ask her to do something, she finds every other job to do, which she wasn’t asked to do, instead of completing the task I ask her to do in the first place. She’s even gone so far to tell other shift managers that because I want her to do it my way, she doesn’t want to do it anymore and won’t do it, a very immature response not only in my eyes but in the eyes of the Manager and other shift managers. She complains alot, to other associates on her level, employees B and C, that why is it only her who does this job, or if I would only listen to her and do it her way then things would go so much better, and how I’m don’t know what I’m doing/talking about, which is an attitude they feed off of, going so far to side with her and feel resentment when I ask them to do things, they decide not do the things I ask of them. I explain my reasons behind why I want things to be done xyz, and I give them some space to do it in the order they want, zyx, but when push comes to shove I want it done and I make it known I want it done this way by the end of the day. Which makes me a control freak/dictator. Then they resent me for it, and the more I push them the more they resent me, leading them to shut down and not listen by the end of the day, leading me to become so frustrated I just want to walk out the door and leave them to their own devices, let them explain to the Manager why I left them and never came back.

At least this is how me and the Manager came to the conclusion yesterday when I explained why this past weekend went so badly. She agreed that it was wrong for employee A to be that insubordinate, especially because she is on probation for her bad attendance, insubordination to her superiors, and recent bad conduct to not only other employees but also customers. The Manager made it clear that while it is ok to ask for clarification as to why I want things done, it is not ok to second guess or question my decisions or authority. And for the past month or so, since employee A has been on probation, she’s improved, until this weekend where she took what seems like 10 billion steps backward. But the Manager also said the employees didn’t feel like I recognized them for the work they were doing that day, mind you work I had told them wasn’t the day’s priority, but they felt so “disheartened” and ended up with the attitude “why bother working if it’s not apprecited?” Why bother working? Because that’s what you’re getting paid to do, and if you don’t want to work, then leave. Not everybody gets job recognition, some managers even take all the credit for hard work, leaving employees in the dust. I make a conscience effort not to do this, and the Manager doesn’t do this. And because this has been an issue for me in the past, that I apparently put off some energy that they interpret that I don’t appreciate them or that I think of them as lower than me, because they are, I am their superior [read:

su·pe·ri·or /səˈpɪəriər, sʊ-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[suh-peer-ee-er, soo-] –adjective

1.	higher in station, rank, degree, importance, etc.: a superior officer.

]I have been improving on this. Being their superior doesn’t mean I should treat them like dirt or talk down to them, which I don’t but apparently they say I do. But I have made a conscience effort to say please and thank you when I ask them do to things, and praise them when they do a good job. But now when I do it, I apparently say it in a tone that is taken as “thank you for being so awesome and so reliable…because there are others I can’t count on here”. So if it’s not one thing, it’s another. It boils down to a me vs. them attitude, and when I am the only shift manager for the day, I am out numbered 4 to 1. So what can I do to improve? Well, since I’m already improving on my communication, and I watch what I say and how I’ve been saying it, I guess I now have to hold group meetings with the day’s objectives, regrouping right after lunch to see where everyone is at. So now I can’t won’t check up and ask what they’re working on every hour of so, because that makes them feel like they’re being babysat. And if things don’t get done, I can tell the Manager I tried, and because I have employee A talking about me and how if I only would listen to her then things would only be that much better, they became resentful and took her side and shut down, and I couldn’t physically force them to do what I want, it was all out of my control. Even though I am a control freak. And what can they do to improve? Take Employee A’s attitude with a grain of salt, do what it asked of them, and communicate to me if they have an issue instead of shutting down on me. What do I want out if it? To get Employee A fired, because she has a record of bad behavior. I want to make an example out of her, if you have a bad attitude and shut down, then you will no longer work here. But will that happen? Probably not.

 

I finally did it

So I had this customer come in today. She had come in before, about 2 months ago, yelling and bitching at me because we didn’t carry a certain food we had and that’s why she never shopped here, but she needed food for her 30 cats. So she settled for another food and she gives me a debit card to pay with. Because we don’t have a pin pad, although it still goes through as a debit, we are required [read: we must do this or we will be fired] to ask for an ID. At this point, after I explain this to her, she walks out in her bitchy attitude. To which I replied, have a nice day. Fast forward to this evening, she was upset because Smart & Final discontinued carrying her cat food, explaining why she came here. She tries to pay again, giving me a debit card, to which I explain once again why I need her ID, even though it still goes through as debit. She shows me her ID, which does not match neither her last name nor her first name. She swears the card is hers, it’s her business card, and she knows the pin code and she can use it at hundreds of other stores. Once again repeating myself why I need her to prove a match to her name on the card, I then offer to take a check or even cash, which she could get at a WaMu across the parking lot or Vons through their cash back because they have a pin. So she tells me that our old manager, who has transferred to a different store, did it all the time. But once again, repeating myself, she finally storms out saying if you don’t want my business then I won’t give it to you. To which I replied, well we aren’t gonna miss you, as she kept screaming as she stormed out of my store.

What I should have said was for her to be careful to who she yells at. She never knows who’s husband [or future husband] can tack her name and card, despite which bank she goes to, as “suspicious” for fraud alert, requiring everyone who sees her card to ask for ID. Or even report her as a possible terrorist, making the CIA/FBI/whoever does that freeze her accounts. Maybe I’m just evil and vengeful.

 

Why do I love my job?

It’s days like these that I question why I love my job. I was awoken from my blissful slumber at 8:30 this morning, with the request that I come to work to cover another coworker’s shift, since said coworker called in sick from a toothache. Normally I would be happy to do it, but I was tired and next week I am working a 52 hour week. And if it were any other person but the coworker who yelled at me, in front of customers, I would have been happy to do it. But I despise working with this guy, he has an explosive personality and he is very stubborn, when working, you have to do things his way or he will explode at you if you have a thought to do things your another way. I feel like I have to walk on eggshells so I don’t set him off. And being the bigger person, who doesn’t show she has grudges on the outside, came in to work and worked a 10 hour day for this person. Apparently I was the last person he called, but I highly doubt that. I’m always the go-to girl when it comes to covering people’s ass. And yes, I get a nod of the head by my boss, but that’s all I really get. No raise, no quick promotion, just a nod and thank you. So why am I still working here? I don’t know. But after almost a year of working there, I have lost that enthusiasm I had for working for this company. I guess you can say I’m pretty lucky, most people don’t like their job the first day they start. But in any case, I look forward to the day I can leave for better pastures.