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Do Rude Workers Expect to Keep Their Jobs?

The security guard/receptionist at a downtown medical building had an iPod ear bud attached to one ear and a cellphone glued to the other – and was doing a pretty good job of ignoring me as he carried on a loud, personal conversation.

All I wanted to do was confirm my doctor’s office number, but he had his priorities. Finally, I knew it was my turn to speak when he thrust his chin in my direction.

Made me wonder: With jobs scarce these days, doesn’t he care about holding on to his?

Or consider the case of the two clerks in a trendy Lincoln Road boutique where my daughter went to return a dress that didn’t fit. Neither was waiting on a customer as she approached the counter; they were gossiping with each other. The return? No can do, they told her. Since she ordered it online, they said, she’d have to mail it back. And then they went back to their conversation.

When she returned home, she called the store’s customer service number. Of course, you can return an online purchase at the store, she was informed. The next day she went back and found the store closed with a notice taped to the door saying it would open two hours later than usual.

For any of you who have circled repeatedly trying to find a parking space near Lincoln Road and paid the parking fees, you can imagine she was not happy – unhappy enough to consider relegating the establishment to her formerly favorite store. On her third visit, the return finally went off without a hitch. But three visits to a store to make a simple return is ridiculous.

I’ve had weeks where every interaction I’ve had with the service sector has been fraught with problems – big or small, misinformation, or just attitude problems.

Granted some of these interactions have been with folks barely earning the minimum wage who may not be very happy with their entry-level jobs. But I thought we were in a recession. The national unemployment rate for May, which was released Friday, is 9.4 percent – the highest it’s been in 25 years.

These days, for most folks, a job is a coveted thing.

Certainly I know many people who do value their jobs and are stepping up their performance a notch because they’re worried about being on the chopping block.

But what about those other workers who consider their jobs an entitlement? They show up and the employer is supposed to give them money, regardless of how well they perform.

What gives? And why does this attitude seem to be more prevalent in South Florida than elsewhere?

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