Customer service to the extreme OR "We have to what?"

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

This isn't quite Morons in management as it doesn't deal with a specific individual in a position of power so I thought it would fit better here.

There are several resorts about an hour from where I live. One of them is quite nice and has a great little bakery on premises that makes some seriously yummy muffins among other treats. As a result, the bakery is popular with both resort guests and employees who get a small discount there.

A friend who works there told me they changed the policy with regards to the bakery a couple of months ago due to some unknown issues.

The new policy is as follows:

If an employee is in line at the bakery and a customer steps in line behind them, the employee MUST remove him or herself from the line and allow the customer to move up.

Yes that's the actual policy. I'm not joking.

Now I'm sure you can gather that, during a busy time, an unfortunate employee could theoretically remain stuck behind an endless line of people while abiding by this policy.

I'll be the first one to say that if it's a busy occasion and resources are limited than employees should step back and allow the customers to enjoy the goodies as much as possible, but I think the "step out of line" policy is taking it a bit too far.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Do whu?

*rereads OP*

That has got to be one of the most asinine things I've heard of lately.

If you're an employee OFF the clock, then that employee is on their time and, if purchasing goods and/or services, a CUSTOMER.

I don't see that policy lasting very long at all . . .

[Sapphire Silk]

That's a policy ripe for IGNORE.

[Sandman]

Force the managers to comply with that policy and see how quickly it changes.

[Bright_Star]

Do whu?

*rereads OP*

That has got to be one of the most asinine things I've heard of lately.

If you're an employee OFF the clock, then that employee is on their time and, if purchasing goods and/or services, a CUSTOMER.

I don't see that policy lasting very long at all . . .

Wouldn't that be an obvious assumption that if you're WORKING & are either on break or lunch & are in line waiting to buy sonething & a customer comes up behind you then you let them move ahead of you? I can't see that policy apply to those employees who are there on their days off.

[wolfie]

Wouldn't that be an obvious assumption that if you're WORKING & are either on break or lunch & are in line waiting to buy sonething & a customer comes up behind you then you let them move ahead of you?

But if you're on break or lunch, you have a LIMITED amount of time available. Continuous flow of customers keeps pushing you back, so your break/lunch ends before you get something to eat? Sorry, no food for you today. Something for the labour board, since this policy can deny employees the opportunity to EAT on their mandatory lunch break.

Ironically, in the computer field, the situation where an algorithm for resource allocation causes some processes to never get the resources they need is called "starvation".

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Bet the thinking here is that the employees are getting discounts, and probably only buying a muffin or two for their break. Whereas the non-customers are likely to make bigger purchases at full price.

This is one of those policies where you dare management to enforce it by not following it. Is management really so stupid as to fire employees for not giving up their places in line?

[sms001]

I wonder if they can forgo the discount and stay in line? Because that's probably the thrust of the policy - we're going to take care of people paying full price first.

[bainsidhe]

My guess is a customer complained. Probably some employee was in line while wearing their uniform, or else they were in street clothes and were friendly with the staff, which of course means they "must" work there. And how dare lowly workers go ahead of the privileged customer! /sarcasm.

[Lurking Sockpuppet]

My answer... Bite me! I am a customer too. I am on break when making a purchase. You cannot tell me what to do an my break. If you want to pay me on my break times that is different otherwise F&@# off! YMMV

[malmalthekiller]

Force the managers to comply with that policy and see how quickly it changes.

Hah, I second that.

[sstabeler]

Force the managers to comply with that policy and see how quickly it changes.

true, except the change would have only two words: except managers.

[Kristev]

Somewhere along the way, employers forgot that once a worker isn't on the clock, they aren't subject to mismanagement power anymore. It's become quite the trend in the last couple of years.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Somewhere along the way, employers forgot that once a worker isn't on the clock, they aren't subject to mismanagement power anymore. It's become quite the trend in the last couple of years.

My friend told me at the resort where he works employees are expected to be courteous and respectful to guests while on the property AT ALL TIMES including if they are a guest themselves.

So that means if you come on your off time and do pretty much anything that could annoy or bother or offend the customers you can and most likely WILL be fired for it.

[NorthernZel]

A former boss of mine (I worked at a place that many young adults frequented) tried to enforce the policy that if we were at a bar in our own free time and happened to encounter one of our "customers" there, we were (under threat of termination) to leave the bar at once, leaving beverages and one's friends/guests/drinking buddies behind. No matter whether the young adult in question was aware of one's presence or not.

That policy lasted just 3 days until Boss got a friendly visit from the Union Rep...