All I can say is PWNED!

[Emerald Knight]

This was some time ago, but a legitimate complaint (a film not coming in) reminded me of this.

Two out of three opening staff (that is, the two not including me) called in sick, so the only people there are myself and the opening manager. So naturally he gets a till for himself and has been helping me all that morning get everything loaded up and ready to go. Unfortunately, it was a school holiday so people came in droves. At one point, I had this gem of a conversation.

Customer: Your service is slow, you should have more people in on a day like this, I would like to see your manager young lady!
Me: We were planning two more people, but they called in sick, but as for the manager. However, as for the manager, (points to DM, who is on a till serving a customer himself) I think he's a little occupied, I'd recommend you come back after your film, hopefully we'll have staff in to cover the two who called in sick this morning.
Customer: (looks at the DM, a man in his mid-twenties) That's your manager?
Me: Yep.
Customer: ... Well then, I'm glad you have bosses who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty.
Me: Me too, now, shall we get on with your order ma'am?
Customer: Yeah sure

From there, it was a normal transaction.

Today, I had this similar gem, our newest Team Leader is 19, and is quite young-looking for that. So when a customer comes up to me, this goes down.

Customer: I would like to ask you a question if I may.
Me: Of course, what can I do for you?
Customer: I'm quite interested in Midnight in Paris, but you have nothing about it.
Me: Is it even out yet? Let me double check.
Customer: It should've been out last week?
TL: We're not showing it at this site, Film Buying didn't send us a print.
Customer: Do you know where is?
TL: *takes out his iPhone and looks it up* The nearest site is <city name>
Customer: Well that's not good enough! I want to see a manager!
Me: He is the duty manager on site ma'am.
Customer: Really? I was expecting an sixty-something old man, you're so young!
TL: I am the youngest by four years on the team, but yes, I assure you, I am a manager.
Me: And ma'am, I've been here for four years, the oldest manager we have had in that time was in his mid-thirties.

I just love it when they demand to see the manager and they're right there. Both times these two ladies changed their tunes.

[TheFairyGodmanager]

Why is it that customers equate age with ability? I personally never understand this. I'm usually the subject of some strange looks when I come out as the owner of the store to address complaints. One of my key-holders is the youngest member of our team. I, myself, am thirty. The rest of my girls are twenty and under and we all manage beautifully.

[bainsidhe]

Something just occurred to me and I feel a bit silly that I never thought of it before. I'm in my thirties. When I still worked at *big box retail*, I'd occasionally have a customer ask if I was a manager. I used to think it was because they either 1) weren't paying attention or 2) thought I was just that awesome. Considering most of my coworkers were teens or early twenties, I wonder if it was 'cause I was older. Hmmm.

Nope, I'm sure it was 'cause I'm awesome.

[camjuniper]

Why is it that customers equate age with ability? I personally never understand this.

^^This! So much so!

I'm in my early twenties (and often get mistaken for being even younger) but on the weekend, I'm Senior Staff. During the week, if everyone's in, I'm 4th in command.

Had some jerk in this weekend who insisted I (who was unoccupied at the time) could not help him and my (older) coworker was the only one who could. He asked her a question about his son doing community service. CW then turned and asked me what the process for that would be. Thank you, CW!

[earl colby pottinger]

Computer Store

I posted about this before, but in the 1980's this was a real problem for us. Myself being in the early twenties was the most senior of the computer people in a very busy store which was in a location where lots of business people went to lunch (We are still right besides a Wendy's across from a Burger King, down traffic from a Pizza Pizza. Up Traffic from a Red Lobster and Pizza Hut and that does not include another half a dozen food places on the same block).

So business people would come in for lunch, feeling their time was short. So they always wanted the expert in a piece of software to answer their questions. Big problem is the person who an expert in a particular software would be half to a third their age. Getting them to realize that if a software package came out a year ago and the teenage had been playing with it from day one that getting someone older will not get you someone with more experience with the software.

[Cai1987]

On the first story, I'd absolutely drop any complaints I had about the wait if the district manager was running a register. Good for her to realize that if the DM is running a register, something about the schedule went horribly wrong.

[Flying Grype]

Well, in the Olden Days, a person who got a managerial position was very experienced, and as a manager they were paid well and the company would hang onto them for a long time. People older than us assume that someone of a certain age must be a manager, and that managers must be old enough to have lots of experience. Sadly that's not the case anymore.

[Marmalady]

*nods*

Where I work, being a supervisor or manager is pretty much a job for a young man or woman without a family, because they all have to take their turn staying until 10 pm when nightfill finishes. I'm not prepared to take that on, because I want to be at home in the evenings to have some time with my son, and a lot of the CWs of my age are similarly placed.

[Emerald Knight]

^ It's the same where I work, since the place closes to the public as late as 3am and we get out 4-5am. I come home totally wiped out.

[Emerald Knight]

On the first story, I'd absolutely drop any complaints I had about the wait if the district manager was running a register. Good for her to realize that if the DM is running a register, something about the schedule went horribly wrong.

Um... When I said DM, I meant 'Duty Manager', our equivalent of District Manager is Area Manager (AM)

[PepperElf]

So business people would come in for lunch, feeling their time was short. So they always wanted the expert in a piece of software to answer their questions. Big problem is the person who an expert in a particular software would be half to a third their age. Getting them to realize that if a software package came out a year ago and the teenage had been playing with it from day one that getting someone older will not get you someone with more experience with the software.

It was like that on my second ship working in an IT department. But based on rank, not age.

Normally in most ratings higher rank means more experience. However with computers, it really varied. Some of our supervisors had nothing to do with computers and were just there to organize people and some of the junior techs were the ones who knew the most about the computers.

[sweetj82]

I had the title Manager on Duty at the age of 18. Boy oh Boy did that get some people goin. Some of my workers were 30 yrs olders than me.

[earl colby pottinger]

One reason

I had the title Manager on Duty at the age of 18. Boy oh Boy did that get some people goin. Some of my workers were 30 yrs olders than me.

When not working IT, I have turned down the job of manager because of all the garbage they had to deal with from demanding upper management, lazy workers who don't do their jobs or don't calling sick till the last minute. And don't forget the SC, never forget them too.

Instead of dealing with that all day, I would come in at 7AM to open the kitchen, clean up all the work areas and leave by noon (1PM if they were very busy). The rest of the day was mine to enjoy.

PS. I am 55, my manager 28.

[Canihelpurass]

I don't get the age=competence. I replaced our hr manager when I was about 24, now at 28 my boss gives me complete control as long as I keep her as a cc in any correspondence.. And I am managing people up to 30 years my senior!

[heyheadmaster]

My place has at least 2 TLs that are younger than me and plenty of CSRs that are older than most of the TLs!