The customers pay the associates, says management. Uh, no, they do not.

[Estil]

We just started doing a suggestion box here at Kroger, and here's one of the responses:

Complaints about customers: They are the ones that pay us; without them, we're nothing.

This could also be a varation of those customers who say to us, the associates, something along the lines of, "I bet you're just thrilled to see the store so busy!" Well, the big corporate offices and stock holders certainly will be (bigger profits/dividends). Management, yes most likely (incentive bonuses). But the rank and file associates? Nope, we still get the same low hourly wage (only $7.05 in my case) no matter how many customers we get. We don't get commisions and techincally we can't accept tips (though I did see one customer tip a dollar to a bagger, and since they are on the lowest rung of seniority according to union rules, I wasn't about to say anything ). In fact, our GM was trying to tell me that if we do enough business and avoid enough shrink, they could afford more full time positions. Well, considering we have checkers that have been here as much as ten years and are still stuck on part time status, you can see why I'm very skeptical of that claim.

The point is that the customers' money really goes to the big corporate offices, who then give themselves the vast majority of it, give management the vast majority of the rest, and then we just get whatever bread crumbs are leftover. :P

[Mighty Girl]

That is insane. You get paid the same hourly wage regardless of how busy it is, any moron knows that.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Complaints about customers: They are the ones that pay us; without them, we're nothing.

Okay! Shall we discuss raises for all the grunts then?

[ISellCars]

Oh gosh don't get me started on Kroger!! I remember we had a Wal-Mart get built in our town, and obviously we started getting alot slower. So management had EVERY employee (like 4 or 5 at a time) come into their office and watch some stupid video about why Wal-Mart is able to have low prices (because of their wages and healthcare stuff, didn't pay much attention)...

Basically telling us 1.) How we should appreciate what Kroger is paying us, and 2.) How when things start to change, what we should expect and why.

But we never had the Suggestion Box... that woulda been a good idea.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

But we never had the Suggestion Box... that woulda been a good idea.

Good idea in theory, but if management is just going to tell the employees to "suck it up" when they complain about rude SCs, then how much good does it really do?

That attitude really pisses me off. It makes me think that if I'm faced with a rude, obnoxious twit, throwing things at me and swearing like they missed their meds, management is going to back the SC, because the customer pays me, the customer is boss, and what the boss wants, the boss gets.

This thread makes me appreciate my employer a little more. They understand that they are in the business of serving customers, and that every customer should be given grea service, but they won't tolerate SCs verbally or physically abusing the employees.

[Spiffy McMoron]

We just started doing a suggestion box here at Kroger, and here's one of the responses:

Complaints about customers: They are the ones that pay us; without them, we're nothing.

If that was one of the responces, I'd like to know what the suggestion was!

I've always been amused by that "The customers are the ones that pay your salary!" train of thought. While I see the logic behind it, I've always wanted to know if I could ask the customers for a raise. Actually, a couple of customers have said that I should get a raise back at crappy Tire. Never came though.

[ArenaBoy]

Customers pay us? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! Yeah right, if I made commission from being a cashier on the drives I'd be living in a upscale apartment and have bought myself a new car along with a few guitars. I'd be working once a month for god's sake! (We take in some big amounts, especially for basketball games.)

Anyway, when we get busy I don't really care it just means that it's busy. Nothing more.

[draftermatt]

Customers pay your salary in that if you have none then the company makes no money, and the owners (who actually write the checks) have to sell, or close up shop, and effectively you aren't getting paid anymore because you can't work at a place that shut down.

Happened to me. And a big reason we shut down was not only management incompetence but employees treating customers like crap.

Is it a bad mentality to have when it comes to sucky customers? Sure. But you can't write it off saying, nope the owners pay it.

[Ringtail Z28]

"The customers are the ones that pay your salary!"(

I once found some old generic posters in a storage room at work that had some lines that were pretty similar to this. I couldn't help but to start laughing at this. For those who don't know, I work in a welfare office.

[powerboy]

Yeah the customers pays the employees, when they are working a in mom & pop shop. That is why, it sucks for me.

[KuzcoLlama]

My customers are books. They give me trouble, I bend their spine.

[TNT]

Okay! Shall we discuss raises for all the grunts then?

My hire date is in January... which means, three things happen together: the yearly increase in cable rates, the new costs for benefits and my yearly raise. So, when a customer calls in to complain about their cable going up, I'm so tempted to say...

Customer: My rates went up! For what?!
Me: My raise, plus my health insurance went up a lot this year. Thanks.

If I actually said that, of course, the customer would explode and demand to speak to supervisors, managers, etc.

Bottom line is this: if the customers want to claim they pay our wages, then they have to be willing to pay enough for good help.

[Getoutofmylobby]

Although, corporate greedheads aside, the customer is the reason the company is doing business at all. So as long as the customer exists, the company does and by extension that provides you with your job.

The thing is that corporate assholes through the years have been feeding us this "customer pays your salary" crap to try to fool us into thinking the customer... the INDIVIDUAL customer is more important than they really are.

And customers love this notion because they start to believe that they own your ass and can say/do anything they want.. making the situation worse.

Customer service is doomed.

Customer: My rates went up! For what?!
Me: My raise, plus my health insurance went up a lot this year. Thanks.

I would LOVE to say this.

[GayleShy]

I remember we had a Wal-Mart get built in our town, and obviously we started getting alot slower. So management had EVERY employee (like 4 or 5 at a time) come into their office and watch some stupid video about why Wal-Mart is able to have low prices

Oh man, Safeway did the same thing to us. They told us we were taking a class about how to do our job better, but the whole thing just ended up being about how horrible Wal-Mart was and how we need to do our part by not shopping there. Odd, I work there now.

[Kiwi]

I always looked at it this way

owner of shop provides goods, owner employes staff who in return for money provide labour to sell said goods, staff are a cost that must be kept at a minimum (or money making asset depending on how your employeer thinks)

customers buy goods from said employees, without said employees the owner could not sell as many items and would not make as much money.

To me, my employeer pays my wages, not the customer, I am a cost to the business owner, but without that cost for my labour, they would have no way to make money from the customer.

I will never ever agree to the phrase "the customer pays my wages"