Smarmy
I still haven't gotten my "G" pin, thank goodness, though it's only a matter of time: the "U" pins are coming soon, and someone above me is going to notice that I haven't been "G"ed. I'm damned if I'm going to treat customers as guests, whatever the pins might say. I'll treat them with all the respect they deserve, but they're not guests.
I mention this only because I'm also severely annoyed by the generic job title used in the store in which I work: "associate" (which you may have heard in Wal-Mart, which probably started the usage). The word has a number of meanings, not one of which is legitimately "clerk" or "employee" or "staff member". What's wrong with using "staff" as a singular noun? At least it's not impossibly pretentious. I'll be damned if I'm going to use "associate" in this manner, ever. (The store has also replaced the expected phrase "customer service" with the ghastly "customer care", as if shoppers were patients in a hospital; that's another usage that will never pass my lips.)
I mention this only because of a story in today's News of the Weird, which you ought to be reading every Sunday. The newest installment can always be found here, so you should bookmark it, and the perma-link for the story I'm referring to will be here after June 11th. Here's the story in full:
Among official job-title changes implemented by the Scottsdale, Ariz., school district this year, according to a February Arizona Republic report, were those for receptionist (now, "director of first impressions") and school bus driver (now, "transporter of learners"). Said Superintendent John Baracy, "This is to make a statement about what we value in the district. We value learning." Said the new first-impressions director, "I think it's classy. Everyone wants to be important."
Horrible. "Classy"? It's embarrassing, that's what it is. "Everyone wants to be important"? Everyone can't be important, and people who want to be important ought to do their jobs well and not rely on pompous, empty job titles to substitute for well-earned respect.
I mention this only because I'm also severely annoyed by the generic job title used in the store in which I work: "associate" (which you may have heard in Wal-Mart, which probably started the usage). The word has a number of meanings, not one of which is legitimately "clerk" or "employee" or "staff member". What's wrong with using "staff" as a singular noun? At least it's not impossibly pretentious. I'll be damned if I'm going to use "associate" in this manner, ever. (The store has also replaced the expected phrase "customer service" with the ghastly "customer care", as if shoppers were patients in a hospital; that's another usage that will never pass my lips.)
I mention this only because of a story in today's News of the Weird, which you ought to be reading every Sunday. The newest installment can always be found here, so you should bookmark it, and the perma-link for the story I'm referring to will be here after June 11th. Here's the story in full:
Among official job-title changes implemented by the Scottsdale, Ariz., school district this year, according to a February Arizona Republic report, were those for receptionist (now, "director of first impressions") and school bus driver (now, "transporter of learners"). Said Superintendent John Baracy, "This is to make a statement about what we value in the district. We value learning." Said the new first-impressions director, "I think it's classy. Everyone wants to be important."
Horrible. "Classy"? It's embarrassing, that's what it is. "Everyone wants to be important"? Everyone can't be important, and people who want to be important ought to do their jobs well and not rely on pompous, empty job titles to substitute for well-earned respect.
posted by pyramus | 8:02 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home