At my new job today I was told I was being rude and presumptuous

[peachykeen]

Fucking English people, I swear.

Get this:

I started last week as a manager at an organic deli. Part of my job then, of course, is to serve food. So, I fix up containers of food for people, and when I hand it to them I smile, thank them and say "Enjoy!" As in, 'I hope you enjoy your lunch!'

So the general manager sits down with me in the office after lunch today and says, " I've been hearing you tell people to enjoy their food when you serve them." And I said "Yes?" And he says "You know that sort of thing may be customary to Americans but the English don't take kindly to it, being told what to do."

And I laughed. I mean, I thought surely he was joking. But no! He told me not to do it because The English People (for whom he is now apparently the spokeperson) find it 'rude and presumptuous'
to be told how to feel about their meal, and he didn't want to 'put people off from coming back again.'

This country. I really love living here for the most part, but stuff like this just drives me nuts. As a nation they seem committed to perpetuating thier own daily miseries. Fucking cunts.

Mind you I have lived here for over 3 years now, and had other jobs where I dealt with the public, and have never had anyone say anything like this to me before.

 

[glamorilla]

i usually tell people not to forget it.

 

[Never]

Maybe it’s just your boss?
Or are things like this common?

 

[Black_Bird]

Heh. I suppose it's better then telling them to go choke on it and die.

 

[mig]

Perhaps he has a bad homelife.

It's rather nice to have good service I think.

 

[peachykeen]

Maybe it’s just your boss?
Or are things like this common?

Little things like this are, unfortunately, all too common. It's one of those "two countries seperated by a common language" things.

 

[Problem Child]

You're obviously working for p_p_man. Most English people are not as dense as him, and are actually very intelligent and nice.

Just kick him in the nuts and spit on him next time he acts like an ass. He's used to it.

 

[Never]

Really? What other little things happen?
I've never been to England.

 

[marksgirl]

Skip on over to Germany, I lived there for 3 years and those people are great...they really know how to party too!

 

[chicagoguy]

I hope you told him to stick his "stiff upper lip" in you ass

 

[Nora]

I guess "have a nice day" would be a declaration of war?

 

[EcKoZ]

I'd be a smart ass lol.
"So English now take offense to people hoping they enjoy their meal? How about I tell them that I hope they fucking hate it an it gives them food poisoning. Maybe to them that would be appreciative"

 

[peachykeen]

I am thinking that this job may in fact be just the job that I have for now, until I find an actual job. Too bad, because is started out so promisingly. I am going to hang in, give it a couple more weeks, but keep sending my CV out I think.

 

[weed]

Kill the sourpusses with laughter and smiles.

 

[Lancecastor]

Yanks are seen in most places outside the USA as rude and overbearing.


You're known for it.

When in Rome...

 

[peachykeen]

Yanks are seen in most places outside the USA as rude and overbearing.


You're known for it.

When in Rome...

Yes I know, much better I should hand people their food with a face that looks as though I 've just sucked a lemon and grunt "There ya go." Then I'll fit in nicely.

 

[islandman]

could be that your boss is a silly pooftie boy, but that's just my opinion.

 

[hornylady]

Fucking English people, I swear.

Get this:

I started last week as a manager at an organic deli. Part of my job then, of course, is to serve food. So, I fix up containers of food for people, and when I hand it to them I smile, thank them and say "Enjoy!" As in, 'I hope you enjoy your lunch!'

So the general manager sits down with me in the office after lunch today and says, " I've been hearing you tell people to enjoy their food when you serve them." And I said "Yes?" And he says "You know that sort of thing may be customary to Americans but the English don't take kindly to it, being told what to do."

And I laughed. I mean, I thought surely he was joking. But no! He told me not to do it because The English People (for whom he is now apparently the spokeperson) find it 'rude and presumptuous'
to be told how to feel about their meal, and he didn't want to 'put people off from coming back again.'

This country. I really love living here for the most part, but stuff like this just drives me nuts. As a nation they seem committed to perpetuating thier own daily miseries. Fucking cunts.

Mind you I have lived here for over 3 years now, and had other jobs where I dealt with the public, and have never had anyone say anything like this to me before.

Please don't make the mistake of judging all of us by this! I object to being told things like 'enjoy your meal' or 'have a nice day' when it's patently obvious that the person saying it (whatever their nationality) doesn't mean a single word, and is saying it as part of a script they've been given. I don't have a problem at all with people simply being friendly and enthusiastic.

 

[Guest]

Re: Re: At my new job today I was told I was being rude and presumptuous

Please don't make the mistake of judging all of us by this! I object to being told things like 'enjoy your meal' or 'have a nice day' when it's patently obvious that the person saying it (whatever their nationality) doesn't mean a single word, and is saying it as part of a script they've been given. I don't have a problem at all with people simply being friendly and enthusiastic.

Exactly.

 

[sexy-girl]

your boss is nuts


i work in retail and we're told "scripts" that we have to say to each customer ... usually including some form of promotion

although i usually adapt the script a little to stop myself from wanting to cut my own throat we do have to greet and thank each customer

 

[caligula]

Wierdo Limeys! By the way, if there are any English reading this and get all pissed off, excuse me! Did you smile Peachy? They should have figured out that you were being friendly. I thought the English were always polite, I guess Americans are frowned upon if they are!

 

[lavender]

 

[sexy-girl]

lol lavender



i have to admit though i think english customers see through fake friendliness

 

[peachykeen]

Really? What other little things happen?
I've never been to England.

It's hard to think of them when I try, but here's an example of a cultural difference thing:

About the worst possible sin one can commit in England is to cut in line, or 'jump a queue'. Queueing in an orderly fashion for great lengths of time is truly England's national sport. (Witness the over 12-hour wait for the recently deceased Queen Mum's lying-in-state, during which people came from all corners of the land for the honor of standing and waiting to walk around a fancy box with a dead old posh broad in it, if in fact she was really in there.)
I am pretty sure they put people who deliberately cut in lines in prison for life with no possibility of parole, for surely they present the greatest threat to this civilized society, perhaps even more so than pedophiles. And if someone should happen to innocently, accidentally jump a queue, he or she will be so overcome with guilt that he or she will prostrate him- or herself at the feet of those whom he or she has offended and beg forgiveness.

I realized I had started to become infected with this mindset in February when I flew into Newark airport and was heading into the cattle chute for immigration. Everyone was walking in there every whichaway, there was clearly no queueing system in place, people who had been behind me were suddenly in front of me, and I felt my sphincter beginnning to tighten. Then it occurred to me that I am an American, and so do not have to be bothered by such insignificant bullshit.

 

[peachykeen]

Oh and Hi Caligula, where you been, boy?