GOOD FOR YOU !! LAZYPUP. It sounds like that supervisor was all puffed up with her own so-called importance. When I am being waited on by a person who is a newbie on a job, I always try to smile and say, pretty soon your job will be routine and old hat. Eveyone has been a newbie at their job. Good luck and I hope your first days go well.

She was a jerk. I feel sorry for the trainee. I'm glad you said something.

Good for you! Too many supervisors have forgotten what their first days on the job were like! And they need a reminder of just how important those newbies are. They generally fill the hours that the full time supervisors refuse to work!

Sorry. I doubt it was your intent, but I would guess that the Trainee might have been thinking one curmudgeon begets a second one. I think you missed an opportunity to give actual praise to the Trainee for how she handled the previous customer, since it was obvious that the Supervisor was clearly only looking for things to critique &/or opportunities to puff up herself.

I don't have a problem with your attack on the louse--she deserved it--but if I'd been there, I'd then have turned to the trainee and offered a few words of encouragement and a large smile. I love having 'new' waitresses, etc wait on me--it's so much fun to compliment them on what they've done right, and wish them luck with their new jobs.

I thought the same as bee- that a little comment to the supervisor like "You know, the trainee did a better job with her customer even with you breathing down her neck, than you did with me", would have been in order. Then I'd have spoken to the trainee, something encouraging and kind.

I think you said just enough to get the point across. If you had said more, it would have irritated the supervisor even more and she would have taken it out on the trainee. I bet the trainee had a secret smile on her face at the one statement you made.

I am certan that the trainee got the point because while I was talking to the supervisor the trainee was by this time behind her back, and smiling ear to ear, almost ready to burst out laughing.

Two days later when I happened to go back to the store for something the trainee was working a register, and as she saw me enter the store she waved like we were long lost friends.

I agree with Bee and flamingo. An opportunity lost. I agree the supervisor was being a pain but I don't know what is going on in her life to make her act that way. She needs lessons as much as the trainee.

Also,I would rather someone offer a good day any time. Is it something new not to offer this thought and are we just taking a chance of getting yelled at for doing it? What does that tell the trainee? I'm going to keep saying, Have a good day!

I don't know if all KMarts are alike, but at the one I use, if you have only one or two items, you can check out at Customer Service. Rather than wait through an obvious cart full of purchases to be checked out, I would, and have many times, gone to CS.

Either way, I think you were rude and there is no reason to use such language, other than to show yourself as to be so.

Sue

Agree with sue_va.

Adding this, myself: I would see value in having spoken directly with the supervisor about the subject at hand or of talking to the store manager about it.

Some people if you give them a little authority they can't handle it.It goes to their heads.One of those people works for Rite Aide.

Some KMarts do not allow you to check out a customer service unless they call you up. That is not their job. Ours is that way. As to the authority, it is usually the older employees that have the attitude problem, sometimes due to fact they really don't want to work, but have to. I find that out a lot. Also we have so many jobs avaiable that the younger people are in the oil fields and it is up to the older one's to fill the jobs. Some of the fast food places are paying 15.00 a hour, you pick the shift. But Minot has NO place to rent.

While it is true that I was already put off by the behavior of the supervisor, it was not at all rude of me to speak directly to her......The manner inwhich she tossed my stuff in the bag and stood there with her back to me holding it out at full arms reach was totally disrepectful to me, and there was absolutely no sincerity in the manner that she performed her little trained monkey speach so in fact, it was she who was being rude and disrespectful to me personally.

You may rest assured that if anyone slights me personally I am not going to tattle tale the event to their boss, mother, father or spread it through the local gossip network, they are going to get a piece of my mind directly face to face.

Small people excel at demonstrating their smallness when given a supervisory position. That's why the small-minded supervisor is a staple of sit-com's.

I do think it was fine of you to address the supervisor (what a jerk!), but I also think that you could've said something more in line with her behavior. To just say what you did gives her no indication of your real problem with her. To do so would've really given her pause, I think.

But yes, a pompous, arrogant jerk.

^5 LazyPup!

Don't you hate pompous, arrogant customers?

All the supervisor probably thought of you was that you were another grumpy customer having a bad day. Even people who dislike that (occasionally not-so-sincere training-manual-issued) "Have a nice day" line just ignore it and move it on. Your intent might have been good, but the wrong words came out of your mouth. And by snapping at her in the way she snapped at the trainee--so everybody else in the area heard, too -- do you really think you accomplished anything worthwhile, other than to feel better about yourself?

Sorry, but no applause for you ...

Believe me,,when I said "Excuse me" and the supervisor turned her head around to see that she was holding my bag almost four feet from me and totally out of my reach, she knew only too well what her mistake was, but I guess you really had to be there to see the impact of my action.

It probably wasn't helpful to 'rile' the snake. You could take her down a peg and walk on, but you left the trainee in an even more unfortunate position. Upon whom do you suppose the supervisor turned her embarassment and anger?

Lazypup, I think you did fine. As the supervisor made the trainee feel small because she could, you passed it on to her, in defense of the vulnerablel trainee, because you could.Good job. I would have given you a standing ovation.

I'm sorry, but I have to agree. It was just pointless rudeness. Your remark sounded like you were complaining about being wished a nice day. I didn't read it as having anything to do with the trainee, the supervisor or the supervisor's behavior. Just a customer complaining about a store policy.

By the way - you have no idea what the context of this conversation was. For all you know, this might have been the fourth or fifth or tenth time the trainee had to be reminded. If this was truly a policy one could be fired for, then the supervisor might have just saved the trainee's job.

Several posts later you elaborate on your original post by coloring the behavior of the trainee to justify your actions. But I still don't think the remark was necessary or even understood. But it made you feel better.

No pats on the back from me, I'm afraid.

good for you Lazy!

I'm with lazypup. I'd have done the same thing when you see a new kid getting reamed. They're learning and you don't need to remind them in front of customers.

I DO hate pompous, arrogant supervisors.

Ewwwww, after 40 years of running multi million dollar companies, I retired and thought retail might be a good way to spend some time and make a buck. I guess I thought retail people were as nice and smart as corporate people. THEY AIN'T!

I lasted 17 hours. What a shrew I ended up working for. Right in front of customers, she'd chastize you for any infraction...."You need to SMILE while you ring them up!" "Ummmmm, Im trying to concentrate here." Even the customers would raise an eyebrow to her.

I'm over it now as I see her little business has been overtaken by the liqour store next door and the witch is gone.

Trust me, my 17 hours have taught me a lot. I'm the customer, I'm always right and I can say anything I want to. I will take to task the rude supervisor in front of customers. I can, with words, want to make them WANT to work in the warehouse.

I like, "Make it a nice day" not "Have a nice day"

no matter what, retail is a thankless job...what the supervisor should have remembered, is the dire straights k/sears are in and left the comments to the trainee later and NOT in front of customers...seems she needed some training herself...

what i might have done if there hadn't been customers behind you, was let the super know it would have been ok for the clerk to check you out...

I think his remarks were to support the trainee. Lazypup and the trainee connected.

I think cynic said something like this one time "When you are the first to stand up and fight against injustice you stand alone."
Somebody in this scenario was going to go home unhappy and Lazypup made sure it was the right one. Chivalry is very much alive.

It doesn't surprise me about how some of our KTers don't get the meaning of your post L.Pup, I agree with you and might have done something along the lines as you did. I once posted about shopping in the local grocery store, having to use a riding cart. I was trying to get something from a shelf, but couldn't get to it because this young teen couple were in a clinch, against the shelving. My reaction was to say, excuse me, get a room, I need to get those cookies. Their comment was something like, whats the matter grannie haven't you ever been in love. I told them they didn't invent 'love' and I probably forgot more than they'll ever know. When I posted about this encounter, because I thought it was a funny story. I can't remember how many Kters, 'didn;t get it' and came down on ME for being rude.

Dotmom, I remember when you posted that story and I remember wondering what would have happened if you had merely asked them to pass you the cookies you needed. If your first statement to someone is rude or smart-aleky, you really shouldn't be surprised when they reply to you in kind.

You catch more flies with honey and you get better service when you are kind, firm and reasonable, I've always found.

Good for you, LazyPup! But I don't have the nerve to make a remark like that. That trainee was good, spotting a possible bad check, and the supervisor should have commended her for using her head. Personally, I try to wish everryone I meet a nice day, afternoon or evening, or weekend. Kind of like that Jim Carey movie. And I appreciate a smile and greeting, even if it's forced or phony.