Serve As I Say, Not As I Do

(I’ve just finished dealing with a very difficult customer.)

Me: “Oh, my god, what a jack-a**.”

(Although I said this very quietly after the customer in question had left, my manager still somehow heard me.)

Manager: “Come see me in my office.”

(In the office, I get reprimanded for my behavior and threatened with immediate termination if it were to happen again. I took some time to reflect on my actions, and instead of talking about people behind their backs, I decide to spend my energy on improving my customer service. Eventually, I get a customer who has a rather tall order, but isn’t as difficult as the customer I got in trouble for. My manager sees me helping this customer, and takes me aside to tell me something:)

Manager: “Don’t bother helping that lazy son of a b****. He just wants you to do everything without lifting a d*** finger of his own.”

(After the threat he made, he goes ahead and says that about a customer within earshot. What a shining example of good behavior!)