Comments on: ‘The rich are different from you and me.’ ‘Yes, they have more money.’

By: wellie

wellie — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:09:28 +0000

apparently, now doing your job is rude… i mean, how dare someone tell me they like my bag, offer me new products, or come back to the table in ‘exactly one minute’ when i ask for one in a restaurant? oh, and may i add i hate the term ‘shopgirl.’ it’s demeaning.

By: Juliana

Juliana — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:24:59 +0000

Someone should mention to Peggy the last person who said in the face of widespread famine “whay can they not just eat cake?” had her head gleefully separated from her neck by the great masses of the unwashed and underfed.

By: zingerella

zingerella — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:49:19 +0000

I think I’ve also never been upsold at the greengrocer’s, the everything-grocery, the dance-shoe store, or any of the fabric stores I frequent.

Having worked at a fabric-and-notions store (and oh how I miss my staff discount!), I think they fall into the same category as hardware stores, with respect to customer service. Customers either know what they want, or don’t know, but can articulate what they need (“I need some way to keep these buttons on this coat.” “I need buttons to complement this dress.” “I need fabric to make this shirt, but I don’t know what kind … I want it to be purple, though.”) Doing customer service at a fabric-and-notions store is a lot like all the fun parts of sewing, with none of the re-threading the machine. You get to help other people plan their projects, and find nifty ways of making things work.

By: Sabotabby

Sabotabby — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 19:38:34 +0000

I worked in retail for years, and the only time I was allowed to not be pushy was when I worked at a hardware store (it was the one place I worked where people generally needed something in particular, and the customers were more likely to approach staff for help). Otherwise, if you didn’t constantly make yourself busy and nag everyone who walked into the store until they caved to buying something they didn’t need, you’d hear it from the managers.

I’m surprised she didn’t complain about the rudeness of panhandlers while she was whining about the shopgirls and the canvassers.

By: bert

bert — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 17:34:18 +0000

The least thing they could do is legalize marijuana so we don’t start storming the castle.

By: Pandagon :: Blood from a stone :: July :: 2007

Pandagon :: Blood from a stone :: July :: 2007 — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 16:56:28 +0000

[...] Bloggers I love are mocking the hell out of Peggy Noonan’s miserable new edition to the “you can’t get good help these days” genre. She has a series of complaints about overly pushy and underly pushy servicepeople and salesmen, but she is vague and doesn’t really want to commit to anything but blaming the little people for being insufferably and irritatingly alive. [...]

By: Nymphalidae

Nymphalidae — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 16:11:24 +0000

It’s kind of getting really close to “let then eat cake” time.

Vive le revolucion!

By: delagar

delagar — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 15:21:29 +0000

It’s kind of getting really close to “let then eat cake” time.

I’m just saying.

By: Kyso Kisaen

Kyso Kisaen — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 15:14:27 +0000

I just can’t handle being led by an elite that isn’t classy enough to keep it’s whining about the help confined to the print edition, where it is less likely to be picked up by the unwashed masses. Even I know, from my many readings of Pride and Prejudice, of the importance of keeping your mouth shut when the servants can hear you.

By: punkass marc

punkass marc — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 15:03:53 +0000

Noonan down for the count.

Let’s just make sure somebody in the proper income tax bracket helps her up.