In the world of business, the saying “the customer is always right” rings loud and clear, even if sometimes they’re not. Walk into a restaurant and you might spot a bold sign declaring, “Customer is King,” a gentle reminder that customer satisfaction reigns supreme. While ensuring the customer is king, some companies overlook a crucial fact: their staff are humans with lives beyond the workplace, and opening and closing times are more than mere numbers on a contract.
While some companies prioritize employee well-being, others prioritize customer satisfaction above all else. However, the right mix is to balance the needs of your customers with the well-being of your employees. It works side by side.
This tale revolves around a deli worker, caught in a dilemma when faced with a demanding customer, highlighting the delicate balance between satisfying customers and respecting employees.
1. This instruction from a bad boss was incorporated right to the last dot in order to teach her a lesson.
2. OP used to work at the deli department of a bigger grocery store.
3. One time due to the day being busy, OP and her coworker got late to close so they started the cleaning process 15 minutes before the closing time which was 9.
4. The sanitizer was applied to the meat machines and just 5 minutes before closing, a Karen walked in.
5. She wanted turkey slices but not from the counter, she wanted them freshly sliced.
6. OP told Karen they couldn’t do that because the department was about to close and the meat slicers were already under the cleaning process.
7. Karen didn’t say a word and left.
8. Two days later, about 2 hours into her shift, the director called OP in.
9. She showed her a 1-star review that Karen had left about the terrible service she received at their deli.
10. OP explained everything to the director but she was not ready to listen.
11. The director instructed OP to make sure every customer was served till the last second and that the counters should always be full.
12. OP told her coworker what had happened and he came up with a scheme.
If I didn’t get this wrong. The director wants OP to make sure she uses her complete working hours to serve the customers. How does she expect her to do the cleaning within that same period? It is impossible. She would have to work overtime. And they don’t pay extra for that. We are yet to know how OP and her coworker deal with this situation but they need to make sure after dealing with this situation, they update their CVs and leave.
Let’s see what happens next. Scroll down below to continue reading!
13. The two decided to maliciously comply with the director’s instructions and filled up all counters with everything there was for them to fill them up with.
14. Every last bit of cheese, subway sandwiches, they made sure to put it all up there.
15. After every single shelf was full, they had been there for an extra 6 hours. They finally called it a day expecting extreme retaliation the next day.
16. However, the next day was very different. The department manager confronted the situation by telling them to stop following the instructions they were communicated by the director as she has learned her lesson.
17. After a beautiful episode of malicious compliance, OP left the job for a new place that paid her double the money.
20. I am sure the director knows about this. It is just that at the time the Karen’s toxic charm took over her and she became a little coocoo in the head.
