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For a lot of people, working in customer service is their first job. It doesn’t require a degree or special qualifications, so it’s perfect for those who are still in school or want to work part-time while studying in college. But it is definitely not an easy job. It is both physically and emotionally demanding and requires a lot of patience and good communication skills, but the compensation usually doesn’t reflect how much goes into it.
The two customer service jobs that a lot of people have had are in retail and food service. They both have many similarities, but Twitter user @bluehoodiebaby wanted to ask people “If you have worked in food service AND retail which is worse?” At the end, no consensus was reached as Twitter users revealed that both jobs had quite a few downsides.
Image credits: U.S. Pacific Fleet
Image credits: bluehoodiebaby
People were naming the salary differences, differences in relationships between colleagues and with customers. They also were comparing working conditions and their emotional state while having to work at one job or the other. So here are some of the answers people left in the thread.
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The tweet became pretty popular with over 20k people liking it. And they were not holding back, revealing all the ugly parts of working both in retail and in food service. If you think one is more despised than the other, surprisingly, it’s not the case as there are many varying opinions.
But one thing that was common for both jobs was the unsatisfied and rude customers. If you are a person who has not worked in this field and you always greet your waiters and the cashiers, you may not notice how many people are really rude to the people who are doing them a service. So folks in the thread were saying that they had terrible experiences with customers in both jobs.
#5
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
This is just sad. Wonder what would happen to the USA if by some miracle people started treating their peers like they want to be treated. And I can't even begin to imagine what would happen if people got paid decent livable wages so they do not have to work multiple jobs to have a decent life.
The thing that made people dislike food service more was the smell. Because you always smell like food, even when you get home. To the point that people wouldn’t even want to pick them up from work. Another thing that a lot of Twitter users mentioned was that it was so hot in the kitchen that they were always sweaty.
People choosing retail as the bigger evil were saying that it was such a boring job when it was quiet and the shift could seem endless because of that. Also, they saw their retail jobs as more annoying because they would do the same thing over and over again just for it to be messed up by a customer.
As for the pay, it seems that people saw that it was more worth it to work in food service as you would receive tips because even though you had to endure the angry customers and hard physical work, you would still earn more than working in retail, where you may encounter less of the “Karens” and you may get to do less physically demanding work, but you wouldn’t get any financial bonus.
After reading the thread, you come to an understanding that both jobs are not the ones you would want to work for a long time if you have the liberty of choice. People were choosing a side, but it was choosing the lesser of the two evils.
#11
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
Commission focused retail should be declared illegal. People on both sides get scammed and the only ones who benefit are the criminals behind this scheme.
These people laid out their own arguments of why they think food service or retail is worse after working in both, but we would be really interested in hearing your experiences and your own view. If you don’t fancy leaving us a comment, then upvote the answers to the question that you agree with the most!
#17
Dawson James 4 years ago
You realize foreigners just don't know how to tip because everywhere but America gets paid a living wage and don't need tips. In fact in some countries it's rude to tip because it's considered begging.
#19
Autumn Artemis 4 years ago
Oh god- I hate it when people do that. They always seem to enjoy it too.
#20
Kisses4Katie 4 years ago
Working at McDs I was asked by a customer (who was telling his kid how important college is) if I ever went to school. “Why yes. I had a scholarship to (Ivy League school)” Not bragging because I still get minimum wage for the most part. Just pointing out it got me nowhere.
#21
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#34
Sarcastic Cow 4 years ago
Agree! Some people i met there went through hell and were like angels made from adamant/ zen masters.
#35
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What do you think ?
Aubrie Allen 4 years ago
Food service. The worst is working Sunday lunch shift when people "tip" you in Bible pamphlets or mini Bibles. Cool. Last time I checked, I can't pay my landlord in mini bibles.
A Head 4 years ago
My food service was a job at an ice cream and sandwich shop on an island in Maine where you pretty much knew everyone who came in, and then as a dishwasher in a tourist town in Maine where I didn't have to deal with anyone but servers and line workers, so both were pretty chill. My retail experience ranged from a discount family clothing store, to high end, bespoke clothing (some real a-holes in there), to managing giant retail stores in Manhattan. The latter was definitely the worse. Interminable hours, lower pay than my co-workers, demanding customers, who would be called "Karen" today. the best day of that job was when I got fired, just before Thanksgiving, because one of the cashiers stole $3000.00 out of a cash bag that I had already signed off on - got distracted by a customer, and set the bag down on the counter. Got a new job, non-retail, and never looked back.
Aubrie Allen 4 years ago
Food service. The worst is working Sunday lunch shift when people "tip" you in Bible pamphlets or mini Bibles. Cool. Last time I checked, I can't pay my landlord in mini bibles.
A Head 4 years ago
My food service was a job at an ice cream and sandwich shop on an island in Maine where you pretty much knew everyone who came in, and then as a dishwasher in a tourist town in Maine where I didn't have to deal with anyone but servers and line workers, so both were pretty chill. My retail experience ranged from a discount family clothing store, to high end, bespoke clothing (some real a-holes in there), to managing giant retail stores in Manhattan. The latter was definitely the worse. Interminable hours, lower pay than my co-workers, demanding customers, who would be called "Karen" today. the best day of that job was when I got fired, just before Thanksgiving, because one of the cashiers stole $3000.00 out of a cash bag that I had already signed off on - got distracted by a customer, and set the bag down on the counter. Got a new job, non-retail, and never looked back.
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