SUPERVISOR'S FROM HELL***

[searchingforlight]

I just got back from a children's party at a MAJOR fast food chain and I am upset.

The supervisor drove two employees to tears in the two hours I was there. The first one was a teenager whom she rudely ordered to get busy and sweep up in front of the counter.

The second was a woman. I didn't see what happened but when she passed me I could see she was very upset. I asked her if she was okay and she just shook her head. A few minutes later she told me she said her supervisor was hard to please.

I have observed this type of misuse of power many times in the years I have been employed and I am continually disturbed by the lack of civility in the working community.

Why is it that there are so many people put in supervisory positions who have no people skills and why is it that companies seem to feel that money spent on training in people skills is ill spent?

[mmm]

1. Sometimes it is The Peter Principle at work

sometimes it is the corporate mindset that
every employee is a lazy POS who must be pounded on
at all times

[bigendian]

2. It is the culture of the company.

This supervisor is hopefully the exception in the company. Any one in customer service should realise that your front line people are going to make or break a relationship with your customer. Take care of them so they will take care of the customer.

[Raven]

3. These companies don't care

if people stay and are loyal. They want the work done. You might want to call the company and complain.

[patdem]

4. You are a CUSTOMER...go to the management and state

you will never return because of the abuse of employees....

Children should not be subjected to the humilitaion of grown people who just happen to work for a living.

No...go to the management and say you will not return!...Good Luck!

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

5. It depends...

Either nobody wanted the job, but they had to fill it anyway, or the company decided that the money spend on training in people skills could be better suited to bonus checks.
(That acuallt happened at my place)

The restuarant I work at has a similar problem. The kithcen manager has few people skills. He neglects his duties, (filling out the schedule, disciplining people who deserve it, and covering shifts for sick workers,) and whenever you go to him with a problem, his typical response is "what am I supposed to do about it?"
Meanwhile, he's cut the hours of nearly all the morning people, the kitchen is filthy becasue he doesn't enforce any cleaning rules on a daily basis, (usually only when the health inspector or corporate inspector or owner is coming.) and when you come to him with suggestions to make the kitchen a better environment, he throws the idea aside. The reason he does that is because it wasn't his idea.
With all the labor cuts (we're busier than ever) and the positions unfilled, he and the other managers still manage to get their bonus checks every three months.

The reason restuarants do that could be because Americans are continuing to eat out more than ever. They know that the people will eat there, (unless the place is really, really crappy, and that few of them will complain. As long as the money keeps rolling in, the corporation that owns the restuarant will not do anything. They just want to see profits.

[searchingforlight]

6. I have been a supervisor several times and

my experience has been that it is even possible to discipline with dignity. Supervisors NEED to know that there is a way to bring out the best production in nearly every person working with you.

I believe that if you treat a person with respect, it is in their best interest to make you look good. AND these low paying jobs are thankless enough without losing your dignity too.

[jiacinto]

10. I agree with you

But I've had supervisors in jobs--many of them lowpaying--who didn't seem grateful at all.

[BlueJazz]

7. Yep...I know what you're saying.

I've seen several times and heard numerous stories of these
"Bastard Bosses from Hell".
I do believe though that this kind of abuse starts right from the top and passes down through the ranks.

The one time in my life that I was a Major boss I had to have several
"talking sessions" with underlings that abused the lower ranking employees.
On two occasions I fired the offending people...Ok, Nasty Sons-of-Bitches...for being what I describe as "Demoralizing influences on the productivity of the organization"

And frankly, I have to admit, I LOVED booting their sorry asses out the door....Fuck um !

[Mikimouse]

8. This is not simply a company or individual problem

it is systemic problem. Yours is but one example of Social Darwinism, and it is rampant in this society. Thank you Herbert Spencer-may you burn eternally!

[jiacinto]

11. Well

for some reason there is a rule that people in management positions are to be assholes. It's not always the case, but I've seen it.

[jiacinto]

9. Good question

There is a rule somewhere that when someone gets into management he or she must be an asshole.

[davsand]

12. I chewed my way up the food chain at the local quickie mart over that.

I went in there to pick up a take out pizza one night and the Assistant Mgr was screaming at some poor teenage girl. I was horrified and I actually stepped up and asked that Assistant Manager what she hoped to accomplish by abusing the kid. She snapped at me and told me it was none of my business...

I explained to her that screaming at an employee in view of the public MADE it my business--that if she wanted it "private" that stuff should be done in the office. The poor kid was in tears by this point. I explained to that Assistant that there is NEVER any reason to treat somebody that way and that if that'd been my kid she was abusing she'd have needed a healthy head start. She stomped off.

I went back to that store the next morning and asked for the owner's name. As luck would have it, it was the Store Manager I was talking to. I told her what had happened and that I had no intention of shopping there again if that was typical of how employees are treated.

She explained that it was not typical and said that particular Assistant was not going to be working there any longer. Then she asked me a question. WHY did I step in?

I expained to her that I've been in some form of management for many years and that I have zero acceptance for abusers. It hurts the business and it hurts the employees. I told her I figured the owner probably had no idea what was going on and that somebody needed to to say something.

Call that restaurant and talk to them about what you saw. If you don't feel they take you seriously than call the chain. Employee abuse hurts a business as well as the employees.

Laura

[jiacinto]

13. Yeah

but sometimes supervisors are just assholes.

[inthecorneroverhere]

14. thanks!

Thanks! You're special, for stepping out of your way and helping that young employee. For one, you probably helped her confidence level because you helped her realize that she was not the 'bad person' that this ogre of a supervisor was making her out to be. You also helped her realize that there's good in the world.