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I hate when people think they know better than me: Work rant
10 years ago
90sgirlI really need to rant about this because of how bad it pissed me off!
Ok, so we have this new girl, she's been working here a few weeks yet, getting better but still learning. She's an older lady, about her 50s, and she apparently likes to take joy in arguing with me on how to do things.
Counting money for example. We have to be very specific on how we count money out to people, we have to lay it number side up, except for the 100s, and in groups of five. So if you were to ask me for a count down for 100 it would be: row 1: five 1s row 2: three f5s, row 3: two 10s and row 4: three 20s. This is so that the camera can see what is being laid out. And when I was training her she was laying out how a normal cashier would hand you change.
So that's exactly what I told her, "Oh Jill, we have to lay it out, number up, and in groups of 5 so that the camera can see it"
Jill: "Well someone else taught me how to do it this way!"
...everyone does it the same way I do, ev-er-y-one!
And just last night I went to the restroom. I'm pretty sure I was not out for that long. I came back I had two costumers at my window and Jill was in my area working out of my drawer. I came in and told her
"Jill! You can not be working out of my drawer when you are the bartender!"
"Well they were waiting!" So I got her out and finished taking care of the customers. After they were gone I came back out to her.
"Jill, when you are bartender you can NOT be working out of my drawer! Just like I can't work out of your register you can not be in mine, you can get in serious trouble for that."
"Well they were waiting and the one guy was getting mad! He asked me if I could take care of them!" In this case, what she was supposed to do was tell them, 'she is in the restroom, and will be right out.' no matter what happens, she can not can not can NOT work in my drawer! No one is allowed in that drawer except for me and me alone!
"Well the get out of my bar!"
"I am allowed back here!"
"That's not what Kitty said! Get out of my bar!" This too is wrong by the way, the cage person is allowed back there because on grave shift, a lot of my cleaning supplies are back there and I am the EOD, which is basically a supervisor. Also, I am allowed to get people drinks in the event that the bartender is not on the floor or is busy, but only if they are the free drinks. I am still not allowed to go into her register, that is why, even though I do not work the bar, I had to get a bar card. So I said,
"You know what... fuck you too then" So I left the bar, when it came time to clean somethings I didn't, I left that to her, my last day is next week, what are they gonna do? Fire me? I even verified it with my morning relief who happens to be one of the ones who has worked there for quite a while, about 5-7 years I think. And guess what? I was right! Fucking imagine that!
I should also add that she was a school teacher, this is her first time ever setting foot into a casino. I have been working here for about a year, may not be as long as most but I am damn good at my job, to the point where they offered me a job in town because they do not want to lose me. So you know what? She wants to argue with me, fine, she can have fun with that, cause I am done.
One last comment, is it just that because I am 24 and she's like 50 something? Is it really so hard for an older woman to take orders from me? I am not a dumb valley girl, I do my job, and while I can be cheerful and friendly, I take my work seriously and do it correctly. I'd imagine that it would earn me some respect in that regards! That, and I have worked there longer than she has!
Ugh, sorry, really needed to vent cause I haaate when people pull this shit on me!
Poe
It sounds like there's a few things at play. It's the difference in ages, but it's also the difference in how you(the workplace) do things and how she learned how to do things. Change is difficult for some people. She probably has a lot more experience handling customers and money than you know, but because the methods of how she did those things for X years are no longer the methods of how it is done, it can be very frustrating. Especially when you have someone so much younger than you telling you you're wrong, it can feel very patronizing and it's easy to get upset.
Anyway, it is wrong of her, but it is also understandable. I'd say if you weren't leaving so soon you should contact someone above you to let them know of all this trouble you're having with her. Maybe if the person who hired her, or someone who is closer in age to her, explains that the way things are done are different and if she doesn't change she will be disciplined or fire, she will change her ways (or at least stop complaining so much about the differences).
Except... she was a school teacher. I don't think she's ever worked with customers or money. Also it's a casino, they have very strict rules with how to handle things. The rule with the drawers is pretty obvious, in my area I am working with well over 30,000$ in cash. If any of it goes missing, that is on me.
The age thing must be it, plus apparently has kids around my age which doesn't help. Anyway, it must be it because when Kitty tells her something, she listens, when I tell her something, she argues with me. Which is just gonna hurt her in the end. I may do as you said and bring it up to Kitty in the morning since that is the only one she seems to listen to. Still incredibly aggravating.
I really believe it is harder for someone to respect thier senior coworkers when they are older than them. Especially when the senior coworker is as old as thier own child/ren.
I dunno, I find it kind of childish. I mean, if your co-worker is young and dumb and just doesn't care about their work then I can understand having little respect for them and fighting them on things but when you have the ones that are serious about their jobs and know what they are talking about I just feel that you have to treat them with some dignity regardless of their age.
My general rule is, if you do not respect me or take me seriously then I will do the same to you. Even if I hate my job I do take it seriously and do not have the time to play the age game.
At least you don't have to deal with her for much longer.
I can understand the mindset, but acting out on it is very counter productive and makes them seem immature. Silently fume about it a bit, or kind of joke about it, that's my way of handling it.
What's funny is we have another new gal who is around her age and honestly, I wish I got to work with her because she has had no problem with asking me for help (the cage paper work is down right confuuuusing, and just about everyone will get it wrong) and she listens to me! Doesn't argue, if someone told her different she will tell me and listen to how I do it and found a way to do it in a way she understands. She still messes up but I feel like I can help her with out her trying to fight me on it. She's a lot more pleasant
uuuh I can't wait to get outta there, one more week, one more week, one more week
Yeah, 100% immature.
Obviously someone grew up, and someone else didn't. You may or may not be surprised by how many people can live for so many years and not really learn how to interact with people.
Indeedie
In a way... I'm not... I met so many people where I had to wonder who was the adult, even as a teenager! Which is sad because I was young and dumb...
Seems to be mostly the older folks who think they know better than anyone else.
Mmhmm, it may be just me but the whole "Respect your elders thing" I feel should be more, well... what did you do? Other than just get old. Yeah treat elders nicely, don't be a dick, but I don't feel that getting old entitles people to insta-respect. I have meant pleanty of nice elders but I also met many more who were miserable to be around
This sounds awful and sexist, I know, but sometimes women feel threatened by younger women, and make up for it by trying to show the younger woman up. It's bloody stupid, but it happens. My friends have similar stories from their jobs. I'm sorry, hun, that sucks. I hope she realizes that you know what you're doing, and chills out a little.