Life A Quick Life Story: Things Could Be Worse

**gblowfish** · 07-02-2015, 12:32 PM

Monday I had a pretty rough day at work. Usually before a holiday weekend, we end up trying to jam five days work into four. So it was one of those days where we were so busy, there was no time for a lunch break. I had a particularly difficult customer giving me a rash of crap over something that happened while I was on vacation a few weeks ago, and....well...just one of those days.

I was wanting some BBQ. The Gates near my house burned down a few months ago. So while I was headed home, I stopped at the Gates at 12th and Brooklyn. When I got to the counter, I gave the lady my order. The phone rang. The phone was right at the front counter. The supervisor lady picked it up and listened, and started saying "Oh Lord....Oh No.....Yeah....Oh Lord." She put the phone on hold. Then she yelled out at this other lady working behind the counter and just said "Phone Call." This was all happening right in front of me while I was waiting for my food.

The other lady picked up the phone, listened, then dropped the phone, fell to her knees sobbing "HE'S GONE.....HE'S GONE.'' And started crying and wailing. Two other women (not the supervisor) picked her up and escorted her back in the office where she continued wailing.

Obviously, it was bad news that she had lost a husband, or brother, or other close family member. It was very sad. My question is, why would a supervisor do that to an employee? Why wouldn't she have told her to take the call back in the office? Somewhere private? I couldn't believe it.

And on the way home, I kept thinking selfishly about how that whole episode had put a real exclamation mark on my shitty day. Then I felt really bad for the woman, and thought about how much worse her day was than mine.

Wish there was something I could have done or said to help, but there was nothing.

And shame on Gates management for doing that to her.

07-02-2015, 12:32 PM	Topic Starter
gblowfish Be Kind To Your Pets Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Glorious Independence, MO Casino cash: $17596178 VARSITY	A Quick Life Story: Things Could Be Worse Monday I had a pretty rough day at work. Usually before a holiday weekend, we end up trying to jam five days work into four. So it was one of those days where we were so busy, there was no time for a lunch break. I had a particularly difficult customer giving me a rash of crap over something that happened while I was on vacation a few weeks ago, and....well...just one of those days. I was wanting some BBQ. The Gates near my house burned down a few months ago. So while I was headed home, I stopped at the Gates at 12th and Brooklyn. When I got to the counter, I gave the lady my order. The phone rang. The phone was right at the front counter. The supervisor lady picked it up and listened, and started saying "Oh Lord....Oh No.....Yeah....Oh Lord." She put the phone on hold. Then she yelled out at this other lady working behind the counter and just said "Phone Call." This was all happening right in front of me while I was waiting for my food. The other lady picked up the phone, listened, then dropped the phone, fell to her knees sobbing "HE'S GONE.....HE'S GONE.'' And started crying and wailing. Two other women (not the supervisor) picked her up and escorted her back in the office where she continued wailing. Obviously, it was bad news that she had lost a husband, or brother, or other close family member. It was very sad. My question is, why would a supervisor do that to an employee? Why wouldn't she have told her to take the call back in the office? Somewhere private? I couldn't believe it. And on the way home, I kept thinking selfishly about how that whole episode had put a real exclamation mark on my shitty day. Then I felt really bad for the woman, and thought about how much worse her day was than mine. Wish there was something I could have done or said to help, but there was nothing. And shame on Gates management for doing that to her.
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