McCormick is the largest event space in the city of Chicago (AFAIK). All the biggest and most important groups have events there. So you'd think, for an event like the Auto Show, the employees would be on their best behavior.
On pedastals positioned over the show floor are little cafeterias. One was for press, the other for John Q Public. I get my overpriced food and get in line at the checkout. I'm talking to my boyfriend, so I wasn't paying attention to the procedure this woman elected to use in her checkout line.
BW - Bitchy Worker
BW: *punches buttons, says nothing*
Me: *thinking she didn't know if my boyfriend and I were paying together or not* This is all I got.
BW: *points a claw at the teeny little screen with my total* That's your total. *as if I wasn't worthy of making her speak to me*
Me: Oh! Okay.
I didn't get a word out of her other than that. I work a register. If I tried that I'd get written up.
The line at 2 in the afternoon was massively long for some reason. However, no one seemed in a rush to get it down at all. But then again, it probably wasn't the grill workers' fault. Or at least the one guy that was actually doing all he could. He seemed just as exasperated as we did.
A few highlights of the failure: Overflowing garbage cans: someone had to complain, and only then did someone do something to empty them. Poor supply: Somehow they ran out of ketchup packets. I mean, they did move it from North to West this year, but come on. It seemed like they were caught completely off guard which can only be due to a failure in management. There were a lot of unhappy people in that cafeteria. (But if it comes to light that it was moved like a week before or something then I retract this one.)
I'm a substitute teacher in high schools, and I am also a sandwich jockey. I work at a location far from the school I was assigned to that day, but there is another location within a mile. This one is new, and has its fair share of issues, especially with our location. But I try to give them a chance. So since I'm addicted to our own product, I call for a delivery.
AM - Asshole Manager
AM: *opening shpiel* Could you hold?
Me: *In no hurry, has a plan period over lunch* Sure.
AM: Thank you for holding, what can I do for you?
Me: I'd like a delivery, please.
AM: Could I have your name?
Me: Lance.
AM: And the address?
Me: Highland High school.
AM: I need an address.
Me: *looks around classroom for anything that might have the school's address on it, nothing comes to mind* Well, I don't have one per se, but it's just off 40th and Kennedy, the Superintendent's office is right on the corner.
AM: I still need an address.
Me: *Thinking: WTF, I work for these people, we've delivered to a place just on a name before. Kmart people can tell us just Kmart. The bar down the road can just tell us the name of the bar.* Can I speak to someone else?
AM: *puts me on hold, apparently, because it went quiet after a moment of phone rattling. I only know it didn't hang up because of the buzz*
AM: *Comes back* I still need an address. I"m not sending my driver without an address.
Me: Well, I don't have one.
AM: Then I can't do anything for you.
Me: Fine, then you won't be receiving any more orders from me. *click*
I'd be willing to admit that this may be some kind of retarded corporate rule we may be skirting in our shop, but we've been doing it since day one, and it's never turned up on our monthly audit.
Also, I have friends that work for this man. He's apparently overhired to the point that he is incapable of making a schedule, and calls people when he wants them to come in. The one time I've been in his shop, there was four people actually working, two just standing around, this manager, a driver headed in the door, and another headed out.
I'd considered writing corporate, but it'd probably be a conflict of interest considering I also work for them. But it would certainly be satisfying.
Disclaimer: It's currently 2:28 a.m. I have a 17 hour train ride tomorrow. I'm going to bed.