Curse of the lazy, sloppy workers

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1: This is the last article in my three part series on customer service and probably the one that will leave you nodding your head in agreement as you reminisce about experiences you have had. The focus: the work ethic and why, for some, it is so weak. 

I’m convinced that all of us know someone in the workplace who is simply collecting a pay cheque and taking up space. That person is probably the one who arrives late, leaves early and has the most complaints.  Now might be a good time to clip out this article and leave it on their desk.

I know many people who own a business and, having owned one myself, I’m pretty familiar with staff challenges that just don’t seem to go away. As a matter of fact, over the years, with the implementation of all kinds of union rules and regulations, getting rid of dead weight in the workplace is almost impossible.

Based on several conversations I have had with business owners, the problems they encounter are similar not just in Bermuda but all over the world. So what are they? The answer boils down to one simple fact: Good help is hard to find. 

Some lucky employers who have phenomenal staff that they’d never want to see go — but those aren’t the ones we complain about yet they are the very ones who don’t get the recognition they deserve for keeping the business afloat.

Typical problems

For now, I focus on the others. Here are the issues — in no particular order.

• First, reliability; finding employees who will not only make time but show up daily and put in a good day’s work for a good day’s pay.

• Second, finding employees who know how to do the job effectively and in a timely manner, without having to be told what to do.

• Third, there’s a very prominent air of entitlement that exists in the workplace which says, “I’m working for you and you owe me everything I want — even if, sometimes I have to steal it!” Yup! Theft. Many employers are losing business because of the light fingers of the very people they employ.

• Fourth, another form of entitlement — “It’s my birthday or it’s the weekend so I should be off early or off for the day”.

Although there are many other undesirable issues that create inefficiency in the work place, these are some of the most popular. 

Often I will actually select who I want for customer service at a particular establishment. I’m a stickler for good service and I demand it, plain and simple. For example, I’ve developed such a good relationship with Larea Denbrook at CellOne that her level of patience with me for phone problems remains at an all time high — even if I call her after hours.  I rarely shop in Bermuda, but I’m working on improving that.

But when I encounter people like Felicia Philpott at Trends, Carol Simmons at the Marketplace, Daniel at Auto-Zone, Dominique at Everrich Jewelers,  and Patrice Amey at the Tax Commissioners Office, I find doing business locally a worthwhile, pleasant experience. By the way, I’ll share some more names next week.

Stay tuned next week when I zoom in on the employer — the boss, the manager, the big cheese. And I’ll discuss what it takes to make a company tick like clockwork as well as look at what irritates employees about the boss.

Shawnette Somner is an educator and mother. Email: [email protected]