To wonder if people are really so ignorant about some jobs?

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Or do they just pretend to be ?

It just seems to me like some people just sit there criticising every shop assistant they come across, bus driver, waiter, CM, cleaner, airport staff, and of course....teacher.

And the ignorance about what people in those jobs do or the ignorance about employment law is unbelievable. Are really grown ups there who don't know that bus drivers work with timetable, that restaurants rely on turnover, that all employees are entitled to lunch break and holidays, that CMs, cleaners, builders, plumbers, are S.E. and the the difference between SE and employee or that teachers don't work only the hours they teach? Basic facts about job duties, rights, tax, profit etc.

AIBU to think that some people should try and do these jobs? Or at least try to learn about them.

I work in a complaints dept in a call centre! You should hear the insults we have to put up with!

You don't need to know every single detail about every job , nobody does.

You just need to respect every job, to ask question if you don't know and some common sense. i.e. the teacher works extra hours (preparation, marking) and not just the hours in the classroom. That's common sense. The cab driver charged you £15 doesn't mean he makes £15 ph. There is petrol, tax, payment to the office, 'dead time' when he returns back etc. The CM doesn't make £4ph. etc

Agent - I think if it was that or no income, you would. You'd find yourself a lot more capable than you give yourself credit for. I think a lot of people assume they'd at the sight of someone else's waste, but when was the last time you threw up at the sight of dog waste on a pavement? You probably see that a lot more often than I deal with the human version, it makes up such a tiny percentage of my job - as theincredibequeenofwands said!

You are right OP, I've just trained as a teacher and if I had a pound for every time someone made some hilarious crack about the easy life, loads of holidays and 9 - 3 days I'd be a rich, rich woman. It used to drive me mental because I work/ed really hard, damn hard. People just do it without thinking though, or on some occasions I really do think people do it to belittle you, making themselves feel big and clever and important.

I think it just makes some people feel superior if they can look down their noses at some people and the jobs they do.
I am a nursery nurse, very hard-working, very experienced, highly-trained and well educated (doing a degree) but I still get that feeling from some parents that I am not really doing a proper job. Just because it's low paid, doesn't mean it's not a worthwhile job. I know I am worth far more than I earn, but I am also a realist and know that my job depends on having customers to pay my wage.
Most parents, though, appreciate the fact that we do a difficult job for little monetary reward.

Not only are some people ignorant, they would be incapable of actually doing the job concerned.

I run a site, and am responsible for overseeing the work of 5 people; it involves maintenance and cleaning of public service vehicles. It's hard work, and my team and I work our arses off; I'm proud of them and the job we do. It can be dirty and disgusting - I still can't get over what people will do/leave on public transport.

When there is a vacancy on my team it can take several weeks to find a suitable applicant, as people are just not willing or able to do the work - and often state in a horrified voice "I don't want to be a cleaner"!

Bearskin, barring being in a wheelchair/chronic pain/other physical impediment, I think you'll find in 99% of cases it's that people aren't willing

Bearskinwoolies; I for one (and I doubt it's just me) would appreciate a list of weird/gross shite people have done/left on public transport.

Am nosey, you see.

Maybe even a seperate thread so other can add to it??

:)

yy -I find weird and gross stuff facsinating.

yabu to use the word 'ignorant' as that isn't really what you are talking about. it isn't ignorant to complain to front-end service people when you have a complaint. it may be sour grapes to complain about teachers holidays but it isn't ignorance as such.

personally working in a call centre/having done lots of shop work makes me more fussy about customer service, not less - i may know what they are up against, but also i recognise when someone who isn't trying straight away.

bad service happens. sometimes it is annoying - sometimes worse than that.

taking from the points above - yes i know breaks are a necessity, but it is also very possible to schedule cover so that it doesn't cause queues. breaks are not unexpected, after all. shops like Boots and M&S (and The Post Office, seemingly the worst offender) that seemingly don't 'get' this annoy me greatly - though of course the problem lies with management, if I'm going to complain, it will be to front-end staff. Of course restaurants rely on turnover- that is why they need to provide a high-quality customer service level to keep you coming back. which includes accepting complaints when the food isn't right. having paid £5 for a pudding, it isn't fair for me to expect me to sit there and eat it if it arrives black and cold!

if someone told me to 'talk to the chef' i wouldn't get angry about it, but i'd never eat there again!

at AgentZigZag, who'd rather be a painter than a builder.

I know it's definitely a not willing rather than not *able - I was trying to be charitable

I used to be a cleaner in a Care Home. Some people, including residents families looked down on me as being a bit stupid, or thought it was hilarious I had to clean toilets. I loved my job and the residents and often did just as much for them as the carers did.

Now I'm disabled and am either a benefit scrounger or a benefit cheat as my disability isn't visible.

People who think such shite aren't worth my time

Oops, what I said doesn't make a lot of sense, as I opened the thread ages before I posted .

Queen & Fox - started a thread in Chat 'specially

I worked for a mobile phone call centre where a man after ranting at me said "it's not as if you'll have ANY qualifications, is it?" I told him i had a BA Hons and he hung up on me
I work as an emergency medical dispatcher now, and I don't think anyone knows what we do

Eggy re turnover i mean people going in a coffee shop at 11am, order just a cup of tea and want to sit there reading their book till 3pm and if the waitress mention minimum charge during lunch time they have a fit (how dare she etc). Or 2 people want to occupy a table for 8.

brighthair, what do you do?

AIBU to think that some people should try and do these jobs?

Yes.

My biggest bugbear is the "real job" stuff. The amount of times I'd be asked if working in restaurants was just until I got a "real job"

And there is a big difference between expecting good customer service and expecting the world to revolve around you imo

Take 999 calls, give instructions in everything from CPR to delivering babies, speak to ambulance crews, take doctor and hospital bookings
Think that covers most of it

Love that you started this thread op Thanks :)

I was at a wedding once, and was chatting to a girl on my table. She asked me what I did and I told her I worked for a laser eye surgery company, to which she replied "how can you live with yourself working for somewhere that makes money out of wrecking people's eyes? Don't you feel guilty at all?". I was . She obviously didn't know anything about it and wouldn't listen to me when I tried to explain how it worked, success rates etc. And, I was a complete stranger to her so she was being incredibly rude. I was annoyed, but some people are just twats I think!

I'm a vet, and lots of people have said to me, "oh, I couldn't do that, I love animals too much to hurt them."

I couldn't work as a care assistant Purple, I'm not good enough. I have no patience whatsoever and really struggle when people are sick. I'd end up with my face all over some Panarama exposé.

alice I can sort of understand that comment. I'm a complete wimp and have to leave the room when the vets gives my dogs their vaccinations. Their distress at getting it done is too much for me. I'm very grateful that there are others with a bit more backbone.