To think that gen Z is completely disengaged in service industry

[Hocuspoc]

...and to just stop hoping I will get any value for my money.
No offense, generalisation is never good, but just this last week:

• Clarks, shopping for toddler shoes, usually there is this older lady there who knows exactly what are the bestsellers, what works for little ones depending on age size etc... anyway - nowhere to be found, the floor is cover by two youngsters. Neither approached to help, on their phones, I had to chase the girl around to notice us (empty shop) so I can get DS foot measured. She measured him 2 sizes up (took us some time to establish that) but long story short - every answer is 'I don't know' and shrugs. Started explaining school shoes - I reminded her he is 2. Didn't know what is discounted, what is in stock, one can only dream of some initiative like trying a similar style to confirm a size and than order...

Anyway - completely clueless, borderline rude and no indication that she cares or sees herself working there longer than a month.

Then, the other day... Entering a train station, my usual platform closed, I asked the young bloke operating the gates about it - he was literally shocked he is being asked anything, looked like I woke him up from daydreaming. Also glancing at his phone.

I will stop here, but same everywhere. No cutlery pre-set or brought with your food, rolling eyes for asking for a coffee in a proper mug because it is to stay in, I can go on forever.

Just rudeness everywhere, no professionalism, no taking pride in your work, just abysmal...

I’m quite excited for my kids to get out working as I know they’re going to end up running the joint in some record amount of time, as they are bright, engaged and have a strong work-ethic already. It’s going to be so easy to stand out when 80% of your generation are operating like zombies.

I've just said as much. You've given them a huge advantage with those attributes.

I think quite a few of us have called out the ageism of the OP and said they are being very unreasonable.

Ok, tell us when they do 🙄

It is. Though in fairness to them, if you suggest to customers that the workings of the job market mean they'll need to pay more for the service they think should be offered, they do not react positively. Try doing it on here and see what happens!

I worked at McDonald’s part way through high school and then through my entire uni degree. Things like engaging with customers, smiling, upselling, using initiative to just do things without being asked have disappeared. If you didn’t act engaged then you lost shifts and eventually got pushed out.

I walked into my son’s martial arts studio the other week and there were two young women working. The one at the reception desk is lovely but the other locked eyes with me as I walked through the door. I just cheerily said to her “Good afternoon!”, then she gave me a death stare and ignored me as she walked past 🙄

It’s easy to just blame Gen Z but tbh, the managers and owners need to take responsibility for how their staff act.

You realise this is the fault of phones?

You can’t raise a generation on screens, give wee Lily an iPhone at 12 years old (cos all her friends have one!) and then cry about the outcome?

I had a Saturday job at 16 and knew how to make contact, guage when to approach people for help, had a good knowledge of the products and how the system worked and if I didn't know something I said "let me go and find out" not "I don't know". I was a teen in the 90s, not a million years ago. I was paid about £5.50 an hour I think. I don't think basic social skills, not chewing gum and not being on your phone should be an unreasonable expectation.

TBF, if you pay people minimum wage, expect minimum effort. Even paying slightly more than the legal minimum amount you can get away with shows you give a shit about your employees.

OP, I don't know what you're hope was with this thread. Are you wanting people to join in and just whing about youths or are you wanting to hear other opinions and ideas?

Personally I find that the younger staff members are less confident and drawn in, mainly because they've had fuck all training and expected to keep up with the staff who've been there for years. Older staff on minimum wage I find much more hard work. 9/10 they'll be chatting to a 'regular' about nothing or have blinkered vision and can only see the person in front of them, everyone else is a distraction or nuisance. I was told off in John Lewis once for looking at the same stand she was showing to someone doing a bridal undy shop. Apparently I was in the way.

I did plenty of service jobs when I was younger, mostly shops and pubs. I was always hard working and polite. The only customers who went out of their way to be vile were those aged 50+. Shouting at me because the air conditioning was broken, they didn't like the food, their credit card didn't work which must be my fault, the sooner this shop closes down the better. One woman SCREAMED at me "it wouldn't hurt you to say sorry!!" when I said unfortunately we don't have a customer loo. I ran out to the car park once to return a credit card to a woman who'd left it at the till, she glared at me, snatched it and walked off.

Add in the fact most shops want to cut costs and do so by leaving one person on the shop floor/behind the bar when ideally they need 2 or 3. So a lot of customer facing staff are running around like blue arsed flies doing 3 people's jobs at once whilst being insulted on a daily basis.

The service industry is absolutely horrendous.

Too scared to moan about "young people today" because it makes you sound like an old bore, so dress it up in "generation" bullshit and you think it makes you sound clever.

In capitals for the thickos at the back: IT'S ALL MADE UP. THERE ARE NO DISCRETE GENERATIONS. IT'S A CONTINUUM. THEY ALL BLUR INTO EACH OTHER.

@Hocuspoc I mean they are given devices on which to check information.

My DD still has flashbacks from her brief stint working for Clarks after A levels 3 years ago. She applied for loads of jobs - high street, hospitality etc. Clarks was the only one that even replied. She was put on minimum wage which for a 17yo is not a lot. She had to do training she wasn't paid for. She got minimal price of when she was working - no extra money for weekend/late night.
The targets she had for sales and up selling were unbelievable. She was continually harassed for not meeting them - it was a ridiculously hot period when no one was taking kids shopping for a hool shoes. You can't sell shoes if there are no customers! There was hardly ever a manager around. She was bullied by the assistant manager.

She lasted 2 weeks, and even then felt guilty handing in her notice.

She is a hard worker. Has had many jobs since and does volunteering too. Clarks are just a terrible employer. It works both ways - employers need to train their staff properly, and manage them properly.

Why would anyone sound like on old bore because thet dared to ask an employee in a shoe shop to help find a suitable shoe and got disappointed they didn't get any service?
And even more why would anyone be scared to moan? Is it frowned upon - online (where there is at least some illusion of anonymity)?
Relax... And you shouldn't be calling random ppl thickos btw, as you don't sound too bright yourself 😩

Also - time too is continuum and seconds minutes hours are all invented - yet you use them and rely on that concept on daily bases.
Or maybe you don't - it's just thickos in the back i guess 🥴

Most days, whatever the subject, we get blamed for something. 😂

Seriously. I know it’s easy to mock but it’s going to be so much easier to get ahead if the majority of your peers are distracted and bored.

How do you know that the majority of Gen Z are distracted and bored?

I think this "well if you pay nmw you can't expect better" is crap. It's a job, which you have chosen to take on. Bloody do it with manners, good grace and some pride in yourself. I'm a salaried professional now, but have done shop work, bar work, whatever in the past and I showed up to them all, from age 16, with a professional manner, helpful attitude and an understanding that there are such things as standards. If I didn't know something I asked and if I needed showing a system, ditto. Guess who taught me that? My parents. And I'm teaching my two young teens the same. Not surprised there's a problem with some workers of ALL ages if the inherited attitude is one of "why should l?".

I’m GenX. I was born distracted and bored.

My DCs are early 20s now, one finally in a professional job having graduated. Between them thay have covered a fair range of jobs during 6th form/uni over the last 5 years or so. Things have definitely changed since covid.

I think the problem with many service sector jobs is that there isn't anyone senior there willing to train the new starters. I know both mine have at various times come home after shifts they've struggled through saying they couldn't do something and have asked for advice/assistance etc and no one has had the time to help. Everywhere is operating on shoestring budgets, and are generally understaffed. Job satisfaction for many is poor and consequently there is a constant turnover of staff, so there is a general lack of experience. They haven't been allowed their phones on the shop floor in any of their jobs - retail, coffee shop, pub, tourist attraction - so I don't think all youngsters are being distracted by their phones. However, they have had to use company systems that are phone or tablet based for ordering, stock checking etc.

My kids are all GenZ.
I could write at length about how they all go above and beyond in their jobs, 2 are working daily in low wage high-customer-service jobs, one does PT work in that sector... They get objective feedback about being "so nice" and "great rapport with clients".

Bad retail service is annoying, fair enough. I've had it from every age possible in all sorts of situations. As an American who lived in UK since early 90s, I would like to say that customer service in England has broadly hugely improved in that time.

I am on the cusp of Boomer/Gen X. I can't decide if I am distracted and bored or a drain on society who needs to hurry up and die.

My DD busts her chops in a fast food restaurant for less than £10 an hour at weekends, being sworn at, picking up bottles of piss that men leave outside and cleaning up after kids who aren't being supervised by their parents, who are probably busy making posts like this.

Somehow she keeps smiling...

Here to defend the younger generation a bit. When I was young I was a crap bartender, crap barista and crap waitress. They were all summer jobs and I had almost no training. I also hadn't been to bars, coffee shops or restaurants enough to instinctively know what good service looked like (genuinely).

I was always polite and put the effort in but my god these jobs could grind you down. Some customers just love to have that little bit of power over you and treat you with utter disdain. Sometimes you just feel like a number on a payroll, no one cares who you are as long as you turn up and don't complain.

Hospitality/retail jobs can be great when they're lovely little independents but my experience working for big corporates was awful. I really don't blame young people for not being enthusiastic about that.

I actually find that young people are ok. Yes, they don’t know all answers sometimes but they are approachable and polite.
I think there is a big difference between generations nowadays in terms of life experiences, it wasn’t so huge 30 years ago. So young people’s outlook and experiences are very different and that’s why sometimes they struggle with customer’s questions.