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Bad Examples

So, as many of you know, I work at a library.

Today, a tutor/teacher wanted to use the computers to have his student print out an assignment. To use the computers, you need a library card, and you need to have the card on you.

The student he was tutoring needed to use the computer. Neither the student nor the tutor had their cards on them.

When my boss informed the tutor that she couldn't make an exception for him because there are lots of kids around who will be all too happy to notice the hypocrisy taking place and bring it up ad naseum.

The tutor seemed fine about it at first, then mentioned something about tax dollars and privileges.

I then mentioned that I thought the bigger issue is that many of the kids in my town have bad attitudes and problems with authority, and that I would hope that someone who is supposed to be an authoritarian figure would be more concerned with setting an example for his student instead of showing that rules can be broken when you need them to be.

Obviously, that did not go over well. Did I care? Not really.

It's the same problem with the parents. They're all mouthy (sorry to sound like an old Italian woman, but there truly is no other word). They're all disrespectful. They're all nasty to me, and I get nasty right back, but usually their kids are watching, and I can see the seeds being planted.

The only reason I give it right back to the parents is in an effort to show the kids that no matter how old you are, if you're disrespectful to someone in a position of power, chances are you're going to wind up not getting what you want.

Funnily enough, there seems to be a good number of the parents who back down immediately when I give what I'm getting. It's almost as if they've never had anyone go toe-to-toe with them, and some of them seem to actually need it in order to act like mature adults.

That's why I can't stand the "customer is always right" policy. I think it allows people to act like assholes then get the asses attached to the assholes kissed in the process. They then show up at a library, where they're not customers, but patrons (difference? If they never come back, we don't lose a dime. Isn't that wonderful?) and get told that they're rude and it won't be tolerated.

I say we make a nationwide decision. For one week, let the customer know exactly what you think of them. Be really nice to the good customers, but tell the ones who are just idiots that they should find a dunce cap and sit under it. If we all take the same approach, they won't have anyone to go--

Well, except up. Which in this case might mean an attitude change.

Wouldn't that be nice?

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