Customer's experience cannot and should not be affected due to an understaffing mistake and this story teaches us just that.
Trouble at the workplace is a common phenomenon, making it harder for employees to work efficiently. Moreover, there are a lot of reasons that can cause anxiety or unease at the workplace in different ways and forms. Sometimes, it is an unfair boss, while other times, it can be annoying or inconsiderate colleagues. Either way, one must take a stand to escape this vicious cycle. In a story posted by u/trickypeebs on Reddit, they talk about how they took a stand at their workplace to deal with an understaffing problem.
The individual is a baker and has been professionally trained to be one. They have also been working at a fast-food chain since August, with their profile being that of a baker. Their job is to stand at the back of the house and prepare baked goods. The baker explains in no way or form they have been trained to do anything beyond baking. However, for the morning shift from 5 am to 7 am, they are often accompanied by one more person called Lisa to work at the shop. While the baker can manage the peak hour rush, which starts at 5:30 am, they can't go to help manage the front-of-house operations. That is majorly the case because the baker has had no training in those departments. They say, "I'm not trained for front-of-house operations, but I'm frequently called up there to help."
Explaining why they don't enjoy doing this, they said, "I have no idea what I'm doing at the front counter. It is embarrassing." They add that they feel embarrassed when customers wait for their orders for almost half an hour only to receive the wrong one. The baker said this cycle was causing them a lot of anxiety to the extent that they dread going back to earn. In an attempt to have the fast-food chain become less understaffed, the baker texted their boss something.
They said, "Every Thursday and Friday, I work with Lisa. We're in the store alone from 5 am to 7 am. When it gets busy at around 5:30 am, I'm called to the front to help in the drive-thru window, the drink station and the front counter." Elaborating on their potential, caliber as well as knowledge, they said, "I've never been trained in these areas, so naturally, I'm consistently making drinks and ringing in orders incorrectly. The customer experience suffers greatly because we are understaffed and undertrained." They concluded the text by saying, "I will not be coming in for my shift tomorrow unless there is a third crewmember scheduled to help Lisa at 6 am."
The comment section came together to help and support the baker. u/knotsbygordium suggested, "Go to work so they can not fire you. Refuse anything outside of what you need to do as a baker. If anyone complains, give them the bosses' number then and there to request adequate staffing." u/AirportKnifeFight said, "You should do what you feel is best, but making management have to deal with pissed-off customers is more fun. Working slow and asking lots of dumb questions usually works."