I like a good, Italian style sandwich. Three weeks ago today, while visiting the Albertsons by work for lunch, I discovered their deli has a very good Italian sandwich. It has cappicola, cotto salami, genoa salami, provolone cheese, tomato, Italian dressing, and pepperoncinis. All this is on a baguette-style sandwich roll. I order it sans tomatoes.
Well, three weeks ago, I read that on the wall, ordered from the gentleman behind the counter saying, “I would like the Italian Delight sandwich. I want it exactly as it is listed, except no tomatoes.” I thought that was pretty clear direction.
Well, he asked me twice if I wanted mustard and mayo on it (yuck!) and he added onions and included tomatoes. Well, after taking the onions and tomato off, and ensuring he did not slide any mustard or mayo on there, I enjoyed the sandwich. Quite tasty and a great value for the price. However, with no one bothering him and nothing to do but make my sandwich, it took the poor guy well over 20 minutes to make the sandwich.
About a week later, I returned. I positioned myself in line so I would have the woman working the counter help me. When I asked, I said, “I’d like the Italian Delight, just as it is listed, but no tomatoes.” Off she went. I was a little distracted, left the counter to grab something nearby, and when I returned I was surprised to see she had out regular sliced bread and was starting to add avocado to the sandwich. I said, “Excuse me” enough times to catch her notice and then asked, “What sandwich are you making?”
“The Ultimate Club,” she responded.
“But I ordered the Italian Delight,” I countered. I watched as her light bulb turned on, dimly, and she said, “I’m sorry. You’re right.” And she quickly made me an Italian Delight. So, it took well over 20 minutes again, and she put it on a standard soft sandwich roll instead of the baguette. I still enjoyed it, but it is better on the baguette.
Last week, I tried again. I got the guy again. I used the same line, only I ignored the “no tomatoes” comment. Still took him a while to construct the sandwich, but he did it in just under 20 minutes and I got… onions on it. I got back to the office, picked off the onions and tomatoes and enjoyed it.
Today I needed to pick up my medications at the Sav-on inside that Albertsons, so I got that sandwich again. The same guy was there, and he even remembered me. So I ordered the Italian Delight, as listed on the menu, with no tomatoes. To his credit, he only made the sandwich as listed this time, but he managed to include the tomatoes again.
If I did not enjoy the sandwich so much, I would not go back. I do find it amusing that, with the level of direction I have provided, I cannot get them to give me exactly what I order. Oh well, I am used to taking tomatoes off of sandwiches; it is not a big deal to me or I would ask to speak with the manager and offer “suggestions.”
This has now become a challenge: how many times can you get the sandwich you didn't request? Will SlowGuy ever come in at under 20 minutes?
ReplyDeleteIt's the fun new Albertson's game!
A major victory not getting onions this time though.
I think you're being too nice. Obviously this guy isn't going to fix the problem himself, so this should be brought to his manager's attention. Otherwise, this guy will probably go along his merry life messing up people's sandwiches and creating all kinds of unnecessary frustration in the world. He learned how to make the damn thing with tomatoes! Surely, surely he can learn how to make it without them.
ReplyDeleteIf it were me, the next time I'd just let him know, "hey, you've messed up my sandwich each and every time I've ordered it. Do it this time, and I will be forced to talk to your manager. So please, do yourself a favor, and me, and give this little task your full attention."
MBH, I appreciate your directness. Will you please come to my classroom and use the technique on the students who have to hear the SAME directions repeated 5-7 times EACH DAY because they don't get it the first 4? Or the "sit down, shut up, start doing your work" speech that I have to couch in PC language.
ReplyDeleteWe condition kids to set their own pace and do their own thing, and it, unfortunately, transfers into the workplace. I don't hold out much hope for the sandwich ever being exactly what the customer orders as that skill set is not programmed into the employees!
Liza,
ReplyDeleteI would have to think that your situation is somewhat more challenging, as you can’t just fire a student who doesn’t meet expectations, or simply decide to start going to another school if you don’t like the way students act in your current one-- at least, not without serious considerations regarding your employment/livelihood.
But your comments raise some profound concerns. Someone who can’t follow directions correctly and consistently is not going to last a week in corporate America. I mean, if I can’t trust you to build a sandwich, then I sure as hell don’t want you as a resource on a project or initiative that has any business importance. In fact, I probably don’t even want you working on the trivial stuff, because even that needs to be right, and eventually there are going to be consequences if it isn’t. The bottom line: if you’re not pulling your weight, and adding value, then you have no business being on the team... and you’re not going to last.
I have to think the level of disconnection you describe, and John also, is a choice that these kids are making-- whether conscious or otherwise. Severe learning disabilities aside, I think your average human possesses the capacity to process and retain information at a much higher level than what I’m reading about here. Conclusion: these individuals, or a good number of them, simply aren’t focused, or don’t care, or both.
I guess we can only hope that at some point many of these individuals will wake up and start seriously thinking about their futures. Some most assuredly will not, and I guess that’s okay. I’m always going to need someone to serve my French fries. Others, I’m sure, will-- hopefully not before they’ve wasted too much of their lives.
I guess, at the end of the day, it just boggles me that someone--again, clinical learning disabilities aside--can’t even get it together to correctly make a friggin’ sandwich. This is a problem.
Out of curiosity, does it seem that these kinds of problems have gotten worse in the classrooms over the years? Or has this pretty much always been par for the course?
MBH