Proper Protocol for Leads/Managers and Subordinates in Dealing with Customer Conflicts

...A "minister" who I followed on Facebook and had a great deal of respect for—prior to what I'll discuss here—posted about an incident involving an elderly lady who died after a scuffle with a restaurant/coffee shop employee. I had not personally seen any media coverage of the ordeal at that time. Hearing that this elderly lady lost her life after an employee attacked her after she supposedly put hands on her didn't set right with me, however...

To hear this "minister" essentially say that the elderly lady had it coming because she started it readily and thoroughly disgusted me. I pointed out to the minister that attacking someone in a manner that results in their death is only merited if the life of the person who caused the death was endangered, which, clearly, was not the case, since this lady was apparently so fragile that she died as a result of this altercation...

Per the "minister," the elderly lady had "lied" about the restaurant employee jumping on her to the 9-1-1 operator who took her call and the whole thing had been caught on camera. Come to find out this was a 75-year-old lady with congestive heart failure who had raised a concern about a mix-up with her order... 

What the video footage of the ordeal actually reveals is an apparent improper exchange of words between the customer and the shift lead (that could not be heard), the shift lead pointing the customer to the door, and the elderly lady pointing to the employee who happened to be a 17-year-old who was apparently responsible for the mix-up with her order (Click here to see the video)... 

The shift lead places her hand on the elderly lady's shoulder to supposedly separate her from the minor employee, who had walked over to the counter to argue with the elderly customer; she had been standing a considerable distance in the background, where she should have remained. Notably, the lady never went behind the counter to launch an attack. All contact that she made with the shift lead was responsive to the shift lead touching her...

With regards to the 17-year-old, I happen to have a 17-year-old daughter and her safety at her place of employment when she was employed via a city summer work program going into her junior and senior years of high school was one of my utmost concerns. I was equally concerned for my son when he participated in the same program going into his senior year of high school. I certainly would never condone anyone harming a minor or any employee...

...I'm still concerned for my son's safety now that he is an adult in the workforce and will be for my daughter when she is an employed adult. The least of my concerns is my children disrespecting their elders. I raised them better. Every parent should have or re-visit that conversation with their children prior to releasing them into the workforce, this and the need to show respect to all persons and how to constructively manage conflicts with other people. Employers should additionally discuss these things with all employees during the new-hire/orientation process... 

...The proper course of action that the shift lead in the subject ordeal should have taken was to apologize to the customer and offer to fix her order rather than arguing with her. ONLY if the lady insisted on arguing after an offer had been made to correct her order and she was asked to refrain from speaking inappropriately to the employees should she have been asked to leave and/or the shift lead should have contacted law enforcement... 

...In any event, the shift lead moved inappropriately when she exited the counter to attack the lady. Though the elderly lady was in the wrong for pushing the shift lead's forehead, the shift lead's life was not endangered to merit a self-defense claim. She should have stayed behind the counter and called the police. A self-defense claim would have been merited had the elderly lady entered behind the counter to attack either employee and she could not have been restrained...

Valid interrogatories for this case are #1. What was the issue with the lady's order? #2. Had an exchange of words occurred at the drive-through window between the elderly lady and the employee who took her order and, if so, what exactly was said? and #3. Did the employee who took the order and/or the shift lead offer to correct the customer's order?

A drive-through customer should never have to exit their vehicle to resolve an issue with their order. Customers should resolve any issue with their order or change (if they paid with cash) before leaving the drive through the same way they should not leave the in-door counter before checking to see if their order and change are correct. Signs articulating this should be placed at service counters and windows with a statement requesting the patience of waiting customers who'll be given the same courtesy...

The customer should, respectfully, of course, articulate the issue with the employee who distributes their order to them and said employee should allow a reasonable amount of time (at least 1 to 2 minutes) for them to do so, whether this is at the window or at a forward spot where the employee instructs the customer to park to have their order delivered to them... 

Once the customer has articulated a valid issue, the employee should in fact apologize and offer to correct the order or offer and provide a refund to the customer if they prefer. Point blank, issue resolved. Employees should avoid as much as reasonably possible getting into heated debates with customers; they should certainly never incite argumentation by initiating disrespectful dialogue or purposely mishandling an order... 

Again, if a customer is disrespectful, the employee should remain composed and respectfully ask the customer to refrain from improper speech. I am confident that had an apology and a composed request to speak respectfully to the staff in the subject issue been given with a corrected order this ordeal would have never escalated to the extent that it did and the elderly lady would still be alive...

Unemployment Should pay the full Amount of the Salary an Applicant Earned at their Most Recent Job

That unemployment pays such a small percentage of an applicant's pay from their most recent former employer defeats the purpose of it. Though it provides some relief, it is seldom enough to pay significant bills like rent or mortgage, etc. 

Imagine working hard for years or for whatever length of time that one would have worked before being terminated from a job due to no fault of one's own or for a legitimate yet excusable reason and losing everything that you've worked for due to a few missed paychecks and/or insufficient unemployment "relief."

Legitimate yet excusable reasons that employees might be terminated from a job are for being habitually late and/or missing work due to transportation issues or physical and/or mental illnesses like sleep disorders, major depression, and/or anemia, or an employee finally losing their temper after being relentlessly bullied. 

This should not be. An approved unemployment applicant should be privy to the full amount of their weekly or bi-weekly pay from their most recent job and for the entire length of time that they are unemployed. 

This, for one, would discourage employment terminations where often the cause could be addressed via Work Behavior Modification Programs and/or medical treatment. It would additionally discourage employment blacklisting when employees are terminated, as most if not all employers do not want to pay any amount to a former employee...

...This would additionally secure payment of critical and other bills of the subject individual during the period of unemployment and may, in some instances, require the subject former employee to participate in a DOL-based Work Behavior Modification program and/or medical treatment... 

These are interventions that employers should in fact take before terminating employees that could save them loads of money that they might otherwise pay in unemployment benefits and hiring new employees.

The ultimate goal here would be for former employers to pay less unemployment benefits by paying more for significantly shorter periods of time to keep their between-jobs former employees financially secured until they have acquired new jobs.

How to Recover from Financial Setbacks

Whether you are between jobs after an educational upgrade or for other reasons and are experiencing financial setbacks, it is possible to recover, with or without a support system, prior to receipt of that next traditional job and/or pay check. First of all, do not panic! Set/stick to those goals that you made. Write your clear cut path to how you'll get there and go tunnel vision...

If you recently graduated from college, a technical school, or trade program, and need to acquire experience, search for entry level opportunities that will allow you to get the experience you need to ultimately get the job you really want. The entry level position may not pay as much as the job that you want. It is earning you that priceless experience to enable you to qualify and receive said job and pay, however...

The following is a list of legit gigs and some dedicated positions that you can work and pay the bills while between jobs or indefinitely (Click on the name of each company to connect to their website):

Amazon flex — Deliver with your personal vehicle on your own time.

Couriergigs — Create a driver profile and expand your career as a courier or land delivery contracts as a business owner.

Curri — Be your own boss. Deliver on your own terms. Become a gig driver and get paid the next day or become a carrier/courier for dedicated work. 

Dispatch — Flexibly run your own business with exceptional driver support.

Drop off, Inc. — Transport materials using your own or a company-provided commercial vehicle (box truck or cargo van) and a delivery app.

Echo Express — Become an independent trucker with a reliable company that provides regular loads, high rates, timely pay, and respectful treatment.

Fetch — Become a delivery partner. Work flexibly with driver support and maintain a positive work/life balance. Qualify for the preferred driver program and receive priority status and additional rewards and perks.

Frayt — Get matched with companies that need their products shipped. Set your own schedule, earn on your own terms.

GoShare — Drive your box truck (circa $170 per hour), cargo van (full-size $105 per hour), your SUV, car, or mini-van for courier services ($45 per hour), your pickup truck ($70 per hour) or earn $60 per hour for labor only. Be your own boss. Work when you want as an independent contractor. Get paid within four business days.

Instacart — Shop and deliver groceries, medicine, and gifts, etc. for flexible earnings.

Labcorp — Deliver medical specimens, lab supplies, and reports with a company-furnished vehicle that you can take home with you for personal use for a $125.00 fee.

Lyft — Get paid with Express Pay in an hour or two or access your earnings after every ride with Lyft Direct.

Medical Courier Cash — Become a medical courier on a full-time, part-time, or seasonal basis.

Medzoomer — Deliver medications on your own time using custom route optimization software that allows you to make more deliveries per hour.

Red Wagon — Deliver large and small catering meals, parcels, liquor, and much more.

Reliable Couriers — Deliver packages in a fast-paced work environment.

Senpex — Work as a helper or mover how you want and when you want.

Spark Driver — Shop and deliver groceries and everyday items in all 50 states earning on your own terms or choosing which offers you'll accept.

Uber Deliver — Drive for Uber Eats.

Uber Drive — Become a Rideshare driver with an affordable rental or your own vehicle; earn on your own schedule.

USPack — Deliver medications, parcels, and other essentials on a contractual basis.

Of course you'll need to be a licensed driver with an insured vehicle or have access to one for the driving positions, reiterating that vehicles are company-provided for some gigs.

If you're someone who dislikes a traditional job and/or have a suspended driver license due to unpaid child support, an unpaid traffic ticket, or for any other reasons, it would behoove you to resolve said issues for the privilege to earn on your own terms.

Click here for a more comprehensive list of gig economy companies.

Transportation Network Companies Should Finance Driver Vehicular Repairs

...Not every potential driver for a Gig TNC (Transportation Network Company) like Uber and Lyft is in need of a vehicle. Some already have vehicles that they are currently financing or for which they have fully paid that are in need of repairs. TNCs should offer an option to alternatively finance said repairs in lieu of purchase of another vehicle. This financing could be contractual or require drivers to make so many pick-ups to at least cover the cost of subject repairs and reasonable interest that would be charged by the relevant TNC...

TNCs could develop partnerships with automotive shops juxtapose those that they already have with specified car dealerships to provide repairs to their drivers' vehicles. They could additionally, via said partnerships, purchase and finance decent cash cars and any needed repairs to them to market to their drivers for reasonable cost. 

This would benefit especially low-income drivers. It would further and significantly prevent/decrease crime where vehicles and driving opportunities are provided to qualifying felons and where non-qualifying felons, including car jackers and/or others who can drive, would be privileged to earn expungement, reinstatement of revoked driver licenses, and/or forgiveness of fees for vehicular and other citations.

Gig driving work would provide the perfect opportunity for many individuals who have had run-ins with the law and/or those who do not like working a traditional work schedule to earn livable wages working whenever they'd like, provided that they stay out of trouble and sustain as economical as possible full-coverage vehicular insurance. 

Streamlining the Employment Application Process

Employment application processes have been historically flawed in requiring employment candidates to repetitively enter the same demographic and other synonymous information into each and every job application that they submit. 

Employment candidates should be required to enter stated information once on an authorized website that would be created for streamlining purposes and when they apply for employment anywhere they would simply provide either their social security number or the last four digits of their SSN and digitally sign to authorize the company to retrieve their employment information from the stated database.

All information that prospective employers would need, including names, addresses, and telephone numbers of supervisors, job duties, reasons for leaving, updated background reports, etc. would be retrievable from this database that would be managed by the Department of Labor ideally.

There would be no more worries about timing out of an application entering or endeavoring to enter or correct information already provided on an uploaded resume, etc.  Employment application processes should be quaint and effective...

Work Behavior Modification Program

There is an epidemic of individuals who are locked out of the work force or who find difficulty acquiring and/or sustaining employment due to their common human flaws that employers should constructively address in lieu of readily terminating them, particularly when said behaviors are non-threatening, do not affect business productivity, and are corrigible...

Because employers, particularly those in at-will states, may lawfully terminate an employee for any reason, with the exception of a discriminatory reason, however, and because previous employers in some states can provide factual* information to potential employers that may not always be impressive or acceptable pertaining to an employment candidate's salary, job performance, reason for leaving, and rehire eligibility, it is imperative to implement interventions that safeguard workers and unemployed individuals searching for work.

*Employers may not share defamatory opinions about employment candidates.

...Employers can neither share information about an employment candidate's race or ethnicity, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability status or medical history per se. Many companies only share basic employment verification (dates of employment, job title, and responsibilities) to be legally safe. Lines are frequently blurred, however, in terms of what is lawful and unlawful and in the course both the innocent and guilty are adversely affected... 

There should be an iron-clad program to which employees can be referred by their employers or by the Department of Labor for individuals who are between jobs who may be experiencing difficulty acquiring employment due to reported work violations, i.e. attendance, dress code and grooming, and attitudinal issues, bullying, physical fighting, theft, controlled substance abuse, et cetera, et cetera...

Employers should make every reasonable effort to retain employees by constructively addressing said and other infractions via programs that would be conducted on site at their companies and/or at the Department of Labor... 

DOL should make every reasonable attempt to address behaviors that prevent subject individuals from obtaining and/or sustaining employment and/or that create obstacles for them doing so; and they should help to re-connect said individuals with employment once they have completed synonymous programs and obtained certificates of completion... 

Work rehab or work behavior modification programs would teach conflict resolution, time management, dress code and grooming etiquette, interpersonal or people skills, theft prevention and intervention, and substance abuse intervention via which employees and prospects would be counseled on the importance of sobriety in and out of the work force as a matter of safety and employment security. Other synonymous issues would additionally be addressed. Prior to issuance of any referral, subject employees would be granted opportunity to explain a legitimate or excusable reason for any violation.

...In addressing said issues employers and DOL should provide any essential resources to subject employees or employment candidates and/or refer them to sources where they may acquire said resources that they are in need of that would help to improve their attendance, job performance, appearance and hygiene, i.e. provision and/or assistance with acquiring clothing or additional work uniforms and toiletry bags containing soap, shampoo, lotion, tooth brushes, tooth paste, deodorant, etc.), transportation assistance, i.e. creating and connecting employees with company car pools and/or shuttles to retrieve them from their homes or other designated localities that are accessible to them or by any means mentioned here. Employers and DOL could additionally refer employees and employment candidates to control substance detox programs and/or counseling, etc...

Employment rehabilitation (work behavior modification programs), which should exist in every city, state, and point on the globe, would provide damage control for subject individuals to prevent employment loss and reconnect those who have lost employment with new jobs after completion of and issuance of certificates from employment rehab programs (which could last anywhere from a week to a month or more)...

A repeat of programs or update of certificates would be required for forward violations.

No capable worker should be terminated and/or no person should be locked out of the work force for behavioral or any other issues that can and should be constructively addressed and resolved.

Experiential Training Should be a Component of Education or Readily Provided on the Job

It is unfortunate that so many graduates find difficulty acquiring jobs in their fields of study due to lack of experience, those specifically who had no internship or on-the-job training options or who could not participate in such programs for whatever reasons. I did not have this problem as a business clerical trainee at the Atlanta Job Corps because OJT was offered for my cluster at the center where I trained... 

After completing my studies, which included learning to type, data entry, writing business letters, answering business phones, and subsequently graduating from Atlanta Metropolitan College* via Job Corps's Advanced Career Training program, I interned as a receptionist answering the center switchboard for a specified number of weeks. And I had no problem at all getting my first full-time job as a receptionist...

Some form of on-the-job-training was offered for most if not all trades at the AJCC, which facilitated job placement for graduates (*My degree from Atlanta Metropolitan College is an AA in Philosophy, which substantially helped to develop my critical thinking skills and my Microsoft skills via a computer science course). 

I am four classes away from graduating with a Bachelors degree in English/Composition and Rhetoric from Georgia State University, which expounds upon my Philosophy degree from a critical thinking standpoint (when and if I can ever complete said classes).

Graded and/or paid internships at real companies provide real experience that real employers can appreciate, and they should be available for all educational/training programs. 

...On the job training for certain professions like CDL Class A trucker jobs, including those that require flatbed and/or over the road (OTR) experience should be scheduled around students' employment work schedules to enable them to earn sufficient income during said experiential training. Let's say, for example, that a driving student works for four days and has three days off. Training could be scheduled for 1 to 2 of their off days...

This would additionally give said students the opportunity to see if flatbed and/or OTR or driving significant distances out of state would be something that they would actually enjoy, and it would give them the required experience to acquire employment within the industry after completion of the training without need of any additional experience.

CDL Class A truckers who are interested in local driving jobs could optionally only train locally or they could additionally train for OTR in the event that this would interest them in the future, or if they would be interested in periodically driving OTR (depending upon the location, weather, and/or other circumstances) in a local driving position.

Completed internships or apprenticeships for specific programs should suffice for experience to acquire entry-level jobs and reasonable starting pay in the industry. An internship lasts on average from about three months to a year while trucking apprenticeships would last from six months to two years.

...Another even better option would be for more trucking companies to provide post educational experiential training for local, regional, and OTR jobs. This would help to readily meet the staffing needs of many trucking companies that are "urgently hiring" while providing desired and needed employment to recent graduates in the industry. It is essentially impossible otherwise to acquire experience where no opportunity is provided without it...