Customer's Always Right?

“I’m working a part-time job at Wendy’s.” What is the first thought that comes to your head when you hear this sentence? Greasy fries, polyester uniforms, cheap food? What about the people who work there? Do you picture a first-time worker, a high school dropout, other pimple-faced workers taking your order? For some reason, in our society, we’ve associated low-quality workers with low-quality food? In his article “Working at Wendy’s” Joey Franklin paves the road towards a new perspective about those who come to work at Wendy’s. Instead of explicit points and unshakable statistics, and powerful calls to action, Franklin alternatively leads gently us through a process of revelation. Drawing from his own experiences working at his local Wendy’s Franklin gives an eye-opening view into the world behind the counter.

Christine Bowman, writer of the essay “Undocumented Lives: Migrant Latinos in America”, presents a strong response to a book of a similar name. Bowman’s authority is already shown without having to read her review at all due to her choice of topic alone and how controversial it is. She brings up the stereotypes and misconceptions about immigrants and how they are exploited for their hard work, challenging the idea that migrants are only here to take away American jobs (Bowman 261). Along with this, she argues against the complaints relating to the miscommunications between our languages and reminds us that migrants are “scared because they do not speak English” (Bowman 262). As proof of her credibility, Bowman cites a quote that further expands on the language barrier. Her use of I throughout the essay adds a personal touch, allowing her to bring up the things she feels are most important, including how migrant workers should not all be treated as they’re part of the same story (Bowman 260).

Our prime example of such a clerk was the girl behind the counter at the café outside Gate Two, where delectable Double Decker Ice Cream Cones were sold every afternoon. […] ‘Whaddayawant?’ she snarled out of the edges of her mouth to the people ahead of us who naturally wanted Double Decker Ice Cream Cones too. ‘Shut up and wait your turn. I’ll get to you when I’m good and ready!’ (Bowman Reid, 68)

Being proud of one’s culture and language can often diminish when immigrating to a new country, but the author refuses the rejection of her culture, and most especially her tongue. She captivates the audience by providing a personal experience of when she was attacked for correcting her name, “If you want to be American, speak ‘American.’ If you don’t like it, go back to Mexico where you belong” (34). By including an anecdote packed with emotional stimuli, Anzaldua causes us to experience empathy for her and other minorities who are regarded as outsiders in a place they call “home.” She

These workers speak so fast in Spanish; kind of like those announcers you hear commentating soccer games. This is when I get upset. Not only do they think I speak Spanish, they talk so fast I’m left looking puzzled while my family understood what he or she said (since they speak more Spanish than I do). So this is when I have some fun with the waiter. Whatever he or she

However she could not order the meat in English. Finally she came home with nothing. From this example, we can feel how devastated Lee’s mother was when she had disabilities and difficulties to communicate with the butcher due to language inability. This is an appropriate example that shows the consequence of disregarding the new language. The new languages are necessary in immigrants’ daily life.

Soon after his first opinion is stated, Rodriguez dives into another story, this time detailing his mother and father’s struggle to speak English in public: “In public, my father and mother spoke a hesitant, accented, and not always grammatical English. And then they would have to strain, their bodies tense, to catch the sense of what was rapidly said by los gringos. At home, they returned to Spanish. The language of their Mexican past sounded in counterpoint to the English spoken in public. The words would come quickly, with ease” (Rodriguez 572). This is the sad fate of many immigrants, as well as many people learning to speak a second language. The fact that this young boy noticed that his parents struggled is touching and sweet, while

I wanted to choose a social setting and role that is common to most members of society throughout the course of the day. In one way or another, be it direct or indirect, most people in American society play the role of a consumer or customer. I also wanted the business to be a fairly common and causal, but also a place with frequent and busy customers. The social norm I chose to defy was simple, go through the drive thru and

Have you ever went to Hooters because you love the food and the environment, and come across a family who’s all children speak English? Exactly, that family is in an environment that they know they are welcomed. Why? Because their childrens have the opportunity to be taught in school and they are able to help their parents order Hooters famous Hot Wings.

“Who is to say that robbing people of its language is less violent than war?” Ray Gwyn Smith. I’ve always had this struggle with my identity because I am Mexican and American. I grew up speaking Spanish and English, and was always being policed on what language I was allowed to speak. If I was with my parents they only wanted me to speak in Spanish and when I was at school I was actually forced to only speak English. Gloria Anzaldua writes about the struggles Mexican Americans have in America within our own community and within the “American” standards. Langue is a part of our culture it’s how we begin to communicate with those around us. In this article she explains how Chicanos express themselves through language, we speak different English than White Americans and we speak different Spanish than Mexicans. We get criticized by both for speaking incorrectly; I think it’s important to shine light on the oppression of language in today’s life and how it affects our culture. I will discuss how our culture and language shapes our identity but there can be many obstacles oppressing the way you express yourself from within our own Chicano community and within white American community.

My family and I have been traveling to Mexico for many years and understand how the citizens think of Mexican Americans. They believe that we are wealthy and drive luxurious cars. Which is one of the innumerable reasons why many of them take advantage of us. My sisters and I are not allowed to talk in English in that country which is quite tempting because it is the primary language that we speak and comprehend. Also, there are times when I cannot talk in Spanish, anyone will automatically know that I am from the U.S. My accent does not match theirs and the wrong words that come right out of my mouth is an obvious hint. There was a time when I completely understood what the word advantage meant. My family and I went to a restaurant to have dinner. We discussed about the plans for the following week, but what we did not notice was that we spoke in English. When we were done, we paid for the food and left to to do a

To the people in markets, just because I look Mexican please don’t assume I can speak Spanish because trust me I will disappoint you. A long time ago I had a pretty awkward encounter with an old man at seven-eleven. If I’m being completely honest this was about a month ago. Well for starters, it was a

Shopping at Tienda La Mexicana was a very good experience for me. When I first walked in the store the cashier who I later found out was the owner of the store greeted me by saying “Hola”. As I walked in I felt so uncomfortable, I felt as though everyone was staring at me. I wanted to turn around and walk out but I didn’t. All of the items on the shelves were in Spanish. At first I was intimidated because I could not read the names of the items on the shelves. I tried sounding out the names trying to remember where to put the accent and also remembering the sounds of the vowels in Spanish. I walked up and down the aisles trying to get my words together, hoping that when I do say something in Spanish I will pronouncing the words correctly.

Whether you are communicating with a customer service representative in person or over the phone, the term “the customer is always right,” has lost its meaning. It once served as the guiding principle for dealing with customer inquiries and complaints. Though it did not literally mean the customer was right and the company was wrong, it kept civil the interaction between company representatives and consumers of goods and services by compelling the representatives to see the issue from the customer’s perspective.

There is a more rapid pace at McDonald’s. Here customers have the option of driving through or dining in. The customers walk up to the counter and give their order. The food should be ready in the next two minutes. However, if the counter person gets the order wrong, the customers may have to wait longer. If the customer goes through the drive-thru, they drive up and say their order into a box operated by a person they don’t see. Next they drive around to the little window, the casher takes their money. The customer then drives to the next window