2008 Woodie Awards
Identity vs. anonymity
Jason M. Wallace
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: Opinion
Because he or she is wearing the nametag, all the flack comes back to them. A company title followed by your name must make it your fault. Most of the companies I have worked for have trained me fairly well for the daily procedures, but one or two did not. So, when a customer addresses a mistake I made, how fair is it that I catch all of the heat? Either the nametag should include training information or there should not be a nametag at all. If there is anything to report to a manager, a good manager should already know.
After all of the name calling and accusations, is a clerk's name praised for doing a decent job? No, the company as a whole receives the glory. I cannot remember the last time I walked into a place of business and saw an employee of the month plaque with the employee's picture on it. I think that kind of recognition has faded out.
Customers should wear nametags. Why not? Unless they are paying by cash, they are creating a paper trail of where they have gone that day. Besides, I was trained that they like being addressed when they approach the checkout line. Customer name tags would also help the poor clerk as well. I know some people have a knack for remembering names, but for a person like myself, unless I have shared more than three-minute conversation with you, I will most likely forget your name. Official customer nametags will also help the managers catch the kids who keep stealing the 20-ounce sodas.
How about this?
Every person who shops is given a nametag. However, if a shopper pledges allegiance to one type of store amongst a sea of similar competitors, he or she only has to wear the nametag for six months. By that time, the customer's face should be familiar with all seasoned employees and their loyalty to the store should gain them some sort of discount. The nametag will remain void unless the allegiance is broken to a competitor business. Let us put the "importance" back into Harris Teeters' VIC cards.
Imagine the new wave of competition schemes that Wal-Mart, Target, Food Lion and BP would dream up just so that customers could earn their discounts and anonymity. However, this is yet another discussion.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
After all of the name calling and accusations, is a clerk's name praised for doing a decent job? No, the company as a whole receives the glory. I cannot remember the last time I walked into a place of business and saw an employee of the month plaque with the employee's picture on it. I think that kind of recognition has faded out.
Customers should wear nametags. Why not? Unless they are paying by cash, they are creating a paper trail of where they have gone that day. Besides, I was trained that they like being addressed when they approach the checkout line. Customer name tags would also help the poor clerk as well. I know some people have a knack for remembering names, but for a person like myself, unless I have shared more than three-minute conversation with you, I will most likely forget your name. Official customer nametags will also help the managers catch the kids who keep stealing the 20-ounce sodas.
How about this?
Every person who shops is given a nametag. However, if a shopper pledges allegiance to one type of store amongst a sea of similar competitors, he or she only has to wear the nametag for six months. By that time, the customer's face should be familiar with all seasoned employees and their loyalty to the store should gain them some sort of discount. The nametag will remain void unless the allegiance is broken to a competitor business. Let us put the "importance" back into Harris Teeters' VIC cards.
Imagine the new wave of competition schemes that Wal-Mart, Target, Food Lion and BP would dream up just so that customers could earn their discounts and anonymity. However, this is yet another discussion.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
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