Many years ago, when I was just a bright-eyed, young pup, I found myself working a menial job at our friendly neighborhood Applebee’s. And by many years ago, I mean three. Let’s give you some context: It was the summer before my Sophomore year in college. I was 18. I had never worked at a restaurant. And I had completed one year of my studies at design school. Needing some quick cash, I applied for a position as a hostess. Ah, if only I had known what would await me in my training week.
I had loved going to Applebee’s with my friends back in high school. It had music, a fun atmosphere, and the servers were always so smiley… it just had a good vibe. For us, it was the place to be after our Friday night football games. Fast forward to that summer in college and there I sat, at a greasy table, with a new hire guidebook and a mossy-green polo about three sizes too big tucked into pants. On my first day, it was explained to me how important my $5.25/hour job was. I was the face of the company that would greet patrons and help satiate their hungry appetites. I was instructed to never sit in front of a patron, always smile, always accommodate the guest, wear my uniform, wear my flair, and never smoke while in uniform. Applebee’s had an image to uphold! And they were entrusting that image to me.
So I worked hard and always smiled, even when people would yell at me about the 30-minute wait. Even when drunks would try to man-handle me as they attempted to walk out of the bar (who comes to Applebee’s to get drunk?). Even when my boss would come up to me and reward all of that hard work with not a gift card or a bonus, but with another piece of flair to add to my smelly polo. “Why thank you, sir. Just what I always wanted… a little pin of a doggie.”
After three months I came to the conclusion that I didn’t love the brand enough to keep up this facade. I had seen how the food was “cooked,” worn all the gear, and listened to the same Gavin Degraw songs on rotation for 8 hours everyday. It wasn’t the pay that forced me to quit. It was the brand and what was behind the brand. If I could find a job working minimum wage at a place I loved and believed in, I would have stuck it out longer. Being the face of a company, a brand ambassador, could only be done if I believed in the company. I came out of the experience with less respect for the brand and a vow to never again eat at chain restaurants with microwaves in the back.
Now when I walk into a Mojo Yogurt, Barnes & Noble, or Starbucks I wonder “Who here really believes in the brand they’re pushing? And who’s here just for the flair?”
What are your brand ambassador horror stories? Something you dealt with yourself? Or maybe a client’s brand ambassador difficulties?
Zach
The only way I was able to get through college was to work retail. I worked at Circuit City for a year and I can not tell you how happy I was to leave. Employees were lazy and didn’t work hard because they didn’t believe in the brand and weren’t getting commission. This translated into bad customer experiences.
Fast forward, I got a job working for Apple Inc. What a different experience!! Employees believed in the brand and so did the customers. The store was fun, exciting, and customers received a great shopping experience. Circuit City’s practices made it difficult for employees to believe in the brand. Apple employees were the brand everywhere, not just in the store.
Dec 01, 2009 @ 9:39 PM
Andrew Centrella
Radioshack.
Cleaned and pressed was my
Ralph Lauren ensemble, shining my then teenage pride. Yes I was to be the top salesman at the freshly rebuilt Radioshack of Spectrum (Christown) Mall.
Trained, poised, a master of this plastic-wrapped domain, I was ready to rock.
I watched my short hispanic coworker unlock the door as the store opened. Then waited.
And waited.
I dusted a few things, read up on some new cell phones… then waited.
Finally, a pile of minority kids burst through the door, tired parents following suit. They rummaged and stole all they could fit in their sweatshirts, while the father did his best to distract me at the front counter.
I quickly realized that all of our customers would be like this. Their knowledge of English ranging from minimal to nonexistent. With my own Spanish being similar, I had extreme difficulty selling things.
Upon hiring, I was told that I’d be paid $5.25 an hour, plus 10% of whatever I sold.
Not bad. I can sell a few thousand batteries, some lame toys (sold at Best Buy or Walmart for cheaper) and make some decent dough, right?
A month goes by.
Where’s my paycheck? I get the run around. All the while struggling to sell copper wire or plastic Ipod cases that only fit last year’s model. Stomaching customers complaining in jumbled English that Best Buy is “way better” and secretly agreeing with them.
Here’s the cool part.
Radioshack *actually* pays you $5.15 an hour, OR 3% commission of your gross sales. The latter ONLY occurs if your sales average over $100 per hour. So let’s say you work 8 hours, you know Spanish, AND the store is busy. (And Jesus appears, then you’re struck by lightning)
At that point, you’d make $24 in commission.
8 hours of work for $24. Let’s say your sales average is $200 per hour for the first 4 hours, then the store DIES. No customers for the last 5 hours. Your average falls below the $100 per hour requirement, and you get nothing more than $5.15 per hour despite your efforts.
When my check finally arrived by week 6, I noticed tax rates like that of an independent contractor. So with 180 hours adding to $517, I had a few words with the manager. He insisted that the amount was fair. “Sell cellular phone plans man. You get like, $10 per 2 year deal you make!”
This was classic, because on average, TWO cell phone plans would be sold a day, completely in spanish, by the manager. That’s $20, for a 10 hour day.
I laughed at him, ripped the check up, tore my name tag from my chest and threw the pieces at him. I told him Radioshack deserves ultimate failure. I’ve never been so insulted, blatantly lied to, melting in a rage fueled further by his blank stare at me. None of the other employees could comprehend why I thought this was bullshit. They all told me I was a dick, a stupid white boy and to go fuck myself.
The end. :)
Dec 01, 2009 @ 10:08 PM
Keegan
I’ve never worked at a job with face to face and daily representation of a brand with the customer.
Though, at Bank of America I do notice that they do just as much brand diplomacy or even showboating towards their own employees.
They produce extensive product material and ambassadorship for BofA Associates. Including a trickling down of VP’s who really act towards employees like a customer service, or value reps.
I don’t know if it is inherently bad or good to be treated both like an employee and a existing or potential customer. But it’s visible. And in the case study above with Radio Shack, it probably would have benefited the employee to not feel so taken advantage of.
I guess this isn’t really a horror story. Though, I wonder if there are any situations where the facade of a bad brand is perpetuated by employees who have been enticed in both the front and back end of a brand. Employees who defend their bad product because they are inundated with positive P.R. where they work.
Dec 02, 2009 @ 12:03 PM
Stephanie Horn
“Apple employees were the brand everywhere, not just in the store.” I think every business-owner wants his employees to be this way, but so few are deserving of it. Apple makes such great products and they speak to the heart of their customers and employees. I can understand completely how this experience would be so much better as an employee. When you believe in the brand you represent, it’s not work to show it off!
Dec 02, 2009 @ 2:37 PM
Stephanie Horn
Andrew, what a detailed and horrifying story, haha. I think my favorite part was “I told him Radioshack deserves ultimate failure.” Thanks for sharing. When a business-owner misrepresents himself, I can’t have much respect for the brand they push. It immediately becomes all about my bad experience, and that ends up defining the brand for me.
Dec 02, 2009 @ 2:41 PM
Stephanie Horn
“I wonder if there are any situations where the facade of a bad brand is perpetuated by employees who have been enticed in both the front and back end of a brand. Employees who defend their bad product because they are inundated with positive P.R. where they work.”
I’m sure this happens all the time. How many crappy junk food products are pushed through every year because people really believe it’s a good product, based on the info they’re fed by P.R.? How many poor logo redesigns has Pepsi made because their people talked to focus groups and found out what America really wants? I think employees are very susceptible to perpetuating a bad brand because they’re stuck in the middle of it.
Dec 02, 2009 @ 2:49 PM