For all the mocking we do of millennials and their snowflakism...

[just Warren]

...I actually agree with them on this.

I do not like being yelled at and if I found myself in a situation where this was a constant part of the work environment I would leave without a second thought and with no notice.

So I cannot fault the coddled generation for refusing to go along with what was a cultural norm in the restaurant industry.

I forget what chef it was, but in another article I read he was mortified at how Ramsay treated people on Hell's Kitchen. In his own kitchen the chef said he goes to great lengths to keep things as quiet, like you could hear whispers level quiet, as possible and as low-stress as possible because working under constant deadlines is stressful enough. You certainly don't need to add some maniac screaming obscenities at you.

[Jamisjockey]

...I actually agree with them on this.

I do not like being yelled at and if I found myself in a situation where this was a constant part of the work environment I would leave without a second thought and with no notice.

So I cannot fault the coddled generation for refusing to go along with what was a cultural norm in the restaurant industry.

I forget what chef it was, but in another article I read he was mortified at how Ramsay treated people on Hell's Kitchen. In his own kitchen the chef said he goes to great lengths to keep things as quiet, like you could hear whispers level quiet, as possible and as low-stress as possible because working under constant deadlines is stressful enough. You certainly don't need to add some maniac screaming obscenities at you.

We'll probably start seeing more of this in ATC. 
As a general rule we're left alone by management for swearing and language.
I about lost it the other night, we were running a super complicated one runway feed due to the winds.  I was the final controller and suddenly the feed I was getting went to *expletive deleted*it, because of a personnel change.
My language to the feeding controller wasn't pleasant.
I can easily see the younger generations coming in and creating a stink about that.  They're not used to it.

[Mannlicher]

laughing.  The snowflakes certainly have no compunction about using derogatory and uncivil language towards others.  Real life does not often offer a 'safe place' for those of tender sensibilities.   

[Fly320s]

There is a time and a place for yelling and cursing.  Both should be used infrequently, so when they are used they have an effect.

[HankB]

How much is restaurant staff usually paid, anyhow?

Judging by all the "help wanted" and "now hiring" signs outside so many restaurants, it's not like a better - or at least different - place to work in food service will be hard to find.

[RoadKingLarry]

I will not tolerate getting abused in the workplace. Ever.
When I was running service on PBX systems a IT manager at a fair sized aerospace manufacturing company decided it would be a good idea to chew my ass out because he'd knocked down his system and I hadn't fixed in less then 10 minutes.  I didn't say a word to him. I just started packing up my laptop and cables. He asked me why the hell I was leaving. Just looked at him and said "take a guess" . Called my boss and informed her I WOULD NOT take the level abuse and foul language from any customer for any reason. She said she'd back me. I took my time getting loaded up and got an apology from the owner and a request to come back in and get their phones working. Never saw the *expletive deleted*hole again.

[zxcvbob]

I've hung up on a customer before when he cussed at me.  I don't remember the details, it was a long time ago.  Some kind of system outage or something.  I immediately told my boss and the service manager (service was a different organization) what happened and they might be getting a complaint.  I never heard any more about it.  No apology from the customer, but OTOH I didn't have to sit in on any more conference calls so I think it was a win.  (I still worked the problem but they left me alone)

[dogmush]

There is a time and a place for yelling and cursing.  Both should be used infrequently, so when they are used they have an effect.

This. I am in an industry where casual cussing is ok, and not blinked at. But I save the loud, or harsh town, "I Mean It" cussing for when it's really warranted so that the point comes across clearly.

There is a time and a place. The guy that screams all the time doesn't accomplish as much as the guy who yells when it's needed.

[KD5NRH]

I've hung up on a customer before when he cussed at me.

I held the profanity-3-strike record for one phone support company; when I picked up, the tirade was already underway, and each time I paused after a part of the "I will terminate this call if you continue to use abusive language" script, he was within a word or two of triggering the next part.  It was under 12 seconds from pickup to terminate.  Next tech took 15 seconds because he had to look up the script.  Third time, he was passed directly to a client rep who informed him that, per the terms of his service contract, his phone support option was terminated, and he could now wait 2-10 business days for a large, angry field support technician to come diagnose his problem.

Having been the large, angry field support technician for a couple years, I had mixed feelings about those; it's no fun to get a pissy customer, but when they're well documented as already being on very thin ice, you can get away with a lot.  Once they understand that, the phrase "there are precisely two people who give a rat's ass about your problem, and the one who can fix it is quickly losing interest" is magical.

As for the kitchens, yes, they do need to be toned way down.  I've got no problem with a loud and sometimes profane dressing down when it's actually needed, but
 a) drag that person to somewhere your customers can't hear it and
 b) if the default behavior in any workplace is professional and respectful, the occasional come-to-Jesus session is much more meaningful.

[BlueStarLizzard]

*shrug* Depends on the workplace.

The new guy has been sensitive about being "yelled at"... The problem is what he doesn't realize is that we're yelling because he didn't hear us when we spoke normally (if we bothered since the reason we yell is because you have to yell to be heard over the dogs) He's also been sensitive about what he sees as me barking orders (no pun intended) and doesn't seem to grasp that me barking orders is because I'm literally running by him on my way to do something else. I move fast in the morning, trying to get a bunch of stuff done at once. I'm not stopping to waste time asking him to do something "nicely" when I've got a million things to get done right *expletive deleted*ing NOW.
I will note that he's clearly not all that observant since apparently he doesn't see that I'm literally dripping sweat and rocketing around the kennel like a deranged pinball.  I would think it's obvious that I don't have time to stop and chat about what I need him to do.

That said, I am also sensitive to tone and being yelled at and I've finally gotten to the point were I will snap back if my boss pushes me to hard.

There is definitely a line at every workplace between what is appropriate, or at least, acceptable and what is abusive and should not be tolerated. The Gordon Ramsey's of the world are beyond the line (and, FYI, I love Hell's Kitchen, but I figure the contestants sign up for that *expletive deleted*it so it actually falls into the acceptable category. They are getting "paid" to get yelled at)

[zahc]

Good article. Interesting to see some of them who get it, and some who don't. The market will chose winners.

For all the mocking we do of millenials being entitled...of having "just-world" psychosis...of expecting the world to conform to their needs and expectations...I've recently decided that companies, at least many companies, are even worse. This could be a case of millennials moving into management level of companies. But mostly I think it's just that companies, in a corporate sense are (like the stereotypical millennial), just not very intelligent. Or to paraphrase MIB, "a person is smart, but people are stupid". Companies are quick to exploit leverage and pricing power when they have it, but very slow to adapt when they don't have it. It's as if they never learned about supply and demand. Where did these people learn to run companies? Do you even business?

I'm currently living a "different-industry" version of this article. My current company has created a reputation of being a terrible place to work--a real "the beatings will continue until morale improves" environment. Due to moderate unemployment in our industry in the past, plus lack of competition in our segment, they survived anyway despite very high turnover. 2017 was the worst with over 20% of the company leaving. And now that the market is picking up (MAGA!), they are finding that nobody wants to work for them, basically at any price. The headcount crisis is a direct threat to our ability to grab market share, but management do nothing to stop experienced staff from leaving. Try to retain talent? Retain? Management will not stoop so low as to admit that retention is a goal; talent should be so lucky as to work for a great company like this one! Management are shocked, shocked! that interview candidates don't accept their offers. They are shocked, shocked! at the wages people are expecting. Why, those wages are HIGHER than what the company thinks it should have to pay! The injustice! The scoundrels! Some of them even try to negotiate! We just won't hire them!...yep. You won't either.

I see a similar thing with vendors that for many years enjoyed a totally dominant industry position, which has slipped away. It takes them a very long time to realize they have lost their position, and they keep trying to negotiate (and price) they way they did under the old days, not realizing the tables have turned and they now need to engage in salesmanship; a skill they utterly lack after years of atrophy. It's amusing and sad to see.

there's less of the screaming and shouting as [the new generation of] chefs just walk out now!

[French G.]

Well, if you want extreme hostility, go ahead and tell at me. I survived a military career and while I am the official "says what we're all thinking" guy I strive to talk to people like I want to be talked to. I don't like to yell. My dad yelled at me. I did not like it then, but I love him now and he had the right. Anyone else yells at me I assume they are trying to control me without putting in the decades of work he did. So they can play a game of hide and go effing themselves.

[lupinus]

It's always fun when you bring something messed up or wrong to the pass and have it launched at your head with noteable velocity. And lost count of how many times you've been fired/quit and rehired in one shift. And if you think chef is bad some of the wait staff can make even him blush...

I don't miss working in kitchens...

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[makattak]

So, the generation that has absolutely no thought about dropping the F-Bomb as they walk past my children (which includes a toddler) has a problem when it's directed at them?

[Ben]

So, the generation that has absolutely no thought about dropping the F-Bomb as they walk past my children (which includes a toddler) has a problem when it's directed at them?

You know, a great (well, not really, if you know what I mean) example of this is if you pop over to politics and watch the video in the "Fresno professor" topic. The way she talks is completely acceptable to a large segment of "enlightened" society. Yet if you call one those same people "dummy", you're about up for tears and a lawsuit.

[Perd Hapley]

For all the mocking we do of millennials and their snowflakism...

I thought the punchline was going to be, "...we made them that way."

[K Frame]

I thought the punchline was going to be, "...we made them that way."

I wish that were a punchline, but I'm afraid it's a horrible truth.

[grislyatoms]

Lot of folks don't have to work for what they have. I hold them in contempt, because they tend to be pushy, narcissistict aholes. These resident docs demanding the world.
Family business was food service. I spent my pre-teens and teens peeling/cutting potatoes for French fries and dealing with aholes insulting my ma. I learned how to work for $1. These snowflake, pansies sicken me.

[K Frame]

Geezsh, you're harsh!

Don't you know that today's yutes have existential trauma? Which is FAR worse that physical trauma, say like the kind you'd get from losing a leg in service to your country? That's NOTHING, absolute NOTHING compared to the trauma of class based micro aggressions that they have to endure.

You're so unwoke and uncares.

[KD5NRH]

It's always fun when you bring something messed up or wrong to the pass and have it launched at your head with noteable velocity. And lost count of how many times you've been fired/quit and rehired in one shift. And if you think chef is bad some of the wait staff can make even him blush...

IMO, the biggest problem is that the ones doing the yelling are the ones that need to be taken out back and yelled at in words even the saltiest sailor would consider carefully.  With few exceptions, they're the ones screwing up in the most incompetent ways, like the local cafe running out of butter and half-and-half within days of each other.  I don't know what the fridge life of the individual sealed half and half cups is off the top of my head, but I do remember pulling out a box of butter tubs that was well over a year old with no issues whatsoever when we were cleaning out a shut down restaurant, so it's not like they'd run a huge risk by doubling up an order and keeping twice as much as they expect to need on hand at all times.

On those occasions, under the previous management, the manager would go to the grocery store and the cafe would eat the added cost of buying creamer cups or butter pats retail rather than telling the customers "sorry, this place that thrives on people coming in for their morning coffee and pancakes is out of some of its most common condiments until next week."  Then, of course, you've got pissed off customers, which quickly becomes pissed off wait staff, then nobody's happy, and the manager is yelling at everybody for not keeping the customers happy.