Injustice in Service Work

    

                                

       oxfamamerica.org

It is common to see mistreatment of service industry workers daily. This raises a common question: why do people continue to undervalue service industry jobs? Human decency should be a consistent standard that people try to uphold, especially in public spaces where others are trying to enjoy themselves or just get through the day. People should feel safe in the environment they are in, especially in the workplace. It is essential to educate people about the importance of respecting other professions and their work. What once was an occasional rudeness has now become a common problem found today. 

The common mistreatment of service workers is unacceptable. Continuous behaviors of customers when they go out to eat are prevalent and continue to be reported. I have also experienced mistreatment personally as someone who has worked in the service industry. There have been reports of attacks and violence in the workplace, and they continue to progress with time. There has been a constant installation of fear put onto service workers, and the common phrase “the customer is always right” is used frequently in the workplace. With the idea that they should be thankful for the position they have been given and should continuously always put the customers’ needs before their own. While this idea has some truth and importance of value behind it, it also disvalues the worker. Jackson stated, “Complaint management involves the whole organization. “Top-level commitment to effective complaint management establishes the objective and incentives for all personnel to strive for consumer satisfaction.” While this is true, it can get out of hand because people can be ignorant or have the wrong motives. Constructive criticism is helpful in most instances. However, it becomes harmful when customers have prior engagements or ideas of the worker they are dealing with, and or the company. Not to say this happens a lot, but most of the time, you can when people are complaining just to hear their own voice. 

Fear in the workplace is normalized, especially for service workers. This is an injustice that should be solved. Ma stated, “The first type is reward power, which gives customers the ability to influence commissions through their transactions. The second type is coercive power, which is reflected in the customers' ability to demand changes or make complaints that could affect the service provider.” There is a constant give and take in the service industry. Individuals think that because there is a tip being put down, that implies there is an immediate ownership of the worker when people aren’t to be owned. Language in the workplace is also viewed as an optional responsibility. Many people continue to put down the person they are talking to with no further thought into why they are. The effect has been proven repeatedly and continues to spread wider into people’s actions and views of the service industry. If we want to continue to build these jobs that are viewed as small, we must start to challenge the idea that these jobs aren’t as important. We have the power to dismantle these views and have sat back while people are continuously disregarded. Only when we refuse to continue with the constant neglect of human decency can we build society. 

The rise in attacks and violence against service workers has continued to spike and become more prevalent in daily life. Fish stated, “The number of daily incidents against shop workers rose by 50 per cent to 1,300 last year, compared with the year before, figures suggest.” Violence and abuse have now become a factor in the situation. When someone’s life is at stake, it becomes a matter of utmost seriousness and must be addressed with utmost urgency. If we continue to remain blissfully unaware of the way these workers are being treated, it can only get worse. Many factors can contribute to violence, like understaffing, long wait times, or customers feeling entitled as a whole. But these factors are no excuse for putting someone’s safety at risk. The spike in attacks can lead to workers feeling unsafe, alone, and unheard. People are still people, no matter what position they have in the workplace, and no one should feel insignificant just because they are serving you. Not only is it up to the people to continue to work on their actions, but the employers to take the proper steps towards a safer, inviting environment. 

While people continue to ignore this detrimental problem of people’s safety in service work, it becomes more of an issue. The growing violence is not just a workplace issue but a reflection of how society treats one another as a whole. If we want to continue to grow society, we need to recognize these issues and strive to change them. By acknowledging the problems and treating them head-on on we can work to alleviate them and continue to build on society. Each act of respect or kindness is one step closer to safe environments for the people who break their backs to serve us every day. Educating people on these issues is of utmost importance for service workers’ safety.