#3 My First Job

Trevor Wiermaa

English 1106

Steve Dalager

My First Job

            My very first job was a cook at Pike Lake Dairy Queen. I was sixteen and working minimum wage at a whopping six dollars and fifteen cents. The people I worked with were friendly and we enjoyed working with each other. I actually looked forward to going to work because the work atmosphere was friendly.

            When I was being trained in there, the staff told me that the overall goal was to satisfy all customers. Unfortunately our goal didn’t always work out as planned. We would have the occasional customer that would come in with a negative attitude. The other staff members were quick to warn me about this type of clientele.

            Pike Lake Dairy Queen is located in a mini-mall. There is a hallway in the back linking all the stores together, along with the bathrooms. One day, while I was working, a guy came out of the Men’s Bathroom and entered into Dairy Queen with an aggravated expression on his face. As soon as he reached the cash register, he asked for the manager. Immediately the cashier summoned the manager on duty, Aftin, who also happened to be one of the sweetest workers there. When Aftin walked up to him, he told her that the bathrooms are grotesque and was in need of servicing. To which Aftin replied, “I’m sorry mister, the bathrooms are not our responsibility” in a gentle and soft voice. Even with this soft spoken attempt by Aftin the customer became enraged. He began to yell at the top of his lungs “I am so fucking pissed! The bathrooms are so fucking nasty; I’m going to call the fucking health department!” In response to this, every one through out Dairy Queen, customers and workers alike, stopped their different activities and provided the unruly customer their undivided attention. At this point the customer was leaning over the counter top, screaming, and pointing his finger at Aftin. No one will soon forget the look on his face before he turned around and stormed out of Dairy Queen. When the situation was finally resolved, talk began to develop about how ridicules the guy looked and that through his whole endeavor he did not accomplish anything major. He only managed to leave Aftin a little shocked and making me decide against ever doing something that ridiculous in my life.