Groupon Starts Today

My company is running a six month long Groupon, which starts today.  I can't imagine anyone not knowing what Groupon is, but from the customer's point of view, it’s a great deal for food/services/adventures/products that you would likely not buy without said Groupon.  I know tons of people who use Groupon on a regular basis.  There was once a time where I also used Groupon or Living Social…but I haven’t been that person in a long time.

Here is Groupon from the perspective of someone who has to work it:  you get a mad rush of people, at least half of whom have not remotely read what they’re buying, so they try to get something the deal does not offer and get irritated or mad, and not uncommonly start to (I’m not exaggerating) scream or cry.  Of the people who buy the Groupon, probably about 22% are regular customers who are just excited for the deal, 8% are people who haven’t heard of us or wanted to try us and will come back without a Groupon, and 70% are people who only come in when they get a Groupon. 

Of that 70% of Groupies, 20% of people are nice and excited, 20% are quiet and seemingly uncaring about it, and 60% of the people are unreasonable monsters.  They want something other than the deal they bought, and cannot BEGIN to understand why you cannot make an exception for them!  I have been yelled at and cussed at. More times than I could begin to count I am told I am terrible at my job, a horrible human being and they were going to do their best to make sure my boss knew how worthless I am and hopefully I would get fired. I have been told that I am heartless and I have destroyed so many anniversaries/parties/dinners/etc, one would think I would make a living off of it.  The thing is, I’m truly not exaggerating.  Roughly 42% of the people that I’ve dealt with over the last 3 ½ years of Groupons make me HATE my job on so many days and are a huge contributed as to how much more of an unhappy person I am these days.

Anyone who has ever worked in the service industry knows that it can be a really hard, thankless job sometimes. People treat you as something subhuman or not even worth their notice. They can be demanding, ridiculous and just plain rude.  You can work your butt off to try to please a customer and they leave you a 10% tip because “they can’t afford to tip.”  (A quick aside: if you can’t afford to tip, you shouldn’t be eating out, but I’ll leave that rant for another day.)  Groupon is a whole other circle of Hell.  There is something about it that just brings out the worst in people. It gives them a sense of entitlement that allows them to treat people in a completely uncivilized and sometimes downright cruel manor.  It’s not just me, in case the thought was crossing your mind. I’ve talked to countless food industry people who have had to work it, and it’s just plain miserable. I have not yet run across anyone who has had to work a Groupon who has had a positive experience. Not one person.

Like I (briefly) mentioned, the other 58% of people who come in with a Groupon are just fine.  Some are actually amazing and so incredibly excited!  Often times, however, that 42% of terrible people just overshadow the good.

When I learned we would be doing yet another Groupon, I honestly started to wring up my resignation letter.  I opened Craigslist and started looking for new jobs.  The thing is that outside of Groupon, I (mostly) really like my job.  I work with great people and pretty much have complete creative control to do whatever I want. I work five minutes from my house, and my regulars are awesome.  I have an amazing set up at work, one which would be really difficult to find elsewhere, but I have had so, so many miserable experiences with Groupon that it poisons what’s good.

I had committed to starting the Positivity Project and written my first entry at Be Happy Anyway just one week before I found out about the impending Groupon.  I wasn’t sure if it was a sign that it was time for me to move on and find a new job, or if God was sending me a challenge to see if I’d put my money where my mouth was.  I don’t know that I’m really up for the challenge at this point. I would prefer it come along a few months in, when I had changed more of my habits and was better able to leave the bad days at work behind when I went home.  I do not apparently get that luxury; I’m going to just have to dive head first and hope I’m able to swim.

What’s the saying? “Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.”  How do you prepare for the worst in people while you’re trying to be less hateful, less judgmental, more understanding and more positive?  I’m going to try to go into today with an open mind and an honest smile on my face.  Maybe we won’t have our first mean person for several days, and it will be easier to keep the smile from becoming fake.  Maybe people will be more self-aware of how they’re acting and how they’re treating people over baked goods, and the 42% will become 12%.  I don’t know. 

I’ve got my Groupon playlist on my ipod blaring songs that put me in a good mood and make me want to sing and dance along. I’m taking a deep breath and sending up a few prayers for strength, patience and understanding.  I guess I’m ready to accept the challenge.  Wish me luck!

“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway….  If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.  Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.”