I am getting sick of many companies referring to their employees as associates! As an example I have called companies where I have been put on hold and while waiting I have heard the following ridicoulous statement: 'all of our associates are busy assisting other customers - please stay on the line and an associate will soon assist you'. What is wrong with the term 'Customer Service Representative'? Places like Wal-Mart and the HomeDepot like to call their employees associates. The other part of my gripe is why do many retailers refer to their customers as 'guests'? I am of the old school where I may be a guest in a hotel, a patron in a restaurant but in a hardware store or a department store to have 'associates serving guests' seems to me to be too politically correct. Are they trying to placate minimum wage employees by giving them titles but no real pay and elevating the status of the people they are dealing with the patronizing title of guest?
2006-11-23 14:18:56 · 7 answers · asked by ballard770 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
to make them sound politically correct at this time and age.
2006-11-23 14:25:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's got nothing to do with political correctness and more to do with how employees are seen. Employee has an ownership and responsibility-to feeling to it. Like a company actually owes them good pay and benefits. Associates feels more loosely aligned to companies who want no real responsibility to their people and want to reinforce the right to fire at will.
2016-05-18 16:00:54 · answer #2 · answered by DSH 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
political corectness. companies dont want you to know that you are just a cog in the machine or a warm body to fill their needs. they want you to feel like you make a difference so they call you something to make you feel better. id rather them call me a retard, jut give me some more cash.
stores call you guests because it sounds better than stupid m.f.'s wasting their cash on this crap we sell here.
2006-11-23 17:14:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You're right. Companies are coming up with new stupid languages that they expect their employees to learn. It's all confusing and doesn't help much of anything.
2006-11-23 15:38:09 · answer #4 · answered by Reba K 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you. I think the management of these places attend leadership and management forums and buy into whatever the latest buzz words are. Worst of all, they expect customers to buy into this baloney.
2006-11-23 14:38:03 · answer #5 · answered by ValleyViolet 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
associates sounds better than 'slaves' or 'workers' and guests sounds better than 'customers' . it doesn't sound like the association is about them handing over their money to the associates.
2006-11-23 15:08:01 · answer #6 · answered by heyrobo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a question of mind over matter. The companys don't mind and you don't matter.
2006-11-23 15:11:13 · answer #7 · answered by bullet head 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋