One thing that is more bothersome than anything else when entering a retail store is a crowd of employees doing nothing. When I enter a store, be it Walmart or Radio Shack, I expect to be greeted and served. Not asking too much, considering that is what the associates are being paid to do.

Yet, there seems to be a nation wide trend of Retail and Restaurant employees that think their paychecks are for social loafing--that their sole purpose for being in their uniform, at their assigned post, in their assigned store is to make friends and thereby make plans for after their shift. It is time Americans stand up and tell them they are wrong.

While walking up to a local Walmart's customer service desk a few weeks ago, I was awe struck by what my eyes beheld. Seven--yes I counted--seven employees standing behind the service desk talking, loafing and in general doing nothing. There were four people in the line when I walked up--then five--10 minutes later there was a 20 foot line stretching back towards the sales floor and still, behind the desk sat those employees, not helping the customers they were being paid to service. Do you know what these employees were doing? They were organizing the night's returns. Not helping the customers that patronized their location so they could have jobs that funded their families.

Restaurants aren't much better. I went to a Bennigan's two weeks ago with my wife and had such wretched service; I have vowed never to return. You see, the servers at Bennigan's forgot a simple rule of customer service--when the customer needs something, you stop what you are doing and attend to their needs. Sounds simple, right? Yet, while my wife and I waited nearly thirty minutes to be acknowledged and brought drinks, there were the employees finishing their closing responsibilities--at 7:00 p.m.--the restaurant did not close until midnight.

Now I have about 10 years of retail experience. My wife--she is a retail manager at a very well known store. Why is it that the customer service that I was asked--no demanded to give to the patrons in my store is not in turn demanded of associates at places that my family frequents? It is deplorable that these individuals are give jobs--jobs that pay money--just because a store needs to fill positions with warm bodies.

I could go on for an eternity about poor service from places like Pizza Hut, Meijer, Old Navy, The gap and the like, but instead I want to issue a mandate to the masses. If you need to work--work. Earn the money that your employer is giving you. If not, you are a crook--a common thief. You are no better than a shoplifter. You are stealing money from your boss that he is giving you for a service. If you do not perform the specified service, then what is the money going for? Incompetence.

Jeff Petermann