[Linganth] Re: "There's no way to ask for that".

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Reminds me of "You can't get there from here."

HS

On Tue, 1 Feb 2005, GABRIELLA MODAN wrote:

> "There's no way to ask for that". That's excellent. My students are reading Deborah Cameron's article "Styling the Worker" next week, and I will definitely use that example.
>
> Galey
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: thporcello at vassar.edu
> Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2005 11:44 am
> Subject: Re: [Linganth] Substitute x for y
>
> >
> > Don't forget, though, that much of this inflexibility is
> > technologized;orders are linked to programmed buttons on cash
> > register keypads, which in
> > turn are linked to computers that display orders on screens for
> > food preps
> > and window staff.  The buttons are NOT infinitely flexible; the most
> > common orders/substitutions/omissions get programmed in (and
> > learned via
> > repetition; and note how with rapid employess turnover, knowing
> > how to
> > handle "exceptions" will be continually problematic).  So in
> > addition to
> > any linguistic interference that may exist, there is the
> > difficulty of
> > knowing (or rather, NOT knowing) how to handle an order for which
> > there is
> > no pre-assigned button.
> >
> > (This observation from repeated encounters in drive-throughs where
> > a wheat
> > allergy necessitated the order, "Cheeseburger, no bun."  One could
> > almosthear the sound of brains overheating as eyes and fingers
> > searched, with
> > inevitable fultility, for the "No Bun" button.  Seriously, though,
> > almostnever could this order be processed without calling over a
> > manager to
> > figure out how to enter the order into the register system, and
> > severaltimes I received the comment, "There's no way to ask for
> > that.")
> > Tom
> >
> > > Lack of flexibility seems to be central to how fastfood workers are
> > > trained.  I think in 'Fast Food Nation' Schlosser goes into the
> > robotic> nature of working at fastfood establishments, among other
> > adverse working
> > > conditions (such as those reported by a member of a workers movement
> > > related to another famous fastfood chain on this site:
> > > http://www.mwr.org.uk/mcjobs.htm)
> > >
> > > I have had many a frustrating experience with special orders at
> > various> fastfood places.  Now I'm starting to wonder if this is
> > could be related
> > > to an emphasis by management on the routine of the service
> > encounter in
> > > these places.
> > >
> > > Francis
> > >
> >
> > --
> > T.G. Porcello
> > Assistant Professor, Anthropology
> > Vassar College
> >
> >
>
>
>