Subculture: Tourists

Mid-August = Limbo. School starts on September 8, so things are weird and stagnant at the moment. The one thing that really keeps me energized (and also takes all of my energy and throws it out the window) is my interaction with summer tourists. By this point it is a huge rarity when I am truly surprised by someone's behavior toward me, the lowly sales associate in the MFA gift shop. There are a few types of customers.

1. The Rich One: A person who is wealthy, drops money as often as possible, and likes to treat you like a member of their staff. For instance making you show a lot of things to them that are not easy to access or put away, or describing in detail what something is made of, how easy it is to break, and where exactly it was made.

2. The Overly Polite: The person who feels like they should consider the feelings of the sales associate, but in doing so makes it obvious that they are trying very hard to be polite in a situation that is not really in need of that much courtesy.

3. The Scientist: This person views the sales associate as a robot that they created for the purpose of being efficient, and should neither talk too much, or be regarded as anything other than a machine.

4. The Therapy Patient: Love this one. These people talk to you because they think it is your job to make them happy, like a therapist. While you have a line of customers coming from every which way, they will find a way to engage you in conversation and not let you out until you are up to HERE with their life complaints/hilarious anecdotes/artistic opinions.

There are certainly more, but these are the main ones that I encounter.

So to clarify: A sales associate is simply a person behind a desk selling you items. Let me emphasize PERSON. Not a member of your staff, a robot, or a therapist. I happen to like my job for the most part, and all in all the different types of customers keep me on my toes and interested. But I still like to be treated like a normal person every once in a while.

I happen to have a relatively good amount of knowledge about the things that we sell in the store, so I am happy to divulge, but there is a point when The Rich One has to figure out that nothing we have is going to satisfy their fantasy dreams of everything in a gift shop being of the best possibly quality (especially in this economy). We do what we can. If you don't like it either get over it, or go somewhere else.

Also the Overly Polite is not really a problem, just amusing. It becomes kind of a contest to see who can include the most "pleases" "thank-yous" "you're welcomes" "have a nice days" and so on. It is again a problem of feeling like I am not being treated like a normal human being though. If I was one of their work relations, friends etc, they would probably not be doing that.

"Yes, how may I help you?" was not programmed into me. "Are you a member of the museum?" certainly was. So I'll give that at least to the Scientist. Maybe it is just because I naturally smile at people as I pass them on the street that I am so fascinated by people who refuse to do the same. They go out of their way, it seems, to avoid friendly contact. All I can say to that is "What the hell are you doing shopping at Faneuil Hall??" This is the biggest tourist spot in Boston, meaning there are lots of people that must be encountered. Hmmm....

And ohhhh the Therapy Patient. My favorite example is from a week or two ago when a woman called me and asked about the exhibits on display in the museum. Before long by some weird twist in the planets I was being informed about her reaction to her brother's death, and how her mother never loved her right. Half an hour later I had NO WORDS and she finally thought it was a good time to end our session. I should have gotten her address. Then I could have sent her a bill.

Just stick to the Golden Rule people. Treat others as you want to be treated...Unless that is what you are already doing...in which case...oh man.