"Too stupid to work"

The Cynical Girl asks...

As a responsible Human Resources professional, I want to smack the shit out of the parents and teachers who raise such dumb and slow-witted kids.  

[...]

What happens to them?

Where do they work?

Short answer:  With me.

But I kid.

I can't answer her questions.  But I do fear for what the workplace is going to look like when these kids start entering the professional workforce.  It's been a topic of conversation among many of my colleagues.  And we're all a bit worried.

I have to say, though, that it isn't just (or even) about stupidity.  A lot of it has to do with attitude.  When I was a teenager (and we're talking about the late 80s, early 90s, here), every job I had came with a boss that beat the value of good customer service into our heads.  I don't think that happens nearly as much anymore.  Hell, I've gotten horrible service and when I asked to speak to the manager it turned out that it was the manager serving me!

And whenever I've complained about it, I've ended up getting responses not much unlike the Cynical Girl got:

Yeah yeah yeah..I got your number, Laurie. Rooting around in your damn purse to pay at the last second after standing in line 10 minutes, handing out 17 pennies, 5 nickels, and 1 dime as though you’re doing the cashier a favor, paying by check, for god’s sake..who uses checks anymore? Wanting double bags after the stuff is already bagged, holding up the line, insisting the price was $1.07 per can and NOT $1.08 and can someone go check RIGHT NOW because I know I’m right about the price, and yeah do you want that separate means separate bags and you should know that so get with the program, please. And what? This line is 10 items or less? Oh, I’m sorry..I’ve already unloaded 67 items so I guess everybody else has to suffer. You want stupid? Spend time on the OTHER side at the cash register, I’ll show you stupid.

People actually defend this crap.  And they're part of the problem.

I don't know how to fix these people once they're broken.  But I'm against enabling them, to the point of simply refusing to employ them.  Maybe that will at least serve as an example to the next generation.