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Working at a dairy bar was supposed to be a low-pressure job for 18-year-old student Raychell Campbell.
So when the Kool Breeze Ice Cream Barn employee was berated and sworn at by a customer over the size of their ice cream scoop, Campbell broke down in tears.
“I was just taken back by it because people just don’t typically speak to you like that at an ice cream place,” she said.
“I always figure that people would be happy rather than upset over an ice cream serving… it’s hard to wrap your head around.”
This was one of several incidents young staff at Kool Breeze have dealt with over the past couple weeks, the shop’s management said.
Store manager Chrysta Campbell, who also happens to be Raychell’s older sister, took to social media last week to remind customers to be kind.
“What inspired me to do this was one, just to let my staff know that I have their back, and two, to let everyone else know this is not OK,” she said.
“I feel like there’s a lot more things we could be worried about than the size of our ice cream.”
Campbell’s Facebook post asks customers to think before they speak and to remember that the majority of its staff are teenagers trying their best.
“Kindness, patience and respect cost nothing. Unfortunately entitlement has become too normalized,” she wrote.
‘I feel like there’s a lot more things we could be worried about than the size of our ice cream,’ says Chrysta Campbell, manager at Kool Breeze Ice Cream Barn in Summerside. (Ken Linton/CBC)Costs rise, tensions rise
This is the third season Raychell Campbell has been employed at the dairy barn. She’s worked her way up to shift supervisor, which means she’s the one to hear most of the complaints.
The majority of customer frustrations, she said, revolve around how items are priced and the size of the servings.
This year, management added sizing charts to try to make portions more consistent for customers. But even with these new efforts, Campbell said the complaints kept coming.
Chrysta Campbell said for the most part Kool Breeze has been able to keep costs the same as last season, and some items are even cheaper.
But with factors like the hike in minimum wage and rising costs for machinery and product, some items have seen a small increase.
Janick Cormier, vice-president Atlantic with Restaurants Canada, said the country’s food service industry relies heavily on young staff, noting workers aged 15 to 24 make up about 40 per cent of the country’s food service workforce.
That’s why it’s important young staff feel respected and supported, she said.
“We’re the number one source of first-time jobs in Canada, so if this is their first interaction of what it’s like to be in the workplace, that’s a pretty negative way to start out,” she said.
“I think Canadians need to realize everyone is… doing their job to the best of their abilities… and they deserve to do it in an environment free of harassment.”
Janick Cormier, the vice president Atlantic with Restaurants Canada, says the country’s food service industry relies heavily on young staff, so it’s important they feel respected and supported in the workplace. (Zoom)
Corryn Clemence, the CEO of the Tourism Association of P.E.I., echoed those sentiments, adding that managers play a big role in helping staff feel valued.
“The fact that Kool Breeze did the post and they heard from their staff and are supporting their staff is a great example of how we can support young staff and build them up,” Clemence said.
“It’s understanding that customer and front-line balance and trying to find the blend that works best.”
Corryn Clemence, the CEO of TIAPEI, says management can play a large role in supporting young employees. (Ken Linton/CBC)
Since the post went up, both Raychell and Chrysta Campbell said they have seen improvements in how customers have been treating staff.
Raychell hopes the post will continue to act as a reminder for customers to think twice before they lash out.
“If you could take a step back and think for one moment that if this was your child or grandchild, would you like them to be spoken to that way? Typically the answer would be no.”
Chrysta Campbell said feedback, when respectful, is always welcome. But she urges anyone with complaints to take them to her or other management directly.
Both Campbells said they are grateful for the community’s ongoing support, and said positive customers and comments keep the job sweet.
“The good ones know that they’re the good ones, and that’s what really matters,” Chrysta said.