Having been a member of the workforce for five months, I would say I have vast experience and I consider myself an expert in all things work related. This past summer I got a job at Domino’s. And no, not the one on Cypress Creek, but instead the super sketchy one on Bell Blvd. In my long time spent working one thing is for sure, having a job has definitely taught me some valuable things.

You know the saying “The customer is always right”?  Whoever said that has obviously never worked in the customer service industry. They should really change it to “The customer always THINKS they are right.”  For example, once a lady called Domino’s saying that we ruined her cinnamon twists and insists that the cinnamon topping was supposed to be put on before the dough went in the oven. Not only is that not a part of Domino’s policy, but it can also be compared to putting ketchup on a hotdog before grilling it. It’s unheard of. Similarly shocking, I once received a call from a man claiming he had found a toenail in his pizza. The likelihood of finding a toenail in your pizza is slim to none because not only do we wear shoes at all times, but we also don’t just go around clipping nails on the job. Despite the impossibility of some peoples claims, they continue to come up with the strangest stories.

Not only can customers be very wrong, they can also be very frustrating. There was a guy who called the store on a Thursday night asking me how many slices are cut in a medium pizza. Already knowing the answer and doing a quick mental slicing check in my head, I proceeded to tell the man that there are eight slices. He responds “okay” and finishes up with his order. After checking with him to make sure I put in the right thing, he asks me a second time how many slices are cut in a medium pizza. Again I respond with the answer eight, knowing full well that it is correct. Thinking that he was fine with that answer I go on to tell him his total when I hear on the other end of the line “Are you sure?” I respond yes and then tell him his total again, but instead of answering the question of whether or not he wants to pay with cash or card he tells me “I think you should go and ask someone else how many slices come on a medium pizza because I don’t know if you know.” By this point I was pretty annoyed, but I went and asked a coworker anyway. Low and behold a medium pizza has, you guessed it, eight slices. 

Another thing I have learned from having a job is to expect the unexpected. One night around eight o’clock, I was cleaning up a bit, when I heard a phone call from the front of the store. So, naturally, I went to answer it. Picking up the phone, I said the usual spiel, “Thank you for choosing Dominos, is the order for delivery or carry out?” I was surprised to hear a child’s voice answer back. She said, “It’s for delivery but I don’t know my address. Let me ask my mom.” Over the line I heard her mom start taking to her in confusion wanting to know why she needed to give her address. Then while I was still on the line, the mom discovered that her young daughter was trying to order pizza… without her knowing. Suddenly I heard the little girl yell to her mom “I DON’T WANT your lasagna, I want PIZZA!” Of course the mom said no and the little girl started crying. I sat there awkwardly, wondering whether or not to hang up until eventually they hung up on me. 

Perhaps the best lesson learned from having a job though, is that making mistakes is okay as long as you take ownership for them and learn from them. Over the course of my Dominos career, I have made several mistakes. I have accidentally put the wrong toppings on the wrong pizza, burnt sides and many other things. In each case I admitted my mistake, fixed the error and made great effort to not do it again. This lesson is one that I first learned during my babysitting years when I may or may not have set some chicken nuggets on fire resulting in a lot of smoke and a melted plate.

Calling myself an expert might have been a stretch, but my work as a pizza artist has definitely increased my skill set. Although jobs can be frustrating, they also have their rewards such as pizza discounts and funny memories to laugh about later.