So, I was out and about on my lunch break yesterday, and I passed an Arby's fast food restaurant. They had a large sign out in front of their location that said:
Arby's! Now Hiring SUPERSTARS!
This floored me. I initially felt several reactions:
1. Was this their idea of how to distinguish themselves while competing for workers? Do they think that someone is going to be thinking to themselves, "Well, I could be a team member at Taco Bell, but why? Why would I want to do that when I can be a SUPERSTAR at Arby's?
2. Is this SUPERSTAR notion a brainchild of corporate or of this particular franchise? I could not find any references to SUPERSTARS on the Arby's website. Does some manager at an Ohio location of Arby's really think that asking for SUPERSTARS is the way to hire quality workers?
3. Are they not aware that a star is the logo for Hardee's? I think Hardee's should sue.
4. Finally, is this what retail is coming to? I have worked in retail, and it's thankless. The trend is to no longer refer to employees as "employees," but rather to veil the fact that they are working too hard for too little in phrases like "team member," "member of the cast" (Disney Stores are fond of that phrasing), or "associates." This trend is a sad attempt at glossy-ing up what happens in fast food and retail, but SUPERSTARS? Beyond "Spelling Superstars" in elementary school, does anyone really want to be called a SUPERSTAR?
I suppose that yes, people would like to be called SUPERSTARS. But beyond athletics and entertainment, does the word SUPERSTAR really fit? I don't think there is a person on earth who would think that shilling roast beef at Arby's is a notch on the ladder of SUPERSTARDOM. Shame on Arby's for thinking anyone would fall for that.
Posted by waking slow at January 22, 2003 04:00 PM