Are People Labeled by the Work Uniforms They Wear? by Josh Stone

Is it fair to associate the fact that staff members belonging in the service industry and who wear a work uniform deliver service below par? Consider a simple example of a fast food restaurant. Chances are that you've been at the receiving end of some bad service at some point in time. Is it then fair to assume that work uniform wearers of certain professions are simply tagged as a warning sign that they will not deliver? A controversial subject indeed; but one worth exploring to find out the root cause.

To fully understand why you received bad service, you will also need to consider other factors influencing the situation. Perhaps the person serving you was new at his job. Maybe he was on training and was not able to perform without assistance. His being new may have also prompted him to react in a panic when confronted with a tense situation. Perhaps he had his hands full at the time and was trying to do several things at once. There could be several other factors that influenced his actions on the day you had problems. Even extending as far as arguments at home or with partners.

The important part to consider here is the fact that the above factors could arise in any situation. Whether it is in the fast food service or in a legal firm, these are all valid factors that can definitely influence the outcome of the situation. A person wearing a suit to work could be just as likely to make a mistake as someone in a work uniform in the service industry. It may have nothing whatsoever to do with the individual, the uniform or the clothes he wears; it just could be a bad day.

You may wonder, however, that this type of bad situation is more common in service industries and not so common elsewhere. You may ask why the person in the fast food restaurant wasn't automatically able to cope with a tough situation. Wouldn't someone else handle it better. The truth is that a lot is dependent on the individual. You can have similar individuals across several different industries. It largely depends on individuals who are hired to do the job.

Again, a lot of factors govern why this is the reality. The real issue here is the fact that it has nothing to do with being branded as incapable just because you wear a work uniform. The work uniform itself has little to do with this fact, rather than to actually brand you as belonging to a specific company or team. So the next time you are faced with a bad situation, consider all the factors before making generalizations.