By Alexis Schlesinger
Editorial Staff
I started working at the student transportation center (STC) here at Framingham State University in March 2024.
My job is fairly simple. I either have to drive the bus and be friendly, or answer the phone and be friendly. Sometimes I have a little bit of paperwork.
I love my job. Most of the time.
I would say this job qualifies as customer service, and during my time here I’ve noticed there is a considerable lack of “something” from many of my classmates who use our services.
It’s unclear if it’s a lack of respect, manners, or just general social awareness. Whatever it may be, it’s extremely frustrating.
Myself and my coworkers consistently get calls demanding rides. No “please” or “thank you.” If a bus doesn’t come within 3-5 minutes people get angry. People call with questions that can be answered by signs and schedules plastered all over our bus stops, and are quick to hang up.
Students need to remember that we student workers are students, then workers.
This doesn’t just go for the STC. This goes for how you treat the IT workers, the SDAs, and your RAs. This goes for admissions workers giving tours and the students who work in the CIE. This goes for the students who tutor you at CASA, your peer leaders, and all the students who run FSU’s social media accounts.
There are countless students around you who work jobs to keep this campus running. You likely interact with multiple student workers every day, whether it is at their place of work or just in passing.
Your attitude towards student workers matters.
Being kind will not only make their life easier and more pleasant, but will likely result in you getting what you need more efficiently.
It only takes a couple extra seconds to make your request more palatable. I can’t speak for other services on campus, but if you’re requesting a ride from the STC, it’s pretty simple.
“Hi, can I please have a ride from [location] to [location]?”
We get way too many calls saying things like:
“When are you sending the next bus to [location]?”
We’ve even gotten a few calls simply saying:
“Union.”
Followed by the student immediately hanging up.
It helps if before calling or going in person to speak with student-run campus services to try to take the time to look for other resources - either written or online - to answer your question. Oftentimes, answers are readily available.
While student workers are typically happy to answer your questions - as it is part of our job - it can be frustrating to receive the same questions every single day, especially since there are many students who aren’t polite about it. It’s almost the end of the semester and the STC still receives daily calls asking about information we have posted at every bus stop, on our Instagram, the FSU website, and above our desk in the McCarthy Center.
As student workers, our services are readily available, but it is impossible to provide instant gratification. There are so many other students on this campus who need these services just the same as yourself. Please remember to have patience when requesting services from student workers.
Heavily requested services like IT and the STC are not at your beck and call. If it takes more than a few minutes for your request to be met, our student workers are likely helping other people.
Student workers are also your classmates. Other 18-to-22 year old students, most are likely working these jobs to get themselves through college. I can’t say we’re perfect. Some of us have bad days, or work 6-8 hour shifts, and may not be as friendly as we should be. Try to be considerate if you have a poor experience with a student worker. One interaction does not represent the person or their job as a whole.
Take the extra five seconds to be kind to student workers. Think about how much longer things would take without them.