"Do we celebrate these steadfast retail and hospitality professionals? Not anymore. In fact, should they dare to fail to meet our pre-pandemic expectations, we might hit them with an 'I want to speak to the manager.'"

"There was a palpable tension every time the front door swung open. Greeting each newcomer felt like attempting to defuse a bomb."

Josie Morales doesn't regret joking about a customer’s very elaborate Frappuccino order, saying “I feel like it brought some light upon how crazy orders can be.”

Telecommuting tends to be a luxury for higher earners. The nature of service jobs, in particular, can make it impossible.