Mesmer

Mesmer (Gender Anonymous)

A Mesmer are those who are apart of the foodcrew employed by a card house. The primary role of a Mesmer is to ensure customer well being. In addition to this, Mesmers are often tasted with service duties of taking on the tasks of a host, server, and/or busser as a secondary responsibility. 

Mesmer/Mestress (Gender Specific)

Mestress is a female Mesmer and a Mesmer is a male or gender neutral Mesmer.

Etymology

The term Mesmer was created by Arena.Net, they originally created the name for their series Guild Wars and based the name off of Franz Mesmer. The job class in the game differs greatly from its real life counter part. Ranking titles were created for the purpose of the Card House business model which was first written by "Eclipse Knights L.L.C."

History

The role of a Mesmer derives itself from the ever attentive maid from japanese maid cafes, but has more socially direct involvement with the customer and little to no concentration on entertainment performance.  Additionally the job of a Mesmer revolves around the well being of a customer while at the card house more than those of a maid cafe. Mesmers at a card house collectively form a foodcrew, however sometimes double up as a host, server, or busser.

Duties

The majority of a mesmer duties are well being related. A mesmer first welcomes a customer into the card house, checks to see if customers need any further explanation of services given at a card house.

People who become Mesmer/Mestress's tend to be interested in the sections of Psychology, Sociology and/or Counseling that are related to Romantic Relationships, Family Life, Self Esteem issues, and/or assisting friends in developing problem solving skills and teaching them the value of seeking help.

Mesmers act with great care and concern for their customers. They usually check on the customers well being to a near extreme. Mesmers would be known for being an active listener who helps customers with advice while making them feel good about themselves, they are their cheer leaders not their critics. Some Mesmers will display that they care about the customer by appreciating them with small gifts and emphasizing the customers importance to other people when the customer makes positive change in their life. Mesmers have an option and are also suggested to use alternate names while at work and interracting with customers. It is forbidden for them to talk about themselves in intimate detail. It is also against the rules to touch clients in anyway other than hugging.

Account Check In

If a Mesmer is requested to sociallize they first check to see if there is an account which has signed the legal papers in print or digitally of not holding the mesmer or cardhouse responsible for the customers actions taken outside or inside the card house from the given meeting of mesmer and customer.

Food ID Card

Customers can speed up the process by having a Food ID Card. A Food ID Card keeps track of information on the customer buying habbits, money spent, and rewards. Those who have Food ID Cards to speed up the process are usually rewarded with discounted services and special event freebies.

Any diagnosed problems must be reported before starting a conversation with a mesmer. If a customer does have a diagnosed problem the mesmer will notify them that a mesmer is no replacement for a licensed professional psychotherapist.

Conversation

Once the customer account has been checked the mesmer sits down and talks about the basic list of things which may effect a customers well being. Some of these consist of

• Daily Living: This is a broad subject which the Mesmer usually will ask a customer about their daily, weekly, and monthly routine works. Questions as if it is always spontaneous or is it planned.
• Social Activity: This is to check on the social health about a customer. The social activity of a customer is important, because basic skills to have social activity include reciprocation, communication, and interests. It is very common that a customer has no social no how and thats the reason they went to a mesmer in the first place.
• Stress Management: This section checks on how the person manages their emotions. Its common for a mesmer to suggest different outlets of emotion to the customer. Some of these outlets may include physical training, entertainment, and/or creative hobbies. Stress management has alot to do with engaging the mind and getting it away from thinking about an event which is causing a person stress.
• Physical Health: This section checks to see if the customer is eating a diet which doesnt consist of only fast food or junk food. The food the person eats may tell the mesmer about the Physical Health or a possibility of depression. People who do not excersize in their schedules may feel sluggish, lazy, and have a tendency to lean towards more indoor activity.
• Work Health: This section checks the persons social situation in the work place and out the work place. Stress from work can accumilate if it is too much of a burden. The section of Work Health often times is related with Stress Management and Social Activity.
• Appearance: This section checks on the Fashion, Hygiene, and overall appearance of the person. Appearance is mentioned because of its power to open doors for you because of peoples unspoken dresscode standards, and how appearance effects self esteem.

While keeping conversation with the customer they must keep an open ear to any unusual decisions, conditions, and situation to best assist a customer. In the job description as well as in the training it is shown that listening and being supportive is the most important thing a Mesmer can do to help a customer, since the only one who can change the situation is the customer themselves. Being an active listener takes some patience since the Mesmer would show they are listening by asking a number of questions to figure out more about how the customer feels about the situation and then what they think about it. The mesmer also includes the reason they are asking the question to the customer, so the customer doesn't feel offended. Often times it is necessary to encourage the other person by telling them why its positive and why its necessary to share the information about their feelings.

They assist with brain storming and suggestions of possible decisions the customer could make to better their situation. In the topic of solving the problem it is customary to let the customer ahead of time that it is not what they want to hear, and that the customer may disagree and if the customer gives the Mesmer permission to help the customer through generate possible courses of action and why they might work.

Encouraging the customer to build relationships with a core group of friends, basic friend support system, and getting closer with family is suggested to help the customers self esteem. It is usually explained that normally a person may not say they are feeling all the stress you are by telling them about it if it is not divided among many individuals, but Mesmers explain why this happens and why its important to have groups of friends and family backing you up as well as a Mesmer.

They then must do an analogy to communicate with the customer to get the point across. Sometimes if a problem revealed by the customer is on the topics of actual suicide and not just emphasis on a topic of being overly dramatic, anger management problems, mass phobias, schizophrenia, alzheimers, drug addiction, or just the feeling that it is outside the basic social problem a friend could normally help you with a mesmer is to help direct a customer to a psychologist. If a Mesmer is to spot that a customer is going to them instead in place of a licenced psychologist they will tell the customer that a Mesmer is not a replacement for a licensed professional.

All the service between being served food and drink is called Dining Social Service.

Cost of Service

The fees start with 5$ for an hour of time with a mesmer per party of one to four, and 10$ for each hour after the first.

Mesmers provide services to ensure that all customers in the card house can leave with a better sense of whats going on and hopefully with a smile. For this reason, a mesmer cannot spend all their time with one customer the whole time they are there. If you plan to have an extended conversation its best to ask when things are slow.

Ranking & Training Stages

Waiting Staff Ranking

Mesmers in training are called Mezers for males and Mestess for the female. They get half the service fees of a Full Fledged Mesmer. Mezer/Mestess's will start on the job as a Busser, the one who cleans up the plates. They may not participate at a social level until they reach the position of Server. Mezer/Mestess's generally work at a card house. They learn from an assigned Mesmer conversation and caring skills which would not be taught to them in the school system. The assigned Mesmer teaches the Mezer/Mestess everything about working in the card house. They teach casual conversation, positive verbal reinforcement, and playing the most popular TCG/CCGs.

This stage can last a number of years till the Mezer/Mestess gets their Service Entertainement Certification from the Entertainment Service Ranking Table (ESRT).

Full Fledged Mesmer

Full Fledged Mesmers gain the title of Mesmer. Their time is more valuable and thus is twice the service fees of a Mesmer in Training. Mesmier is a male Mesmer, and the female a Mestress. They must have a thorough understanding of a variety of social problems such as depression, anxiety, stress, grief, loss, eating disorders, body image, and trauma.

Meaning

Overlying Meaning (Stereotype)

Many view Mesmers as a lesser counselor or a payed friend. Someone who is just listening to someone elses problems and pretending to be there for them.

Far Meaning (Job Definition)

As people learn a bit more of a definition they see what is written in writing. A title which people follow pre-written rules of Showing Concern, Active Listening, and Positive Advice. Helping people who are in need of someones company and help. Some of those clients maybe people who have no close family and/or friends. It isn't uncommon that the motivations of a Mesmer maybe driven by a Dream, Financial Obligation, Family Tradition, and/or Prestige.

Closer Meaning (Real Meaning)

When you effect someone, change their life, and have appreciation to be shown... even if its as little as making them feel better. You may notice that you have changed their feelings. That feeling of change can make you feel appreciated, proud, and/or needed. Which then brings more beauty to the title.

The Mesmer system was founded to promote the emotional independence and economic self-sufficiency of fantasy geeks. 

Uniforms and Presentation

The uniforms are based off of a mix of Rinascimento fashion and the original designs from Guild Wars.

Reflecting the rinascimento history of a mesmer, many uniforms have a strong library fashion with hats, tailored lines, elegent ruffles, high boots, and sometimes gloves. Mesmers are expected to show a high level of personal grooming such as appropriate use of cosmetics to show their personal hygiene as something desirable. The reason being that people are more likely to listen to someone they look up to. Mesmers cannot have any tattoos visible when a uniform is worn. These requirements are designed to give the card house a positive representation.

Controversy