The Spar next to Shanowen Square

Dragons Revenge

Am I the only one who thinks the customer service is rather spotty? Most of them are decent, but there's two or three there that are just rude as hell.

Maybe it's just me.

*shadow*

Couldn't agree more!! I avoid going in there..don't want to give my money to them when they can't even manage a smile. I've noticed they're more friendly to non-student looking folk though!!

Dragons Revenge

*shadow* wrote: »

Couldn't agree more!! I avoid going in there..don't want to give my money to them when they can't even manage a smile. I've noticed they're more friendly to non-student looking folk though!!

I noticed that. They're all nice and chatty with the little old lady, but then when a younger person comes up they're like "F- you let's just get this over with"

Benny Lava

I have not noticed this.

The staff I have dealt with haven't been rude, one even told me "you can get a free bottle of water with that chicken roll".

Ice87

The people working there can't be as rude as one particular person working on the till in the DCU Spar. No hello or thanks just give me your money as quick as you can!!Now gtfo

I don't know how somebody can hate their job that much and still work there for years.

manlad

There's a woman that works behind the till most mornins she kinda looks like a manager or sumthin but she is the most ignornant person in the place. she snaps the money and throws the change back in ur face and has a face on her like a well slapped arse most of the time. The guys that work there in he evenings are pretty sound considerin all the **** they have to put up with at the weekend with all the local skangs hangin about the shop. was in it one day and sum wee cuint came in and started throwin eggs at them

Dragons Revenge

manlad wrote: »

There's a woman that works behind the till most mornins she kinda looks like a manager or sumthin but she is the most ignornant person in the place. she snaps the money and throws the change back in ur face and has a face on her like a well slapped arse most of the time. The guys that work there in he evenings are pretty sound considerin all the **** they have to put up with at the weekend with all the local skangs hangin about the shop. was in it one day and sum wee cuint came in and started throwin eggs at them

Yeah, she doesn't work very well under pressure. The worst one is the scrawny one with the tat on her neck.

Stev_o

Ice87 wrote: »

The people working there can't be as rude as one particular person working on the till in the DCU Spar. No hello or thanks just give me your money as quick as you can!!Now gtfo

I don't know how somebody can hate their job that much and still work there for years.

I know the guy your on about, complete asshole, doesn't even tell you how much you owe just sticks his hand out.

hardybuck

Stev_o wrote: »

I know the guy your on about, complete asshole, doesn't even tell you how much you owe just sticks his hand out.

Yeah the guy is an ass. When I go to him I just look at him until he tells me the price. When he gives me my change I take ages leaving as well. All part of my plan to really annoy him.

phantom_lord

is the dcu bar/spar closed at the weekend?

Dragons Revenge

phantom_lord wrote: »

is the dcu bar/spar closed at the weekend?

The bar's open, but the Spar closes super early; I think like 3 or something

*shadow*

*shadow* wrote: »

Couldn't agree more!! I avoid going in there..don't want to give my money to them when they can't even manage a smile. I've noticed they're more friendly to non-student looking folk though!!

Ice87 wrote:

The people working there can't be as rude as one particular person working on the till in the DCU Spar. No hello or thanks just give me your money as quick as you can!!Now gtfo

You're not in Spar to make friends, you're there to (presumably) buy food. It's a simple transaction: you give us money, we give you what you took off the shelf.

Can you imagine working there every day for years? Would you be capable of being polite and smiling at every single customer? :pac:

I think I prefer the rude ones. They don't pretend to like what they're doing, and I don't have to pretend to be grateful for ability to press a few buttons on a cash register and count money. Everyone wins. :pac:

Dragons Revenge

Deleted User wrote: »

You're not in Spar to make friends, you're there to (presumably) buy food. It's a simple transaction: you give us money, we give you what you took off the shelf.

Can you imagine working there every day for years? Would you be capable of being polite and smiling at every single customer? :pac:

I think I prefer the rude ones. They don't pretend to like what they're doing, and I don't have to pretend to be grateful for ability to press a few buttons on a cash register and count money. Everyone wins. :pac:

We also don't go there to be treated like crap by someone who hates their job. You don't like standing behind a counter dealing with people, get another job. I've been at my job for 7 years, and yeah I'm not a fan of it, but I don't let my mood show through and make other people feel like sh*t.

Dragons Revenge

Dragons Revenge wrote: »

We also don't go there to be treated like crap by someone who hates their job.

Not engaging in social pleasantries does not mean they treat you like crap. If they openly insulted you, then you would have a right to complain. They do their jobs perfectly well: they stack shelves and take your money.

Dragons Revenge wrote:

You don't like standing behind a counter dealing with people, get another job. I've been at my job for 7 years, and yeah I'm not a fan of it, but I don't let my mood show through and make other people feel like sh*t.

I doubt someone who spends years working in a shop has the skills necessary to procure a job which is less soul-crushing, especially with today's "socio-economic climate". I can think of no reason why they should care enough to pretend to like serving you.

Anyway, if it actually makes you feel like sh*t, I think you have deeper concerns than the disposition of a Spar cashier...

Ice87

Deleted User wrote: »

Not engaging in social pleasantries does not mean they treat you like crap. If they openly insulted you, then you would have a right to complain. They do their jobs perfectly well: they stack shelves and take your money.

I doubt someone who spends years working in a shop has the skills necessary to procure a job which is less soul-crushing, especially with today's "socio-economic climate". I can think of no reason why they should care enough to pretend to like serving you.

Anyway, if it actually makes you feel like sh*t, I think you have deeper concerns than the disposition of a Spar cashier...

Still in exam mode with this type of smack talk I take it?:rolleyes:

Without going into the economics of how a shop is run(thanks for explaining that to everyone), I think the problem is that when your handing over money you expect some type of acknowlegment. Just tell me how much I owe or say hello or something. It's like dealing with a robot.

Ice87

Ice87 wrote: »

Without going into the economics of how a shop is run(thanks for explaining that to everyone)

You're welcome. Nobody here seemed to understand how a shop works, what with expectations of forced politeness. I'm glad I could help people learn.

Ice87 wrote:

I think the problem is that when your handing over money you expect some type of acknowlegment. Just tell me how much I owe or say hello or something. It's like dealing with a robot.

I agree that they should definitely tell you how much you owe them.

If people really do feel like sh*t because of the shop workers, why does nobody say anything to them? Stand up for yourselves.

Nanaki

Have you ever worked in retail?

Have you had to stand a till for 8 hours?

Have you had to deal with the absolute idiocy that the general public is so fond of displaying while assuming they couldn't possibly be wrong?

If yes, then cut them some slack.

If no, then stop whining and be grateful there's people there to keep the shop running while tell them what you want so you can stuff your cakehole.

Believe it or not, it can actually make a difference when someone is nice to you, speaks to you, smiles, or just seems human.
Don't complain about them being robots when all you're doing is shoving what you want at them.
Working on a till, someone treating you as a human being, makes it alot easier to be nice to them and try to engage them.

hardybuck

Nanaki wrote: »

Have you ever worked in retail?

Have you had to stand a till for 8 hours?

Have you had to deal with the absolute idiocy that the general public is so fond of displaying while assuming they couldn't possibly be wrong?

If yes, then cut them some slack.

If no, then stop whining and be grateful there's people there to keep the shop running while tell them what you want so you can stuff your cakehole.

Believe it or not, it can actually make a difference when someone is nice to you, speaks to you, smiles, or just seems human.
Don't complain about them being robots when all you're doing is shoving what you want at them.
Working on a till, someone treating you as a human being, makes it alot easier to be nice to them and try to engage them.

I worked on a till for over 3 years, which actually irritates me more. I have no time for someone is just ignorent by nature-the guy on campus for example.

Dragons Revenge

I've worked in retail for almost 10 years, 3 years as a cashier (not counting 2 years at McDonalds). I try to be as friendly and helpful as I can considering some of the customers I get, so I can definitely identify with them. However, as a customer, I still expect some sort of courtesy on the part of the sales people. Like I said, if their job is giving them that much grief that they need to take it out on the customer, they should find another job. And no, in "these tough socio-economic times" it's not as hard as coconut thinks.

Dragons Revenge

Dragons Revenge wrote: »

And no, in "these tough socio-economic times" it's not as hard as coconut thinks.

Although I was being facetious (hence the inverted commas), is someone who works in a shop full-time really going to risk quitting? They're doing their jobs. Not smiling hardly disqualifies them.

hardybuck wrote:

I worked on a till for over 3 years, which actually irritates me more. I have no time for someone is just ignorent by nature-the guy on campus for example.

He's not "ignorent", although I'm glad you said that, because ignorance is a lack of understanding or knowledge, and you apparently didn't know the definition or how to spell it. The irony of ironies. :pac:

Anyway, if you're that bothered, tell them to smile or whatever it is you want. Or ask them why they're so sad, but I know nobody here would have the boll0cks to do that, because they are aware that the Spar staff probably hate their jobs, yet they think that, as a customer, they're owed some kind of special treatment. I think it's far more selfish to demand that they pretend to be happy just to make you feel good.

hardybuck

Epic burn. I actually got an 'A' in Leaving Cert English. Damn you spellcheck!

Stev_o

Nanaki wrote: »

Have you ever worked in retail?

Have you had to stand a till for 8 hours?

Have you had to deal with the absolute idiocy that the general public is so fond of displaying while assuming they couldn't possibly be wrong?

If yes, then cut them some slack.

If no, then stop whining and be grateful there's people there to keep the shop running while tell them what you want so you can stuff your cakehole.

Believe it or not, it can actually make a difference when someone is nice to you, speaks to you, smiles, or just seems human.
Don't complain about them being robots when all you're doing is shoving what you want at them.
Working on a till, someone treating you as a human being, makes it alot easier to be nice to them and try to engage them.

Have you ever worked retail then? Because honestly most managers would pull someone like that to the side and tell them to get their act together or leave. Iv worked as a cashier at golf course dealing with some extremely nice and open customers right down to the ones that treat you like sh*t and with utter contempt yet regardless of who it was i was still courteous and polite to each and every one of them even when having to deal with irate customers complaining about something you can't change.

Im a customer, im contributing to their wages at the end of the day i can take my business else where if i feel that the people present there don't have time to even show basic matters. Mean Christ im not asking for someone to engage in a 2 hour conversation with them im just asking for them to show some manners which should be expected from them.

Stev_o

Stev_o wrote: »

Have you ever worked retail then? Because honestly most managers would pull someone like that to the side and tell them to get their act together or leave.

Clearly most managers don't do that if there are so many disgruntled shop workers around for bored students to whine about.

Do people really feel hurt that they aren't treated with meaningless and insincere politeness when they go to a shop? :pac::pac::pac::pac:

stev_o wrote:

Iv worked as a cashier at golf course dealing with some extremely nice and open customers right down to the ones that treat you like sh*t and with utter contempt yet regardless of who it was i was still courteous and polite to each and every one of them even when having to deal with irate customers complaining about something you can't change.

I'm sure a lot of people here have, including myself. I also know of people who simply couldn't handle the pressure of working with customers and either left (rare) or couldn't leave due to financial difficulties (less rare).

To be honest, I think people here are idealising. "OH, I WUZ RLY NICE 2 ALL MY CUSTOMERS 4 YEARZ, SO U SHUD B ABLE 2 DO DAT 2!!!1" (paraphrasing of course) Fine, so you were able to do it. Good for you.

stev_o wrote:

Im a customer, im contributing to their wages at the end of the day i can take my business else where if i feel that the people present there don't have time to even show basic matters. Mean Christ im not asking for someone to engage in a 2 hour conversation with them im just asking for them to show some manners which should be expected from them.

Then take your business elsewhere. Problem solved, no? Of course you won't do that, and they know you won't. DCU and Shanowen Spars get plenty of business, regardless of their employees' demeanours, and they will continue to do so.

But yes, start using another shop with equally disgruntled employees and watch Spar's profits plummet. I bet they're wetting themselves with worry as we speak.

Raoul

To be fair, I'm sure if you went on a training course to work at a till, they would tell you to say hello, be polite, pleasant, tell people how much they owe, take the money, say thanks, and give change.

I haven't worked in a shop but I presume thats the general idea.

Like the blond haired guy that works there, always happy, friendly, and the odd time might make a joke or talk to you.

I think everyone knows who the person in the spar is that is extremely unfriendly and doesn't really do his job of providing good customer service.

Personally, I try to avoid the rude ones!

Dragons Revenge

Deleted User wrote: »

Clearly most managers don't do that if there are so many disgruntled shop workers around for bored students to whine about.

At least in the states, if a manager recieves enough customer complaints about an employee, they will be disciplined, up to and including termination if the problem persists. I figured it would be like that anywhere.

Nanaki

I have Stev_o.
I understand what it's like to want to everyone coming near the till to die, but I too tried to be polite, and always spoke to people.

I'll admit, there's one guy in campus spar who grabs notes out of your hand and just holds his hand out for money, *that* bugs me, but by and large I can't see the reason behind taking offence at someone in a shop not being friendly

discus

Nanaki wrote: »

Have you ever worked in retail?

Have you had to stand a till for 8 hours?

Have you had to deal with the absolute idiocy that the general public is so fond of displaying while assuming they couldn't possibly be wrong?

If yes, then cut them some slack.

If no, then stop whining and be grateful there's people there to keep the shop running while tell them what you want so you can stuff your cakehole.

Believe it or not, it can actually make a difference when someone is nice to you, speaks to you, smiles, or just seems human.
Don't complain about them being robots when all you're doing is shoving what you want at them.
Working on a till, someone treating you as a human being, makes it alot easier to be nice to them and try to engage them.

True enough, unfortunately I'm currently working in retail!

The women working there probably have a sour puss on them in the pub, in the gym and at work. I don't think it's because of the employment, it's just that they are sour in general. It's fairly thick of the owner to have them at all to be honest. 60% of convenience store customers (IMHO) are regulars who come in to pick up something small like bread, cheese or just 1 part of their dinner etc. Some are blow ins, and rest are the student/school kids.

The school kids don't care about your attitude.
The students might or might not.
The local regulars definitely will, and it will decide wether they make the trip from their arm chair for that pack of cigs, bottle of wine or newspaper.

So you can understand the economising of polite chit-chat and banter for the old lady who comes in daily for the whiskas, heddled and "4 euro lotto plus, with the plus", and just blanking the students/school kids. Having said that, if she can't even muster 3 words when you arrive at the till, call her out on it. If she puts out her hand waiting for your money, ask how much. If she mumbles, then ask again. Then make sure you ask for the receipt

I can't understand how anyone can work the job if they don't like dealing with people. In my shop, if you don't make banter or get along with the regulars or have no manners, you end up with so few hours that its not worth staying in the job. I wish retail was like that everywhere, but it's often the last stop on the desired jobs pathway for some people.

I have to disagree with Naniki though. Just because you're working 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, serving ignorant **** bags half the time doesn't mean you just turn-off. Please, thank you and "would you like anything else?... fine, that's €xxx please" should be practically automatic. You can't be faulted for it, even if you don't give a fock!

Useful.Idiot

I think the staff in the shanowen spar are fairly well mannered.

The bald foreign guy's accent always makes me laugh.

"20 cent for you!" "Thaaaaanks!" Very reminiscent of Randy Marsh in the smug episode :P

Dragons Revenge

Dragons Revenge wrote: »

At least in the states, if a manager recieves enough customer complaints about an employee, they will be disciplined, up to and including termination if the problem persists. I figured it would be like that anywhere.

How many people here have actually complained about the staff in DCU and Shanowen Spars to their managers? I am willing to bet the answer is nobody.

Also, I'm no expert on geography, but... :pac:

MightyMighty737

It must be a Spar thing. The one's in the Spar at the top of the avenue on the Ballymun Rd. are among some of the most miserable ****er's I've ever come accross.