Does it take longer to get served in a shop these days?

7sr2z3fely84g5

Or am i just unlucky,i could be buying a newspaper,and usually held up by some old biddy buying scratch cards out of the amount she won,or then asking for 40 cigs,then asking for something else...

Susie_Q

Is this you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOmwZUsgBBE

Cocaine

Old People truly are the scum of the earth. I agree OP

orourkeda

Brynlee Spoiled Earth wrote: »

Or am i just unlucky,i could be buying a newspaper,and usually held up by some old biddy buying scratch cards out of the amount she won,or then asking for 40 cigs,then asking for something else...

Old people are stupid and have no idea whats going around them sometimes.

blodvyn

Yes, yes and yes.

On a side not do you ever have one item in your hand, say a bottle of water only for the person ahead of you to have a HUGE basket / trolley worth of food and not even let you go ahead.

I always let people with 1-2 items ahead of me in a supermarket.

orourkeda

blodvyn wrote: »

Yes, yes and yes.

On a side not do you ever have one item in your hand, say a bottle of water only for the person ahead of you to have a HUGE basket / trolley worth of food and not even let you go ahead.

I always let people with 1-2 items ahead of me in a supermarket.

Hold on, You dont expect people to do the sensible thing do you?

grumula

being on the other side of the till is just as frustrating,
there could be a queue 10 deep and the guy in front still thinks it's ok to break into his little freeform jazz songs!

"give me ahhhhhhhm, ahhhhm, dum de dum dum, ahhhhm,
skibbydeedooop, give meeeeeeeee, bum bum buuuuuuum , aaaahhhhhhm"

YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING AT ME IMPATIENTLY WHILE I WAS AWAY FROM THE REGISTER WHY?

JohnMarston

You'll be old one day doing the same thing, and some young pup will be on boards or the future equivalent b*tching about you.

I can bide my time at checkouts for elderly folk, but what gets me is people with credits cards, no fcekin cash, taking 5 minutes to complete their transaction! :mad:

Frank Black

It’s not just the oldies – was waiting to pay for my sandwich in the Spar this morning and woman in front (mid to late 20’s) after she paid for her stuff and got her change stood blocking the till while she arranged her change back into her purse and her purse and purchases into her handbag. Must have taken over 20 seconds while a queue of people waited.
Would have loved to administer a solid kick to the arse and a “get the feck out of everyone’s way you selfish bint” – but society frowns on such behavior.

blodvyn

blodvyn wrote: »

Yes, yes and yes.

On a side not do you ever have one item in your hand, say a bottle of water only for the person ahead of you to have a HUGE basket / trolley worth of food and not even let you go ahead.

I always let people with 1-2 items ahead of me in a supermarket.

So do I, but the thing that is really annoying, are those who go to the express checkout with more than 10 items or whatever! :mad:

I'd like it if there was a "service charge" for all items over the limit, that'll learn 'em.

7sr2z3fely84g5

grumula wrote: »

being on the other side of the till is just as frustrating

know how you feel,"yes can i have"

Handing over the item,just before the money is handed over,customers mobile would ring,full convo begins while you wait for the money...

Alter-Ego

Ageism FTW!

Guill

grumula wrote: »

YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING AT ME IMPATIENTLY WHILE I WAS AWAY FROM THE REGISTER WHY?

I was only checkin you out!

superfish

I find they are even worse in the post office, 6 mile que of old bags all buying a single stamp and telling their life storys in detail

TheZohanS

Awe look at all the Benjamin Buttons slagging off old people...

JerryHandbag

JohnMarston wrote: »

I can bide my time at checkouts for elderly folk, but what gets me is people with credits cards, no fcekin cash, taking 5 minutes to complete their transaction! :mad:

People who use credit cards to pay for something that could be paid for with a few coins from their pockets....especially when the card reader thing is faulty...and I'm in a rush. :mad:

*rage slowly rising*

7sr2z3fely84g5

TheZohan wrote: »

Awe look at all the Benjamin Buttons slagging off old people...

not just the old,people who decide to arrange their bags on counter after being served or waiting for their kids to make up their minds!.

Skerries

and people playing Space Invaders at the ATM
what the hell are you pressing!? just take the money nearest to what you need and go!

Skid

Choose sweets, change sweets, chat to cashier about weather, looks in purse for lotto tickets, gives lotto tickets to cashier to check, usual joke about maybe next week, remember she needs scratch card, fumbles for laser card, gets pin wrong, tries again ...

PAY AND GET OUT, I'LL HAVE A HEART ATTACK BEFORE YOU FINISH :mad::mad::mad:

superfish

TheZohan wrote: »

Awe look at all the Benjamin Buttons slagging off old people...

we are of a different era and therefore know what not to do when im their age I personally will be locking myself indoors once I hit 60 as its unfair to be such a burden on society

Skerries

Skerries wrote: »

and people playing Space Invaders at the ATM
what the hell are you pressing!? just take the money nearest to what you need and go!

The more buttons you press the harder it is for the scammers to read your pin while shoulder surfing. :pac:

7sr2z3fely84g5

*hold up the queue to ask for directions...

grumula

Skerries wrote: »

and people playing Space Invaders at the ATM
what the hell are you pressing!? just take the money nearest to what you need and go!

or them eejits who take 20 minutes to make a transaction, only to put their money away, put the card back in, and start again.:mad:

ejmaztec

Brynlee Spoiled Earth wrote: »

*hold up the queue to ask for directions...

You'll just have to get to the shop earlier, or shove the old fogies out the way (a flying rugby tackle usually does the trick).

kfallon

The credit/laser card business is really annoying but does anything beat this:

Standing at the bus stop, bird in front of you in the queue. Waiting 5 minutes for the bus to arrive. Bus doors open, she gets on and only then does she get her purse from her bag and start looking for change for the fare! "You've been standing at the stop for 5 minutes, why didn't you get your change ready then you dizzy cuntbox!!!" :mad:

Oh it does my nut....every time!!! :rolleyes:

SEPT 23 1989

Aul ones who Q up KNOWING they will need to get their money out to pay for the goods and then wait till the shop assistant has scanned everything,and then decide to go looking for their purse:mad:

JohnMarston

Worked in retail (checkouts and floor) while in college, lemme give you a hint: Don't bother making idle small talk with checkout people. They appreciate you wanna be nice but they're almost always not interested.
Especially if there are people behind you, you're not helping.

Mint Sauce

No. People just expect things to be quicker nowadays.

chloek

No. people just have no patience any more.

stovelid

No - you're just rationalizing your extreme impatience by means of specious era metaphors.

Frank Black

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Aul ones who Q up KNOWING they will need to get their money out to pay for the goods and then wait till the shop assistant has scanned everything,and then decide to go looking for their purse:mad:

I gotta admit this drives me mental - especially when they stare blankly into space when the shopping is being checked through and don't even bother starting to bag it up, oh no, they wait until cashier tells them how much it is - cue 30 second fumble for money/card, then pay for item, get change and then start (slowly) putting stuff into thier bags. Meanwhile, cashier has started checking your stuff through so it starts getting mixed up with dizzy bint's stuff.
Jesus give me patience!:mad:

Mushy

chloek wrote: »

No. people just have no patience any more.

This exactly.

I was given out to by a customer today for allowing someone to jump the queue. This was the same customer who allowed the people in front of her. Some patience never goes amiss.

Paxmanwithinfo

What is annoying as a customer is when you ask upfront for a bag but only get it as the last item is scanned through or when the assistant is reminded that you require a bag. In this instance, I always take as long as necessary to put my shopping in a bag. It appears to really annoy the shop assistant. Why, I will never know. This is a a very regular occurence.

Recently, my daughter aged 2.5 who has severe allergies, exhibited the signs of the onset of an extreme reaction when consuming foods she shouldn't have in a restaurant. I knew there was a Pharmacy about 3 minutes from the restaurant and ran to it to pick up antihistimines in suspension.

There was a very large queue in the chemist so I went up to one of the many tellers and explained my predicament. She told me to get back to the end of the queue whichc I duly did even after explaining my particular urgent scenario. It was only when the person next in line figured out the situation that she let me go ahead and the the particular teller shock her head at me and tut-tutted ina "some people" way. Thankfully I got what I needed and was able to administer it in time but I was so in shock that I never did follow-up with the chemist... I think I will now!

So times you gotta think beyond lines, frustration and politeness...

JohnMarston

chloek wrote: »

No. people just have no patience any more.

You're implying people had more patience before, or at least people have lost the capacity to be patient.

mikemac

People who chat on the mobile phone while they are being served and hold up a dismissive wave to the shop assistant like "I'm talking here" should be taken outside and thrown under the next lorry :mad:

grumula

mikemac wrote: »

People who chat on the mobile phone while they are being served and hold up a dismissive wave to the shop assistant like "I'm talking here" should be taken outside and thrown under the next lorry :mad:

when they come to my till on the phone, i make sure to ask them several questions about their purchase in as low a voice as i can manage.
they get so indignant that they eventually hang up to abuse me,
by which time i'm shouting "WHO'S NEXT THERE PLEASE?"

temply

This really annoys me. Theres an aul one that goes into Dunnes each morning and if she's ahead of me in the queue I could cry - takes FOREVER and holds up everyone - she knows shes doing it too the boot

mackg

Paxmanwithinfo wrote: »

What is annoying as a customer is when you ask upfront for a bag but only get it as the last item is scanned through or when the assistant is reminded that you require a bag. In this instance, I always take as long as necessary to put my shopping in a bag. It appears to really annoy the shop assistant. Why, I will never know. This is a a very regular occurence.

Recently, my daughter aged 2.5 who has severe allergies, exhibited the signs of the onset of an extreme reaction when consuming foods she shouldn't have in a restaurant. I knew there was a Pharmacy about 3 minutes from the restaurant and ran to it to pick up antihistimines in suspension.

There was a very large queue in the chemist so I went up to one of the many tellers and explained my predicament. She told me to get back to the end of the queue whichc I duly did even after explaining my particular urgent scenario. It was only when the person next in line figured out the situation that she let me go ahead and the the particular teller shock her head at me and tut-tutted ina "some people" way. Thankfully I got what I needed and was able to administer it in time but I was so in shock that I never did follow-up with the chemist... I think I will now!

So times you gotta think beyond lines, frustration and politeness...

If they don't immediately hand you the bag just say can I get the bag now, as opposed to standing there stewing and waiting for your opportunity to be a dick to them and everyone in line because of a simple mistake.

silverspoon

JohnMarston wrote: »

Worked in retail (checkouts and floor) while in college, lemme give you a hint: Don't bother making idle small talk with checkout people. They appreciate you wanna be nice but they're almost always not interested.
Especially if there are people behind you, you're not helping.

I wouldn't say that, I work in retail and much prefer customers who try to be friendly; a transaction takes the same amount of time either way. Don't ever tell anyone not to be friendly and chatty, they're the customers that make having to deal with d!ckheads a little more bearable!

Paxmanwithinfo

MackG - I am never a d*ckhead to the assistant. I simply want a more efficient approach in the first instance as there is very little counter space and I am trying to speed things-up. The point I am making is that even when I ask repeatedly (nicely) for a bag upfront I get the "you must be a crazy person" look and a very pained approach to actually giving me the bag upfront. Damned if you do damned if you don't. That is not how a customer should be teated. There are numerous shops now that I do not frequent as a result of this attitude. It is shop assistant's not using their brains and not engaging in the process efficiently. I am tryting to have a balanced discussion here. Retail asistants though usually very efficient can sometimes miss the point...

Don't characterise my pre-calculated friendly and efficient approach for d*ck-headeness. You are mistaken and rude. The comment may reflect more on you and your approach.

sock puppet

mackg wrote: »

If they don't immediately hand you the bag just say can I get the bag now, as opposed to standing there stewing and waiting for your opportunity to be a dick to them and everyone in line because of a simple mistake.

You mean interact normally with other people:eek:

Paxmanwithinfo

Exactly my point Sock Puppet - interact normally with other people and meet the customer request normally and in a friendly and efficient manner apologising for any mistake if necessary.

sock puppet

Paxmanwithinfo wrote: »

Exactly my point Sock Puppet - interact normally with other people and meet the customer request normally and in a friendly and efficient manner apologising for any mistake if necessary.

It's just a mistake though. It's wrong and the workers should be doing better but that kind of passive-aggressive response solves nothing.

I have to say, having worked in a shop that a lot of tourists came into, Spanish/Italian customers seem to generally be lacking in the having-your-money-ready category. Of course this is less likely to be a cultural thing, and more likely to be a case of holiday mentality. And it wasn't everyone either, just some.

The amount of times I'd have everything scanned through and bagged for them, and only having told them the price would they put their bags up on the counter, then fish for their purse, and then having found the purse would they start fishing for their change. Then once they got everything paid for, they'd put their change back in their purse, purse back in their bag, then try to put their purchases in their bag, removing stuff from their bag, swapping stuff with their friends' bags, trying to make room, even though the stuff was originally in a bag anyway. Ridiculous.

Soccer moms were frequent offenders too, but I'd give them leniency for having to deal with their kids at the same time. Lost some of that leniency after a while when I realised they were 99% of the complainer demographic.

Korvanica

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEwVpWFyy3M

Love what he ends up buying in the end LOL...

Paxmanwithinfo

But I am not being passively aggressive - simply quietly annoyed.

mackg

Paxmanwithinfo wrote: »

MackG - I am never a d*ckhead to the assistant. I simply want a more efficient approach in the first instance as there is very little counter space and I am trying to speed things-up. The point I am making is that even when I ask repeatedly (nicely) for a bag upfront I get the "you must be a crazy person" look and a very pained approach to actually giving me the bag upfront. Damned if you do damned if you don't. That is not how a customer should be teated. There are numerous shops now that I do not frequent as a result of this attitude. It is shop assistant's not using their brains and not engaging in the process efficiently. I am tryting to have a balanced discussion here. Retail asistants though usually very efficient can sometimes miss the point...

Don't characterise my pre-calculated friendly and efficient approach for d*ck-headeness. You are mistaken and rude. The comment may reflect more on you and your approach.

Just because your being polite does not mean your faultless, I apologise if my post seemed harsh no offence was meant, but as was ponited out your response solves nothing. If you are that interested in efficiency I don't see why you are delaying everyone in the queue to make your point.

If you are asking repeatedly for a bag up front and it is not given to you then there is a problem but the impression of events in the first post I quoted and in your response are very different.

But I am not being passively aggressive - simply quietly annoyed

It would be better to just point out to the assistant your feelings, if you say it directly it avoids the same situation in the future, they may give out about you when you leave but do you really care

Paxmanwithinfo

Thank you for the apology. I don't uncessarily hold-up the queue (I only take as much time as necessary as stated in the initial post) but I am made to feel that I do because things haven't happened as I had planned they would - through no fault of mine. I am actually a very polite person and simply want a better approach which more often than not doesn't happen. But the assistant never seems to care or consider the more appropriate sequence of events. When I do make my feelings known there is rarely engagement or apology just a bonhomie with the waiting queue.

I know that is a pathetic bug bear in many regards but I wanted to put forward an example of where a queue might appear to be unecessarily held-up but the culprit may not actually be the customer.

My initial post though created in the heat of the moment reflects all of what annoys me about this very common avoidable occurence where the assistant doesn't think / act as politely requested causing a backlog...

Small beer I know but Boards is the place to vent one's spleen and hopefully make people reflect (on topic).

RichT

Two things that drive me batty in my local village shop.

1. The person that starts checking out their goods.... and then fecks off to do the other half of their shop :mad:

2. When paying for your goods you place cash into the assistants hand, and whilst waiting for your change you gather up your 'bits' and place your hand out to receive your change only to see it slapped down on the counter, making you have to put down your 'bits' so you can collect your change.:mad::mad:

temply

People who stand with their hands hanging watching the shopping being put through the till, who do not have the skills in which to start packing their messages, once scanned, and who leave it till the end, after spending 5 minutes counting out their coppers, or else rummaging for their purse in ther bag.

That drives me mad. :mad:

YFlyer

mikemac wrote: »

People who chat on the mobile phone while they are being served and hold up a dismissive wave to the shop assistant like "I'm talking here" should be taken outside and thrown under the next lorry :mad:

Worse still are people who decides to make a phone call while they are in the queue. Have often seen some plebs do that when they are getting on the bus to pay.