Surly shop assistants

Gothenso

My pet hate.It seems to be getting more common these last few years.Typically your young teenage girl,she won't even acknowledge your presence at the till.Tot up the few items and grunt €17 at you.Is it so hard to even feign a pleasant demeanor for the brief transaction 🙄My Sunday night rant.

verycool

I knocked down a whole rail of t shirts there earlier in Penneys. Couldn't give a sh*t.

RasTa

I think AH needs to implement a 3 month and 50 posts before starting a new thread rule

gmisk

I always think back to the shop assistant in intermission...

Yeah there are defo some people who have no manners or people skills, Tesco I find shocking sometimes.

On the flip side of that I think marks and Spencers staff are all generally lovely.

colm_mcm

Just can’t get the quality minimum-wage staff these days.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Sorry OP, and I accept your view, but I only seem to get pleasant staff in shops. Or I only frequent shops with nice staff.

Worked in retail for years - nothing annoys a till cashier more than customers rambling on and on about their life story ... get to the fn point as I’ve others to serve/other jobs and not listen to some windbags life story

Neil Issagum

What annoys me is when they put the change down on the counter even though you have your hand out

Neil Issagum

Neil Issagum wrote: »

What annoys me is when they put the change down on the counter even though you have your hand out

I wouldn’t do that bar the ones who’d slam it on the counter

Gothenso

Camryn Fluffy Hockey wrote: »

Worked in retail for years - nothing annoys a till cashier more than customers rambling on and on about their life story ... get to the fn point as I’ve others to serve/other jobs and not listen to some windbags life story

I never ramble on.All I'm saying is isn't it basic manners to say hi to the customer, try and have a pleasant attitude instead of an ignorant surly one.

Gothenso

Gothenso wrote: »

I never ramble on.All I'm saying is isn't it basic manners to say hi to the customer, try and have a pleasant attitude instead of an ignorant surly one.

Oh I don’t mind brief chit chat and I would be mannerly but there would be some who never stop rambling on and on and I’d have to be curt - sorry retail flashback

Gothenso

Camryn Fluffy Hockey wrote: »

Oh I don’t mind brief chit chat and I would be mannerly but there would be some who never stop rambling on and on and I’d have to be curt - sorry retail flashback

I'm sure you'd have to deal with all sorts during the day all right.

Neil Issagum

I find it funny the way shop assistants act when they really over emphasise the fact that they’re DEFINITELY NOT LOOKING while you’re entering your pin number on the card machine

Leilak

What about the shop assistant whose neighbour or whoever comes in and they spend ages having a chat, meanwhile the queue is snaking around the corner. That's equally as bad, rude and inconsiderate

CalamariFritti

Gothenso wrote: »

My pet hate.It seems to be getting more common these last few years.Typically your young teenage girl,she won't even acknowledge your presence at the till.Tot up the few items and grunt €17 at you.Is it so hard to even feign a pleasant demeanor for the brief transaction ��My Sunday night rant.

<snarl>You ok there</snarl>

Gothenso

CalamariFritti wrote: »

<snarl>You ok there</snarl>

Are you a surly shop assistant as well?

Allinall

Gothenso wrote: »

My pet hate.It seems to be getting more common these last few years.Typically your young teenage girl,she won't even acknowledge your presence at the till.Tot up the few items and grunt €17 at you.Is it so hard to even feign a pleasant demeanor for the brief transaction 🙄My Sunday night rant.

Why the hell are you paying €17?

I never pay more than €14.50.

I’d say the shop assistants are just taking the piss out of you.

AllGunsBlazing

Soon enough it will be all automated checkouts overseen by one panicked looking teenager just waiting for enough of them to malfunction to cause utter chaos.

At least that's how it is in my local Tesco.

Neil Issagum

There’s a petrol station near me where I’ve noticed the lady flat out will not make eye contact with you when you’re at the till. She’s handing you change or handing you something after she’s scanned it in but her gaze is transfixed at the ceiling, over your shoulder or down at the floor

iamwhoiam

Gustavo Whining Orate wrote: »

Sorry OP, and I accept your view, but I only seem to get pleasant staff in shops. Or I only frequent shops with nice staff.

I find a smile helps and a kind word . I seem to also find pleasant and nice staff . Only lately a very young girl in New Look went out of her way for me and tried to help

Gothenso

Leilak wrote: »

What about the shop assistant whose neighbour or whoever comes in and they spend ages having a chat, meanwhile the queue is snaking around the corner. That's equally as bad, rude and inconsiderate

Yeah they are c**** of the highest order too.

Gothenso

Allinall wrote: »

Why the hell are you paying €17?

I never pay more than €14.50.

I’d say the shop assistants are just taking the piss out of you.

ðŸ˜

Alun

I find the shop assistants here pretty friendly on the whole. If you want surly, go to Germany, they've got surly off to a fine art there.

AllGunsBlazing

Neil Issagum wrote: »

There’s a petrol station near me where I’ve noticed the lady flat out will not make eye contact with you when you’re at the till. She’s handing you change or handing you something after she’s scanned it in but her gaze is transfixed at the ceiling, over your shoulder or down at the floor

You're in there, I reckon.

Yer Da sells Avon

It's not reasonable to feel entitled to more than the bare minimum of service from someone who is probably earning the minimum wage.

Gothenso

Allinall wrote: »

Why the hell are you paying €17?

I never pay more than €14.50.

I’d say the shop assistants are just taking the piss out of you.

Bloody nicotine habit tsk tsk.

CalamariFritti

Gothenso wrote: »

Are you a surly shop assistant as well?

No that was my best impression of them

Gothenso

CalamariFritti wrote: »

No that was my best impression of them

You're a natural.

Gothenso

Hapax Legomenon wrote: »

It's not reasonable to feel entitled to more than the bare minimum of service from someone who is probably earning the minimum wage.

Ah here.

Esse85

I blame management here, they should be monitoring how their staff interact and communicate.

Yer Da sells Avon

Gothenso wrote: »

Ah here.

If their boss is paying them as little as they can legally get away with (which is nowhere near a living wage), then why should they do more than they have to? You got your cancer sticks, what more do you want?

BuboBubo

I find most shop staff pleasant and helpful. I was shopping in Carlow today and I didn't encounter any surly shop assistants. Argos, Tesco, Lidl, The Range, Sports shop in Fairgreen, Mc Cauleys, Roadhouse Cafe - no surly staff whatsoever.

The last time I encountered a surly one was in a German supermarket in Enniscorthy, she was having a spat with her manager over holidays (through the earpiece/headset) whilst slapping and firing my groceries in my general direction. I'd be upset too if someone was messing with my holidays tbf.

The next week I encountered the same assistant and she was in great form, friendly and chatty. Hopefully she got her holidays sorted out.

Mister Vain

You think they're bad here, you should go to Budapest. They literally throw the receipt at you.

Gothenso

Hapax Legomenon wrote: »

If their boss is paying them as little as they can legally get away with (which is nowhere near a living wage), then why should they do more than they have to? You got your cancer sticks, what more do you want?

Do you work a minimum wage job ?

EPAndlee

There's nothing worse than a friendly shop assistant, trying to chat to you. Just give me my change and let me leave

Stephen15

I generally find them friendly. Dunnes Stores staff seem to be very friendly so do Lidl staff. There used to be a few rude people working in my local Centra but they've all been replaced by friendlier staff. Although I do find some of the Polish working in shops can't seem to crack a smile if they're life depended on it, also some of the Pakistanis working in petrol stations come across as downright rude.

CalamariFritti

Hapax Legomenon wrote: »

It's not reasonable to feel entitled to more than the bare minimum of service from someone who is probably earning the minimum wage.

Do you think being miserable to your customers all day and openly show contempt of your job is much of an incentive to your employer to ever pay more than minimum wage or give you a promotion?

iamwhoiam

I had a lot to buy last week and shopping for an occasion had me in lots of shops
Was in Next , New Look , M and S , Dunnes , The Range , Quiz , Clarks , and a few others . Plus in at least three supermarkets and I met only nice pleasant staff . Not one single surly one and a few lovely ones .
Go on OP give them a smile

Yer Da sells Avon

Gothenso wrote: »

Do you work a minimum wage job ?

There is no such thing as a 'minimum wage job'. The minimum wage is merely the lowest amount of money you can legally get away with giving to someone in exchange for their labour. I've worked in shops, but my employers had the decency to pay more than the minimum wage at the time - because retaining their staff and ensuring they were happy/content to be there benefited them too.

CalamariFritti wrote: »

Do you think being miserable to your customers all day and openly show contempt of your job is much of an incentive to your employer to ever pay more than minimum wage or give you a promotion?

Do you think paying someone as little as you can legally get away with gives them any reason to be cheerful?

CalamariFritti

Hapax Legomenon wrote: »

Do you think paying someone as little as you can legally get away with gives them any reason to be cheerful?

What I think is this. Ok Im at a stage in my life where I have to do this job. Hopefully this isn't going to last forever but for the moment it is what it is. Being miserable all day and showing it off like a badge isn't going to make my life any better or more cheerful, quite the opposite. It's also not going to increase my chances of making it out of this position, quite the opposite.

Nobody owes you a better job, it has to be earned.

Gothenso

CalamariFritti wrote: »

What I think is this. Ok Im at a stage in my life where I have to do this job. Hopefully this isn't going to last forever but for the moment it is what it is. Being miserable all day and showing it off like a badge isn't going to make my life any better or more cheerful, quite the opposite. It's also not going to increase my chances of making it out of this position, quite the opposite.

Nobody owes you a better job, it has to be earned.

Well said.

super_furry

Everyone is an arsehole.

gctest50

Esse85 wrote: »

I blame management here, they should be monitoring how their staff interact and communicate.

I'm sure you're lovely but have you seen what they have to interact and communicate with though ?

Ken.

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Yer Da sells Avon

CalamariFritti wrote: »

What I think is this. Ok Im at a stage in my life where I have to do this job. Hopefully this isn't going to last forever but for the moment it is what it is. Being miserable all day and showing it off like a badge isn't going to make my life any better or more cheerful, quite the opposite. It's also not going to increase my chances of making it out of this position, quite the opposite.

Nobody owes you a better job, it has to be earned.

If I buy Aldi's 'Morning Harvest Honey Nut Flakes of Corn' for €1.50, is it reasonable of me to expect them to be as nice as the Kellogg's version (€3.99)? They're like bits of cardboard dipped in sugar, as opposed to delicious, sun-ripened flakes of corn, drizzled in smooth, clear honey and encrusted with handfuls of chopped nuts.

Alas, you get what you pay for.

MuffinTop86

What is it about people who walk into shops and get weird power trips?

I rarely find a rude retail staff member. If you walk up to the till and say hello and it’s not said back, that’s rude of them.
If you have a face like a slapped behind because you think you’re superior and they should be the first with warm greetings, it explains why you don’t get friendly people.
Or smelly people. It’s hard to make polite conversation when you’re holding your breath.

Failing that, you can always be one of the “get me a manager’ toolheads.

Solomon Pleasant

I really dislike people coming into a shop and expecting staff to be kissing their feet, grateful for their mere presence. It’s an obnoxious, arrogant manner of behaviour which is so prevalent in Ireland.

Most people who give out stink about staff have probably never been in their position before.

Dealing with the public is tough, probably tougher than whatever job you have. So next time, try cutting the minimum wage earning shop assistant some slack.

CalamariFritti

Hapax Legomenon wrote: »

If I buy Aldi's 'Morning Harvest Honey Nut Flakes of Corn' for €1.50, is it reasonable of me to expect them to be as nice as the Kellogg's version (€3.99)? They're like bits of cardboard dipped in sugar, as opposed to delicious, sun-ripened flakes of corn, drizzled in smooth, clear honey and encrusted with handfuls of chopped nuts.

Alas, you get what you pay for.

I dont buy that service. I buy from a shop. What peoples wages are like in there is none of my concern.

You completely ignored my point anyway. Do you think it is in any way beneficial to anyone or anything including themselves if lowly paid people do the sourpuss all day long?

I meet people every day in the street and I dont get paid anything for interacting with them. I'm still quite nice to them unless they're not nice back to me. Its just the way I am or manners or something.

But for the record. Most people in shops are actually quite nice I think.

anewme

Worked in retail in a past life.

never again.

Customers were assholes.

Saw one who abused us back in the day abusing a girl in Woodies (so I got revenge and ate the head off him) it was a bit of payback.

Ps. I’d you pay 15 for a nest of tables that takes six months to come from Taiwan... then you need to manage your own expectations...it’s gonna be a crock.

brianregan09

There are far more ignorant customers than there are staff , Some customers think your not worth the **** on there shoe while dealing with you

10 years in Retail so I know , and I'm always as polite as polite can be, but you get some real dickheads that come into shops

Yer Da sells Avon

CalamariFritti wrote: »

You completely ignored my point anyway. Do you think it is in any way beneficial to anyone or anything including themselves if lowly paid people do the sourpuss all day long?

I don't think it's beneficial or, on a more basic level, a good way of passing the time between clocking on and off, but I also wouldn't blame anyone for not feeling able to paint a smile on for the entire day when they're probably not appreciated by their employer.