Personal Treatment by Service Staff

ART6 · 28-09-2008 08:59AM

This is a very depressing thread to read, particularly because I can honestly say that I rarely experience the attitudes described here. Perhaps it's a bit to do with the attitude of mind of the customer. Being a customer doesn't make anyone superior to the person on the till, and the recognition of that and a smile and eye contact when the assistant turns to deal with you works wonders in my experience. My old Dad used to tell me "See that man selling matches on the corner? Well, he was born same as you and he'll die same as you, and in the meantime he's as good as you." Not a bad mantra to live by maybe? Be rude or superior and you get it back.

tman · 28-09-2008 09:17AM

I have absolutely nothing to add to this thread, I just wanted to get the mandatory thanks from utick (every single post on the first page:p)

Can't say that I've experienced any change in the manners of service staff recently, treat them like fellow human beings and you'll rarely get **** back from them...

kieranfitz · 28-09-2008 11:22AM

littletiger wrote: »

Does anyone feel that staff working in the service industry, especially Irish staff, have become unmannerly and even rude when they are serving customers. Visiting few supermarkets lately I noted that the cashier never looked up, never said hello, never said please when asking for the money etc etc.

Maybe its because we're sick of being looked down on by people with real jobs, earning twice as much as we do, because we work in the service industry.

4zn76tysfajdxp · 28-09-2008 11:35AM

ART6 wrote: »

Being a customer doesn't make anyone superior to the person on the till, and the recognition of that and a smile and eye contact when the assistant turns to deal with you works wonders in my experience.

Such an attitude is becoming far too uncommon nowadays.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 28-09-2008 12:00PM

littletiger wrote: »

Does anyone feel that staff working in the service industry, especially Irish staff, have become unmannerly and even rude when they are serving customers. Visiting few supermarkets lately I noted that the cashier never looked up, never said hello, never said please when asking for the money etc etc.

No I don't find that from Irish workers, in fact I find its totally the opposite.

I find Eastern Europeans girls serving in shops, cafes, bar's etc to be very unfriendly and I miss the days when I could go into my local shops and get served by local friendly women who knew everyone in the neighbourhood & always had a ready smile.

I'm also finding more and more lately that I detest people who knock Irish people, particularly our women.

Take a bit of pride in yourselfs ffs.

We're an extremly friendly people, on the whole Irish women are very good looking. The one's who aren't mostly fail themselves and its nothing to do with Irish genetics and more to do with the way they've let themselves go - ie PJ and wellies walking from Darndale to the shopping center's etc.

And while young Irish lads drool over Polish chic's let me tell you, there's some right pigs from Poland too. Alright when their good looking its Woooooooo, but there a lot of wicket looking things out there too.

Nope, give me Irish any day of the week please.

irish_bob · 28-09-2008 12:06PM

Smyth wrote: »

You may be a nice guy, but working a 50 hour week constantly expected to smile and stay cheery is no easy feat. Add this to the fact that average everday people trod all over you and you get seriously unhappy at work.

Remember, when I'm closing the till, I have a table full of money I'm trying to count and people can obviously see I'm in the middle of something.
We also had some ****ty ass managers too. The most ungrateful sod of **** you'll ever come across. The first few days, I did work till 6..on the dot. Took customers without issue. 15 extra each day x 4 = 1hours extra pay.

We never got it, and the mangers refused to comply. So what? We're expected to work for nothing just so Mary is able to get her milk.

If I cared that much about other people, I'd join the red cross.
Anyone who works themselves like that is being made a fool of.

i think perhaps you would be better with a job in the public service where contempt for the public is expected

arybvtcw0eolkf · 28-09-2008 12:09PM

irish_bob wrote: »

i think perhaps you would be better with a job in the public service where contempt for the public is expected

I don't think that poster has an attitude or holds the public in contempt. It sounds to me like he/she's working in a particulary unfriendly environment, probably made that way by bad management.

Smyth · 28-09-2008 02:19PM

Mairt wrote: »

I don't think that poster has an attitude or holds the public in contempt. It sounds to me like he/she's working in a particulary unfriendly environment, probably made that way by bad management.

Was my friend...was working. It gave me the get up and go to finish my masters in civil engineering. I actually got my younger brother a job there too as he's very unmotivated and is a bit of a bum. I told him to take a year out and work in the service industry, then come back to me and tell me he wants to work there for the rest of his life.
2 months in and he's already cracking up.

BroomBurner · 28-09-2008 02:49PM

I am always polite and professional no matter what the job. If someone is serving the public, no matter what their pay, etc., they should ALWAYS be polite and respond as such. If you're unhappy, then get a job where you don't deal with the public.

Don't worry though, with this recession, a lot of people's attitudes to their jobs will be changing! They'll all just be delighted to still have one. Should separate the wheat from the chaff.

fifth · 28-09-2008 03:01PM

I used to work in retail and never want to go back... But now i'm in a call centre and it's not a whole ton better. But at least I can hang up the phone if I want.

Dave! · 28-09-2008 03:06PM

I'm usually pleasant to customers, and get on well with quite alot of the regulars. But in my experience, customers will jump on any mistake or oversight on the part of the shop so that they can save themselves a few pennies. If there is something to be given free when you buy an item, and there are none left, they'll expect something else instead. If a mistake is made with the pricing, and the wrong price is on the sticker, they'll always insist on having it for that price. There's an attitude of 'us and them', with the customers being the victim of the faceless corporate machine, and me, as their employee, being an agent of that machine, trying to get as much money from the customer as possible.

When in reality, I don't give a sh*t about my job or the company. I just want to earn my minimum wage and then go home without getting grief from some c*nt with an axe to grind.

But as I say, most people are quite pleasant, and I'm always pleasant to them. If I'm being rushed off my feet then courtesy may suffer for the sake of efficiency, but get over it tbh.

oh yeh, and STOP MAKING A F*CKING MESS!!!

SV · 28-09-2008 03:12PM

If you haven't worked in retail you can't comment..

It's horrible.
Worked in a warehouse toy store over christmas (yeah.. :rolleyes: )

worst job ever. People look down on you, walk into you, drop crap on the ground in front of you and expect you to be the one to pick it up, throw toys around that you just spent 2 hours arranging.
and on top of that i got 7.30 an hour, and people expected me to be happy.

bollocks to that. Wasn't marked down for work on the roster one week, never bothered showing up again. Apparently I had more work but..oh well.

Retail? never ever again.

Then again I deal with crap now, but i'm in a better position to tell them to piss off if they start their crap.

Shelflife · 28-09-2008 06:18PM

its not an easy job, and imo the customers have become very demanding and rude over the last few years, they complain about the smallest thing and expect to be compensated over nothing.

i find in general that you gat back what you recieve, if you're pleasant they will be pleasant back if you're sullen and rude then thats what you get back too.

as a customer once said to me "its nice to be nice"

JC 2K3 · 28-09-2008 06:47PM

I find modern service staff like these to be very polite. They never forget to thank you for shopping there and always are very mannerly.

MarkR · 28-09-2008 07:53PM

Smyth wrote: »

You may be a nice guy, but working a 50 hour week constantly expected to smile and stay cheery is no easy feat. Add this to the fact that average everday people trod all over you and you get seriously unhappy at work.

Remember, when I'm closing the till, I have a table full of money I'm trying to count and people can obviously see I'm in the middle of something.
We also had some ****ty ass managers too. The most ungrateful sod of **** you'll ever come across. The first few days, I did work till 6..on the dot. Took customers without issue. 15 extra each day x 4 = 1hours extra pay.

We never got it, and the mangers refused to comply. So what? We're expected to work for nothing just so Mary is able to get her milk.

If I cared that much about other people, I'd join the red cross.
Anyone who works themselves like that is being made a fool of.

Yes, but all of that's your problem, not the customer. If you've a problem with your stores opening hours then take it up with them, no need to be rude to customers.

You never answered, who do you expect to take the money?

taibhse · 28-09-2008 07:54PM

I worked in a bridal shop for a few years when I was in college. Most people were friendly enough, but you would always get some bint come in with a chip on her shoulder, being unnecessarily rude. There seems to be a mentality in Ireland now of I'll get what I want, how I want, NOW.

On a saturday, I worked nine hours, with one for lunch, taking a bride every hour. Have to pick out dresses, put them into the dresses, lace them up only to be told "NO", that was it nothing more.

Also a lot of them would try to get compensation, for the slightest thing.
To be honest if you're nice to the people serving you, they''ll be nice back, it works both ways

mikemac · 28-09-2008 08:03PM

From my own experience:

90% of hassle, sneers, remarks and complaints come from middle-aged housewifes.
Actually it's a honourable thing to be a housewife, a better description are "kept women" who like nothing more than looking down on service staff. They spend their days going to cafes and shopping.
Men are usually fine and pleasant by comparison.

And if there is a problem with pricing or stuff out of stock or whatever, talk to a manager and don't abuse the staff earning minimum wage.
Before last Christmas there were heavy storms so the local M&S had very little stock as the ferries couldn't sail.
Jaysus, the poor staff were getting abused everytime they I was there, it was nobodys fault at all in this case, the ferries couldn't sail.

Oh, my own appeal to service staff.
If you work in Tesco and your store has a self-service checkout, it's for baskets only! Keep those muppets with trollies away..........please

Smyth · 28-09-2008 08:18PM

MarkR wrote: »

Yes, but all of that's your problem, not the customer. If you've a problem with your stores opening hours then take it up with them, no need to be rude to customers.

You never answered, who do you expect to take the money?

If the management acknowledge the extra working hours past 6 and pay their employees, then the employee of course.

BUT, if they don't, it ceases to be the employees problem. At this point, they should take it up with management. After all, what would someone behind the till know eh?

marti101 · 28-09-2008 08:37PM

I do tell people that the small self service is for baskets and i get askes why honestly how do they find their way home.Also people give out over the slightest thing that has nothing to do with you at the checkout,i had some guy giving out about buying bags i said if you have a problem talk to the government.And i actually dont mind my job its not as soul destroying as some of them are trying to make out.You have friends and the nice customers who have a laugh and ajoke and i find its usually the customer will say something to another rude customer if they are trying to be smart.Like i said before its a job like many you have good and bad days.

MarkR · 28-09-2008 08:56PM

Smyth wrote: »

If the management acknowledge the extra working hours past 6 and pay their employees, then the employee of course.

BUT, if they don't, it ceases to be the employees problem. At this point, they should take it up with management. After all, what would someone behind the till know eh?

Still not the customers problem. Still no reason to be rude. Still no answer as to who should take the money at 5:45.

If you don't take money after 5:45, shop gets no money from 5:45. Why should they pay you past 5:45?

shane86 · 28-09-2008 08:57PM

Is it just me or before the bag tax did the cashiers actually help you pack your bags?

Oul ones in Dunnes are hell sent. There were 3 of them huddled in a corner by the ATM when I tried using it one day (with another oul one, a non staff member. Something about them struck me that they were doing something they werent meant to be up to, buying bootleg fags or something Id guess), and when I politely asked could I get into use it got the response "we`re doin somethin!" (they did make way, anyway).

Cnuts the lot of em.....

DefenseSoapEire · 28-09-2008 08:58PM

I know a few people who have worked in Dunnes and they all agree that the staff are generally miserable, not because of customers but because of management. I can empathise, I used to work for a local shop and when you are not happy it is hard to act it sincerely for a prolonged period of time.
I don't start conversations or anything to the people at the tills but I always smile and try to be polite.

Stheno · 28-09-2008 09:28PM

I worked in Dunnes years ago when I was in school it was a pretty strict environment.

As for people working in Services, personally I think that service overall here has improved the past few years, I remember one time losing a secure access key for work off my keyring and the staff in my local shop finding it and holding onto it for me, I was very grateful to them

Personally, imo, good manners cost nothing, and most staff in service environments appreciate and react well to polite customers.

That said the other day I was on the way home and getting a coffee from a shop near work, the wagon in front of me wanted a tenner for the mobile phone machine or something, and the poor assistant gave her a crumpled one.

She started shouting at him that it wasn't good enough and that she wanted a "better quality" tenner. Unfortunately he didn't understand her, so the witch (she was at most mid thirties) started shouting some more, then started asking if no one in the shop spoke English, and once she had her "quality" tenner stomped off muttering.

If people are going to speak to/treat service staff in that way then no wonder they are surly/non-communicative back.

simu · 28-09-2008 09:36PM

Why would you want the cashier to pack your bags? Personally, I would rather do it myself and know exactly where everything is. Apart from say, clothes shops where clothes are wrapped in paper before being put into the bag.

DefenseSoapEire · 28-09-2008 09:43PM

simu wrote: »

Why would you want the cashier to pack your bags? Personally, I would rather do it myself and know exactly where everything is. Apart from say, clothes shops where clothes are wrapped in paper before being put into the bag.

+1

i hate when they try to help as they tend to not care how they throw everything in.

mikemac · 28-09-2008 09:45PM

nouggatti wrote: »

mers.

That said the other day I was on the way home and getting a coffee from a shop near work, the wagon in front of me wanted a tenner for the mobile phone machine or something, and the poor assistant gave her a crumpled one.

She started shouting at him that it wasn't good enough and that she wanted a "better quality" tenner. Unfortunately he didn't understand her, so the witch (she was at most mid thirties) started shouting some more, then started asking if no one in the shop spoke English, and once she had her "quality" tenner stomped off muttering.

The mobile phone machine probably needs crisp notes. If you tried to "feed" it a crumpled note it could get rejected.
I've been handed some bad quality notes and handed them back. Not trying to be awkward but when you take your ripped and crumpled note to the next shop they'll start checking it and causing hassle. No need for her to shout though.

I forgot, Marks & Spensors staff are the best around!
Also, they seem to be older so maybe they concentrate on getting full time staff and not filling the place with teenagers. I'm not saying teenagers in Tesco or Dunnes give lousy service, but the staff in M&S are realy helpful

marti101 · 28-09-2008 09:56PM

I try to be helpful but when you have 10 other people to serve as well as screaming kids it does get to you.And the people who are the worst for packing are people who buy 2 items but take years to pack them while everybody is getting pissed off waiting.Then you offer to help and they get in a huff and tell you no they can do it themselves.

ShellBell1 · 28-09-2008 11:37PM

MarkR wrote: »

Looks like you have a sunny disposition. I like the cut of your jib.

You don't seem cut out for working with people..

Well, there's working with people and then there's working with complete f*ckin' morons- like he did.

I think his frustration was justified. It's because of pissy managers like that that the dozens of people I have spoken to who have worked in supermarkets (many of them just part-timers- not even full-time, like), detested the f*ckin' place.

If you want staff to be pleasant and work hard, you have to relate to them on an equal level. Earn their respect instead of demanding it. The most successful businesses have a democratic working environs, where employees are valued and given positive encouragement. I know, because I've been fortunate enough to work in such environments.

Personally, I think that managers who talk down to their 'lower level' employees should be taken outside the door and shot.

By being pissy, self-important bastards, they sabotage the success of the company all on their own because they simply can't keep staff; meaning more time and resources are wasted on incessant re-hiring of staff.

Screw people who gorge on ego power trips. The CŬNTS.

ShellBell1 · 28-09-2008 11:49PM

JC 2K3 wrote: »

I find modern service staff like these to be very polite. They never forget to thank you for shopping there and always are very mannerly.

Hahahaha.

ElBarco · 29-09-2008 12:12AM

Used to work in a petrol station while going through college. I'll always remember one night - I'd just finished an 8 hour shift and had locked up. I was walking from the station up to the local (for a well deserved refreshing beverage). It was a 10 minute walk, I was about 8 minutes into it and a guy pulled over and demanded that I went back to open the shop to sell him some milk. I'd locked up at 11.15pm and the shop closed at 11.00pm. He was unable to understand why I wasn't willing to go back and open up to let him buy the milk. After all he was "paying my blo**dy wages" - the same guy was there when I opened up the next morning at 7.00am and still gave me ****. I sold him the milk but refused to put together the sunday times.

Personal Treatment by Service Staff

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