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

Mushy · 15-06-2011 12:51PM

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 · 15-06-2011 01:07PM

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 · 15-06-2011 01:38PM

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 · 15-06-2011 01:40PM

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 · 15-06-2011 01:44PM

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 · 15-06-2011 01:49PM

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 · 15-06-2011 02:28PM

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 · 15-06-2011 02:53PM

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 · 15-06-2011 03:02PM

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 · 15-06-2011 03:03PM

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 · 15-06-2011 03:06PM

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 · 15-06-2011 03:18PM

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.

15-06-2011 03:25PM

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 · 15-06-2011 03:31PM

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

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

Paxmanwithinfo · 15-06-2011 03:34PM

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

mackg · 15-06-2011 03:36PM

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 · 15-06-2011 03:49PM

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 · 15-06-2011 04:14PM

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 · 15-06-2011 05:05PM

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 · 15-06-2011 05:21PM

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.

YFlyer · 15-06-2011 05:27PM

RichT wrote: »

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:

There was a Czech girl that used to work in the Stables bar at the University of Limerick. She would always put my change on the counter when I had my hand out. I decided in future to always put my money on the counter when paying for either my lunch or drinks. She got the message after a few days and then started to hand the money directly to me

JohnMarston · 16-06-2011 08:37AM

Had one fella come and place stuff at the checkout one evening shift. I start checking the items out. He dials a number on his phone and starts talking.

I've done checking the stuff out and give the total. With one hand occupied he takes about 2 minutes to find his wallet and take out the notes, after which he subsequently hangs up the phone. So i proceed to take my time printing the receipt, getting his change while he clearly is losing patience. I give his change over and tell him thank you with the fakest smile ever.

JohnMarston · 16-06-2011 09:16AM

YFlyer wrote: »

There was a Czech girl that used to work in the Stables bar at the University of Limerick. She would always put my change on the counter when I had my hand out. I decided in future to always put my money on the counter when paying for either my lunch or drinks. She got the message after a few days and then started to hand the money directly to me

Because it would be impossible to just pick your change up from the counter

mackeire · 16-06-2011 09:19AM

JohnMarston wrote: »

Had one fella come and place stuff at the checkout one evening shift. I start checking the items out. He dials a number on his phone and starts talking.

I've done checking the stuff out and give the total. With one hand occupied he takes about 2 minutes to find his wallet and take out the notes, after which he subsequently hangs up the phone. So i proceed to take my time printing the receipt, getting his change while he clearly is losing patience. I give his change over and tell him thank you with the fakest smile ever.

when you see them take out their phone, you should take out your phone and talk on it while you check their stuff through!

mackg · 16-06-2011 09:52AM

JohnMarston wrote: »

Had one fella come and place stuff at the checkout one evening shift. I start checking the items out. He dials a number on his phone and starts talking.

I've done checking the stuff out and give the total. With one hand occupied he takes about 2 minutes to find his wallet and take out the notes, after which he subsequently hangs up the phone. So i proceed to take my time printing the receipt, getting his change while he clearly is losing patience. I give his change over and tell him thank you with the fakest smile ever.

I wouldn't even answer the phone in this scenario if it rang, maybe just pick it up and go call ya back, to actually make a call is just the height of ignorance.

YFlyer · 16-06-2011 11:05AM

JohnMarston wrote: »

Because it would be impossible to just pick your change up from the counter

Likewise for her. So she changed her approach. Didn't even ask her to hand the change to me. She just did.

smurfy89 · 16-06-2011 11:25AM

Deleted User wrote: »

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.

Yeah that's really annoying! I work in a supermarket and always tell them they have to go to a normal checkout if they have way more.
But then there are some that will have two baskets and have one completely out of sight until I've put through the first basket so I have no choice but to serve them with their 30 or so items :mad:

Oh and people who after they get their receipt start to read through it checking the price of everything and not bothering to get out of the way of the people behind them, sickeners. Or buying scratchcards and scratching them at the till completely in the way of everyone else.

I hate customers

mackg · 16-06-2011 12:15PM

I worked in retail for years occasionally on checkouts and there are some things that even thinking about makes me angry.

people who try to get your attention by clicking their fingers. This is the only time I will not help people with what you want. So ignorant...

People who stick their shopping OVER THE SCANNER when you are still taking for the previous customer therby causing a huge delay because of the need for managers authorisation for voids. Some have the nerve to then complain about the delay.

NomdePlume · 16-06-2011 12:28PM

smurfy89 wrote: »

Or buying scratchcards and scratching them at the till completely in the way of everyone else.

I hate customers

Scratching them at the till, winning 4 euro, asking for another 2 scratchcards out of the winnings, scratching those..... If they hit a lucky streak you could be waiting a while :pac:

Organised people can take ages. They need to place the receipt neatly into a certain pocket of the wallet; change in another pocket; notes neatly into another one; loyalty card in loyalty card pocket. Jesus you can go into a hypnotic state standing there watching their meticulous routine.
Messy types like me are quicker to leave the scene. Just scrunch everything into a purse/pocket, and sort it out later/never...

DublinWriter · 16-06-2011 12:53PM

I always find it funny how old people act like they've got all the time in the world left to live and that young people act like they've got no time left at all.

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

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