"You should have stood by and waited until I was off the phone!"

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

This was back when I worked at the computer store.

A guy comes in yammering away on a bluetooth headset, which I failed to notice at first. I do the standard greeting and the guy does the one finger in the air "wait a moment" gesture and then asks whomever he's talking to to hold a moment.

He proceeds to ask me a few questions about our laptops and then resumes his call. From what I can gather he seems interested in buying, so I wait there a few minutes before I finally realize whatever conversation is going on might take awhile. I have other things to do so I proceed to walk back to my counter and start tidying up back there.

Around 20 or so minutes later, the SC finally gets off his call and yells at me from across the store:

SC: Hey! What's the big idea!
Me: Sir?
SC: I demand to know why you treated me so rudely.
Me: I'm not sure I know what you mean...
SC: You just walked off while I was standing here, what if I had questions or needed assistance with something?
Me: Well you were on the phone sir, I was just keeping busy until you were done.
SC: I am your customer, you should have stayed by me the whole time so you could have assisted me if I needed you to, REGARDLESS (his emphasis) of if I was on the phone or not!
Me: I'm sorry for that sir but this is a small store, it only takes me a moment to get back out to you.
SC: A moment of my time that could be better spent doing other things. Customer service is about being attentive to needs, you must have missed that in manual I guess...
Me: I didn't miss anything sir, now what can I help you with?
SC: Nothing now. I was ready to buy one of these machines but since you have treated me so poorly I will purchase at <competitor> instead.

and then he left....

...but he had the nerve to call back the next day and complain to my manager about how "poorly" I treated him. I explained everything to the boss and that was that, but I do not wait hand and foot on people. I will not stand idly by while you finish a phone call when I could be doing other things. Your time is valuable and so is mine. Ass.

[tropicsgoddess]

Excuse me while I drop everything and cater to you, even while you're on the phone, your highness.

[Rayndel2]

Chances are, that if you stuck around, he'd have complained that you were listening to him.

[jedimaster91]

I want to rip people's phones off their ears. If they want to talk to me, the person on the other end can wait.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

That was a sure fire way to lose your place in line, when I worked at Kinko's. All those people clamoring at the counter, all of them in a hurry, my coworkers in a hurry, I'M in a hurry...you better damn straight be off that phone by the time you get to the counter. I've looked right THROUGH people before and gone straight to the next customer if some asshat was on the phone when it came time to place his order. No lie, I didn't give them a nanosecond. Get the hell of the phone or forfeit. It's not like you can't see your turn coming up.

[Meegz]

From what I have experienced, the second they make a notion (such as the "wait a minute" hand gesture) and the fact that they continue to blab makes it even more obvious that they weren't really there to make a purchase anyways. The whole "since you were rude Im going to *competitor*!" seals the deal. If they WERE there to buy the product, they would, I dunno, get off the phone long enough to talk to the salesperson. That's why I don't even bother with those jerks.

They go hand in hand with the people that wait in line, and then when they get to you, get on the phone. They don't say anything (yeah, they may be checking voicemail but why not do it in line??) so they don't have to talk to you while you ring them up. Or they want you to think they're important. Nine times out of ten, after the transaction (without the thank you or any word, of course) they hang up the phone and walk away.

[Bramblerose]

SC: Nothing now. I was ready to buy one of these machines but since you have treated me so poorly I will purchase at <competitor> instead.

and then he left....

What, we just lost an EW and the EW is now inflicting himself on teh competition?

< soccer announcer >

GGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL LLLLLL!!!

< / soccer announcer >

I would be willing to rent my Dad out to take these self-important bd down a notch or two. he did a great job when I was in my pre-teens.

[mattm04]

I love the reaction the SC's give me when they realize that they have to get off the phone in order for me to help them. The will say to the caller "<long sigh>yeah, the guy need me to get off the pone, i'll call you back."

Sorry i need you full attention to order that cake for you prwecious kids b-day that you insist we not screw up.

[marasbaras]

I feel the same way ... though, for a normal checkout at a grocery store, I'm not sure I see the big deal. Cashier rings up groceries, I hand them cash, groceries get bagged, I walk away.

Honestly, besides pleasantries, I don't see the need to talk there.

And, I've had enough cashiers be rude to me (not say a word ... even after I try to be nice and say "hi" and such), I'm not sure that I care.

[Apathy]

I'm still confused at why people tell you that they're going to buy at the competitor's. They've clearly never worked in retail if they think bottom-rungers give a flying shit about what they do. Fine, go to the other store. While you're on your way out, you can observe me not caring.

[Polenicus]

*Sigh*

People like this BOTHER me!

YOU, sir, are NOT the center of then universe. You are not the most important person present, you are not the only or even the most important task the salespeople have. It doesn't matter who you are or what you want, if you cannot b bothered to give the salesperson your time and attention, they cannot be expected to do the same. IF you want the courtesy of someone's time and attention, you need to RETURN that courtesy, or wait until such a time as you are free to do so.

I hate cell phone technology for just this reason. It's created a whole slew of people who can't multitask, but can't bring themselves to turn off the technology, or even interrupt that tether long enough to pay for groceries. Like their entire career will be over if something goes to voicemail, or an e-mail goes unanswered for more than 20 mins.

[rts]

I've ignored these a$$hats at the counter and have NO problem with doing so!

Our local post office has a sign stating that if you are on a cell phone at the counter, they will not wait on you and go to the next person in line! Good for them!

[StanFlouride]

I want to rip people's phones off their ears. If they want to talk to me, the person on the other end can wait.

I like to walk up to them, get in their line of sight and then move my mouth like I'm talking but not make a sound and then walk away.

It's a cheap laugh but it gets me through the day.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

SC: Nothing now. I was ready to buy one of these machines but since you have treated me so poorly I will purchase at <competitor> instead.

Yeah, sure, whatever fuckface. Bye now.

Like hell he was ready to buy a computer. If he was, he would've done it instead of jabbering away on his call. He would've made the purchase his top priority at the time.

[BethB]

I hate those %#$@*& bluetooths. They are completely ridiculous and make you look like an ass(and not the donkey kind). I SERIOUSLY doubt that anyone in my town, at least, has a reason to be permanently glued to their precious phone. We have one lady come in to where I work and she's constantly talking and not about business or such, it's just gossip and idle chatter. I chat alot on my phone but that doesn't mean I want that thing attached to my head. I talk to myself enough, thank you very much!! I don't want to look like some crazy person.