Staples.

[Mytical]

Ok..this is going to be a slight rant, cause even though right now my mind is kinda out to lunch (without me) I was steaming about this.

So I go to staples to fax something..or rather have somebody help me fax something .. since right now I am having trouble doing something simple like type this up (I know..doesn't seem like it..trust me..this is after dozens of revisions). So I go up to the counter to ask for help. I am second in line..nobody behind me .. cool.

I wait (it takes awhile before the other person to get done) and get up to the counter..and the person behind the counter walks away. Ok..they must be going on break. I am ok with that, I will get somebody else's attention. I've been at the 'break time was 20 minutes ago and people have not stopped coming' point before.

While I was waiting to get somebody elses attention (this particular staples has two checkouts but everything is behind ONE desk, so I am just waiting for somebody not on break to come by) another person comes up and stands at the other check out. Employee who I thought was going on break..goes and starts talking to them "How can I help you?" ... I admit .. my jaw dropped.

Now, don't get me wrong, perhaps I should have spoken up when they walked away. Didn't want to be the SC that caused them to not get a break. My mind just ground to a halt for a minute, trying to process what the heck just happened. Before I could recover another associate (just coming from the office area behind said desk) come up and asked if I had been helped..so I got to get done what I wanted..but should I have done something different? Was I in the wrong here, or was this just not right on the check out person's part? Wth just happened?

[rose_metal_nz]

Nope, sounds like it was really bizaare & sucky on their part

[PepperElf]

Was I in the wrong here

I can't possibly figure out how you could have done anything wrong period since all you did was stand and wait patiently ... only to be ignored in favor of another customer.

[bainsidhe]

No, you weren't sucky. There's also nothing wrong in piping up with "I was here first!" as long as you aren't sucky about it. Sometimes you don't see a customer standing in front of you. *shrugs*

[MaggieTheCat]

Yeah, I definitely don't think the OP was wrong, but without actually being there it's hard to determine if the employee was sucky or just made a mistake. He may have thought the person he ended up helping was there first, he may have thought someone else was helping the OP, etc.

But definitely a polite "Actually, I was standing here first" is not inappropriate in that situation.

[Mytical]

That is what upset me, there is no way they did not see me, they looked right at me, when there was nobody but me standing there. They started back toward the office..turned around to check something on a copier..and saw the other person standing there. So..no clue. I agree I should have spoke up, but mind fog + a moment left me speechless.

[Pixilated]

Quoth Mytical

That is what upset me, there is no way they did not see me, they looked right at me, when there was nobody but me standing there. They started back toward the office..turned around to check something on a copier..and saw the other person standing there. So..no clue. I agree I should have spoke up, but mind fog + a moment left me speechless.

It sounds like there is the barest chance they had a series of brain burps ... they looked at you, then *burp* remembered something that needed to be done in the office, turned to go to the office (forgetting to say, "Excuse me for just a minute, please!", and then *burp* saw the other customer and went over to help them.

I've done that sort of thing before -- although never at a job! It's what the phrase "Don't know if I'm coming or going!!" was coined for.

However, I admit that's really a reach.

But whatever it was, it wasn't you.

[Mytical]

Some good points raised here. Even though they did look right at me, may have not 'seen' me. Other things on their mind, etc..or indeed had a brain burp. So I can understand that.

[MoonCat]

Mytical, you went invisible. It used to happen to me all the time. I once had a store clerk that I was standing right in front of look over my head and ask, "OK, who's next?" When I spoke up, he looked startled. Now, I'm only about 5'4" tall, but I was literally standing right in front of this man and he wasn't that much taller. No reason for him not to see me.

I've also been known to sit in plain sight in the house and have everybody wandering around going, "I don't know where she went. She's not here."

[Mel]

That's some superpower you have there! (ok that was meant to quote Mooncat)


But yeah, that's what I was going to say. Invisibility. It's the only possibility.


I would have said something.