Article on Friendly Retail Staff

[customersruinmylife]

Lady writes a newspaper on friendly retail staff who take the time to ask her how her day's going.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...d-wiring.html#

Oh wait. She's COMPLAINING about it!

I bet that if they hadn't asked her, she would have complained too.

Oh and she gets mauled in the comments.

[LillFilly]

Can't win for trying. Funny that one comment calls it the 'Americanising' of customer service. Funny that in Asia, employees are encouraged to conduct business in a westernized manner. Still, what's wrong with having pleasant employees that acknowledge and care about you, no matter where you are?

In any case, that woman needs something real to complain about!

[PepperElf]

"re-train" seems to be the new entitlement whore battle cry

Too bad they can't seem to understand THEY'RE the ones who need retaining, not the employees they like beating up

[Food Lady]

She wants me as a cashier, then. I get into trouble for not engaging the customers.

[fireheart]

Am I the only one who's thinking that the woman is a thief or was a thief/scammer and having people greet her and be friendly is discouraging her from stealing? (it was one of the techniques that I was taught at my very first job: apparaently it makes them run like hell everytime) If you have people asking you for help, a simple "No thanks" or "I'm not interested sorry" is all that's needed!

ETA: Nobody is going to give a shit as to whether you are buying the Libra tampons or the KY jelly. And from what I'm aware of, nearly all staff don't bring that up! In fact, it's completely the opposite.

[XCashier]

"re-train" seems to be the new entitlement whore battle cry

Too bad they can't seem to understand THEY'RE the ones who need retaining, not the employees they like beating up

Amen to that!

They complain if we're chatty and call us "rude" if we're quiet. Seriously, what the hell do they want from us?!

Nikki and Steph both had excellent comments. Too bad the article isn't accepting any more.

[tropicsgoddess]

Amen to that!

They complain if we're chatty and call us "rude" if we're quiet. Seriously, what the hell do they want from us?!
.

Exactly...we can never win this battle.

[Canarr]

Am I the only one who's thinking that the woman is a thief or was a thief/scammer and having people greet her and be friendly is discouraging her from stealing? (it was one of the techniques that I was taught at my very first job: apparaently it makes them run like hell everytime) If you have people asking you for help, a simple "No thanks" or "I'm not interested sorry" is all that's needed!

Not necessarily, on both counts.

The few times I've been in the US, it's been an adjustment to go into a store or a restaurant. In Germany, the most you'll get from a waiter or a sales clerk is "Good day!" or a polite, "Can I help you?" - and for me, that's all the interaction I need.

In the US, it's "Hi! How are you?" - which requires me to mentally shift gears from my original plan of "Find out where jeans are located!" to "Must make polite conversation!" My mother didn't raise me to be impolite, so I'll answer with some chitchat about my current state of being and return the question. Many times, the employees seemed genuinely surprised at the reply.

My days in retail are years in the past, but I've read enough here on the forums to *know* that sales clerk doesn't really care about my day, any more than she cares about the days of the 50 people that came before me, or the 100 that'll come after me. But due to some inane corporate script (that some clever consultant sold to some idiot in a suit for a fortune), she's forced to ask me and everybody else.

Now, I'm a friendly guy, most of the time, so I don't mind a bit of smalltalk here and there - if I'm in the mood, and find the person opposite me to be likeable. But I don't like being forced to make conversation when I don't feel like it, with the alternative being impolite or unfriendly to an employee who really isn't responsible for being required to follow that script.

So, yeah: I can kind of follow the article's reasoning, even if she didn't place the blame where it belongs: on the corporate script.

[MoonCat]

Canarr, I, too, don't really like to interact with store employees the second I walk in the door. "How are you?" is just a meaningless greeting most of the time. They don't really expect you to tell them in detail. When I hear this from store greeters, I just say "Fine, thanks," and keep walking. By the time I take three steps away they've already forgotten me and are "engaging" the next customer.

[Bright_Star]

Amen to that!

They complain if we're chatty and call us "rude" if we're quiet. Seriously, what the hell do they want from us?! Nikki and Steph both had excellent comments. Too bad the article isn't accepting any more.

"raising hand"....oooh! oooh! oooh! I know!! They want us to read their moods as soon as they walk in the door & treat them accordingly!!....LOL!

[Lace Neil Singer]

Canarr, I, too, don't really like to interact with store employees the second I walk in the door. "How are you?" is just a meaningless greeting most of the time. They don't really expect you to tell them in detail. When I hear this from store greeters, I just say "Fine, thanks," and keep walking. By the time I take three steps away they've already forgotten me and are "engaging" the next customer.

Exactly this; all you have to do is smile and be polite. It's not hard and won't hurt.

[note; this is directed to the rude and indifferent customers I encounter; not MoonCat. XD]
I have to chat to customers; it's part of what we're told to do, ie say hello, be friendly and chat, say thanks and bye. I really hate it when customers scowl, ignore me, look out of the window or say something rude in return. Would it fucking kill you to be polite for once in your life? Look, I don't give two shits about your day or what the weather's like in reality; I'm forced to chat to you. So at least have the common decency to respond with a smile and polite replies. In two minutes I'll give you your receipt and then you can fuck off back to your miserable life. Not too much to fucking well ask.