Ipods, Cell Phones and the Silent Ones

[uknz76]

Even after sooooooo many years in retail, I still get really iritated by those customers who aren't rude in an outward way, but just lack basic manners. All three of my really big peevs came in today.

1. Ipod girl: Those people who stand at the counter listening to their Ipod (or other MP3 thingee) not saying a word, obviously unable to communicate in any human way.

2. Cellphone suit: Don't get me wrong, if your phone rings while you are at the checkout or in the line it should be answered. But when you are already on the phone and you dump your purchases on the counter there is no way you can communicate to anyone (except on the phone ofcourse)

3. The Silent Ones: People who are so self involved, or arrogant, or whatever, that they won't even return a greeting. I don't expect to chat like we're best mates but it never hurts to say hello or goodbye.

Sorry about the rant, but today just sucked!

[RammsteinGirl]

LOL, I've served all 3 of those types of customers before.

I had these 2 teen girls come through my checkout. One of the girls was on her cell phone, jabbering away. When it came time to pay for their purchase, the girl could NOT put her phone down to pull her cash and change out of her wallet. I watched her struggle with trying to hold the phone to her ear and get her money out at the same time for about 20 seconds, with epic failure. Her girlfriend then has to help her count her change out. How fucking pathetic that you can't say, "Hold on - I'm at the checkout and I need to pay - just a second" and lay your phone down - that you have to have your friend count out your money for you?!

I also CANNOT stand people who do not respond to me when I say "Hi" to them. They just stare at me, or they sometimes don't even look at me at all. I don't expect people to be chatty, but at least say "Hi" back! How rude can you get?! I guess they figure since we are lowly little shits working in a store, we're obviously robots and they don't have to say anything to us.

And then you get the people who, upon coming up to your checkout, you greet them with a friendly, "Hello, how are you?" and a big, warm smile - and they squinch up their face and respond with "TELL ME HOW MUCH THIS IS!!!" and throw some item down on the counter. Gahhh!!!

Maybe it's my Southern-ness coming out, but I am really big on being rude/not rude and the whole manners thing. I always worry about whether I am being rude or offending someone.

At K-Fart we have a 10-foot rule, like many retail stores - you have to greet every customer that comes within 10 feet of you. Of course, no one really does it, not even the managers. If I'm out on the sales floor, I smile, make eye contact, and greet the people that walk past me. 99% of the time they don't even say anything back, or look at me. Maybe they don't hear me, or they don't think I'm talking to them?

I've pretty much given up. All I say now is "Hi" "Would you like to buy an extended warranty for that item" and "Your total is $xx.xx." It's K-Fart, not Macy's or Marshall Fields, and I don't work on commission, so.. I feel no need to butter up customers!

[powerboy]

Now, when my dad is out shopping, he doesn't say anything to the cashier. That is not because he is rude, he just doesn't talk much, except to family, and really good friends, that he has known for years and years.

[RammsteinGirl]

Now, when my dad is out shopping, he doesn't say anything to the cashier. That is not because he is rude, he just doesn't talk much, except to family, and really good friends, that he has known for years and years.

I understand people are shy.. I have my moments too, but is it that hard to just say "Hi" back?

[powerboy]

Maybe they are having a bad day, and they don't want to say anything bad, or in a voice that can be taken bad.

[RammsteinGirl]

Maybe they are having a bad day, and they don't want to say anything bad, or in a voice that can be taken bad.

I guess you're right powerboy. I never thought of it that way. However, it sucks for us on the other side of the counter, because we always have to keep a big smile on and a friendly demeanor for the customers, even when we are crying on the inside. If we snap at or don't greet a customer because we're in a bad mood, we get reported and wrote up for it. Though, we're only human and there's a point where you can't hide your emotions anymore.

One time, back in HS when I worked at the grocery store, a customer snapped at me SO nastily "I DON'T WANT THAT IN A BAG!!!!!!!!!" simply because I put her box of wine in a bag. I lost it right there.. I just started bawling right there at the register. I was probably on the rag that day.. I don't know why she bothered me so badly. And I was on express so I couldn't leave. So there I was "Hh-hh-how a-a-are y-y-you" with tears running down my face checking people out - you should've seen their faces!

I hate saying that I'm "Great, thanks!" when I'm having an awful, stressful day. I just want to say, "Look, I'm working at KMART, how do you fucking THINK I'm doing?!"

[mischugenah]

I'm usually lost in thought, or just lost in space, when I'm not actually with someone. So if you say 'hi' to me, you may not get an answer, mostly because for the first few seconds my brain is still trying to re-connect with earth, and after that, I'm too embarassed by my delayed reaction to say anything. I sometimes manage to stammer an 'uh... hi', but not always.

[powerboy]

I know how you feel, I am on the other side of the counter also.

[Iced Coffee Man]

I don't think it's hard to just say hi, and I do get slightly angry when the cashier doesn't say anything at all.

[siead_lietrathua]

i must admit, i am guilty of having my headphones on at the till... but i crank down the volume to a whisper and actually converse with the staff.
mostly i leave them on because they are keeping me from having an OMFGWTFBBQ awful hair day. or if it is a really good song.

[iradney]

The only time I didn't converse with a cashier was when I had laryngitis. But I still smiled, and was friendly, and I pointed at my throat and made motions to indicate I couldn't talk. That seemed to work quite well
Being talkative, having no voice was torture

[Enjis]

There have been times when I have greeted a customer while coming up from behind him or her, and not gotten a response, and then when I came to face them, found out they had a hearing aid. So, I smiled and repeated my greeting, ususally getting a smile back, and sometimes a 'hi'.
Because of that, i try not to take it personally when I do not get a reply.

Still, there ARE people who don't reply, even tho they can hear, speak your language, and certainly are looking right at you. Those are the ones who annoy me. Like the original poster, I feel it is rude. I don't want to be buddies, I just want you to know I'm there to help you, should you need it.

The ones that really surprise me are the phones that are in the ear...the first time I saw one was when I saw a guy walking down the aisle, loudly talking to himself! I was all 'what the...?' when he turned, and I saw the ear peice. Hee!

But please, people, get off the phone at checkout...listen to me when I ask questions, respond to me when I answer yours...

Some places even have signs up asking you to shut off your cell before coming to th ecounter (the Post office has this...they say it interfiers with their machines...)

[Shabo]

Yeah, the cell phone thing at the register drives me nuts too. Since experiencing this thing first hand, I always either get off the phone when at the register, or tell the person to hold on, then put the phone down for *the entire transaction*!! I wait until I am putting my wallet back in my purse and gathering up all my bags before I pick up the phone again. Why some people can't do this, I don't know. I've even used going up to the register as a legit reason why I had to get off the phone with a person I really didn't want to talk to.

And those walkie talkie features on cell phones drive me *nuts*. People always have them at full f-ing volume. It's especially annoying when those go off in class, because the person calling on the phone always says something really stupid, like "Yo, homeslice." or whatever stupid nickname they call each other. For out loud, there is a button that takes their voice off speaker (I know, because I have one of these phones!). Or at least turn down the volume. I don't need to hear the other person's half of the conversation from the front of the store when you are in the back. You can't even understand what the person is saying when you're that close to the phone at that volume! Gah!!!!

/rant

[Andara Bledin]

Being talkative, having no voice was torture

I lost my voice on the first day of a gaming convention. I've mentioned before that I'm a chatty person. Having no voice drove me nuts. I made flashcards for some of the more basic things I'd tend to say. That was kind of fun.

I don't worry about people who don't answer when I say hi. If they didn't hear, then it's not something to be upset about. If they are just rude, then they're not worthy of being someone that can affect my mood. If they're in a bad mood and don't want to take it out on me, then it'd be counterproductive for me to get into a bad mood over their lack of response.

It's the ones that are abusive that bother me.

^-.-^

[ArenaBoy]

For the iPod thing just move your lips but don't talk, I did it a lot when people had their radios up too loud and it came across. Cell phones just talk loudly. As for the silent ones, the ones I got usually had an air of "I'm better than you" about them. I don't have a solution to the silent ones sadly.