"Is it me or.............."

[Samai139]

Recently I took a scratch-off lottery ticket to my grocery store for pay out. As I approached the terminal, I noticed the woman at this post was on the telephone with her back toward me. She was obviously talking to a fellow worker in the store and I waited patiently for her to complete the call. When the call was completed, she turned slightly and saw me and then the phone rang. She turned back to the phone, answered it and went on with a fairly long conversation. I do not know if it was the same person or not, but I was put off by her action. When she did serve me, no greeting, no mention that she was sorry I had to wait.

 

Several questions:

1.Have you experienced similar action by workers in retail?

2.How did you react? (Parenthetically, I said nothing, but I don’t hide emotions well and I suspect she saw annoyance on my face, but said nothing.)

3.Why do people feel that a telephone call is more important than a human being standing in front of them?

[wayout]

Several questions:

1.Have you experienced similar action by workers in retail?

2.How did you react? (Parenthetically, I said nothing, but I don’t hide emotions well and I suspect she saw annoyance on my face, but said nothing.)

3.Why do people feel that a telephone call is more important than a human being standing in front of them?

 

1. I have experienced it in retail and it happens too frequently. Most recently I was Christmas shopping and totally ignored by the sales staff as they folded clothes, talked on the phone or chatted with one another. Needless to say I walked out without giving the benefit of my purchases.

2. If there is another person I can go to I will do that, or depending on the importance/urgency of the matter I'll just leave my items for purchase there and walk out. I have more recently also been contacting management to lodge a complaint. Maybe it doesn't do much but it does make me feel better (and almost always I get something back showing an interest, asking for details or whatever action they plan to take). I did that for the situation mentioned above and did get a nice apologetic email back with assurances of having it dealt with. In other situations I have been offered discounts or other special offers to address the issue to my satisfaction.

3. No idea why people feel it is more important to answer the phone (although I would be fine with them excusing themselves for a minute to answer it and telling the person on the phone to hold or call back). I suspect it is just poor training or lack of (or inappropriate) incentives to give appropriate customer service.

[RockHard]

3.Why do people feel that a telephone call is more important than a human being standing in front of them?

 

For the same reason many escorts behave unprofessionally, they have no formal eduction in customer service.

 

I've never purchased a lottery ticket but, in NYC, I've seen people buy them in corner bodegas. I don't think they sell them at Whole Foods, where every cashier smiles and greets you as if you were shopping at Neiman Marcus. Whole Foods offers training. You don't become cashier until you've completed their program. I would hardly call these small grocery stores a place where workers feel any education is required. Just as some escorts don't feel additional education is required for their job, too.

 

Whenever I visit small grocery stores, like the ones attached to most gasoline stations in L.A., I don't expect much customer service, even though I drop a cool $50 on the purchase of gas. I always have to ask for a receipt, and it's rare the cashier won't grimace, almost losing the cigarette dangling from the mouth, for having to exert the extra work.

 

Frankly, if that were my job, I'd be miserable, too. A little compassion goes a long way to foster tolerance.

[whipped guy]

A similar thing happened to me a few years ago. I had initially called the land records division of a rather large neighboring city as I was doing some research for a relative. I was told that the records at the town hall were more detailed than could be found on their website. Consequently I drove down to get a copy of the more detailed records... When I got there I recognized the voice of the exact same woman with whom I had spoken about a half hour previously who was on the phone taking what was obviously a non-business related personal call... it had to do with absolute nonsense... and she ignored me for the approximately 7 minutes she was on the phone. When she finally got around to asking me what I wanted she duly make a copy of that which I asked for... and SURPRISE SURPRISE is was the EXACT same thing that I had printed from the town's website... Incidentally there was another worker present a few feet away who completely ignored me as well... so who knows...

 

So much for courtesy... and so much for being competent... but then again this was a municipal employee who probably was set for life in her job anyway so there was no need for courtesy or competence.

[Samai139]

Rockhard--I agree with you that the treatment received varies with the type of retail store. I bought the lottery ticket and redeemed it at Wegmans, which is a fairly large, well-known grocery store here in Upstate NY, and Pennsylvania, Virginia, etc. Wegmans regularly comes near the top of Forbes' annual list of "Best Places to Work" and from what I know, treats its employees well and expects them in return to treat their customers well. Perhaps that's why I was a little surprised and asked the question about the telephone---I believe Wegmans' employees do receive training in customer relations.

If I had taken the tikcket to a convenience store or gasoline station, I don't think I would have been surprised.

Thanks for the replies guys

[Guest Merlin]

I am not good at waiting patiently. I have sometimes walked out leaving my purchases, unpaid, on the counter to be returned by the clerks to the shelves. If there is a line I sometimes ask the clerk to get us some help. If there are other clerks nearby I would ask them for help, or ask for the manager. I like to think I am helping them to become better sales people.

[gallahadesquire]

To Quote from the movie "I'm made as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

 

I have a long riff here, but I'll forgo that. I've seen younger doctors walking in the halls of a hospital with their earplugs in. I've been known to say "EXCUSE ME!!" in my best theatrical voice. It is unpleasant to lower one's self to their level, but not doing so leads to this. Cause: They were probably ignored as young un's. Cure: None. Result: We won't be working into our 80's forSSocial Security; we'll be doing it for their unemployment insurance.

 

I think that made sense. Not enough coffee yet.

[jjkrkwood]

Try the DMV or the Post office. Its everywhere, has NOTHING to do with the job or the training. It is solely the responsibility of the WORKER and their work ethic. You can have the BEST training, but if you hate what you do, or are just a miserable person, it will show and reflect in your performance.

 

We used to say if you hate your job, "find another one". Not so easy in these time, so I guess the customer will just have to endure "the wrath of the worker"...

[jgoo]

Try the DMV or the Post office. Its everywhere, has NOTHING to do with the job or the training. It is solely the responsibility of the WORKER and their work ethic. You can have the BEST training, but if you hate what you do, or are just a miserable person, it will show and reflect in your performance.

 

We used to say if you hate your job, "find another one". Not so easy in these time, so I guess the customer will just have to endure "the wrath of the worker"...

 

I agree and disagree (my dissociative identity disorder raising its ugly head again). It is about the job and the training, and a whole host of other things as well, to determine service levels. The worker has a responsibility but so does the company and manager they work for to give the necessary resources, expectations, training and motivation (including rewards) to the worker. Not everyone is cut out for giving good customer service but you can't use the same paint brush on everyone and there are those that benefit immensely from learning simple tools to help improve. Poor service and enduring "the wrath of the worker" is not inevitable, unless we allow it to be so.

[RockHard]

I believe Wegmans' employees do receive training in customer relations.

 

It's helpful to offer details in the very first post, otherwise, readers have to guess the context.

 

In the situation you described, you have a choice: suck it up and tell yourself someone is having a bad day or discreetly ask to speak to a manager. (I step as far away from the offending person when I do this so the person is unaware that I am filing a complaint.)

 

There was a new locker room attendant hired at my gym last year. Within minutes of interaction with him, you knew he had the wrong personality for the job. Even though he made a point of bringing you a towel, he had an in-your-face approach which crossed a boundary line. He forced unfunny jokes upon you, and engaged you in conversations that you did not want to have. His manner was low-class ingratiating, as if he felt he needed to be every member's friend in order to secure tips.

 

One day I noticed he was no longer there, replaced by a lovely, quiet, middle-aged man. On my way out, I stopped to visit with the gym manager and asked about the former attendant. I was told they received so many complaints, they had to let him go. When I asked how he got hired in the first place, I got a gesture that said lips are sealed, don't go there.

 

Had the guy annoyed me enough, I could have been one of those to complain. In this case, he was gone before I reached that point.

 

Since I come from the corporate world, I assume managers don't see everything they should. As a business owner, I want to know when an employee's behavior is less than perfect. Good managers appreciate when a loyal customer brings important service information to their attention. Sometimes I feel like helping the business out, other times I don't care. I guess it depends on my mood, and it certainly depends on how attached my feelings are to the business.

 

A personal work ethic will play no role in a "mission statement" environment. A less-than-stellar work ethic almost always comes through during a good job interview. Yes, some people have an off day — I think it's important to consider that — but ignoring a customer over a phone call is unacceptable behavior and warrants a review.

[instudiocity]

Whenever I visit small grocery stores, like the ones attached to most gasoline stations in L.A., I don't expect much customer service, even though I drop a cool $50 on the purchase of gas. I always have to ask for a receipt, and it's rare the cashier won't grimace, almost losing the cigarette dangling from the mouth, for having to exert the extra work.

RH, you almost had me believing you until the part about the cigarette - no one smokes inside a business in LA. It's against the law, right up there with manslaughter!!!! LOL!

[Lookin]

RH, you almost had me believing you until the part about the cigarette - no one smokes inside a business in LA.

Perhaps it was a doobie. http://www.maleescortreview.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

 

http://obrag.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/med-MJ-joint-smoked.jpg

[RockHard]

RH, you almost had me believing you until the part about the cigarette - no one smokes inside a business in LA. It's against the law, right up there with manslaughter!!!! LOL!

 

When I lived in L.A., there was no such thing as a smoking ban. Still, I should have used the state of South Carolina as an example, given the election today.

[Boink]

My very first job as a teenager was working at a "Ma & Pa Grocery store". I was taught that whenever a customer walked in the store you DROP EVERYTHING to go and wait on them.

 

Now whenever I'm a customer in a retail establishment, I wait till the clerk is done rearranging the shelves or wiping off the counter or doing some other bit of busy work before they deign to work the register. And it is frightening (and a great pet peeve of mine) the number of times I'm just about to be rung out and their phone rings...and I, the customer in front of them with cash in hand, am 'put on hold' while the cashier 'waits on' the person on the phone.

[instudiocity]

...And it is frightening (and a great pet peeve of mine) the number of times I'm just about to be rung out and their phone rings...and I, the customer in front of them with cash in hand, am 'put on hold' while the cashier 'waits on' the person on the phone.

A friend of mine says, "Don't get mad. Get even!" So I am thankful for smartphones. I was in line at a famous local eatery that has you line up to order the food and then find a seat. I watched six people slip the line to pick up their to-go orders. So I looked up the phone number, placed my order, picked it up and dropped down at a table and ate it. Come to find out, California adds sales tax to dine-in checks, but take out is considered catering and is not taxed for sales tax. So my $10 meal was $10 instead of $10.85 and I didn't have to wait in line.

[instudiocity]

Perhaps it was a doobie. http://www.maleescortreview.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Butt, butt, smoking doobies in California is LEGAL as long as you don't do it inside a business or within 20 feet of the door! Can I get a hit off that?