I must be getting really old and intolerant.
I really hate it. It is the most annoying and pointless greeting you get from retail shops….Well the other day I lost it, I mean I really lost it. Why are staff not trained to greet customers with a smile or a hello.
Having just got to the counter of a sandwich bar with two sandwiches in one hand and my money in the other I was greeted with “are you alright there?”. Of course I was, I had my sandwiches and my money I just wanted to pay and go. I let this go.
About half an hour later I entered a well known electrical store and was greeted at the door by two assistants with “are you alright there?” This is when I lost it. I stopped, looked around at the floor, the ceiling and counters and said “yes I think I am alright here, but now you have me worried. Would I be more alright over there or maybe over there”, pointing as I spoke. The look was total confusion. I added “if you had said good afternoon, I would have responded in a like matter and we would all be happy, but now you have cast doubt as to whether I am alright. Now I am going over to the counter selling Camcorders, if when I get there you don’t think I am alright there, please come and tell me where you think I will be alright”. I then wandered off to the Camcorder counter. I was then greeted at the counter by assistant number three who said “are you alright there?”, brushing this off, I grunted that I was and I had done my research and now wanted to get the feel of the ones on my shortlist before buying, but this did not put the guy off. He then proceeded to walk up and down the line of camcorders shadowing my every move. When I shuffled back to the beginning of the line he then picked up the camcorder at the end and proudly (and this is when I really lost it) said “this is a good one, it would suit you fine”.
Well, that was it for me, the last straw was broken and I responded by saying “well you buy it ! - how can say that would suit me, you have not asked me what features I am looking for, what I want to use it for, anything, what do you base your recommendation on?”
I turned and headed for the door to be met by one of the first two staff members in this sorry tale. I stopped at the exit and said to him “are you alright there?” – and left.
Retail Rant - No.2
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- Posts: 283
- Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:46 pm
- Location: Crowborough, East Sussex
Car sold - but still following Mazda.
My pet hate is assistants who address my wife and I as "you guys". Through no fault of our own we are not American!
We knew we were getting old when the supermarket checkout operators started asking us whether we need any help with packing.
We knew we were getting old when the supermarket checkout operators started asking us whether we need any help with packing.
CX-3 SE 2.0L 2WD Auto. 43.5mpg.
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- Posts: 30
- Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2017 10:55 am
- Location: Lancashire UK
I usually respond by saying "its the only reason I am allowed to come on the shopping trip"
CX-3 SEL Nav Auto petrol Soul Red Reg Jan 2017
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- Posts: 283
- Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:46 pm
- Location: Crowborough, East Sussex
i respond to such enquiries with:
no - I'm half left actually...
no - I'm half left actually...
Last edited by Greenman on Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
my pet peeve is the 'how are you..?' with the reply 'I'm good' - like it was a question of morality, not well-being ... ok now we've established you are a 'good' person!
A simple 'I'm well thankyou!' would be the answer I would give.
Yes, and the 'you guys...' us annoying, ...when my missus is a 'gal'...
A simple 'I'm well thankyou!' would be the answer I would give.
Yes, and the 'you guys...' us annoying, ...when my missus is a 'gal'...
I must be getting old as politeness and good manners seem to have gone out the window.
Gone are the days of being greeted with a smile and a 'good morning/afternoon or evening sir, how can I help you'. Now it's usually some gormless scruffy oik with the brain cell of a rocking horse grunting at you with a 'yeah', 'cheers' or 'mate' remark with all the enthusiasm of a corpse. And why do stores think that having music blaring out is going to increase my enjoyment of shopping and buying in they're store. For me it has the complete opposite.
This should be a permanent thread titled 'The Soap Box'
Gone are the days of being greeted with a smile and a 'good morning/afternoon or evening sir, how can I help you'. Now it's usually some gormless scruffy oik with the brain cell of a rocking horse grunting at you with a 'yeah', 'cheers' or 'mate' remark with all the enthusiasm of a corpse. And why do stores think that having music blaring out is going to increase my enjoyment of shopping and buying in they're store. For me it has the complete opposite.
This should be a permanent thread titled 'The Soap Box'
SINCE FEB 2018 I NO LONGER OWN VEHICLE
CX-3 Sport Nav - 2.0L Petrol - 2017 - Manual - 2WD - Eternal Blue Metallic - Half Leather - 44.3mpg on a good day down hill with a strong wind behind
CX-3 Sport Nav - 2.0L Petrol - 2017 - Manual - 2WD - Eternal Blue Metallic - Half Leather - 44.3mpg on a good day down hill with a strong wind behind
When I am greeted with, "well how are we today?", I give a full account of my worn and sport damaged knees, my L4 and L5 facet joint, ligament problems, my cataract operation (which I find interesting!!) and my ruptured Achilles tendon, sustained while diving in The Maldives! That lot usually has the "greeter" backing away to the sanctuary of "the back room"!!!
Petrol Sport Nav AWD 2018 UK Midlands.