Retail Rant - No.2

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Handy Andy
Posts: 283
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:46 pm
Location: Crowborough, East Sussex

Post by Handy Andy »

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.
Car sold - but still following Mazda.

Gus
Posts: 607
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:11 am
Location: Oxfordshire

Post by Gus »

Are you alright there Andy? ......... :lol:
CX-3, Sport Nav, Auto, Petrol, Soul Red Metallic, Half Stone Leather, Sep 2015 to Sep 2018.
CX-5, Sport Nav+, Auto, Petrol, Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Sep 2018.
zoylander
Posts: 236
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2017 2:10 pm
Location: Somerset

Post by zoylander »

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.
CX-3 SE 2.0L 2WD Auto. 43.5mpg.
amigoforlavida
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2017 10:55 am
Location: Lancashire UK

Post by amigoforlavida »

zoylander wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 6:45 pm 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.

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
DaveG
Posts: 313
Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:52 pm
Location: Bournemouth

Post by DaveG »

Gus wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 6:30 pm Are you alright there Andy? ......... :lol:
Wish I had thought of that one :lol:
CX3 Sport Nav - Petrol - Auto - safety pack - snowflake white - 2019
Handy Andy
Posts: 283
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:46 pm
Location: Crowborough, East Sussex

Post by Handy Andy »

Gus wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 6:30 pm Are you alright there Andy? ......... :lol:
Yes thank you Grrrrr!
Car sold - but still following Mazda.
Greenman

Post by Greenman »

i respond to such enquiries with:


no - I'm half left actually...
Last edited by Greenman on Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
Deleted User 155

Post by Deleted User 155 »

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'... :roll: :lol:
1Monty
Posts: 194
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2017 5:13 pm
Location: Essex

Post by 1Monty »

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. :evil:

This should be a permanent thread titled 'The Soap Box' :D
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 😎
SoonerV8
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:24 pm

Post by SoonerV8 »

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.
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