To ask you all to abide these rules when shopping

[Ladyofthehousespeaking]

I've namechanged as my boss is a mumsnetter-

I work in retail at a large pharmacy/beauty shop and I'm disgusted at the manners of mostly female customers. So if everyone could justfollow these I would be very grateful!

1. Please don't throw your credit card down on the counter - you know how to use a chip and pin machine
   

1. Don't call me a bitch because you don't have enough points on your loyalty card to pay for your disgusting perfume - I do not make the prices.
   

3.please acknowledge my presence as a human being - a simple nod will suffice although I am willing to wave this for busy mums with screaming kids and those on their lunch hour

4.do not accuse me of stealing £3.50 of your gift card, it is physically impossible for me to do so.

5.please and thankyou are expected.

1. Please do not answer calls in the middle of my serving you ad completely stop what we are doing and immediately ignore me. You're decision of wholewheat linguine or organic canneloni can wait.
   

I love my job but all of these examples are from 30-40 year old well dressed women. It's baffling and demeaning.

[SpeedyGonzalez]

and

again.

This is the kind of thread that makes you feel a WHOLE lot better about your character flaws.

[SpeedyGonzalez]

Ingod: "Hey..I'm a nightmare for shop people, I'm not so much rude as more, I don't want to spend my entire day smiling and nodding at people a) I won't see again b) I don't really care about."

Err, yep, you're rude.

[onceamai]

Well I get brilliant service from my Waitrose, Sainsburys, WHS and Boots. The staff are all lovely and this is London.

[Kaloki]

I wonder how many people think smiling costs them something?

[SpeedyGonzalez]

Kaloki, I think the point here is about smiling at shop assistants. It seems they're a different breed of human and so apparently not worth bestowing our normal affections upon.

And again. This thread makes me feel so much better about myself.

[MsSparkle]

Smiling at someone can really make someones day. Who would have thought it!

[EricNorthmansMistress]

Aaahhhh I remember this! I got called a fucking cunt because the coffee wasn't big enough and I refused to refund him after I had made it...had vomit spill over my hands because some dirty fucker had spewed (or allowed a child to spew) in a cup, put the lid on and left it on the floor, cleared up menstrual blood from a chair and had a man sit at the table with me and start to have a wank. The general refusing to say hello, or replying to 'hello' with 'can I have...' is so rude. To those who think customer service staff don't deserve basic manner.... and and [twats]

[justonemorethen]

InGod Wow you are super rude.

BTW I always let staff answer the phone as they can usually process my till item and talk at the same and it's bloody annoying being on the end of a phone and no one picks up.

[stressheaderic]

I went looking for a dress for a wedding today - tried on loads in loads of normal high street shops. Had DD in buggy but this was no problem and larger changing rooms were offered everywhere. Everyone in every shop was lovely, gave me honest advice about the dresses, and wished me a lovely time. And this on a Monday morning too.

Most folk in retail are bloody great, and by god do they put the hours in.

[Asteria]

I am ashamed to say that I did answer my phone in tesco the other day - but in my defence it was a call from Afghanistan which I explained to the girl serving me before I answered. She was very sweet about it as her DH was Army, but I have had some horrendous customer service in the past so although I sympathise it does work both ways.

[annielennoxmademecry]

Having worked on a till myself some years ago I agree with your points op.

May I add my own guideline for Shop assistants?

• please no casual racism with my transaction. I was at checkout yesterday and briefly spoke to a friend while packing my shopping. She is pg and just found out she was having a boy, we were discussing difficulty of choosing names. The woman serving me said (as friend left and I was paying) 'Well Mohammed is the most popular boys name now' in a very isn't that terrible tone of voice, I was shocked and muttered something about their being lots of spellings of mohammed, she said 'well I wouldn't choose it' - I left very disturbed. Not on.

[BerylStreep]

I'm intrigued as to where Kaloki works, based on her experiences. I am imagining a cross between Jessops and Top Shop.



BTW, I am ashamed to admit I answer my mobile in shops, although I usually apologise to the assistant, if it helps.

[Kaloki]

I have worked in;
Iceland
Claire's Accessories
Pilot
Woolworths
River Island
Jessops

I'm a bit of a retail slag I kind of miss it in a "grrrrr" way

[HelenaRose]

I work in a cinema, and I've had everything from:

"Yes, I like two tickets to see the film that's starting now."
"... [takes a wild guess] Um, Red?"
"No, no, the one with that man- hang on - [answers phone] Hello?"
"... "

"Ok, we'd like two adults, one nineteen year old and a fifteen year old - are they adult prices; I hope not! - a senior and a five year old."
"... To see which film?"
"Oh, right, yeah, Toy Story."
"Erm, so that was two adults, and- sorry, what was the rest?"
"[dramatic sigh] It starts in TWO MINUTES. We're going to miss it!"
""

People throwing money at me, people calling me 'sweetheart' and 'love' and 'darlin', people asking me about my name (since I wear a namebadge). My favourite thing is just to smile extra-sweetly at them, though.

I also hate it when parents get me to collude with them on deceiving their children, though I can empathise on certain occasions. The woman who looked at me wide-eyed and said,

"You aren't showing G-Force this week, are you?"

And I nodded solemnly and explained to her young son that they would have to see another film instead. When she was paying, she muttered to me that she'd seen it three times and was not going to endure it again!

[Mumcentreplus]

I treated everyone how i would have wanted to be treated when I worked in retail (for about 6/7yrs)..the way I look at it is.. it's my job to make you feel confident and welcome in the store..but some retail assistants have real attitude esspecially some who work up west...I want to shout 'You work in a fucking shoplove, wind ya neck in and do your job!!' at them .. ..I was a bit of a retail slapper too Kal never worked with food though..

[Mumcentreplus]

The thing is... if you work with the public no matter your capacity you will see some interesting,strange,annoying and funny shit

[Kaloki]

I have to say I am highly critical of bad shop assistants, especially after having a supervisor role. Makes me want to take them to one side and tell them what they are doing wrong.

Oooh another one,

• if you have just been for a Maccy D's, much as I'm sure the staff would appreciate a burger, I think we can safely say they will not want the half eaten remains of it, especially after you've hidden it on a shelf behind the stock.

[JarethThePomBearKing]

Most often heard crap gag while working in retail
(to be said by sleazy man looking at your left boob name badge) "So, what's the other one called?"

[A1980]

I've never spoken to a shop assistant like that in my life. Never would.

Similar courtesy rules also need to be established for workers too though: it's disingenuous in the extreme to suggest that all retail workers are like you. I've lost count of the times staff haven't even looked at me or spoken to me as they've been too busy speaking to the staff member on the adjacent till.

[MrsTumbles]

Reading this reminds me why I got an office job! constantlytired post reminded me of when I worked for a well known bank and we had an armed robbery. The branch was taped off, people were crying (well I was!) it was mental, then one of our regular customers pulled down the police tape and tried to get onto the crime scene! He said he was going to make a formal complaint when we said we had arranged with another bank 100 yards away that he could use for the day. He wanted to use his bank (People can't be expected to walk can they?!)

[ConfusedMUM75]

Sorry but what is wrong with talking on the phone while being served? You just scan the items, why do you care if I am on the phone? Have never seen a sign saying "turn off your mobiles" in Boots. PS I use self-service check out mostly, fed up with rude people serving me. Just a few days ago was buying a notepad in WH Smith. The shopping assistant was almost rolling on the floor laughing, then shouted to another assistant "I win, I knew somebody will buy this pink notebook, and you said no!" Then rolled her eyes at me.

[MsSparkle]

Its rude to talk on your mobile whilst being served because your attention should be with the assistant, just like the assistant should have their full attention on the customer (although I realise it is not always in some cases.)

It is basic manners imo.

it is worse when a customer is in a food shop ordering food. I have seen and have been in the situation where the poor assistant is asking lots of questions about what they want etc and the customer feels its ok to chat away on their mobile, with half their attention to the phone call.

Rude. Rude. Rude.

[badfairy]

I think it's apalling that someone should swear at you and that is totally unacceptable.

However, I'm afraid I do answer the phone if I am stuck in a long queue created by the fact that there aren't enough cashiers to cater for customers and I am not going to ring off just because I have finally got to the counter to be served.

I also don't need to have a cheery chit chat about the weather or the contents of my basket when I am in a hurry ( because your management have made me late back from my break due to the lack of staff on the checkout)

[ConfusedMUM75]

Well, I know where are you coming from MsSparkle, but if I am waiting in a que and DH calls me, I's rather answer his call and offend the shopping assistant, sorry but DH is much more important to me. And most assistants do not mind anyway.

[ConfusedMUM75]

Sorry for the typos, feeding the baby! LOL