to not want shop staff sneezing all over me and my purchases?

[samandi]

If there's enough staff in the shop - and there have been in the shops I've had this experience - for god's sake send them out to the stock room or something. I don't want cashiers sneezing all their hands and then serving me. I know it's miserable being at work when you're ill but surely the shops could handle this better most of the time.

I agree. Really offputting and unygienic. Likewise, would staff PLEASE stop licking their fingers to open the flimsy plastic bags they give you and then handling all my groceries. PLEASE???

At least you can see them sneezing on your stuff at the checkouts, god knows what will be going on in the stockroom!

YYY!!!

At Licking fingers when opening bags is one of my pet hates!
I take my own bags to avoid the issue but urgh!!!

Some managers don't give a flying shit if their staff are ill, and staff don't usually get a choice as to where they're deployed for the day.

Why aren't they using tissues?

I wish businesses would value their customers more, and pressurise their staff to stay at home when ill, instead of the other way round.

When I worked on the tills I always had a stockpile of tissues and antibacterial hand gel when I had a cold. There's no excuse!

At least you can see them sneezing on your stuff at the checkouts, god knows what will be going on in the stockroom!

Ew. That's a good point :-( But I'd still rather not see it.

Why aren't they using tissues?

Don't know, perhaps they ran out. Yuck.

When I worked on the tills I always had a stockpile of tissues and antibacterial hand gel when I had a cold.

Yes, that's the way to do it if you have to.

ffs sure its probably sick customers that they catch it from. are they to use gloves and a mask when serving customers? money is the biggest carrier of germs.

i agree, they shouldn't be serving customers at all if they are sneezing and blowing there nose.
its really gross and if my baby caught a cold in that way i would be really angry!

freezing, your baby (and customers) are likely to be the ones who gave the colds to the sales assistants.

They should be using tissues and hand gels ideally, but I'm sure they don't mean to upset you.

Sometimes I don't have enough staff to send someone off the floor because they have a cold-for me putting them on the till is the best thing as if they are on the floor they are closer to customers.
My request would be that as a customer you don't cough and splutter over my staff and products and maybe use a bit of hand gel so we don't pick up your horrible germs!
Works both ways,but always 'shop staff' get the blame!

My DM works in a shop and feels the same way about the customers - you probably come into contact with a handful of sales assistants, while she comes into contact with hundreds of customers every day. If you are ill and contagious, stay at home - don't sneeze into the hand you then pass the money over with!

Some staff in shops have colds. Some of them aren't good at using tissues.

Same as everyone else then, so how about asking the whole population to avoid sneezing on each other rather than singling out retail workers?

I used to work in our village shop and always had a handful of tissues and hand gel nearby too. Always turned away to sneeze or blow my nose.

My manager was horrible if you were ill, I remember struggling with the tail end of flu, rang in sick and she begged me to go in and sit in the office - we had to have 2 people in store at all times so could I go in and be the 2nd person but I didn't have to do anything. I get there and find a massive list of jobs to do.

I agree it works both ways. I never buy bread or cakes that are left uncovered on shelves because I'm sure customers have been coughing and sneezing around them. Eugh!

It works both ways. some customers are gross to you know breathing, couthing and sneezing all over you yuk!

the biggest thing from customers in my shop (jewellers) is licking a ring to get it off their finger and then handing it to you. and don't get me started on watches with dead skin caked all over them when trying to do a battery in them!

They're not allowed to lick their fingers to open bags now.

Health and safety issue, apparantly.

(DP is a store manager and tells me these little titbits of info).

In Wilkos they have little wet spongies to dampen their fingers.

Oh great. Something else to blame shop assistants for. I wouldn't sneeze anywhere near a customer, or lick my fingers to separate a bag, but occasionally a sneeze will take you quite by surprise and would you rather shop staff dropped all your purchases on the floor to reach for their tissue and anti-bac?

I could make your stomach turn with things I have seen customers do, the way they speak to staff and things they, erm, leave behind in changing rooms. I watched a member of my staff serving a customer last week whilst being coughed AT, the 'gentleman' spoke loudly on his mobile phone throughout the entire transaction, coughing in her face repeatedly, banging money down on the desk and walking out. I also regularly see people sitting their adorable babies on the desks while they fiddle around in their purses/wallets for money - shitty smells and all....

There are unprofessional sales staff that wouldn't last a minute where I work but there are also pig-ignorant, rude twat customers as well.

YANBU, but fwiw I caught swine flu when I was pregnant a couple of years ago from a customer. Said customer came to my checkout, Lemsips etc, I mentioned someone in her house having a cold. She responded by saying 'No dear, my partener has swine flu & Im stocking up because Im starting to feel the same.' She then promptly coughed and sneezed all over me. About 2-3 days later, I came down with swine flu (properly diagnosed by test), week in hospital, Tamiflu & oxygen! Thankfully DD ws born at term & healthy, and I recovered fully.
Its not just shop staff, but the general public.

Yes I agree about it bring the fault of the dirty germ ridden customers I have to serve. They cough openly, put your HAND over your mouth or at least turn away from me. Please use a tissue when you sneeze rather than doing into the hand you will then use to hand over the money. Alot of companies are so strict about sickness that we cannot afford to be off with a cold. If I have two absenses within 6months I get a warning which stays on my file for months.

I use tissues, carry hand gel and try to stay healthy. What I don't appreciate is customers coughing on me without covering their mouth, having hands so grimey that they are brown with dirt and breathing on me when obviously ill.

Bleurgh.

I had my brows threaded last week, which incase you didnt know involves both hands and the woman holding the thread in her mouth... She sneezed RIGHT in my face. Grim.

Same as everyone else then, so how about asking the whole population to avoid sneezing on each other rather than singling out retail workers?

Because I don't routinely hand over £50 to randoms on the street. What's the boob for?

Btw yes I do agree it's rude for customers to sneeze over staff too :-)

samandi- sneezing isn't even half of what we have to put up with. I have to touch people (to give them their change) who smell so bad I am left tasting it afterwards.