Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think most people wouldn't carry on speaking on their mobile while being served in a shop?

255 replies

angelos02 · 03/07/2013 09:14

On Lorraine (sorry) this morning they were talking about a case in which a cashier refused to serve someone until they finished their mobile phone conversation. What kind of person would carry on speaking on their mobile while being served. I've never seen it happen but clearly it does. Manners? Anyone?

OP posts:
AmusedColleague · 03/07/2013 13:22

I don't work in the same office as her but a friend of mine does. I'm going to get to the bottom of who she was speaking to! Lets see if it was an 'emergency call' Grin

EvieanneVolvic · 03/07/2013 13:22

Amused which woman...the cashier or the customer on the mobile? Do tell!

AmusedColleague · 03/07/2013 13:23

The customer!

EvieanneVolvic · 03/07/2013 13:23

Cross post Amused. Can see it's the customer now!

Breath duly baited!

LadyBryan · 03/07/2013 13:23

The thing is, you're in a queue so your phone rings. You're near the front so you don't answer it.

If only we had clever talky boxes whereby we could see at a glance who was calling or they could leave us a message asking us to call back urgently......oh.........hang on

imnotmymum · 03/07/2013 13:24

I am amazed that people cannot book hair appointments or shopping when not at work

rottentomatoes · 03/07/2013 13:28

I'mmotmymum

I absolutely have to be available on my mobile.
I may not get a call all day or I might get a call while I'm out that could earn me some money that could be the difference between financially making it through the month or not.

I absolutely would take that call if happen to be at the most inappropriate time of check out. I may leave the queue if the cashier has not started processing my shopping, or may mouth sorry to the cashier but mid purchase I would definitely take the call.

It is very naive to think that some calls are not as important as engaging with the cashier.

dreamingofsun · 03/07/2013 13:28

imno - depends on the environment and projects you work on i guess. i've worked 18 hour days before, and my work is not nearly as presured as some of the people i work with.

AmusedColleague · 03/07/2013 13:28

Damn! My friend is out of the office today, I'll have to wait until tomorrow to try and find out. Argggh!

thebody · 03/07/2013 13:30

Gosh, I had no idea that my sparkling conversation was so prized by a check out assistant.

I actually thought I was just shopping, paying, nodding and smiling.

Perhaps I need to produce a script of acceptable conversation and topics for my next weekly visit.

schoolgovernor · 03/07/2013 13:31

So, for the people who think their lives and businesses are so important that calls can't be ignored for a couple of minutes every now and then, and after that returned... what do you do when you're driving?

You might mouth "sorry" - but you aren't. And you still only have one hand left free so you are really being a pita to anyone behind you. Grin
p.s. I'm self employed with my own business.

imnotmymum · 03/07/2013 13:32

Wow how did we all live 20 years ago ...

LadyBryan · 03/07/2013 13:35

Emergency homing pigeon imnotmymum - would circle above the heads of the queue so those who are so vitally important may get their emergency message...

rottentomatoes · 03/07/2013 13:37

Lady Bryan

"No rottentomatoes I wouldn't expect you to answer in the first place, and return the call when you have finished interacting with a human being"

Yes I would answer the phone absolutely. It could be the difference between a sale and no sale for me and the difference between paying my bills or not.

And I have answered calls and made a sale whilst in a supermarket queue several times. If my customers don't get through they are likely to move onto the next number in the phone book or google.

My businesses is sporadic and therefore I have to get on with my life therefore unfortunately it is not the most convenient time to be called, however, I will always make eye contact or mouth sorry whilst taking the call.

I cannot believe you think there is anything wrong with this.

LadyBryan · 03/07/2013 13:38

But what happens when you're driving/in the shower etc etc

All sorts of situations where you can't answer the phone.

I just think its the height of rudeness to carry on a conversation on a phone whilst you're interacting with someone else.

davidjrmum · 03/07/2013 13:40

I don't understand people who say the call is so important they have to take it right there and then. What happens if their phone rings when they are in the car? Presumably (unless they break the law) they wait until they stop and then pick up the message or see who's called on their call log and call the person back. Do they answer the phone if they are sat on the loo or crossing a busy road!

OTTMummA · 03/07/2013 13:41

9/10 people who I serve on phones ignore you and always take extra time to get their money/card out and pay, they usually try to add on bits to their order as well, so I can understand why some companies put signs up, people do walk out of shops that have long que ( I am one of those people ) so it makes sense to have people who are not distracted by trying to have a conversation with 2 people at once.

It might not be hard for some (BODY) to multi task with a polite manner but I can tell you hand on heart that it is very very rare that customers who are on the phone apologise or have a smooth transaction.

If I don't try to link/up sell or tell a customer about X event or some such nonsense then I can get underscored on a mystery shopper, it is my job to ask you that! If you don't like it complain to the company who demands this of us, no need to be rude to us for just doing our job.

I've had customers shout at me for offering them a product which is a cheaper price with same benefits and I quote ' if I fucking wanted that one I would have fucking asked for it, wouldn't I stupid?!'

We get abused daily and quite frankly when you are trying to do your best and are very professional and behaving in the way you are trained it is demoralising to then be treated like some skivvy who is so unworthy of a simple Please, Thank you.

It is my job to give my fullest attention to each and every customer and I take pride in giving the best customer service but it really doesn't seem to matter to a lot of the general public that come through the doors and I can see why a lot of retail workers end up with an attitude and poor job satisfaction.

rottentomatoes · 03/07/2013 13:43

If I am in the shower, I would jump out (laugh at the absurdity of the situation) and try to make the sale.
I don't own a car.

There are times, especially when my ds's are home from school making very obvious unprofessional background noise, when I have had to run upstairs and find somewhere quiet to talk before the rings run out. I have become a great sprinter three stairs at a time.

KansasCityOctopus · 03/07/2013 13:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

imnotmymum · 03/07/2013 13:45

Or engaging in rumpy pumpy-sorry dear do carry on but I need to take this call !!

AmusedColleague · 03/07/2013 13:46

Grin imnotmymum

schoolgovernor · 03/07/2013 13:47

Maybe rottentomatoes is the lady who answered her phone during her smear test. GrinGrin
Still no answer re the inevitable delay caused to others by only having one hand left to sort out packing and paying with. Honestly, if I'm behind someone in the queue doing this my feeling is that they give the message that they feel they are more important than me, and their time is more valuable than mine.

AmusedColleague · 03/07/2013 13:50

If someone in front of me in the queue was delaying my being served by this then they would feel the wrath of my huffing & puffing and eye rolling.

Cheeseatmidnight · 03/07/2013 13:50

I don't think this is that bad

My nan talks for hours and if I didn't get on with stuff I'd do nothing! I cannot say hang on a minute as she doesn't!

Half the time checkout staff are arsey, rude, talk to each other etc

Give and take - am on the fence

JRmumma · 03/07/2013 13:53

Why is this national news?????

Ive worked in a variety of cashier roles in my younger years and I can honestly say that someone on a phone whilst trying to pay for something simple such as a pint of milk is no problem. I wouldnt expect them to try and arrange a mobile phone contract whilst having a seperate conversation, nor would I expect someone having a smear test to have their phone in their hand!

The sort of people who would be having inane chit chat whilst paying a cashier are probably the sort of people who you would rather avoid interaction with anyway so whats the problem?

But if someone was rude to me in ANY way, whether whilst on the phone or for whatever reason, id always mirror thier attitude whilst dealing with them if I felt like making a point at the time. Most of the time though I would have been too busy counting down the seconds till the end of my shift and probably not even noticed! Anything that made it a bit more interesting however was always a bit of a bonus. Having a customer to bitch about once they were out of earshot was always a welcome distraction to me!