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

[angelos02]

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?

I don't think it's that bad.
And I rarely, very rarely, do it.
But I don't consider it THAT rude.

"What important discussion is to be missed from the cashier?"

Well nothing, apart from I was brought up with the view that if someone speaks to you, you reply. I was bought up to be polite to those offering me a service and quite frankly jabbering away to someone on a mobile isn't being polite.

And you know what, it might be irritating and it might not be what you want to do, but if someone is chattering banalities, I'm kind enough to listen and interact with them.

The problem with certain supermarkets is that the staff are too busy chatting to each other and its difficult to butt in snd ask a question. I would do it in that case. However places like my local Tesco Express are great - the staff are friendly and helpful - I wouldn't dream of doing it there!

Of course it is absolutely just as rude for a cashier to carry on a conversation with a colleague (unless its a query regarding the transaction) or to be on a phone.

Kansas
Obviously if someone is using vouchers there might possibly be something to say, although I would probably not describe explaining vouchers as "important".
I digress though, I'm talking about straight forward transactions. The only thing the cashier does that the machine doesn't is physically put the items into the scanner. I just don't see what the need for conversation is?

I mentioned this earlier, but why aren't they people who want to speak on their phones using self checkout? Removes the situation entirely!

"Well nothing, apart from I was brought up with the view that if someone speaks to you, you reply." But if someone deems their phone conversation to be more important I would say it's rude to decide chitter chatter with the cashier is more important.

" I was bought up to be polite to those offering me a service and quite frankly jabbering away to someone on a mobile isn't being polite." But things have changed. Cashiers no longer offer an honest service but instead try and bombard you with offers, up sell, explain vouchers because they are so convoluted and complicated in order to try and make the most money from the customer. This is not service in my view it is selling disguised as service.

I had to take a call whilst being served in a shop the other day. I think it was the first time. I finished the call before the lady had finished serving me and I said "I'm sorry about that, I wouldn't normally answer my phone" and she was really appreciative and said "that's quite alright my love".

And both were happy.

But you're missing the point. Not all cashiers do that - certainly don't in any of the larger supermarkets I visit. In fact the only place I know that does it on a regular basis is Superdrug!

And cashiers do offer you a service, otherwise its just self checkout. And I still believe in being polite.

The problem with phones today is you can't balance them between your ear and shoulder and carry on with what you're doing. I wouldn't carry on a phone conversation whilst a cashier scanned through my shopping. If people don't consider it rude, it's certainly disrepectful.

I'd quite like a landline phone I could balance between my shoulder and ear so I can carry on cooking tea, washing up, etc when my mum rings daily (any other calls are for the kids).

Clearly some of you would be better off using the self service checkouts,rather than interacting with an actual person.

LadyBryan

I do understand what your saying about being polite and I agree politeness is important. Politeness and using a phone are not mutually exclusive. Sometimes there is a perfectly valid reason why someone needs to take a call and the cashier needs to accept that their patter is not always the absolute most important thing. The call taker can show politeness by acknowledging the cashier and excusing themselves.

And FWIW nearly all shops do some sort of up sell at the till. It's tedious for the consumer. Even just asking for your club card IS sales patter. Clubcards save a minority of people money, those who are really savvy but for the vast majority it means they buy more goods and consume more albeit at a cheaper rate.

I can't think of many shops that don't bombard consumers with up selling at the till, from the visuals on display, the cashiers patter, the clubcard requests or the voucher schemes. They all tie people in and aim to increase revenue.

Its not difficult to get benefit from clubcard/Nectar card - we get loads of points and buy Christmas presents/stuff from Homebase etc.

I certainly don't buy more than I need given I don't give in the card until the checkout when I've chosen everything.

I tend to think that - and certainly in the examples I think - that use of a mobile in this situation and politeness are absolutely mutually exclusive.

Of course the other option would be home delivery of groceries....

Ladybryan

Clubcards are a sales tactic to tie people in amongst other up selling techniques.

If you think about it on a zero sum basis. If a shop has a clubcard scheme it cost them money to operate it no?
Therefore they have to gain more than the cost of operating it to make it worth while.

It's sales patter whatever way you look at it and ultimately we pay for the cost of the scheme through our shopping.

If all stores stopped loyalty schemes and just gave the best price it would be a better price.

Of course they are, but you said unless you were savvy there was no benefit.

But I was saying there is. I can spend in Tesco, and get days out for free. Well worth it IMO!

LadyBryan

We will have to agree to disagree, sometimes the call I receive allows me to make a sale and spend more money in the said shop. I am able to be polite and say sorry etc whilst on the phone.
It's not black and white and sometimes there is a valid reason to use your phone.

I find it ridiculous to say I should buy my groceries on line because I might get a work call and not be able to talk to the cashier. I don't like buying on line because I like to make my own substitution choices if something is unavailable.

So 99% of the time I shop and talk to the cashier but just in case I get a work call I should always shop on line, even though it doesn't really work for me!
Crazy, who is the customer here, I always smile and mouth an apology but you still think I should only be allowed to shop on line! I've heard it all now!

LadyBryan

It's not free, that's my point. No company is giving anything away free, we all pay for it with the products we buy.

I can't believe you can't understand my point.

I didn't say you should only be allowed to shop online - how ridiculous.

What I said was "of course the other option would be home delivery of groceries...."

It was a genuine suggestion that may make life easier for you, goodness!

Oh I do understand, thanks awfully.

Is there an eye-roll icon?

what I see far more frequently than this (though I agree it's rude) is 2 people behind a joint till (say, in a clothes shop) chatting to each other whilst serving customers. That is much ruder and if I was a supervisor and saw this I would give the staff short shrift. I would say that this happens in at least 50% of shops with a shared till that I go in, and even in supermarkets where 2 cashiers lean back and chat to each other whilst scanning.

So,you job and work call is so much more important than the checkout persons job then?

They get paid to offer you points etc.
It's part of their job.

Your job*