Talking on the phone whilst at tills

[EgyptianSnow]

Is this rude? Lady at a store refused to serve me until I got off the phone
I was only buying slippers
I wasn't talking loud or even talking at the counter and my phone rang whilst I was in line
Was I rude? Is this rude?

Your home (or workplace) is the place for making calls. Not out and about

Sitting in your car, whilst parked sensibly is acceptable,

Wings Well I wouldn't say to them how dare you be so rude and not talk to me because I'd appreciate that they are still the client whether they are being rude or not.

I'm not saying it's not rude I'm just saying I don't think people should publicly embarrass people for 'rudeness', especially when they have a worker-customer relationship. A lot of 'rudeness' is subjective and it's very easy to feel righteous about until some little Napoleon embarrasses you in a shop or public space

A similar thing happened to one of my DS recently he was buying a bottle of water in a shop with his earphones in and the lady at the till asked him to take them out! He wasn’t playing music just had them in his ears rather than trailing down his neck. Of course he takes them out and she preceeds to scan the bottle of water ask for her money and then doesn’t even say thank you when he hands it over. What an important conversation. Meanwhile all the people behind him have been forced to wait during her little powertrip

People in this country love taking the side of petty bullying busybodies

Cashiers etc can often be rude chatting to a colleague etc but I wouldn't be rude back by continuing a phone call and if urgent I would at the very least apologise if I felt the need to handle both situations at the same time.

Kelly - I had a customer throw something at my face recently after I apologetically told them that they couldn't push to the front of the line. Works both ways.

Mobile signal jammers are the solution, one at every checkout. And a pokey stick

Brilliant idea. I'd like a small one I could carry in my bag and use without anyone knowing. I'd want to use it on Woman A who years ago was in our train carriage on a long trip and spent a large part of it on the phone to her partner saying 'Of course I love you. Of course I want this relationship to work...' and other things that I would rather have my fingernails removed without anaesthetic than say in a public place where complete strangers have no choice but to eavesdrop.

I'd also use it on Woman B who was in the Quiet Coach with me another time and chatted interminably to her family, including telling her young son off for biting his little sister in the bath.

Man C comes to mind too. He was on a landline at an adjacent desk in our open plan office nearly 30 years ago but nowadays he'd be having this conversation on his mobile and it would have been unalloyed pleasure to zap him. 'Mummy says you've done a poo in your pants. You're a very naughty girl, aren't you?'

I don't think it's rude actually and I am usually an anxiously polite person. I wouldn't initiate a phone call and if I received one I might give an apologetic smile to the cashier but I feel their role is to facilitate a transaction, not make small talk with me. I'm the customer and as long as I am not making their job more difficult I don't feel I owe undivided attention.

I may be slightly affected by the number of cashiers who are chatting away to colleagues as they serve me.

Very, very rude indeed. Your attitude, OP, simply displays the little regard you have for a 'minion' who you feel falls so beneath you as to not even give them your attention for one minute whilst they serve you. Ghastly behaviour - rude, rude, rude!

OP don't listen to these people clearly on a witch hunt over a trivial matter. I've seen posters who've hit their children get less grief than this. The OP is clearly someone who did not set out to be rude no matter how people dress it up so put away your pitch forks. Oh the irony of the snarky presumptuous judgemental posters calling the OP rude!

Your home (or workplace) is the place for making calls. Not out and about.

Shit, someone tell Apple quick, there is no need for mobiles!

How absurd. Mobiles exist, and the vast majority of people have one for a reason.

Also landlines don't need to be 'brought back', they still exist

gasp your post just about sums it up for me. People are talking about vair, vair important international calls that simply have to be taken this minute, when in fact 99 percent of them will just be the usual trivial shite of 'Where are you?' 'I'm in Tescos.' 'What are we having for tea?'

OP don't listen to these people clearly on a witch hunt over a trivial matter

Snort - such a trivial matter that a thread had to be started on it in AIBU?

Oh, you couldn't make it up!

Yes, Titty - 'Do we need biscuits? I wasn't sure. There's a BOGOF on Rich Tea.' That's about as earthshattering as it ever gets when I hear people on the phone in the supermarket.

Evans being on AIBU doesn't make it important, I've seen much more trivial posts than this!

Yesterday, the earth-shattering conversation I heard from the man yelling into his mobile phone was "Shall I get the Majestic Basil, or the Greek Basil". The deliberation went on for about six minutes until I decided I just had to move over to the tomato section before I thumped him

Who said it was important, Piper ? Some of us simply think it's rude!

It is rude.

In my last job there was always one woman who did it and it really annoyed me. I was/am always polite and didn't gossip with other workers. She used to come in throw the money on the counter, put her hand out for change and leave not even so much as a thank you. felt like throwing the change at her tbh but of course as we would get a bollocking for that I smiled sweetly and said goodbye.

I never do it.

Ooh Evans see there is a difference when there's showy offy shouters usually men on the phone spouting utter wank. Not long ago I was queueing for Betty's in Harrogate and a prick bloke behind me kept bellowing something like "yah, yah!! Well if you go in there, ask for Pablo, tell him I sent you darling. Yah yah.... HA HA HA!! You're such a card. AHAHAHA!! Listen darling I'm about to have a lunch with the execs. Fantastic liddle place, you won't know it. Yah company credit card."

Bloke sat next on table to us, exec-less and ordered a tea & scone. High flyer indeed

I think it is indicative of the modern society where people think low paid workers are a different class and effectively slaves

I think saying slaves is too much, but I think some people do see shop staff as servants that shouldn't be interacted with in any way.

What would you oh-so-urgent-phone-callers do if you were driving along and your phone went? Answer immediately? Pull over and answer? Bollocks would you. You'd wait 'til you got to where you were going then answer (probably a shop )

Cassie answering in a shop won't likely cause me to crash and die

Neither will ignoring your phone for a few minutes until you are finished with your shopping. So if these calls CAN wait (and clearly they can) then they should. Obviously raised by wolves you lot!

When do you see a cashier on the phone? I think it's rude when you can't even acknowledge he/she! Yes, they are paid to serve and give you your change, but not all cashiers spend their shift talking to one another and give attitude. Self service tills are also not down to the cashier. They are put in place so the cashier can do several more tasks as well as serve.

I sometimes work 10hrs on a till and am used to seeing people on the phone, it doesn't bother me until I'm ignored or looked down upon. Yes, it's rude.

In fact you can keep using phone, poke your nose, fart in public, push somebody on the tube. It just shows your level of manners and what you really are. People need to be nicer to each other.

The way some people are going on, ignoring your phone for five minutes while you pay for your shopping is tantamount to letting people die in surgery. It is okay to ignore your phone and call someone back in five minutes - the world won't implode if people can't access you straight away.

Agree googoo.
If I am at a till and my phone rings I simply ring back 30 seconds later when I've finished paying.

It's not only rude to the cashier, it is inconsiderate to those behind you in the queue and the shop owner. If you are not giving them your full attention (and you are not if you are chatting or listening on the phone) the transaction takes longer. Yes not much longer, but if a good percentage of customers do it (and from the answers on here they do) then it all adds up.