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?

I love pissing off people who talk on their phones whilst barking coffee at me or worse still just pointing to the list of coffees.

Oh I hate that as well - 'did you find everything you were looking for, can I interest you in half price chocolate, would you like to buy a bag for life for £1, have you seen our online collection, can I sign you up for our emails ...'

Argh!

All those important questions...
'Do you want help packing?'
'Do you have loyalty card?'
'How are you today?'
'Do you want these special offers?'
'Do you want your receipt?'
'Do you want saving stamps?'

OMG!

Goes back to Internet shopping.

A pointer whilst on phone

I'd want to serve them a 'special' coffee

More red herrings. It IS possible to be on your phone and still be polite you know.

I give up...

I work in a pharmacy and hate it when people are on the phone. I need to talk to patients and ask very important questions which potentially could impact their health.
It happens ALL the time, at least 4-5 times every shift, ffs just call the person back.

thats the thing usual there are a hundred nice normal customers to every dickhead

Best thing about working with the public. The decent ones who were brought up properly. Even better when they have their lovely children with them. Had 3 boys in today with grandma who behaved so nicely. They were a credit to their family and I told gran that too.

I've noticed the ones throwing about the word 'rude' are also the same ones using the most insults...

Yet you get so many threads here on MN gleefully discussing what they will 'buy' with their club card points

Can't believe we are breeding a world of such entitled, self-obsessed, anti-social tossers

Exactly this.

Usual - would your response to 'I shall take my custom elsewhere' be 'don't let the door bang your arse'?

OP, did the cashier have to wait to get your attention? We're you holding up people behind you? If not, I don't think you were rude and the cashier was out of line correcting your behavior.

"Dickheads", "Tossers" ... so rude.

You can guarantee that the phone natterers will want their coffee to go , but not bother to tell you that.

Then look surprised when their coffee is in a normal cup and you couldn't read their minds.

It is rude. Unless it's super duper important/life-and-death emergency it can wait until you've paid and left the till. I just end up having to repeat myself because the customer didn't hear me when I asked if they need anything else/how much their shopping has come to etc.

I was serving a man at work today who was obviously on the phone to his OH: "Nah, you don't need to go on a diet babe, you look fine just as you are.....of course I'd know, I sleep with you every night!.." So while it is annoying the conversation snippets you hear can be quite amusing sometimes

And then come back and say they've been short changed...

'Tis rude, as is someone breaking off from serving you to answer the phone.

Exactly Raffles. I honestly can't imagine what phone call can be so important that you can't ask the person the other end to hold on for 30 seconds.
If it was that important then you wouldn't carry on with your shopping.

Or maybe they noticed a few 'additives' in their coffee...

[wishes worked in a coffee shop]

Totally agree Ego - that is the sort of behaviour that sees me walking out. Same with hoovering.