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 don't know how to say this politely - it isn't about you.

We aren't going to the supermarket for YOU but to buy things! I would never, ever be rude to somebody in a shop but just as I would chat to a friend/DH/DC at the checkout, I'd also chat on the phone should I be mid-call.

Yes, good idea. Just stop and stand and wait for them to finish the call..... then proceed to serve them. After all, the customers behind will be tutting and muttering about the person on the phone, let them deal with other customers annoyance

I said stop comparing service PROVIDERS to service USERS, as their ROLES are incomparable and hence what would be acceptable in one role would be unacceptable in the other.

Why is that so hard for you to understand?

pink you are rude then. Where are your kids whilst you are distracted on the phone?

It really pisses me off when people ahead of me in the queue are on the phone whilst dealing with the assistant and packing up their goods. Inevitably the fact that they are doing everything one handed and concentrating on the call rather than what they are doing makes the whole process incredibly slow. Seriously, how many calls are so urgent that they can't wait a few minutes whilst you go through the checkout?

With me garmin, generally.

Divadroid, with all due respect why would you offer to wait till they're finished their call? For what? And don't please start telling me I'm ignorant. I worked in retail for years when I was younger and could quickly suss out who was nice and who wasn't and it had nothing to do with a bloody phone call. Once they were mannerly and said please and thanks I was happy???

It does slow the queue down.

It's not any one thing you've said Disgusting just in your general attitude.

I doubt you could pack one handed in Aldi , the speed they chuck your shopping at you.

Oh right pipbin. LOL

I hold my phone with my shoulder and pack with 2 hands. Generally much faster than the customers in front of me.

Yes I think it's rude OP

Lots of people tend to do it, but that doesn't make it any less rude imo

By approaching her till with an item that you want to buy, you are choosing to interact with her.

That's why speaking on the phone at the same time is rude imo.

It is incredibly rude, you wouldn't carry on a conversation while phoning a call centre, so why wouldn't you afford a checkout worker the same courtesy?

When I worked on the tills I used to find people who waited until you'd scanned all their shopping before they started packing rude. I'd find people who waited until you asked for payment before they stated digging in their handbag for their purse rude. People on their phones? As long as they moved sufficiently fast and acknowledged me, not rude at all.

I want to know what all these very important phone calls are about.
As said above it wasn't that long ago that we could manage happily without mobile phones.

While phoning a call centre? Jesus Christ, these are getting ridiculous... I'm going to bed.

I'm actually surprised that this 'issue' seemingly bothers retail staff so much. I work in restaurants; in the past I've had guests come in and order/pay and leave, whilst on the phone. As long as they smile, and mouth 'sorry' and 'thank you' I don't see a problem. People are busy and I am not so self important to think, or in the case of the OP, demand that my guests drop everything so they can devote 100% of their attention to me.

Half the time it's the service staff that cause these problems. For example in my restaurant I revoked the staffs service charge for a week as I was absolutely sick to death of hearing guests thank waiters/sommeliers and them not acknowledging it with youre welcome/thank you or even a smile. In the end the guests will just give up saying please/thank you as it is clearly not appreciated, then the staff will be whinging that no one has any manners! If till clerks actually bothered with a smile and some basic pleasantries, perhaps customers would think twice about carrying out a conversation during the transaction in what would usually just be a void of stony silence.

Maggie, as I said, it's rude to interrupt their call. If they want to wait, I will serve others, if not I will serve them. Basic courtesy, that's all. If I spoke to my colleagues while serving, that is just as rude.

We smile and have basic pleasantries?? We are observed on CCTV by management....

You shouldn't expect a thank you for your thank you. You could be there all bloody night thanking each other.

I do agree that it makes it awkward for the checkout staff to do their jobs. Having to interrupt someones phone call to ask the questions they have to ask can be seen as rude.