To think it's really rude when customers do this?

[DieSchottin93]

At the moment I'm working in a small-ish convenience store, and while working today I served a girl, probably about 16. She bought a fizzy drink and a packet of chocolate buttons, I scanned everything, told her how much it was and she gave me her card to put into the card reader. However just as I was putting her card into the reader she opened her packet of chocolate buttons and started eating them!! Is it just me who finds it really rude when customers start eating their purchases before you've even given them their change? It happens quite frequently where I work, are they seriously so hungry that they can't wait another few seconds?!?

I think you're being hypersensitive - she's not trying to diss you, she just wants some chocolate and is clearly able and ready to pay. I regularly visit our Sainsbury's local in the morning on my commute to buy a cold coffee and a bottle of water, and usually breakfast too. I'm a quick morning person and generally eat/drink on the go - no offence is intended or I think taken if I've had a quick swig of water and resealed the bottle so it won't spill on the clerk. I wouldn't pop the can or have a bite of a pastry though. There are bigger things to be pissed off about - I routinely see people at the same checkout on the phone or listening to music who do not take out headphones or terminate the call to acknowledge the cashier, both of which I think are genuinely offensive. I might just be being a bit of a northerner in London though, as neither thing seems to worry my neighbours.

When my DD was a toddler i would pick up one of those little mixed fruit tubs with grapes/strawberries/kiwi etc as i got into tesco. Would keep her occupied long enough to do my shop. Staff were never arsed when she cutely handed them the empty tub at the till. They don't care that there is a fruit shoot missing out of the multipack or they have to scan a packet of sweets still in a your childs vice like grip.
These shops know if the kid is kept quiet the parent will shop longer and spend more.

I'm not sure whether it's rude as such, but it's totally unnecessary.

My 4 year old knows we have to "pay the lady/pay the man" before she can open something. I'd really be expecting an adult to be able to wait TBH.

Medical emergencies aside, obviously.

I don't generally eat while supermarket shopping but when I was pregnant it was sometimes that or faint (had HG and spent half the time vomiting/fainting and the other half starving hungry).

16 ish you say... could be pregnant.

But I wouldn't consider it rude, as long as payment is planned or imminent. Not like the buggers who take a babybel cheese out of a pack, leaving the multi-pack down by one and with a hole in. That's rude!

If the kids fancied something to nibble on I would just pay for it and keep the receipt

I always tell the DC to get their grubby mitts off the food/ drink before I have paid for it because until that point it is not yet ours.

Having said that it's not as rude as being on your mobile while interacting with the cashier, which is what I thought this thread would be about.

I've let dd eat round the shop, but I'd paid for it first. Then went and did my normal shopping.
As she's getting older I've told her she has to learn to wait.

The one that annoys be are the ones who see a tasting stand and send their kids to keep getting one.

In general I agree it's rude.
However when I was pregnant I would often get very dizzy and faint wondering around a supermarket and often had to lean against a freezer or something and have a quick drink and some food so I didn't pass out. (which I did once in Starbucks when they took forever to make my hot chocolate, I was stood waiting for it and awoke on the floor having fainted and landed on the biscuit tin I'd just bought- it didn't survive my epic weight of being 8 months pregnant )

YABU. Of all the things in the world that would bother me, this is perhaps third from the bottom of the list. She isn't being rude - her behaviour has absolutely no impact on you at all, apart from you choosing to be offended by it. I really, really can't see why it bothers you at all.

I can see why cashiers would be bothered by customers remaining on their phone, as they are being ignored, but opening a packet of chocolates 'too early'? Genuinely couldn't care less.

Ooh even more replies, thank you all

I just find it inexplicably irritating, like some PPs have said it seems to show a lack of control to a degree. Obviously if I saw a pregnant lady looking a bit faint or whatever I wouldn't find it rude, I just think if you have no valid reason to eat/drink what you've bought before leaving the shop then you should wait until you leave

There are much ruder things that customers can do than this.

Talk loudly on their mobile phone whilst you're trying to serve them and then either glare at you if you trying and speak or hold up a hand to silence you while they continue to chat shit. Oh don't mind me or the queue of other customers beyond knobhead!!

Whole load of other stuff I could mention.

I think it's rude generally.

It wouldn't occur to my DCs that they could eat stuff from the trolley walking round a supermarket (and I'm really not precious about eating on the move)

I had one of those glued-to-the-phone customers today actually, but I think the woman (presumably his DP) was far more annoyed at him than I was, judging by the looks she was giving him

Meh, I don't think this is rude and I can't get worked up about it.