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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think it is rude of shop assistants to say ...

126 replies

rosiecam · 01/09/2016 13:07

... to say "Thank you for waiting" in a loud voice to next customer when previous customer who has been slow for whatever reason is still very obviously within hearing?

To me it means "I'm annoyed with you for holding up the queue, and I want you to know it, but I'm not allowed to say it, so I'll pretend I'm being polite to the next customer"

OP posts:

Advicepls7080 · 01/09/2016 13:08

Yes when I've worked in retail we've been told to say it regardless, if there was any queue at all we would have to say it.

ElsaAintAsColdAsMe · 01/09/2016 13:10

It is just polite to the next customer.

Are they supposed to stand there quietly with no acknowledgment that they waited in case it offends the previous customer?

Aworldofmyown · 01/09/2016 13:12

Its something we have to say. I doubt very much it was a dig at a person being slow.

MorrisZapp · 01/09/2016 13:12

No that's not rude.

user1471734618 · 01/09/2016 13:13

it's fine and probably what they are told to say.
What gets on my nerves is those who say 'are you all right there' ~? for some reason it gives me the rage.

eggyface · 01/09/2016 13:14

I don't like it when you come out and they say "Any good?" Forcing you to say explicitly "No I don't want to buy these clothes" ! I feel I should be ignored until I choose to purchase!

HermioneJeanGranger · 01/09/2016 13:14

It's not rude, it acknowledges that they've had to wait! What's wrong with that?

Mari50 · 01/09/2016 13:15

Quite obviously it's something they have to say, along with 'would you like some help packing?' when you have two items of shopping. Stop being so touchy and so slow

sizeofalentil · 01/09/2016 13:16

They are forced to say it by Head Office. I'm sure they'd just rather not.

FuckyNell · 01/09/2016 13:16

I say are you alright there all the time! Sorry! not really

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 01/09/2016 13:17

It's better than totally ignoring other customers.

HermioneJeanGranger · 01/09/2016 13:17

Shops assistants can't win on here, though.

We're told to talk to customers. If I don't talk to a customer, even when they've made it clear they're happy browsing, and my manager looks over and thinks I'm ignoring them, I get pulled up on it. Every. Single. Time. If someone is trying on clothes and they come out of the changing room and get ignored, we get pulled up on it. If we don't say hello when they come into the shop, we get pulled up on it.

We're not doing it to piss you off, but because it's part of our job description! Complain to HO if it puts you off, but don't take it out on the assistants who are only doing their job.

TikTakTok · 01/09/2016 13:18

It's really not rude.

SherlockPotter · 01/09/2016 13:18

It's part of the script, we have to say it! I'm polite about it though, I hate it when you get the sarcastic 'thank you for waiting'

acasualobserver · 01/09/2016 13:19

Lots of shop assistants now greet customers with, "Hello, how are you?" Are you trained to do this too? It irritates me no end.

GrimmauldPlace · 01/09/2016 13:19

It's a polite thing to say if a customer has been waiting a while. Not quite sure why you would be offended by it?

Advicepls7080 · 01/09/2016 13:20

I imagine if you were served in silence it would also annoy you.

So happy I don't work in retail anymore I understand why so many people hate it!

StorminaBcup · 01/09/2016 13:20

You're told to say it along with any other words that are spoken (including awkward small talk).

There must be some senior retailers on here, can you not relay the message back? People hate retail chit-chat.

GrimmauldPlace · 01/09/2016 13:21

Shops assistants can't win on here, though

Agreed. 100 times over.

Buzzardbird · 01/09/2016 13:22

Are you the queue 'holder upper' or the 'next customer'?

ICanCountToOneHundred · 01/09/2016 13:22

We had to say it regardless of the circumstances when I worked at the Post Office. If we didn't acknowledge any wait whatsoever and it was a mystery customer we would be in trouble.

HermioneJeanGranger · 01/09/2016 13:23

Lots of shop assistants now greet customers with, "Hello, how are you?" Are you trained to do this too? It irritates me no end.

Yes, we are. We get pulled up if we ignore customers. I have to greet customers within 30 seconds of them coming into the shop. If I haven't started a conversation within a further few minutes I get pulled up on that too.

Luckily, most of the customers where I work are lovely and are happy to have a chat. I don't work in a supermarket, though. It's high-end retail.

TaterTots · 01/09/2016 13:25

It's being polite to the waiting customer, not rude to the slow one.

skatesection · 01/09/2016 13:25

Nah, it's fine. It's part of the script they have to say. If you were a mystery shopper and they didn't say it, they could get in trouble.

Once I bought a load of running stuff at a sports shop and the lady on the till said "well, at least 'lack of equipment' won't be your excuse anymore, right?" THAT was rude!

acasualobserver · 01/09/2016 13:29

But I find the "How, are you?" weird. Isn't that a question for someone you are acquainted with? You might, for instance, offer a cheery, "Good morning!" to a complete stranger in the street but you wouldn't add, "How are you?"

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