To think this wasn't a great example of customer relations?

[NoisyBrain]

Popped into Tesco before work the other morning to grab something for that day's lunch and decided to get a coffee from their self-service Costa machine.

There were two members of staff (a young lad, in his early 20s I'd guess, and a woman of around 50) standing talking next to the machine, which is next to the sandwiches. They both saw me, as I had to walk around them to get my sandwich. Just as I approached the coffee machine, the lad stepped in front of me and got himself a coffee.

AIBU have been that it didn't even cross his mind that it might be polite to at least offer to let a paying customer go first, and also that the older woman didn't say anything? It's not like he physically elbowed me out of the way but he knew I was going for a coffee. He took bloody ages too, faffing around putting sugar in and finding a lid .

Would you have been this wound up if he'd not been wearing his uniform? I hate this kind of attitude like retail staff are 'less' because they happen to be on the serving side of the transaction. You sound very entitled OP

I was in one of the 'cheap' supermarkets today and as I was putting my goods on the conveyor belt, a member of staff who clearly had goods he wanted for his lunch in his hand asked me if he could go in front, and then asked the lady in front of me the same. We both said that of course he could. He would have a limited lunch break and wouldn't want to spend it all standing in a queue behind customers with a trolley load of stuff. I suspect your lad in Tesco was the same. The lady (colleague) may have collared him as he was heading for the machine and delayed him otherwise he may have already been using the machine when you got there anyway. I expect it actually only delayed you by a minute or so anyway OP.

Bigbluebus how very kind of you, I wish I'd had customers like you at the store I worked at!

But the OP is important!

Much more important than a lowly supermarket worker.

I'm with you OP. Those pesky workers should know their place.
In fact he should have probably offered to make you your coffee.

Damn right, notomatoes. Why, the OP should contact the head of office, the young lads mum, the Daily Mail and the Queen over this! How very dare he. Who does he think he is?

Next OP will be telling us he didn't even tug his forelock.

He was having a coffee; he was on a break. If you see staff shopping or eating, they are on a break.

Oh and FYI, he has probably been at work since some ungodly time and needed a coffee. A lot goes in to getting a shop like that ready to open, so it doesn't have to be open 24 hours for him to deserve a break. And wearing a uniform does mean he will get questioned by staff and customers just going about his lunch business, so seeing you go towards the coffee machine might have reminded him what he was really there for and made him nip in front of you.

Actually I am with the OP and I work in retail. We are told to let customers go first although I pretend not to see if they have a big trolley

I don't expect customers to know I'm on a break or going home but a light jacket or bag on my shoulder usually lets them know. If they stop me to ask, I will help o refer them on if it's complicated.

I can't pretend sometimes it's mildly annoying but it is very much my issue

I work at Tesco.
Amazing , if l'm just shopping in my regular clothes - customers move out of my way/ like anyone else.
If l date to 'shop' in uniform, l am completely ignored- or... customers try to push past me!
The lad was on a very tiny 15 break probably.

He was a paying customer too and if he was right beside it he was presumably going for a coffee anyway before his colleague started chatting to him . Don't see why anyone would have offered to let you go infront, staff or otherwise.