Two minutes silence and refusing to serve customer

[BalugaBelle]

At work today I was on the checkout (large retail store) and the silence was announced over a tannoy.

A woman (on the phone) came up to the checkout during the silence, so I shushed her. Motioned to poppies next to till!

She then said, "I'm going to miss my train, please continue serving me!"

I refused, shook my head and sat silently for the two minutes.

At the end I put her items through, she moaned at me and called me rude and petty and then went on her merry way.

So was I being unreasonable to respect the two minutes silence, even if it meant a customer was unhappy at me doing so?

I know good customer service is needed but surely the two minutes silence takes priority? She clearly had no respect!

Quite frankly I didn't give a damn about her train, I was paying my respects as was everyone else in the shop. It was literally almost silent apart from young children (understandable) and general noise, i.e., heating making noises!

Give me strength.

Mittens, I didn't miss that the announcement had been made on the tannoy but that - and checkout staff moving away from the tills as Waitrose did - would have added gravitas and understanding for those who'd missed/ignored the tannoy.

Fairy, if they've been deleted then I've obviously missed them. I don't see though that the non-observers much care whether others observe but it's not the same the other way around.

Darling, the rudeness was in talking loudly to her friend on her phone throughout the 2 minutes silence, and laughing. Basically taking the Micky out of those who were observing the 2 minutes silence.

Our local sainsburys had a sign up saying the till staff would not serve during the 2 mins but customers could use the self checkouts on silent

That sounds sensible. As does allowing the staff to step away from the tills to observe the silence.

It would hopefully reduce occurences such as that in the OP.

We are told as staff that the silence should be observed. Tannoy announces it. Everyone is still.

My manager didn't specifically tell us what to do if a customer demanded being served- Just that if we remained on the shop floor we should be respectful and maintain the image of the company. I Ian find a store that continued serving through the silence would be frowned upon!

in my previous shop job the minutes silence was announced over the tannoy, but if anyone wanted served we were to do so quietly, but no one ever actually made a fuss about waiting a minute to be served.

If that was the message, then simply “the manager has asked that we observe the silence” would probably have sorted things out.

Shushing a customer then just sitting there shaking your head is not acceptable, I’m sorry, but it isn’t.

MyDarling As other PPs have said, she'd have to be a numpty not to know there was a two minute silence especially since it seems to be flagged round the store. I have some sympathy for someone racing for a train but building 2 minutes in doesn't sound too impossible.

To be completely honest I am shocked that people don't see that:

• talking loudly on the phone
• making high noise levels
• laughing even
• being the only person being disruptive

Is rude!

We are talking about a moment in which people remember the many lives lost. Only a few generations back, IF that.

I am not saying everyone should observe the silence. I know it's mandatory. I know everyone can do as they please.

Just that I genuinely don't understand how people can think continuing with your normal (loud) behaviour in such a somber moment can be seen as appropriate.

My manager didn't specifically tell us what to do if a customer demanded being served

I’d ask, now that the situation has arisen.

Would they let you step away from the tills during the silence?

So do some people think I should have broken the silence (even more than I already had by shushing her) to maintain high levels of customer service for one customer? I'm sure this would have offended many more customers.

Good customer service is important, yes, but I have never believed the whole 'customer is always right, always please them 100% even if it means opening yourself up to insult' shebang. Which is why I have to ask as I've only worked in retail three months!

Are there any business owners here? People who own shops? If this was your business, what would you expect your employee to do?

Darling “ not acceptable” to have a head shaken at you.

When you’ve been gassing on your phone through a 2 minute silence that some hold very dear and then demanding that others jump to your demands knowing full well they are observing the silence.

Give over.

Butchy- as it is only two minutes we stayed where we were and just stayed still. I will address it though, good idea. I agree we did need signs or something

My local shop actually shuts the doors and the security guard stops people leaving during the silence

My local shop actually shuts the doors and the security guard stops people leaving during the silence

There’ll be a test case coming out of that! 😮

Security guard closes the doors and stops people leaving? And the rest of your story sounded so believable 😂

I think from the first post it was pretty obvious.

Yanbu. You did the right thing and she should be ashamed.

YABU. You are at work. You need to do your job. She is a customer and your refusal is extremely rude. If you wanted to observe the silence you should have asked your manager in advance to get you cover.

I absolutely agree that if others wish to observe the silence it is good manners not to disrupt it; and this woman was a total pain. I would have served her silently. It is good manners, but she is not obliged to be sensitive to that.

YANBU

She was an ignorant scumbucket, probably trying to sound cool to her mate on the phone.

If 2 mins makes her miss her train, she needs better time management. The 2 mins silence is a stand still and reflect for 2 mins. Not carry on doing what you were doing but quietly, be that serving in a shop or any other activity (life saving surgery exempt).

Can't believe people on here saying you should have served her. I once had this happen to me in a shop (probably about 15 yrs ago). I mouthed to the customer "2 min silence" and she'd clearly forgotten and was mortified.

The day we stop taking 2 mins out of a day for this is the day we have officially gone to the dogs.

The Armistice Day silence is a relatively new thing - 1997. It wasn't around when I was young - I'm 50. Remembrance Sunday was the big event with the silence.

Thank you for that. I've been trying to remember when the silence on Armistice Day as well as on Remembrance Day started.

I don't wear a red poppy or observe the silence. I think about all those who have lost their lives in conflict several times a week, usually during the news. I get quite angry about the way politicians display their poppies while still encouraging trade in weapons of mass destruction and embarking on military enterprises that lead to death, injury and mental illness. Imo it's hypocritical virtue signalling.

I wonder how many of those who are so incensed by people not observing the silence actually opposed sending troops out to Iraq and Afghanistan to get killed, maimed and traumatised, and to do the same to civilians, including children? And how many support leaving the EU, which has managed to keep western Europe a war-free zone for 50-odd years?

I do buy a white poppy every year though, and wear it proudly.

I've worked in retail for 5 years, been part of the silences for 5 years in a big busy Tesco extra. The cafe turns the radio off, everyone is silent and EVERY till stops scanning. I've never had a customer so rude as to expect their items to continue going through. The shop stands still, even people walking down the aisles stand still for the duration and then continue when it's over. Literally like someone has pressed pause. How hard is it to take the tiny amount of time out of your day to show some respect?

YABU. You are at work. You need to do your job. She is a customer and your refusal is extremely rude. If you wanted to observe the silence you should have asked your manager in advance to get you cover
Are you just being a GF?

The OP works in a shop that observes the silence.
There were signs up to inform customers.
There was a tannoy announcement to inform customers.
Hell, the entire shop went sileny at 11am.
It's fairly damn obvious what is happening
Thr managers gave staff the option of not observing the silence and going to the staff area.
The intention of the managers was that all front of house staff observe the silence.

And you come on going 'omg op just do your job. You are so rude'

The 2 mins silence is a stand still and reflect for 2 mins. Not carry on doing what you were doing but quietly, be that serving in a shop or any other activity (life saving surgery exempt)

If you want to. It was difficult for the OP as it became a direct competition of one person's rights vs another. In another situation no-one is unreasonable in choosing not to observe the silence providing they don't disrupt those who wish to