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!

She should've timed her supermarket trip better if 2 minutes was going to make or break her ability to get the train.

YANBU. Impatient woman.

She was rude for being on her phone whilst expecting to be served. And as the silence was well-advertised store policy YWNBU however there is nothing rude about not observing the silence

scarlet i get its your freedom to choose but you dont find it rude if someone deliberatly went against a social norm of politeness just to prove a point that they dont want to? To me thats like snubbing a handshake or ignoring someone saying hello. 2 minutes is not a long time to wait patiently.

I worked retail today. We did the silence. Don't have a tannoy but did let customers know that it was 11 so we would not be serving. No issues thankfully but I did envisage someone complaining about it.

I'm saddened and disappointed in the few posters who cannot understand why the majority of us feel that spending 2 minutes once a year reflecting on those who have lost their lives defending our country is the right thing to do.

Shame on you. And, yes, I will judge you

YANBU.

It's 120 seconds. Get to feck if missing the train is more important.

you could have put the sale through in silence.

Beep, beep, beep, beep............

And if other checkout operators did the same? Not very silent.

If she was going to miss her train she would have left her items there.
What was she buying?
From what you have said yanbu

Martha - I don’t think it is rude or disrespectful to not observe the silence unless what you are doing is itself rude and disrespectful. I don’t think I’m better or more thankful because I stood still than someone who didn’t-I’m glad we have the choice. No one should feel they have to do something because it’s a social norm.

You weren’t unreasonable. If she had an issue she should have taken it up with the store manager for choosing to observe the two minute’s silence.

And in response to Lonicera, I don’t believe everyone being silent is reflecting and that all those not being silent aren’t or don’t.

Of course you should have served her. You were at work and observing the silence isn't compulsory.

I have worked in several roles with the public both over the phone and face to face, and the policy has always been to ask the customer if they would like to join me in observing the silence. If for any reason they said no then you get on with the job as quietly as you can.

You were rude imo.

I think if the Op had continued serving she would have been at risk of someone complaining that she was being disrespectful, and I suspect the management would have taken it seriously.

At M&S round here they used to switch the tills off for the 2 minutes. Unfortunately the first time they did it they neither announced it, nor let the till operators know. So we had two minutes of "is your till working?" "Have we a power cut?" etc until the announcement over the tannoy said "That is the end of the two minute silence". Many red faces.

People always say about them soldiers faught and lost their lives for our freedom to do what we want even if that very freedom means to ignore their sacrifice. We are remembering those young men and boys who didnt know if they were coming home. Who had rats eat them alive in trenches who liberated skeletal survivers of auschwitz. Who burned to death in their planes trying to decipher enemy bombs. Who returned from battle with severe shellshock. Some had no choice in enlistement. Some chose to believeing they would make the world a much better place for all. It sadens me people refuse to acknowledge them. My own workplace is a place that refuses to respect them.

Those saying you should have served her but silently are missing the point I think. I have always assumed that the 2 minutes silence is the time to stop what you are doing (if possible) and reflect, not just stop talking.

I wouldn't have served her.

I was in a cafe today at 11am. It didn't have any signs up but did have the radio on, so was very obvious when it was 11am. My friend and I were the only people who observed it, I thought that was quite sad really.

When I worked in a call centre I would ask them to observe it with me or just put them on hold for the two minutes. Never had any arguments.

I also was not going to continue serving in a silent office, not a chance. I can imagine face to face would be an absolute nightmare though, YWNBU OP

Yanbu
If the train was that important then she shouldn't be in the shop.

I wouldn’t make others not be silent but the whole point of this wonderful freedom that’s been fought for is that we don’t insists others do things. Some people don’t choose to pay respects publically and that’s ok with me.

Regardless of whether you choose to use that 2 minutes to reflect or not is not the point. It's about politeness and respect. She could have stood and thought about what colour she was painting her nails that night for all it matters, but she should have the courtesy to respect that others did want to observe the silence and shut the fuck up.

It's like being invited to a Christening or going to a church funeral when you aren't religious. Sit quietly, allow others to celebrate or mourn in their way, or just don't go. I went to a school the other week for a meeting and was there during assembly and they had a minute's silence for a staff member who had died. I'd never met, or even heard of the person, but as a civilised member of society, I was able to keep my trap shut for 60 seconds and stand quietly and allow others their time to reflect. That's just what you do.

Martha but you’re assuming people don’t acknowledge them just because they don’t do what you think shows they do in those 2 minutes. I hope people are thankful, it’s just that I think there are lots of ways people can be it. I reflect more on my Grandfather’s birthday about what he and others did far more than I did in those two minutes today. Others may be the same. What others do in those two minutes does not impact me or my reflections.

Also, those posters saying the op behaved rudely/unprofessionally imagine the potential complaint if she’d started bleeping items through. Enough for the press to even make a headline. Sainsbury’s staff/Morrison’s/Tesco/where ever staff refusing to acknowledge war hero’s.
You did the right thing morally and for the business you work for.

Absolutely Tipsy. Other customers would have complained.

@ScarletSienna, I agree with you that you don't have to take part if you don't want to.

However, if someone else wants to be silent for 2 minutes then you are disrespecting their wish to be respectful. I don't care what other people do during the 2 minutes silence but I would not engage with anyone whilst I am paying my respects to the fallen, not just of World War One but of all the soldiers, civilians and animals who have served to keep our country safe.

You absolutely have the moral high ground. It is a national two minutes silence to remember all the fallen. Tough if she doesn’t fancy doing it. She should have started earlier if she wanted to catch her train. It’s two minutes not two hours. Incredibly disrespectful.
They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. We definitely should remember them. They really did give their today so that we can continue to live our tomorrow in freedom.

YANBU Shame on the woman and shame on anyone who does not respect this important moment. Is two minutes too much to ask? And for those who don't have links to the country or if you don't have parents, grandparents, greatgrandparents who fought in WW1 please think about it and respect those who did.

If it the 2 minutes silence was announced in whatever establishment I was in I would and have observed and respected that decision. If that was my employers wish I would not have served the customer either.