To expect better customer service than this?

[starlight83x]

I went to a convenience shop today during my lunch break (think co-op but it’s not, still quite a big company though) to pick up a meal deal and a few other bits for lunch. I hadn’t been to this one in particular before although I do go to one near where I live all the time.

I walked in and it was relatively quiet. When I approached the counter to pay I was served by a staff member who was a young lady (young 20’s I would say). She did not acknowledge me or say hello as she was in the middle of what I can only describe as a heated discussion with another staff member. It seemed as though she was complaining about something to her colleagues.

As she was scanning my items I asked her for a carrier bag, she didn’t acknowledge this. When she finished scanning the items, I again asked for a carrier bag but she was too busy talking to her colleague to hear me. Once I had paid, I again asked her for a carrier bag to which she said “oh sorry it’s been a stressful day”. I was then stood waiting for my receipt as she had forgotten to give it to me. At this point she was still talking to her colleague and then realised I was still stood waiting. She looked up and said to me “ok?” I said “yes please can I have my receipt?” to which she said “oh yes okay”.

She then decided to look through the receipt as she realised that I’d been charged extra for the meal deal. I had paid £6 instead of £3.50, not a massive deal just a tad bit annoying. (the drink I had chosen was in the meal deal section but not actually part of the deal). I appreciate it was nobody’s fault in this instance but I do believe had she been concentrating on the till when she was scanning the items (instead of talking to her colleague) then she would of picked up on this.

I got the impression from her that she thought it was my fault for picking up the wrong drink. When I pointed out that the drink was in the wrong section and it’s very confusing for customers she just shrugged her shoulders. She then asked me to choose another drink and that she would get her colleague to sort out the refund. I did decline at this point as I’d just had enough and wanted to leave. I really didn’t have the energy to wait around for her colleague to refund me and sort it all out especially since I had to be back in work for a certain time and needed to eat my lunch before then anyway.

What should of been an easy transaction actually turned into a stressful experience. I have worked in customer facing roles myself many years ago and imo a staff member should devote their attention when serving a customer. I have no issue with people chatting away with their colleagues but when it’s to the point they can’t hear anything the customer has said to them (3 times) then I think there is an issue. If she wanted to discuss (more so complain) to her colleague she should of done that in private or at least discretely (not so the whole bloody shop could hear). The mere fact that I had to ask for a carrier bag three times is I think what annoyed me the most.

If I had behaved that way in my last job I would have been pulled up on it. I appreciate we’re all human and every one has problems but surely they should be left at the door before coming into work? I don’t think customers should have to hear how stressful the day has been. I wouldn’t complain to my clients about my stresses so I do think it should be the same in any work place.

I promise I’m not one of these people that complains about everything! I think I’ve only made a complaint about one company before and that was because they lost a £300 deposit of mine.

So WIBU to make a complaint? Was she unprofessional? Imo this particular lady would hugely benefit from extra training in how to serve/deal with customers.

Absolutely not trying to get her into trouble. - that's the most you will achieve. She won't be given extra training, she'll be given a bollocking.

...she would have noticed it on the till if she had been concentrating on what she was doing. - it's not her job to decide whether you want a "meal deal" or not. Many people choose a different drink.

You're coming across as a bit of a "Karen" (as the memes go) to be honest op. The time to deal with it was there and then with her, not run to teacher her manager and tell tales make a complaint later.

I’m with you OP, I find it very stressful to be ignored or feel like I’m in the way when I’m legitimately present somewhere.

Others who say this is a luxury problem probably have very different stressors to me and might get worked up over things that, for me, are water off a duck’s back.

So having to ask for a bag three times wouldn't have annoyed you? @MilkTwoSugarsThanks

"I got the impression from her that she thought it was my fault for picking up the wrong drink."

It was. And as for the drink being in the wrong section and is therefore confusing for customers, you can almost certainly blame your fellow customers for leaving stuff at their arse rather than putting it back where they got it.

Maybe if YOU had been paying more attention you'd have noticed the error before paying £6.

I honestly couldn’t get stressed over this

I hate it when people are so disinterested.
You will vote with your feet and go elsewhere in future so they have lost your custom.
It may sound trivial but I get your annoyance.
It's happened to me at times and it can be annoying.

You turned a small thing in to an absolute essay. IF you complain I’d make it shorter as I couldn’t finish it. But please don’t complain, it’s not even worth telling a story about to your colleagues.
Of course it was your fault for picking up the wrong drink. If you didn’t notice the total when paying, why should the member of staff who has no idea if you’re trying to buy the meal deal or not?? You sound hard work.

Not great service but hardly the end of the world, no one's going to suffer massively because they don't get 5* treatment 24/7 are they.

Was she unprofessional?

See this is what gets me, most people in retail and similar roles aren't treated by the employer or customers as professionals, they're not regarded in any way shape or form by society as professionals, they're certainly not trained or paid as professionals - yet 'They weren't professional' is always banded about when it comes to these situations. They're expected to be professional.
I'm not having a go at you here OP, but it's something that baffles me as to why we expect professional service from people who aren't regarded, treated or paid for professionalism. If companies want to offer professional service, they need to stump up and pay for it, and if society wants it, they need to start treating those in the service industry like they are professionals if they expect that level of service. Can't have it both ways, either they're customer service professionals, in which case they deserve to be paid better and treated with respect, or they're not in which case don't expect professional service.

You obviously haven't read my response @Sonichu. The drink wasn't placed there by a customer. There was a whole stack of them in the meal deal section which was obviously put there by another staff member.

"I'm not being funny Stacey, but you wanna get a life. What you said just now was really boring."

Literally nothing is ‘Important’ in your post, Op. - in fact it’s probably the most non problem I’ve ever read on here.

Of course it was annoying at the time. I dislike wasting time and being ignored , surely most people do.
But I would have forgotten about it almost immediately, I can't be cross at someone saying they are having a stressful day, unless they are really horrible to me.
Maybe I should have higher standards, but I can't be arsed

"You obviously haven't read my response @Sonichu. The drink wasn't placed there by a customer. There was a whole stack of them in the meal deal section which was obviously put there by another staff member"

Why didn't you notice you were being over charged before paying?

Honestly, you're making a massive fuss. She was a bit rude and dismissive. She's a human being and got distracted. Move on.

I agree with you @Freddiefatpants they should be paid more. Minimum wage is a joke, but on the other hand I was polite and very patient with her and I think if anyone had to ask for something three times they would be annoyed.

Your expectations are far to high. Coming from someone in a very busy customer facing role and a customer.
Sometimes even the best things have a wobble, my customer service has wobbles I've been on the receiving end of customer service wobbles and from what you describe there was no harm done.

So in the best way possible op give your head wobble trust me there are worse outcomes and much worse service you could have received.

I understand the ' wanting professionalism when they don't pay enough money' but that could go for most jobs. The TAs at the school where I work are not highly paid but expected to work hard and engage every single day. They would be sacked if they didn't.
Why should retail or hospitality be any different? I always say thank you and please and am polite to people, you expect a certain level of politeness and engagement with the customer if nothing else. Not over the top but just interested enough to sort out any problems. It's part of their job.
I can see both sides of this to be fair and good customer service does make my day.

I'm not going to complain about her mainly because (as many of you have pointed out) probably nothing will happen but I wouldn't be surprised if another customer does some time in the future (especially if she's this way all the time). I think her customer skills are a load of bollox though. I'll know next time to speak up there and then. Thanks

Freddiefatpants
Good point, well made.
(My local Tesco Express, no particular fan of the parent company, is terrific. Engaged staff, helpful and attentive. Normal backstreet branch in a small town. Another larger local branch, not so much. Will it be the Manager who drives this? There's a real difference)

Thanks @The80sweregreat you put it better than I could. I'm not highly paid myself but have to be professional otherwise I'd get the boot.

It didn't show how much the total was @Sonichu, hence why I asked for a receipt.

I do understand that not all customers are great and it can be very tiring and people can be horrible etc etc but you have to be polite and treat each person differently. Not everyone is the same.
She was obviously in ' don't give a monkeys' mode and it showed.
Maybe it was her last day .. !

@starlight83x I'm with you. I hate being made to feel like I'm interrupting you, when I'm trying tu give you my money! They'd thunk you rude to be talking on a mobile at the till, they shouldn't be holding a conversation with anyone but you!

Thank you @Inconspicuousname ... I have absolutely no issue with staff talking to their colleagues whilst serving me. I've even joined in the conversation at times but obviously this was more of a personal conversation and to the point where she didn't hear me (can't stress this enough, 3 times).

Didn't you notice the amount you paid was too much until it was pointed out to you? I'm totally baffled by that.
To be fair you shouldn't have to ask 3 times for a bag but she did apologise and explain she was stressed so although it wasn't great it wasn't awful either.
I wouldn't complain as I don't think it was that bad and mostly shop assistants are treated like shit.