To expect better customer service than this?

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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.

I couldn't see how much it was @Rosebel as it didn't show, that's why I asked for a receipt just to check. Yes not an awful experience just an annoying one!

I can top this ...

Today I answered the door to a dhl delivery driver , smoking and blowing a fag in my face which was nice.

I hate the smell of smoke @holbobs78 it's bloody grim

Whilst I do think you are over-egging it a bit with how "stressful" this was, I don't think YABU to be annoyed.

I've worked many low-paid customer facing jobs and always give my full attention to the customer whilst serving. You have the rest of your shift to rant with colleagues and its unprofessional and rude to do so within earshot of customers, let alone actually ignore them completely to carry on a different conversation.

I wouldn't necessarily put in a conplaint, because it is shit work and wont achieve anything more than a slap on the wrist for the employee but I do see where you're coming from.

While she was rude ignoring you asking for a carrier bag, she could not have know that you actually wanted the meal deal. I often will buy a sandwich and a drink, but don't necessarily want a snack, so won't bother with the meal deal. If you were also buying 'other bits for lunch' the cashier would not have automatically noticed that you paid more than the meal deal price, whereas you , on the other hand should have noticed.

Yes it's crap service, it happens, it's a bit like the idiot who tailgated me yesterday, or the catalogue of these small things that happen to us all. You totally need to let it go and maybe make yourself feel better by putting yourself in the assistant's shoes and their probably poor working conditions and pay. It really doesn't matter and I can't understand why you're making it such a big deal. Move on.

The total didn't show @MrsLinManuelMiranda so I had no way of knowing until I'd been given the receipt. I could of asked her how much it was but probably would of been ignored again.

I'll know next time to just ask for their attention.

I think I'm entitled to be annoyed about certain things, just as you are @cactus2020. Something that might annoy you probably wouldn't annoy me. We're all different.

So having to ask for a bag three times wouldn't have annoyed you? - mildly. Not enough to give it any more than an internal eye roll.

It seemed as though she was complaining about something to her colleagues.

Seemed as though? I’d have thought it would be obvious if she was.

she would have noticed it on the till if she had been concentrating on what she was doing

Noticed what? A customer brought three things to the till. She scanned them. She did her job. How was she to know you were after a meal deal? She isn’t psychic.

young 20’s I would say

Why is this relevant?

I’d complain that you weren’t aware of how much you were paying before you paid. If you were paying cash she surely had to ask you for a certain amount of money. If You paid card the total should have come up reader. That’s a serious retail problem there.

Without it being somewhere you frequent regularly you have no way telling of this is normal behaviour for us not. You don’t know what she’s had to deal with that day. A load of staff at my local big name small supermarket recently got told they were getting made redundant.

YANBU to expect better service. YABU for devoting this much energy to it, it’s only stressful because you’re making it that way. Let it go.

The total didn't show @MrsLinManuelMiranda so I had no way of knowing until I'd been given the receipt

Eh, how does that work? Surely if you paid by card it would show on the machine, or if you paid cash you'd know by how much you had to hand over?

I paid by card @adaline and it didn't say how much on the card machine. I have no idea why.

Oh please @MintyMabel behave yourself. She absolutely knew I was buying the meal deal as she checked the receipt before I had even said anything and said "oh you've been charged extra for the meal deal". I did say that in my op which obviously you didn't bother to read. Your just picking at bits, bugger off will you

Jesus- someone's bored

Must be you, since your commenting on my post? @Sargass0

Jesus Christ.

Yes, it was not a great example of model customer service, but I cannot get over the facts that you 1. Felt the need to post about something so minor and 2. Had the audacity to write such a long post. Honestly, who has the time?

But you had time to read it @Rachelfromfriends1? What do you expect in AIBU?

If this is the sort of thing that makes you feel stressed, you must see your GP soon. Poor thing.

Just going to be frank, your complaint won’t go anywhere. It comes across as vexatious.

You’re flattering yourself by assuming anyone read the whole thing. I certainly didn’t.

You should’ve sorted it at the time. And I don’t know how you can pay for something without realising what you’re paying and that it’s wrong? Don’t complain, she’s young and maybe she has had a shit day. Yes not great customer service but you have no idea what people deal with. I got pulled up in work when I was 16 because a customer had complained about me not giving good customer service, I was pissed off because a family member had passed away the day before and my manager said I’d be fired if I didn’t do my shift anyway. Which I couldn’t afford at the time. You really have no clue why someone is being a bit of a dick.

Clearly not good service and yes we should leave our problems at the door but it's not always that simple. Its difficult to know whether this was a once off from this particular worker or whether she has form for this. I would suggest letting it go this time but bear it in mind if it happens again if you return to that store.

It must have said it on the card machine - you can't pay by card unless the merchant has keyed in the amount.

Either you pay by contactless in which case they key in the amount and you tap your card, or you put your card in, they key in the amount and then you check and enter your pin.

I imagine what happened is you didn't think to check as you assumed you'd picked the meal deal and then when you did realise it was just another thing to be annoyed with the shop about.