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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect better customer service when shopping?

31 replies

FairyAndLavender · 30/08/2020 20:34

Out shopping in a few places this week. B&M, Next, M&S, TK Maxx...

AIBU to want a friendly face to serve me, someone who doesn't look like they'd rather be anywhere but doing their job?

The loveliest bunch of sales assistants I can think of work at our local B&M! There's one nice guy at our local Next but the rest of the team seem to let him down with their miserable faces and lack of customer service skills.

I know it isn't a well paid job in general but it's still their job, isn't it? I bet the local toilet Cleaners, who I see regularly about the town centre, aren't paid much better. Yet they always smile and have spoken to me a few times?

Just makes me not want to bother shopping. It's a pleasant experience for me, or should be. I go for the overall experience, a little day of it. Not just the product itself.

Maybe I am being grossly unreasonable, I don't know..

I work in an Office role and I'd be sacked for the attitude a lot of retail workers have. There's noway I could speak to anyone work related, external or otherwise, like that and not get a swift exit fairly quickly

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 30/08/2020 20:36

If they aren't being actively rude I think you're being a bit unreasonable. We're not living in cheerful times.

Original poster
FairyAndLavender · 30/08/2020 20:39

One example of actively being piss poor service wise was asking someone to check if they had the size I wanted in the stock room. The person said what was on the shop floor was all they had...

I asked someone else when I was out of sight and they found it for me in the stock room.

I have to say that I've seen retail effort from staff go downhill long before Covid, so we can't just blame Covid

OP posts:
honeyytoast · 30/08/2020 20:40

As a sales assistant I actually basically agree with you, nothing worse than feeling like you’re being annoying or somehow putting the shop workers out of their way simply by trying to buy something.

However I don’t think there should be an obligation to constantly be “on” and super friendly, it gets extremely draining after 8 hours, especially when you only get the same energy back from customers 50% of the time. Also it’s worth bearing in mind that you never know what someone is going through/has just been told/is going home to etc. Unless they’re downright rude it’s best to just be polite and never take anything personally imo

MoistMolly · 30/08/2020 20:43

The lack of knowledgeable, friendly staff is what pushes me to buy more from the net.

Why pay more at a local shop, when you can get a friendlier, cheaper experience online?

CitizenCandyKane · 30/08/2020 20:44

I've just finished a shift on the till today. I love my job, and I try really hard to be polite and friendly and treat everyone with the kindness and respect that I would wish for myself. Today tho I was a punching bag for a long series of customers, all angry at a host of things outwith my control or fault. It destroys your confidence and leaves you wondering if you can actually do the job you love, (and have had a lot of praise for). Things are not easy out there at the moment for us, so please, don't assume the people who served you don't care.. They may just be completely worn down by it all. Happens to the best of us. Roll on next year and maybe some normality and relief.

CelestialSpanking · 30/08/2020 20:45

One example of actively being piss poor service wise was asking someone to check if they had the size I wanted in the stock room. The person said what was on the shop floor was all they had...

How is that poor service? It quite possibly is the case that what’s on the shop floor is all that’s available. If that’s an example of poor service then YABU.

ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmmmmmmmm · 30/08/2020 20:49

It was piss poor service because it was a lazy lie. Maybe read the post ?

Original poster
FairyAndLavender · 30/08/2020 20:49

Cele Did you not read the full text? I said I asked someone else and they checked for me, returning with the size I wanted

OP posts:
CelestialSpanking · 30/08/2020 20:59

Mistakes happen, I made mistakes like that too when I worked in retail. Was sure there wasn’t said item in the stock room, told the customer this, spotted the item later on when I looked for a different item for someone else. And sometimes people can’t be arsed to look. Which is not ok obviously.

I think even without Covid working in retail is shit for many people unfortunately. There can be a lot of pressure from higher up and it can be a thankless job most of the time- some customers really are pricks. I wouldn’t put up with actual rudeness from anyone but I wouldn’t take it personally if they looked miserable.

Zaphodsotherhead · 30/08/2020 21:07

I work on a till. I try to be friendly and positive but it can be hard keeping it up for the whole shift, when you get customers collaring you to tell you that last week you sold them xxx item which was off when they got it out of the fridge four days later, or that they can't find xxx on the shelf, when you are the only person on the floor, can't leave the till and aren't sure there's any in stock anyway.

We do our best, but it really is a tough job (and we're often made to feel as though it's the only job that's available to us thickies so no wonder we're only earning NMW etc etc). I'm sorry you had a bad shopping experience, but honestly? We aren't paid to be cheerful, we are just about paid enough to turn up and press buttons.

CitizenCandyKane · 30/08/2020 21:11

@Zaphodsotherhead

So much. Flowers

Strangeday21 · 30/08/2020 21:12

I recently was in M&s and was served by a lovley (tired) member of staff - they mentioned there is still a lot of staff furlough and factories hadn’t been manufacturing up and till recently so had been struggling with stock.
They had worked the whole time and pretty much knackered - the shop was busy :(
I found a lot of shops like that shortage of staff and stock but busy :(
I really felt for the staff trying their best

DeeTractor · 30/08/2020 21:21

"I work in an Office role and I'd be sacked for the attitude a lot of retail workers have. There's noway I could speak to anyone work related, external or otherwise, like that and not get a swift exit fairly quickly"

You'd get sacked for not wearing a big fake grin for 8 hours a day? How are they speaking to you exactly? Maybe the staff member who told you what was on the shop floor was what they had was just mistaken; it happens, they are humans and not robots. What kind of "experience" is it that you expect?

BlackbirdFirst · 30/08/2020 21:24

I don't mind about a big smile, but I do want to be thanked.
More and more, people just reply to my "thank you" by saying nothing, or "you're welcome".

DeeTractor · 30/08/2020 21:25

What's wrong with "you're welcome"?!

Ragwort · 30/08/2020 21:31

YANBU - I work in retail and I love it, I enjoy nothing more than helping my customers and making sure they are happy with their purchases - it's not rocket science and my sales figures are high and I have lots of repeat customers. (I am not on commission!).

I avoid so many shops where I get poor customer service,

Original poster
FairyAndLavender · 30/08/2020 21:31

Mistakes happen, I made mistakes like that too when I worked in retail. Was sure there wasn’t said item in the stock room, told the customer this, spotted the item later on when I looked for a different item for someone else. And sometimes people can’t be arsed to look. Which is not ok obviously.

That's completely understandable! But the person who I spoke to wasn't like this... She just looked bored and not interested in helping me at all. Like I was an annoying fly or something. I don't believe it was a genuine mistake

I'd never expect anyone to look like the characters out of a smiley Disney film, it's just I'm seeing more and more that retail staff just aren't interested one little bit! Their tone says it all. They don't look tired, they look very bored and fed up of their job

OP posts:
Original poster
FairyAndLavender · 30/08/2020 21:33

Dee You're welcome sounds fine to me. Just be pleasant, I think that's all any reasonable customer can ask

OP posts:
Eatyourbanana · 30/08/2020 21:34

I get you. But I also get that they’re human beings. If they’re actually rude that annoys the shit out of me, because I’m not rude to anyone. But if they’re just a bit ‘meh’ but polite enough, that’s fine by me.

Sceptre86 · 30/08/2020 21:34

There isn't an excuse for poor service and being helpful is part of the customer experience. That being said quite often you can be the only person on the till and being asked to check sizes means you would be away from the shop floor for too long. This would result in you getting a bollocking from the manager and customers who have had to wait to be served.

Regularsizedrudy · 30/08/2020 21:36

There are a lot of arsey retail workers but it’s a shit job so I don’t really hold it against them.

FallonsTeaRoom · 30/08/2020 21:42

The person said what was on the shop floor was all they had

Having worked in retail, the stock room was so far from.the shop floor it took ages to find anything so the customer thought you'd fucked off and left so that was a standard response.

Zaphodsotherhead · 30/08/2020 21:47

I think part of the reason that we look tired and fed up is that most of us have worked all through lockdown, no PPE at least to start with, facing customers who could have given us a fatal virus every day, no furlough, no rewards, dealing with people moaning about queueing, about having to use a trolley, having to wear a mask, there being no toilet rolls or flour, or bread....

And we are paid NMW. For risking our health every day. It's not great, to be honest.

BojoKilledMyMojo · 30/08/2020 21:47

I think on the contrary, the level of customer service has sky rocketed. I was in M&S yesterday and the service is so personal now.

I can't blame retail staff for not always being shiny and bright considering the behaviour and attitude they have to endure from members of the public.

DinoDeb · 30/08/2020 21:52

Having worked in retail, the stock room was so far from.the shop floor it took ages to find anything so the customer thought you'd fucked off and left so that was a standard response

This. I used to work in retail as a late teen. The stock floor was three floors up and 9/10 times the customer would have long fucked off before you even got back with what they asked for.

It’s the reason I never ask someone if there’s something ‘in the back’ nowadays.