To find this really annoying in shops

[TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl]

I’m slightly hard of hearing so I hate it when, in shops, staff decide not to use the systems that alert shoppers that they’re next in the queue/have to collect their goods, and ‘shout’ instead.

Although TBH it’s not shouting as so much whispering.

For example - I was in Primark yesterday in the queue. The system that says “cashier number six please” and flashes the number on a screen was in operation. But the cashier available decided to shout out apparently and it wasn’t until the person behind me told me, did I notice. The cashier at this point did an exaggerated wave at me as if I was really stupid. I told him he needs to use the system and not shout because there are people with hearing and sight impairments who do their shopping. He looked completely baffled and I suspect he’d have been laughing with his colleagues about the Karen he served later on.

It also happens in my local Argos - rather than using the system to tell me my order is ready, a sale assistant will whisper shout “Headphones?”. Once my DH was waiting on a bath mat and asked them where it was because it was taking ages. The girl scoffed and said “I’ve called out for you a few times!” She’d been standing shouting “Rug? Rug?” 🙄

AIBU to think this makes shopping difficult for people with hearing and sight impairments as well as elderly people? Why can’t people just press the bloody button

YANBU, I'm sight impaired and hate this sort of thing. Drs surgery I'm looking at you.

Yanbu, that is annoying and I too hate the exaggerated wave as if you're a total idiot if you don't hear their barely audible slur

YANBU. If the system is there why not use it? And if not a clear "next please" is preferable to the pointless "can I help you?" (I'm hardly likely to say no am I?)

Tbh, if I'm next to be served in somewhere like Primark, I watch the tills to see who has been served and gone, I then go to that till anyway, no need for then to shout me.

Save with Argos doesnt the order/ ticket number come up on a TV screen so you know when to go up to the counter?

They don’t use it in my Argos, the order number is there but they clear it off once you’ve picked your stuff up. They never press it so that it shows as ready on the screen.

I just say "I'm deaf" and it usually shuts them up.

I'm neither limited of hearing nor sight but this irritates me so much. I usually take to social media and explain the issue so that it brings it to the forefront of attention (e.g. Twitter page)
Also maybe contact the store manager?

It must be incredibly frustrating. My MIL is hard of hearing and is sick and tired of being treated as an imbecile because she didn't hear someone speaking quietly against a background of noise.

You need to write to their head of / of course or whoever with a complaint, citing equality and disability law.

Tbh, if I'm next to be served in somewhere like Primark, I watch the tills to see who has been served and gone, I then go to that till anyway, no need for then to shout me.

I was in Primark last night. My store has probably 16 tills, in an L-shape. There’s no way you can watch them all at once, especially with all the hair bobbles/bath bombs/Eyelashes/other point-of-sale crap piled up all around the queue. And the noise in there means that even with no hearing impairments I can’t hear their mouse-voiced ‘next please’ from the other side of the acrylic screen.