To wonder who decided that customers want small talk at the till in a shop?

[YouWonJayne]

Seriously I want to know their names. Which suits sat in a boardroom and said “Do you know what customers really want? When they’re stressed and frazzled trying the find a plain black shirt and black skirt for a 9 year old’s school play, which BTW are nigh-on impossible to find, when they get to the till they want the assistant to ask what they’re up to this morning and if they’re busy? That will keep customers happy!”

The poor girl on the checkout was trying her best not to look bored as she asked the woman in front of me “Have you got much planned this morning? Do you have a busy day” especially when the woman have details of all the wedding outfits she needed to buy for her grandchildren.

I hope the assistant was relieved when I just gave a “No” when she asked me the same. I really couldn’t be arsed.

I noticed this everywhere now. Is it just me who doesn’t actually want small talk, who just wants to buy my stuff and get on with me day without being a conversationalist extraordinaire? Don’t get me started on upselling! Or the people in Lush who pounce when you’re through the door. It’s completely insufferable.

The worst part is these poor people (probably on minimum wage) get bollocked if they don’t behave this way. I can’t imagine any of them want to behave this way.

I feel like it needs a serious platform, a campaign called Leave Shoppers Alone (half joking) 😂

All a retail worker needs to say is "Would you like a bag?" at the start of the transaction and then tell me the amount due at the end. Nothing else is required, certainly not random chat about the weather or rude questions about what I'm doing that day.
Oh, and if they have to address me, please not "love", "duck" etc.... either "madam" or nothing at all is fine.
I know some staff are under pressure, but we are not friends and all this sociable stuff us just irritating. I just want to make the transaction as efficiently as possible and then leave.

@Hbh17 that sounds such a robotic transaction. I would always greet someone with a smile , say hello and thank them for waiting if there has been a queue. Is that acceptable? Or do I just ask if you want a bag and then remain mute for the rest of the transaction? I would find my job so dull and sad if thats all the interaction that was allowed! And then there'd be someone saying the person at the till was so miserable....just can't win 🤷‍♀️
Luckily I work in a shop where most of the customers appreciate friendly service. I can usually tell if they don't and turn into efficient robot mode but I don't enjoy those interactions.

So many seem to have misunderstood what is being said on the thread whilst loudly proclaiming that their way is the only way.

But there in lies the rub, if they're a customer, they are right apparently . They're as right as the customer behind them that has the exact opposite opinion, because as we all know, the customer is always right.
And there's a mood around that if everything isn't 100% perfect for their personal taste then someone must pay someone must be belittled and ridiculed. That's the bit I have an issue with, so many these days are just waiting for the opportunity to be pissed off and a victim of poor customer service and then give forth about how distressing it all is and how awful it's been for them (and get a bit of validation, attention and maybe something free too).
It really isn't the end of the world either way.

I agree with that, AlmostWhitby, it is very difficult to please people as a whole as everybody has different needs/wants.

I personally think that the only way to go is to follow the same rule as you would with wanting a baby with somebody who does. The person who doesn't, wins. It's hard but it's correct. Wanting to introduce something so somebody else requires their agreement/co-operation. It's the only sensible thing to do. Unfortunately it does mean that the people who actively want something from other people will have to feel their way carefully, maybe not expect their want for personal communication to be met at supermarkets and the like.

I really do like the idea of the 'slow queue'. If supermarkets would have one of those then I can't see how it could go wrong. Busy people who haven't the time or inclination would never go to that queue - and the people who do want to chat, could do so and not feel harried.

At checkout, I've never seen anybody be rude to checkout staff. Just never seen it. People whipping through at the speed of light, or passing the time of day with a quick comment on the weather whilst packing. All fine for everybody involved.

The lady I mentioned earlier, the one who wanted to chat about the coronation, was in the queue holding it up for 11 minutes (I started checking my e-mails when she started talking). I'd already put my stuff on the conveyor as had the lady behind me. The coronation lady just wouldn't go, kept faffing with her purse, getting bank card, etc., as slowly as she could. I felt sorry for the checkout lady as she kept looking at the queue.

We really do need a 'slow queue' in every supermarket, just one. I wonder if they'd go for it?

@LyingWitchInTheWardrobe

I really do like the idea of the 'slow queue'. If supermarkets would have one of those then I can't see how it could go wrong. Busy people who haven't the time or inclination would never go to that queue - and the people who do want to chat, could do so and not feel harried.

Nice idea but wouldn't work because Doris, who wants a chat, would see the longer queue at the "slow lane" and go to one of the others because it's quicker, and then slow that one down.

I think we've got a good solution at the moment with a choice in the bigger supermarkets of the self serve tills and the "manned" tills. Yes, Doris may have to wait behind someone with a huge trolley, but at least those who are willing and able to use self checkout won't be held up.

But, of course, any idea of different lanes, self serve, etc., only really works in supermarkets. It won't work in smaller shops, specialist shops, clothing, etc.

The real solution is for the shop staff to learn to read the signs - good staff already do this, it's not hard to learn.

Some people absolutely love it! Sometimes you have to politely usher them away from the till so the next customer can be served 😂

You do quickly learn who wants to chat and who doesn't though!

@Noseylittlemoo

I find it really rude when a customer either continues a conversation on the phone or whoever she's come into the shop with, without making any eye contact or verbal communication. We're people not robots - altho some of the posters here would like us to be efficient mute robots!

@user1497207191

That works both ways. Some shop/counter assistants do exactly the same!

Yes this. I have seen MANY checkout operators blathering to a colleague, or talking via their ear-set things (Aldi do this sometimes... chat to a colleague somewhere else in the store, whilst serving a customer.) Some Tesco checkout operators are the worst. Chatting away to Sharon next to them about their night out last night, when they're serving a customer. Incredibly rude. Morrisons and Sainsburys staff do it too sometimes.

@LyingWitchInTheWardrobe

I cringed at the self-professed clown who makes it their 'policy' ffs, to make checkout staff laugh. I wonder how much of that laughing is even genuine? Imagine doing that to people you don't even know?

OMFG 😆 This sounds like a few middle aged men I know. Think they're fucking hilarious, making silly jibes and inane comments to try to be funny, and make the checkout operator laugh or smile. And (sometimes) if she doesn't he calls her a misery when she's out of earshot.

Even my DH does it occasionally, and I keep telling him to stop. He says 'well SHE didn't seem to mind. SHE thought I was funny.' I said 'no she didn't! She thinks you're an irritating simpleton, and you are the 15th middle aged man today to try and be 'funny.' She does not appreciate it. She is sick of it.'

She says 'cash back sir?' He says 'only if it's freeeeeeeeeeee.' And as she passes the whiskey through he says 'aren't you gonna ask me for ID, I know I look under 21.' Every. Time. Went to take his watch for a new battery a few months back, and said to the young woman 'can you fix it? It's only right twice a day!' She just smiled. I said 'oldest jokes are the worst eh?' and rolled my eyes. She laughed. He said she found HIM funny and charming. What is it with men of a certain age that they always have to try and be funny?!!! And it's only ever women they do it to as well.......

@Mountainpika · 09/05/2023 14:42

My policy to to make the checkout operator smile or laugh. And rarely fail. It's a job I'd hate so I try and be cheerful with them. They're not machines, they're humans.

You're a man aren't you?

Ah but if the 'slow queue' was promoted as the chatting queue - and no other checkout would accommodate chatting, then Doris would find herself dispatched with nothing more than a 'That's £x, thank you'.

If she wants to chat then she has to join the right queue for that. Can't have it all ways.

I do like the idea very much because coronation lady could have been in the slow queue (and would probably still be in it now), chatting away with everybody else happily whizzing through the other queues.

???!!! Definitely not. I've been female since I was born in 1947.

Ah but if the 'slow queue' was promoted as the chatting queue - and no other checkout would accommodate chatting, then Doris would find herself dispatched with nothing more than a 'That's £x, thank you'.

And likely make an almighty bloody scene when dispatched quickly, still holding up the queue as they kick off about the cashier having no manners, customer service being shit these days and don't cashiers know the customer is always right!!!! And demanding a manager, attention, an apology and probably a voucher.

Yup, cynical but I've had a shit BH weekend dealing with people who seem to thrive on feeling superior and validated kicking off at the little people because they didn't get enough deference from the people serving them and weren't pandered to enough.

Whoever the fuck thought 3 BH weekends in one month was a good idea clearly does not work in an industry that's open over BH and customer facing!
Rant over!!!

You're right, AlmostWhitby. It seemed like the perfect solution but some people would just feel entitled to chat and hold other people up, whatever arrangement was made. 'Slow queue' consigned to the bin, sadly.

Sorry you've had a shit bank holiday. I hate them too, stroppy customers are the worst. I'm getting it hot this morning for all the things that 'went wrong' over the weekend and yesterday, none of which are my doing or under my control. I can't imagine how it must have been for you, having direct customer contact.

Next one is August which is a way away, thank goodness.

I would hazard a guess that MN has a higher than average amount of introverts and the socially anxious so replies will be skewed. I don’t personally have a problem with it and the amount of self checkout tills is rising. The data on checkouts will be used and more self service put in. People with disabilities, especially sight issues and also lonely people may really need assistance or want that interaction at checkouts.

Sorry you're having some backlash too. It just seems at the moment like you can't get anything right in customer service and no matter what you do, it's wrong and you're personally responsible for it all, and it does have an impact being in a constant negative atmosphere. People seem to massively overreact to anything that's not quite to their liking and make it out to be the end of the world and create so much drama around something that's really quite insignificant. People need to put stuff like this into perspective.

As I said way back on the thread, you get a small, but very vocal amount of people who create a huge fuss about their 'customer experience' by putting it everywhere and making sure everyone knows they are not happy, and those who don't want a fanfare while buying a pint of milk tend to moan to the cashier or mutter to themselves (or complain on MN 😂)- and from experience I know that the staff on the sharp end are quite often ignored when they feedback to the higher ups (if they can at all) so in fairness the higher ups are recieving the message that it's what people want and trying to do something about it.

It's all very well saying the cashier should read the situation and respond accordingly, but that only works if you've got leeway to actually do that, and not directed to do it one certain way and it doesn't take account of the fact that you've got to please everyone - even people with opposing ideas. There's a fair amount of people who can't stand other people getting any customer service, they're quite happy to get what they want at the expense of others (hold up a queue, demand the attention of the person there to serve everyone) but will accuse you of poor customer service if you're giving someone else good customer service.

It's a combination of increasingly unreasonable expectations from customers, cost cutting from companies and reducing staff/training/time available for customers and the overall attitude towards customer service staff in general I think.

@AlmostWhitby

It's all very well saying the cashier should read the situation and respond accordingly, but that only works if you've got leeway to actually do that, and not directed to do it one certain way and it doesn't take account of the fact that you've got to please everyone - even people with opposing ideas. There's a fair amount of people who can't stand other people getting any customer service, they're quite happy to get what they want at the expense of others (hold up a queue, demand the attention of the person there to serve everyone) but will accuse you of poor customer service if you're giving someone else good customer service.

I think you're looking at extremes too much. Yes, there are a minority at each end of the extreme - at one end, they would prefer a robot, and at the other end, they want you to fall all over them, chatting for ages, becoming your best fried! But the vast majority, i.e. Piretto's 80% want the "middle ground", i.e. friendly but efficient. A bit of eye contact, hello & goodbye, please and thank you, and maybe a small amount of small talk being led by the customer. That's not particularly onerous on the shop assistant and takes no time at all - can all be done during the normal transactional time - "greases" the transaction without making people wait longer in the queue. If the customer doesn't want small talk, then it's easy for them to say a quick yes, no, or whatever and the shop assistant can easily pick up the signs that it's a "basic" level of communication. Of course, that should work both ways, the shopper should also do the hello, goodbye, please & thank you, as that's just being civilised and having manners. Let's concentrate on the middle 80% and accept that the extreme 20% are going to be harder to please, if ever.

But my whole point is it's the extremes and minority that are the ones who are the loudest, who repeatedly email HO, who splash it all over social media, who are the ones demanding to see managers and creating drama and make the biggest fuss because they believe themselves so important.

Yes there's the 80% in the middle, but they do tend to like I said, moan to the cashier who in turn is ignored, because they're easy to ignore, or mutter to themselves, moan about it on MN etc.

They might be harder or impossible to please, but they're the ones who can really impact businesses and trash them because they are relentless. And they're growing in number because other people see it works.

The squeaky wheel always gets the oil.

Pareto's 80:20 is a useful ratio but when you're at the sharp end, having to deal with the nominal who don't appreciate that other people exist, with managers who rule by spreadsheet, it's not as easy as it sounds.

I'm luckier than AlmostWhitby, I'm not as public-facing as she obviously is. It sounds as if managers ought to do a spell being public-facing every six months or so to remind them what their staff are dealing with. Maybe clear and precise guidelines would be forthcoming then.

Definitely right about extremes. Where I work customers can sometimes email their feedback. I've lost count of the number of times a customers says they "waited 10 minutes in the queue" . On reviewing CCTV they waited 2 or 3 minutes max to be served by the next available cashier!