To think that interrupting work colleagues is rude….

[Reallyneedsaholiday]

…..when they are with a client/ customer?
My colleague does it all the time, and I find it really rude. If I’m with a client, they have my attention, and I don’t want to be interrupted for questions that could wait until they’ve left. I mentioned it to my colleague and I’ve been told I’m being ridiculous, and “no one minds being interrupted”, so am I being ridiculous? I know that I’d find it rude, if I was the client.

Rude and if I was the customer/client I would be annoyed.

I guess it partly depends on your workplace. The colleague said that everyone does this, is that correct? I agree that normally you wouldn't be interrupted when with a client though. Are they directly interrupting or is it say a teams message which you could get back to them when you are ready?

It is rude, and I say this as someone who interrupts others far more than I'd like.

I think the difference is this.

Is your conversation with the client the actual product you are selling (management consultancy, interior design, presenting your market research, personalised fitting of a bra) - colleagues should never interrupt.

Is your conversation about something personalised and emotional. Are you showing parents round a nursery, arranging. a funeral, fitting a wedding dress? People shouldn't interrupt.

Are you there as support for customers to steer them towards some consumer choice or using the service (helping with bag drop check in, recommending a phone, getting the right size bra out of the stock room for them) - usually colleagues should not interrupt, or for a very quick query only.

Or are you there as a helpful addition to customers/service users navigating a space, where they are the service user for something else, they are getting on with it, and you have other responsibilities so that the service can run (doctor's receptionist, supermarket shelf stacker) - colleagues should try not to interrupt but if they have to it's not that rude.

If, for example, you're just in a space, like you're all there as the marshals of an event, and a race competitor comes up to you with an enquiry, I wouldn't think it so rude for another marshal to drop in quickly and say "excuse me where have the the spare folding chairs been put" or something.

“no one minds being interrupted” The flaming cheek! YES THEY DO! You mind OP and your feelings are valid and such work place boundaries should be respected.

Think sitting at a desk, and selling cars to a customer who walked through the door (not actually cars, that kind of environment)

Office based. Sitting with an individual client, registering details and selling them a product. Colleague walks over, or worse (imo) shouts across the office, to ask an unrelated (to the specific client) question about something else (albeit work based, usually about another client, not present at the time).
Im new to an office environment, but in previous job roles, (or in general everyday life) I wouldn’t dream of interrupting a colleague. I won’t even interrupt a shop assistant in a supermarket, if they are talking about work to another customer or work colleague.

Do they have ADHD? A close friend does and they are always interrupting. They just can’t help it. They have such low self esteem as they feel so bad after

Not to the best of my knowledge, but I suppose I can’t rule it out. Although, I’d assume from what you say, they’d apologise and wouldn’t just say that there’s nothing wrong with it.

Don't feel obliged to jump in and reply. Say 'I'm with a client right now, I'll help you with that later.' It is hard to take your 'no' seriously if you don't stick to it.

Rude. As a client this really annoys me. Say I’m paying for something, still mid conversation at check out, and a colleague walks over with a non urgent sounding question for the person who’s helping me. They then start a conversation and I wait for them to finish. This really annoys me! Customer should go first, their conversation should wait until I’m done. (Unless super urgent and they apologise, then of course no problem.)

100% with you OP, very rude imo! I would second what pp said above.... “ sorry colleague I'm with a client, I'll answer your question when I've finished” or something along those lines. If you do that every time they should catch on!

Is it a competitive sales environment (e.g. big bonuses for the best sales person of the month etc) and is the colleague trying to sabotage your efforts? This behaviour is common in this type of environment, particularly if you are having success as the new person and potentially challenging the colleague's position.

He/she interrupts because it makes them feel that they are in some way your superior and that as the newbe, they consider that you are further down the pecking order. Just send them away with the "I'll get back to you when I'm finished with my client" sentence and give them your best "Paddington Hard Stare" if they continue to interrupt.

YANBU. You need to refuse to answer her every single time

Tell her you're busy right now and we'll discuss it when later.

If you give in and answer it just makes her do it again and again.

Really rude, and it would annoy me as the client if I was sitting at a desk discussing spending an enormous amount of money.

Very rude!

Should be something in your customer service manual or training about policy on this

I would pointedly apologise to my customer "I'm so sorry" then say to colleague "I'm with a customer, I will get back to you after I have finished"

Eventually they will get the message

We booked an appointment with our bank to see someone about a matter that was very important to us. During the appointment another employee interrupted the appointment. This was totally not needed. She interrupted to say that she had bought cakes for her birthday and had put them out. WTF! The person who we were seeing looked very embarrassed. We asked for the name of the person who interrupted and wrote a letter of complaint to the bank. The bank were very apologetic and we were told the person who interrupted no longer worked at our branch.