To think this isn't good customer service?

[Riversideandrelax]

Just had a really annoying experience in Boots.

I went in early to get some things. When I'd finished getting my shopping there was noone on any tills except the pharmacy. It had a long queue but 2 people serving. I waited in the queue but when I got to the front the staff member refused to serve me and said I should use a different till. I explained there was no other till open. She then got a member of staff stacking shelves to open a till. By the time this was done she could have served me and I'd be on my way out so it was frustrating.

I said to the new member of staff that it was annoying to not be served at the pharmacy as I've paid there plenty of times before and having waited in the queue. She told me I should have asked her to open a till and kept saying look at that queue - they can't serve you they have to do the prescriptions when she knew I'd just waited in that queue! I said I wasn't to know about asking her to open a till and she went on about how she had lots of jobs she had to do, all other customers know to ask her etc. I suggested perhaps they could have a sign at the till saying to ask someone to open it. She sarcastically told me there was a sign and pointed to the 'pay here' sign. I explained again what I meant and she patronised me saying 'I'll let my manager know you want a sign. Is it really too much to just be polite?!

Yanbu

If there was no one at the till, it would be a reasonable expectation to go to where the till IS open. Even if it’s the pharmacy

Boots is abysmal. We’ve had a similar experience and their online service is atrocious.

If you have it in you, email head office. I used to work for boots and they were so hot on customer service, it's a shame they have gone downhill.

I must admit on a matter of principle I would have handed her the goods & left the shop.

I refuse to use Boots as do a lot of people I know. I think they will be the next big place to go

Really rude (the staff, not you OP), how the fuck were you supposed to know to ask for a till to be opened? That's never been the case in any shop I've ever worked/been in, the staff are supposed to keep an eye on situations where customers may be waiting and respond to that by opening tills or directing to the appropriate pay point. I would feedback to Boots head office via SM in this case, making it public seems to have more effect and they will be losing customers if this is the way they are generally treated at that branch.

I am surprised Boots is still going tbh.

It's almost like they're trying to create their own downfall

YANBU. Boots is awful these days.

I've had the opposite problem to you, OP, but also frustrating - the pharmacy at my quite large local branch goes through phases of closing randomly for large parts of the day - hours at a time - so if you make a special trip to pick up your prescription you can’t get it (it’s my nominated pharmacy, though not for much longer!). The staff on other counters can’t dispense as the pharmacist isn’t there. I’ve seen queues being turned away and argued with quite forcefully as the staff tell people to ‘come back in an hour'….often elderly/infirm people who've made journeys on purpose to collect. It’s really rubbish.

Meanwhile this large store is practically deserted, barely any other customers buying things.

They were so rude op!!! I agree with the poster who would have just handed her the stuff and left (and I probably would have stuck out a sore throat for the day if I hadn’t time to go elsewhere😂)

I’ve stopped using the large Boots store locally because it’s fully self-service , except for the pharmacy. Was this the position?

Apparently everyone else knows! I have never in my life gone and asked a shop worker to open a till. I just go to an open till 🤷

Come back in an hour? As if noone has anything better to do!

No, there were no self service tills. I would have used one if there was and avoided rude staff!

It's not just the failure to do her job and monitor the til she let a queue build up at the pharmacy. That is one thing. It's the rudeness and lack of apology. What is wrong with people now?

I'm incensed on your behalf.

I don't know. She properly made me feel rubbish. Like I was so entitled to queue at the only tills open and so stupid for not just asking someone to open a till as well as being completely crazy for suggesting a sign!

It's not you, OP.
It's not up to the customer to request that a till be opened. Surely it'd make more sense, if there's a queue at the pharmacy counter, for whoever's serving there to ask the people queueing there if they just want to pay for items, and if so, get a member of staff to actually open a till?