Male staff member in store

[Pbjsand]

Not sure if IAMBU about this, but it irritates me to no end:

I often go to a store for groceries. The store has taken to putting a male member of staff at the door (not security) to greet customers. I’m usually rushing in and out after/before school run and every.single.time. I have this man in my face saying hello as I enter and goodbye 5-10 mins later as I leave.

I feel harassed and like I’m forced to interact with an unknown man for no apparent reason when I just want to get on with my shopping, even when I make a point of looking away, trying to enter the store as far as possible from where he’s standing. It makes me so uncomfortable but I can’t put my finger on why.

Yep, just another opportunity for drama to be created over absolutely nothing at all. This is such a non-event that it doesn’t even warrant mentioning. I come on Mumsnet a lot and increasingly find myself thinking about the people that get uptight about this sort of thing - how do they operate in the real world?

Maybe don't go to shops in the USA , they tend to be so hot on the Meet and Greet , you'll combust

The poor guy probably doesn't want to be there saying hello to every single person crossing the threshold anymore than you want him there.

Retail work is hard enough, just smile or say a quick hello.

It's particularly annoying because it's never genuine and one comes across as rude if not joining in.

It's mildly irksome, but I can see the reason for it. A major supermarket chain has one of its convenience outlets near us. It's near the buses and very handy if you want something on your way home. It also has a big shoplifting problem and once out of the front doors, a miscreant could be anywhere, even on a bus to somewhere miles away. Because it's a small shop, putting an official, uniformed security person on the doors might be a bit OTT (and costly) so the shop uses regular staff instead. They are OK. I smile nicely on my way in and say thank you on my way out - they are helping to keep a very useful outlet going, after all.

What annoys me more are the hostile staff that eye you up and have you feeling like a criminal for innocently doing your shop.

I used to work in a school. Do you know how many children never say good morning?

Basic manners.

Get over yourself and be polite.

My kids were taught to speak to people, say hello, smile, they were given pennies to pay - look at shops now, so little interaction, what will society become if we can’t even extend a good morning?

I don’t know why you feel forced to interact. A slight nod of acknowledgement is probably more than he gets from most people tbh.

It’s just a tiny human interaction. Don’t move to a small village, I live in one where most people of both sexes at least smile and nod when you meet them in the street. Some might even, shock horror, mention the weather in passing.

Odd post. You have two options. 1). Say Hi back. This will take up 0.5 seconds of your day. 2). Totally ignore him. This will take up zero seconds.

How can someone saying Hello, upset you so much? Mad.

We usually have someone at the door and shock horror sometimes it will be one of my male colleagues. It's primarily a way of deterring shoplifters in a way that is subtle to our genuine customers. Many people, especially elderly folk will take the opportunity to ask the greeter for help rather than struggle silently through the store.

A staggering amount of stock is stolen every day and it drives up prices for other customers. That chap on the door may be preventing you from paying higher prices. He will be used to the occasional person ignoring his hellos, so you could just walk on past him, but does it really take that much effort to just say hello back and get on with your shop?

Yes, you're being unreasonable. He's not in your face and it's not a huge interaction, you can just say hello. Or if you aren't worried about being polite you could just say nothing I guess.

Why is it so difficult for you to say hello and goodbye to a staff member at the door of a shop? Do you struggle with saying thank you at the till?

He's just doing his job because he needs to pay the bills like the rest of us. He's not singling you out - if he won the lottery tomorrow he wouldn't keep showing up to work just to bother you. It really shouldn't be that difficult to say hello and move on.

Store manager “good morning”
Shopper “good morning”…… walks into shop and buys item needed
YABU to be so annoyed by a polite greeting, if it was a sales person or a charity trying to stop you when your busy that is annoying

Probably the same reason that it's difficult for some folk to realise that we're not all the same. 🫣

It's not Troy Hawke from The Greeter's Guild is it,?

Just smile and keep walking. No idea why this is such an issue.

Gosh some people actually find life so difficult

I was in M&S on Friday, as I left, a woman staff member by the entrance/exit area said goodbye and thank you. I had never seen this before so it may be something new.

I said goodbye automatically but thought if they had enough staff to just leave someone at the entrance to say hello and goodbye, I'd much prefer there were more people manning the tills so you didn't have to wander around for ages trying to find somewhere to pay and then join a growing queue.

It's just a store greeter, not harassment.

Today on "no no, MN doesn't hate men at all..."

I would rather have someone saying hello than the ones from charities/sky/nowtv or energy companies trying to stop and talk to me. A quick hello and goodbye as I walk through sounds fine.

Yes, they do, and that doesn't mean we should judge them. We all struggle with different things.

Given there is so much shoplifting now I can see why such staff are becoming more common. I think you’re bring a bit silly - very rarely is life too rushed to smile and say hello.