To think they should have kept serving me?

[itsotoy]

Went to collect 4 parcels from my local shop. I told her I had 4, she gave me 1 and said “thanks, bye” … I informed it again it was 4. It was taking ages and she claimed she couldn’t find it - but she’d already scanned my code and signed it in the book that it had been collected.

She said “yeah I can’t find it” and then the guy with her told me I would need to wait whilst they served the queue behind me.

Sorry I get there was a queue of 2 people but I was there first and was in the middle of being served and had already been patiently waiting. I don’t think I should have to wait even longer because they couldn’t find my parcel.

Because, 10 pages in to the thread, you still haven't told us if you got all 4 parcels in the end or not...

It's difficult not to choose somewhere inefficient as a pick up point, as the places are dictated by the carrier, not you - and I always choose the nearest (my local sub-post-office or the newsagent down the road, whichever is offered by the carrier).
I get more annoyed by shop assistants continuing to chat on their mobiles whilst they serve me than by being asked to wait - indeed, if a queue had formed behing me I'd suggest I wait (and local sub-post-office does this quite politely). Also, I am unnerved by check-out people who are obviously having conversations with other workers about staffing/need for change/whatever when they are scanning my goods. Where is the chat and greeting for an old person whose visit to the local supermarket may be the only human contact they experience in a week?

At our local collection points they don’t even look themselves; they just point you to massive boxes full of parcels and get you to rummage. You could steal anything if so inclined.

YABU. They're running a business and need to prioritise paying customers.

Did you get your 4 parcels @itsotoy ?

@Needmorelego yes, annoying things happening at shops is very normal!

You seem weirdly invested in this thread

@cinnamongirl123 I just find it baffling that so many people would be happy to step aside and basically be ignored while the staff serve other people - when the OP was there first and already being served.
I used to work in retail so I have experience from the other side of the counter.
I preferred to focus on the customer I was serving. To me that's the best customer service.
I used to get other customers constantly leaning over the counter saying stuff like "where do you keep the pritt stick?" or "how much are those kettles over there".
I'd say "I can tell you but you need to wait your turn because I am serving THIS customer at the moment".
It was worse if I was on the sales floor...."can I just quickly ask....." as I am literally in the middle of a sentence with a customer already.
No. Wait. Your. Turn.
The OP was halfway through her transaction.
Why should she have to stand aside?

OP, you're not a faffer by picking up 4 parcels. But for all that is holy tell everyone whether you got all your parcels!!!

This is down to poor communication from the staff. If the staff would have said something along the lines of "This might take some time to find, let me just serve these two customers that are just buying a mars bar and tea bags, and I'll have a good hunt out the back" I reckon you'd be ok with it.

Doesn't matter if she was picking up 100 parcels, if the shop offers parcel collection then a person should be able to collect their parcels at a time that suits them otherwise the shop should make it clear "collections between these hours only"

I've been stuck behind people paying with coins/vouchers and it takes forever to get served but they were there first so they get to take as long as necessary.

I use my local vape shop as a collection point because that's the service they offer and I know that I can collect my parcel at a time that suits me rather than risk it being sent back to the delivery place which could be miles away and open at awkward times.

If a service is offered is should be given and seen right to the end instead of a half arsed mish mash of a job. I wouldn't start taking someone's order at work then decide halfway through to stop and serve someone else because they were spending more money.

Likewise if you know that the shop you are going to offers a parcel collection service you need to realise there is a chance you might get stuck behind someone collecting a zillion parcels and if that's a problem then go elsewhere but it doesn't mean you won't have to wait for a totally different reason.

Why is she a faffer? She wasn’t doing anything, it was the staff who couldn’t find her parcels!

Thank you, I probably wouldn’t have been bothered if there was a queue already and they’d said would you mind if we served these customers first. It was the fact I was half way though and it was them who couldn’t find it.

That’s a good point actually, I’m sure people would be quite offended if they were being served in a cafe and just wanted a tea and they got told to wait as someone had walked in that might be buying a drink and meal.

I can’t believe this has been going on so long and we still don’t know if you got all your parcels op!

The store are paid to perform this service, they’re not doing out of the goodness of their precious little hearts!

I agree.
@itsotoyis ignoring those of us who have asked the question.

I’m inclined to think if she was half as secretive with the shop staff as she’s being about whether or not she ever got her sodding parcels, then it’s no wonder they lost patience with her and wanted to serve the queue instead.

Eh? She didn’t do anything wrong! The shop must be chaotic and disorganised to not be able to find her parcel. That’s on them not her.
I hate faffers as much as the next person and as much as you but that’s not what went on here.

Look bloody harder asap too 😂

So OP, I’m on your side and all, but after 11 pages of chat and plenty of replies from you, we are still none the wiser as to whether you got your parcel!!

It is really annoying! Especially if as far as they were concerned they had given you all your parcels so you couldn't have come back later to claim them.

I send and collect a lot of parcels from corner shops and I am always shunted to one side while they serve other people, take ages to find my parcel in a massive avalanche of parcels which are randomly thrown on the ground, machines not working, can't serve me until the one scanner is free, etc!

I know it's a new set-up but they need to improve their systems! Fed up with standing there like a lemon until every bloke who's just walked in off the street has bought his Mars Bar or taken ages to choose lottery tickets! (Yes, I think it's easier to ask me to wait because I'm a woman!)😅

I get zero faff from you, OP. How ridiculous.

See, I’m often wondering about this! They always seem annoyed by people collecting or dropping off, but why offer the service then??

I thought the rule in retail was 'Deal with the customer in front of you' - they had not fully dealt with you so should have been served properly before they moved on. You weren't faffing around, they were.

I agree. If they’re going to snarl at customers then they should go without the extra money that they’ll be making and just stop offering a service they resent doing.

Did you get all your parcels?