Supermarket kiosk vs tills

[mostimportantaspect]

I work near a large supermarket and frequently to get food. Usually it’s just lunch, a meal deal or maybe a few extra bits.

if it’s just a meal deal, Sometimes I’ve queued up at the front desk kiosk, as this is right next to the lunch fridges. the tills/self service are much further away but if I get extra bits I will go to the main tills.

I tend to go out at 12pm to miss the bigger lunch crowds so there isn’t much of a queue at the kiosk.

I am always polite and say please and thank you and smile at all the staff but there is one man, I would say 40/50’s who is often in the kiosk working who I notice is chatty and polite to all the other customers but completely blanks me. He will scan my lunch items, and I pay but never speak a word to me. He doesn’t even look at me

So today I avoided the kiosk as I thought, he is usually on kiosk, maybe he doesn’t like me queuing there and went to the self service, which went wrong and called for the assistant.

It was this man working and he came over. I said hi, smiled and then thank you - he fixed the machine for me to pay, but blanked me completely again?

Is it the done thing to pay for meal deal on a kiosk, could this be why he seems to hate me!? 😳. I am starting to feel uncomfortable I am always friendly but no acknowledgement at all and zero customer service.

What could I have done wrong and should I say something, or just avoid him?

I always pay for meal deals at the kiosk as do loads of other people. I doubt that's the reason he's arsey with you.

Just ignore him, he's there to do a job, whether he smiles or not doesn't matter.

You're massively overthinking this. Who cares if a random supermarket worker doesn't chat/smile? As long as he is doing his job and serving you, all good.

What is it with Mumsnet posters and supermarket staff with a 'personal vendetta' against them, there seems to be a couple a week. This is just bizarre.

yes chatting is a bonus (as long as you can chat about suitable topics you have intrests in, especially if a regualr to the shop etc but some people just dont connect for x reason. then its just politeness .

who gives a flying fuck if a stranger does/doesn't like you...

He has a job, long as hes doing it - don't give it a further thought.

Does he like me?
have i annoyed him
do i remind him of his ex or a neighbour who pissed him off
why wont he smile at me

I wouldn't even care. Do your job and I'll walk away.

The best response to this is a broad sunny smile, and a thanks very much. Job done.😁

I always smile and I am nice it’s just he actively makes me feel uncomfortable for being in the shop.

He makes you feel actively uncomfortable because he doesn't smile at you?

He hasn't actively done anything against you?

You're massively overthinking

Perhaps he thinks you’re flirting with him, and it’s making him nervous!

No he will never say a word or even look at me

the whole interaction is silent and he avoids looking at me it’s as if I am not there

even if I have needed a bag; he will not speak to me. Doesn’t even tell me the cost or say a word

I watch him be chatty with the person in front of me, get to me, stone cold silence

Maybe you used to bully him at school

If you’re that bothered by it ask him straight. “Why do you always studiously ignore me when serving?”

I can never understand this constant ruminating and making up negative scenarios in your head.

…. Actually, thinking on it, my mum used to do it so maybe that’s why I can’t be bothered wasting time and energy on negative thoughts. 🤔

I went to an all girls school. I don’t know this man apart from this shop. Plus I don’t bully people

What are the people buying that he is chatting with? If its cigarettes/lottery tickets and other items which can ONLY be bought at that counter, then maybe that IS the reason he is cold to you? Maybe he knows these other people? Maybe he has something against women?

I grew up abroad where the front desk was only used to purchase items you could only buy from there. You'd do your shopping through the till, then go to the front desk for cigarettes etc. I've been in the UK 21yrs and even now, would always use a till, even for just lunch.

I always find it bloody annoying when I need to exchange an item or get something I can only do at the front desk- yet there is a massive queue of people paying for their regular shopping when they could have used a till!

His job is, in part, customer service. So yes he should be taking to customers when he serves them, and being polite and friendly. The bar for customer service in this country has got very low if you think this is sufficient.

And yes I have worked in retail, and in non-retail customer services, for a long time. Talking politely to a customer is the bare minimum of what you should be doing.

@JDM625 I did wonder this, but they have put all the lunch food directly next to the kiosk, and the other normal tills are way over the other side of the shop so it doesn’t make sense to go that way if you are just getting a lunch. The shop is large enough you could move the food to nearer the other tills.

They also don’t have any signs saying x no items only. Sometimes the people in front me are quite old and buying a zillion different lottery tickets, if it looks like it’s going to be a long one and I am in a hurry I will just wander down the shop but 90% of the time there is no one there so I am in and out in 2 mins grab and go, and usually 11.45am-12pm is perfect time, not very busy in the shop.

The lunch options are a bit shit lately so maybe I will try find somewhere else to go.

I understand reading this I look like an over sensitive twat but I have good enough instincts to realise this guy hates me and I don’t know why and I find it horrible as I don’t know why