Really Rude Shop Assistant

[islasmum]

I went to a well known supermarket pharmacy to buy some dressings, and the usual assistant wasn't there today, and I was served (eventually) by one of the pharmacists - she kept me waiting for ages (there was only me there, noone else waiting), and got the dressings out and whilst carrying talking to the other pharmacist - not even looking at me - held out her hand for the money. It came to £1, and I thought that I had given her the money in change, but had mistaken a 5p for a 20p- she said "I said it was a £1!" in a really cross manner, as if I'd tried to cheat her of 15p. Actually the more I think about it, the crosser I get, I just wish that I'd said something there and then. My friend's sister lives in USA, and is always shocked at how rude some of the shop assistants are here, satisfactory service is very important to Americans. What are your good and bad experiences with shop staff?

[baza]

I went into a branch of PCWorld ( yes I know) anyway this young lady approached me, she had more tattoo's that the Royal Navy and more metal than a scrap merchant, my heart sank, however, she was really helpful and made sure that I was happy with the laptop and all the other bits and bobs. Never judge a book by its cover.

[mallyh]

looking from the other side ,i worked in a shop for years and i had some really rude people in ,no thankyous or slamming money on counter, talking down at me .i was always polite ,though one day i got so fed up with a rude women and said as she was leaving pardon to which she replied i didn't say anything ,to which i replied rather loudly oh sorry i thought you said thankyou lol

[Psybbo]

That is awful. One of the main reasons I prefer Sainsbury's is because their staff members are all so helpful, polite and cheerful

[sherrardk]

The staff in Sainsbury's here are generally awful, they act like they are doing you a favour by being there.

[Old_Geezer]

I'd say you sound like myself, getting irrate and giving yourself health risks for things you ought to just shrug off and move on. As for shop staff, most are ok, although I did get really cheesed off at an Asda staff member the other day. She was in front of a display facing to the side, and I reached for something on the shelf to the side of her (or behind her since she was facing sideways) and as I did so she moved backwards into me, and then had the cheek to say out loud how it would be nice to have an, "excuse me". I bit my tongue but was thinking, "Yes it would be, so why didn't I hear one from you then ?" Fumed over that for days every time I thought of it, damned cheek. What the heck is staff training like at these places these days ? Been to Tesco instead ever since. Well it's not like there's a lot of choce unless I wish to drive miles.

[237SJ]

I find the shop assistants in the shops in the USA are good with the phoney, "How are you today", "Have a nice day", "Who helped you today?"( so that they can direct the commission to the person concerned) but if you actually ask them something, they haven`t got a clue. I was in Macy`s lingerie section and was asked if I needed help and I said "Since you ask, I`m looking for a bra that is cut low under the arms to wear with a dress that is also cut low - do you have any"? The answer was "I don`t know, you`ll just have to look on the rails" That about sums it up really.

[craft1948]

I refuse to talk about the Co-op staff as I may get barred again..............

[emmie]

customer service, an oxymoron if there ever was one.

[boxtops]

Sounds like our local Burtons when we were looking for a coat for OH.

"We're looking for a long coat"
"They're over there on that rail"
"They're not long coats"
"well, they're longer than these ones"

Exit boxtops and nibble

[Psybbo]

B00 might ban you too, Craft!

[emmie]

i find the sainsburys staff nice, pleasant, whereas the waitrose staff quite awful.

[boxtops]

I've never experienced rudeness in Waitrose, it's the staff in ASDA who get my goat, every time.

[emmie]

boxy, that is it in a nutshell, the shop loses another customer, and most won't go back, one bad experience was in a diner, the waitress slouched over, chewing gum, yuck, asked me for my order, whilst looking anywhere but at me, when she finally came back, she quite literally chucked it down on the table, the food was dire, the service bad, so i have never gone back.

[craft1948]

Waitrose staff are absolutely the best................

[emmie]

there is one asda i know, can't say which one but it isn't local, the staff are uniformly casual, slovenly, unhelpful and apart from the fact i had to get something on my way back home i wouldn't have bothered.

[DaisyNonna]

What a shame craft. The assistants are the only good thing in my co-op. In fact they are excellent.

[EcclesCake]

Has your experience of Waitrose been a repeated issue or a one off Emmie?

I prefer to shop at Waitrose as I find the experience so much more pleasant than any other supermarket.

[Baldric]

A little while ago, I popped into our local Spar about 2120hrs, they closed at 2200. There were 2 mature female assistants shelf stacking near the door, as I walked in, one looked around at me, turned back to her mate and said very loudly, "Uh you always get one don't you?" she didn't look quite so smart when I reminded her that it was the customers who paid her wages, and I imagine even less so when she was sacked the following week.
My complaint made the following day was apparently just one too many, there had been quite a few made against her.

[emmie]

repeated. I try not to shop there any more

[Jennykenny]

The problem with these situations is that you always think of a really good response after you have left.
You have two options:
be the bigger person and dismiss this situation as beneath your notice,
or go back a few weeks later ready to tackle her when she is rude again.
The grown ups amongst us would opt for the first option, but I would probably go for retaliation!