Rude, unenthusiastic shop assistants
Scroll to see replies
Original post by Iron Lady
Quite frankly I am sick to death of shop assistants who do little more than grunt at their customers at the till. They usually come in all ages, however in my experience they are predominantly young workers. Instead of greeting their customers with a warm smile they shove the relevant change back into their hand and yell for the next customer. Very often they find it more appealing to stand around discussing absolute nonsense with other shop assistants than be pleasant towards those they are supposed to serve.
Why are these people so unable to take pride in their jobs? They are extremely fortunate that I am yet to report them.
Why are these people so unable to take pride in their jobs? They are extremely fortunate that I am yet to report them.
See I think it's the opposite, I think it's the middleaged (kinda neddy) women who are the worst. Usually in the Glasgow poundland, I'm terrified they'll give me into trouble for being in their shop when I ask a question.
I've found the moodiest seem to be the older workers tbh. Even if they hate their job they shouldn't take it out on the customers with their facial expressions/unenthusiastic voices. However some customers are rude too by complaining about the minutest of things etc so it can go both ways 
Original post by Raducan
The only time it irritates me (because I know how **** £5 an hour can be) is when you ask a shop assistant where something is and they get really arsey about telling or showing you. Oh sorry, how dare I think that you who work in this shop might know where everything is kept!
The worst one is my local Morrisons, the staff only work within an 'area' of the store, so if you are at the wrong end of the shop and ask where the biscuits are, the shop assistant literally doesn't have a clue
The worst one is my local Morrisons, the staff only work within an 'area' of the store, so if you are at the wrong end of the shop and ask where the biscuits are, the shop assistant literally doesn't have a clue
I worked on the Deli at the back of the shop,but I knew where everything else was located within the store.I dont know how someone can work at a shop and not know where anything else is within said shop.Even if it's a massive store, they should have a slight incling at least.
Original post by tamimi
I don't appreciate rude judgemental customers.
We treat the customer the same way they treat us.
We treat the customer the same way they treat us.
You're providing a service to the customer. The onus is on the shop assistant to be polite to the customer. Of course if the customer is moody and giving you the silent treatment forcing a smile and trying to constantly make conversation would be over the top. If you get a customer like this, simply serve them and let them be on their way. Instead of implementing the "if they're rude to me I'll be rude back" eye for an eye philosphy
You need to have a certain level of professionalism, and yes I know we are merely humans and can have off days every now and again but you need to try as much as possible to maintain a professional attitude.So yes I can understand why a shop assistant would be rude to certain customers but still.
This is coming from an Asda shop floor assistant.
Original post by Ice Constricter
You're providing a service to the customer. The onus is on the shop assistant to be polite to the customer. Of course if the customer is moody and giving you the silent treatment forcing a smile and trying to constantly make conversation would be over the top. If you get a customer like this, simply serve them and let them be on their way. Instead of implementing the "if they're rude to me I'll be rude back" eye for an eye philosphy You need to have a certain level of professionalism, and yes I know we are merely humans and can have off days every now and again but you need to try as much as possible to maintain a professional attitude.
So yes I can understand why a shop assistant would be rude to certain customers but still.
This is coming from an Asda shop floor assistant.
You need to have a certain level of professionalism, and yes I know we are merely humans and can have off days every now and again but you need to try as much as possible to maintain a professional attitude.So yes I can understand why a shop assistant would be rude to certain customers but still.
This is coming from an Asda shop floor assistant.
Look at the reply I sent to the person who said pretty much the same thing.
I won't be rude to a rude customer, but I will not go the extra mile to help them if they're making me or my team feel worthless. Team esteem is far more important than completing a single sale. IMO.
Original post by Ice Constricter
You're providing a service to the customer. The onus is on the shop assistant to be polite to the customer. Of course if the customer is moody and giving you the silent treatment forcing a smile and trying to constantly make conversation would be over the top. If you get a customer like this, simply serve them and let them be on their way. Instead of implementing the "if they're rude to me I'll be rude back" eye for an eye philosphy You need to have a certain level of professionalism, and yes I know we are merely humans and can have off days every now and again but you need to try as much as possible to maintain a professional attitude.
So yes I can understand why a shop assistant would be rude to certain customers but still.
This is coming from an Asda shop floor assistant.
You need to have a certain level of professionalism, and yes I know we are merely humans and can have off days every now and again but you need to try as much as possible to maintain a professional attitude.So yes I can understand why a shop assistant would be rude to certain customers but still.
This is coming from an Asda shop floor assistant.
I've always found Asda staff to be the friendliest in all honesty
.
Original post by Raducan
The only time it irritates me (because I know how **** £5 an hour can be) is when you ask a shop assistant where something is and they get really arsey about telling or showing you. Oh sorry, how dare I think that you who work in this shop might know where everything is kept!
The worst one is my local Morrisons, the staff only work within an 'area' of the store, so if you are at the wrong end of the shop and ask where the biscuits are, the shop assistant literally doesn't have a clue
The worst one is my local Morrisons, the staff only work within an 'area' of the store, so if you are at the wrong end of the shop and ask where the biscuits are, the shop assistant literally doesn't have a clue
Does it annoy you if they don't know but actually grab another member of staff to check or drop what they are doing to actively help you look if no other staff member is around?
Original post by Raducan
The only time it irritates me (because I know how **** £5 an hour can be) is when you ask a shop assistant where something is and they get really arsey about telling or showing you. Oh sorry, how dare I think that you who work in this shop might know where everything is kept!
The worst one is my local Morrisons, the staff only work within an 'area' of the store, so if you are at the wrong end of the shop and ask where the biscuits are, the shop assistant literally doesn't have a clue
The worst one is my local Morrisons, the staff only work within an 'area' of the store, so if you are at the wrong end of the shop and ask where the biscuits are, the shop assistant literally doesn't have a clue
This isn't aimed at you directly, just making a general comment from what you said. How can you expect someone to know every detail/product in a store that big? The amount of times I get asked "do you sell this particular laptop/pair of shoes/bed set?" It drives me insane! I'm stood at the perfume counter, don't be so surprised when my response is "I've no idea"
Of course I'll have to go and search for what you want, but you could save us both a lot of time by asking someone in the correct general area. Some customers do lack a lot of common sense. 
Original post by Cybele
This isn't aimed at you directly, just making a general comment from what you said. How can you expect someone to know every detail/product in a store that big? The amount of times I get asked "do you sell this particular laptop/pair of shoes/bed set?" It drives me insane! I'm stood at the perfume counter, don't be so surprised when my response is "I've no idea" Of course I'll have to go and search for what you want, but you could save us both a lot of time by asking someone in the correct general area. Some customers do lack a lot of common sense.
Of course I'll have to go and search for what you want, but you could save us both a lot of time by asking someone in the correct general area. Some customers do lack a lot of common sense. I didn't mean to that detail, but just asking 'where are the biscuits/noodles/pickles' kept in general! The aisle labelling is so bad, for no apparent reason the biscuits are in the tea aisle and it isn't labelled at the top or on the side, so I always forget where they are! I wouldn't expect a shop assistant to know which brands are stocked but I'd expect them to know what aisle which products are in!
Original post by curtis871
Does it annoy you if they don't know but actually grab another member of staff to check or drop what they are doing to actively help you look if no other staff member is around?
Nope, I wouldn't have a problem if they found someone who did! Unfortunately, Morrisons don't seem to have got hold of this idea yet.
Original post by tamimi
Look at the reply I sent to the person who said pretty much the same thing.
I won't be rude to a rude customer, but I will not go the extra mile to help them if they're making me or my team feel worthless. Team esteem is far more important than completing a single sale. IMO.
I won't be rude to a rude customer, but I will not go the extra mile to help them if they're making me or my team feel worthless. Team esteem is far more important than completing a single sale. IMO.
You originally said you treat customers the way they treat you, now you're back tracking saying you wouldn't go out of your way to help a rude customer which is fair enough. You shouldn't tolerate crap. But overall you need to make up your mind.
Original post by Annie72
I've always found Asda staff to be the friendliest in all honesty .
.Aww thanks
Original post by curtis871
Does it annoy you if they don't know but actually grab another member of staff to check or drop what they are doing to actively help you look if no other staff member is around?
This is what I used to do when I first became a shop floor assistant.
Original post by Cybele
This isn't aimed at you directly, just making a general comment from what you said. How can you expect someone to know every detail/product in a store that big? The amount of times I get asked "do you sell this particular laptop/pair of shoes/bed set?" It drives me insane! I'm stood at the perfume counter, don't be so surprised when my response is "I've no idea" Of course I'll have to go and search for what you want, but you could save us both a lot of time by asking someone in the correct general area. Some customers do lack a lot of common sense.
Of course I'll have to go and search for what you want, but you could save us both a lot of time by asking someone in the correct general area. Some customers do lack a lot of common sense. This.
(edited 12 years ago)
I totally agree with OP. And to those making excuses for them, well, shop workers should be glad to have a job in this current economic climate. One of the points of working in a shop is to represent the shop and be the face of it. If they can't fulfill this requirement, they don't deserve to have the job, and if they don't like their job, then they should leave, as there are plenty of willing people to fill their place.
Personally i think it's down to the place, for example i think in bigger cities you'd get a lot of places with annoyed staff because the customers are more likely to be rude.
I never walk out of a shop and think 'my god that assisstant was rude'
I also work as a shop assisstant, and every single one of the staff members is polite and often very friendly! Probably helps that the pay is good though haha.
I never walk out of a shop and think 'my god that assisstant was rude'
I also work as a shop assisstant, and every single one of the staff members is polite and often very friendly! Probably helps that the pay is good though haha.
They get paid about £6 per hour. Their managers look down on them. Their job is mind numbingly boring. They (probably) don't plan to work in a shop for the rest of their life so why should they make the effort.
Yes, I have been a rude and unenthusiastic shop assistant before.
Yes, I have been a rude and unenthusiastic shop assistant before.
I'm working in a shop at the moment before I go to York in September. I catch two trains to work (£7 train fare) and get £5.28 an hour and every month my hours are being cut. After rent, my phone bill and driving lessons i'm making a loss of about £50 every month. I have ludicrous targets i'm expected to meet in regards to sales, when I meet the target I hear nothing, when I miss it I get dragged into the managers office for a telling off. Due to 'budget constraints' we aren't allowed heating on the shop floor but i'm also not supposed to wear my work fleece because it covers up the lottery logo on my short sleeved shirt. I cannot leave the shop floor unattended at any point, however we have such a small staff I am almost always the only one of the shop floor and so I cannot help customers find products that are too far from the till, check the stock room or make enquiries. Obviously, this is my fault. We charge a penny for a bag. Again, obviously this was entirely my decision and my fault. I also made all the decisions about pricing, I hid the product you wanted, I personally came up with the refund policy and I hide all the £5 notes so I can only give out coins in change. It's my fault there's only one person serving at the till and it's my fault that the person at the front of the queue is slow.
I am constantly criticised, over worked, underpaid. I spend a lot of my time at work feeling close to tears. I do smile at my customers, I make endless small talk with the sweet old ladies about the weather and I have regular customers who share details of their lives with me and I listen and some of them I genuinely do care about. When I can help I do and when I can't I apologise. But oh my days, the number of customers, and sometimes my manager, who come in expecting me to be superwoman is unbelievable. I don't believe there's an excuse for being rude to customers, but it can be very hard to be cheerful when you're struggling to meet different peoples constant demands. My shop seems paticularly bad, i've had sales assistant positions before which haven't been nearly as bad. The only thing that's getting me through it is knowing that i'm leaving in a few months. If i were older or knew that this was it for the rest of my life I think i'd probably be thoroughly unenthusiastic and grumpy. Sales assistants should make an effort, but everyone else should give us a break as well.
I am constantly criticised, over worked, underpaid. I spend a lot of my time at work feeling close to tears. I do smile at my customers, I make endless small talk with the sweet old ladies about the weather and I have regular customers who share details of their lives with me and I listen and some of them I genuinely do care about. When I can help I do and when I can't I apologise. But oh my days, the number of customers, and sometimes my manager, who come in expecting me to be superwoman is unbelievable. I don't believe there's an excuse for being rude to customers, but it can be very hard to be cheerful when you're struggling to meet different peoples constant demands. My shop seems paticularly bad, i've had sales assistant positions before which haven't been nearly as bad. The only thing that's getting me through it is knowing that i'm leaving in a few months. If i were older or knew that this was it for the rest of my life I think i'd probably be thoroughly unenthusiastic and grumpy. Sales assistants should make an effort, but everyone else should give us a break as well.
Original post by scriggy
Pretty sure I must be the only person in the world that actually enjoys working in a shop. 
Don't worry, I do too
I'm a volunteer in the British Heart Foundation shop near mine, and I love working there. I always try to be as friendly to the customer as possible because at the end of the day it's worth it, whether it makes me feel great or if it means the customer leaves with a smile on their face. Yeah, it sounds cheesy, but I love it. I'd love to work in another retail shop as well.Original post by (:Becca(:
I worked in KFC. It was ****ing grim, especially the Friday night graveyard shift. Packed it in because it wasn't worth it for £4.93 an hour.
I love KFC food. But I've always wondered do the staff even know what's in the special herbs and spices? What's the staff morale like? Is the food eating really ****?:P
Original post by faithxfaye
I love KFC food. But I've always wondered do the staff even know what's in the special herbs and spices? What's the staff morale like? Is the food eating really ****?:P
The grunt workers don't get to find out what's in the food. I personally can't eat it after working there. Every shift made me die a little more on the inside. :P
Quick Reply
Latest
Trending
Last reply 2 days ago
Why is the political left now censorious and authoritarian??Last reply 2 days ago
Is it true that British unis are prejudiced towards degrees from Scottish unis?Last reply 2 days ago
If the Russell Group was now a fair representation of what it still claims to beLast reply 2 weeks ago
TSR Goes Green: How important will the environment be in this year's election?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Research Rankings of universities if you add Research Quality & Intensity percentagesLast reply 1 month ago
Is University of Birmingham prestigious and respected well enough in UK ?Trending
Last reply 2 days ago
Why is the political left now censorious and authoritarian??Last reply 2 days ago
Is it true that British unis are prejudiced towards degrees from Scottish unis?Last reply 2 days ago
If the Russell Group was now a fair representation of what it still claims to beLast reply 2 weeks ago
TSR Goes Green: How important will the environment be in this year's election?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Research Rankings of universities if you add Research Quality & Intensity percentagesLast reply 1 month ago
Is University of Birmingham prestigious and respected well enough in UK ?
