rude shop assitants has anyone elese ever noticed how rude the shop assistants e

**Woolie** · 31-May-06, 20:18

in inverness are i was in inverness today with my hubby and not one of the staff in the shops even said hello let alone thank or please. So next time you have a moan about shop assistants in wick or anyway in caithness just rember how rude they are in inverness.

**©Amethyst** · 31-May-06, 20:21

Originally Posted by Woolie

in inverness are i was in inverness today with my hubby and not one of the staff in the shops even said hello let alone thank or please. So next time you have a moan about shop assistants in wick or anyway in caithness just rember how rude they are in inverness.

Dear customer,

Thank you for your opinion. Your comment has been noted.

Thanks again,
A shop assistant in Inverness!!!!

*sigh* Ya move away from Caithness and this is what ya have to deal wi!

Perhaps I am being a little over sensitive but I find that it's a bit difficult to meet and greet every customer that we get in the shop I work in. It's only a small shop in the centre of Inverness but I've seen afternoons where I'm on the shop floor on my own trying to serve 10 customers at once only to be phoned up by a customer shouting down the telephone because I couldn't take their call 5 minutes ago. Try being happy after all that. Actually no, seriously, try writing to companies suggesting that they try to boost staff morale (perhaps by rewarding them for meeting targets etc.) instead of writing poorly thought out, generalising comments on the internet.

I'm saying this because where I work, it is a friendly atmosphere, but it's not always possible to be completely 110% focused on every customer that walks through the door. Plus my colleagues and management team would be offended and probably write worse than what I have. lol

**Billy Boy** · 31-May-06, 20:45

Originally Posted by Woolie

in inverness are i was in inverness today with my hubby and not one of the staff in the shops even said hello let alone thank or please. So next time you have a moan about shop assistants in wick or anyway in caithness just rember how rude they are in inverness.

i was a shop assistant for the last 3 years and no matter how polite and friendly i was to some customers they were just down right rude to myself and the other assistants, and believe me after standing on your feet for the best part of 7 hours you tend to get pretty ticked off by the rude customers and it then becomes hard to smile and be chatty and happy all the time cos you just dont know what sort of response you are gonna get back.
i had one customer who when i was polite and friendly got pretty abusive and nasty cos i wouldnt sell drink on a sunday before 12.30.
i know it is only a majority who are like that, but the next time you get an assistant that you find rude cos they dont say hello and smile just think of what they might of had to put up with from their last customer.
i am not making excuses for being rude just telling it how it is.
i no longer do the job cos i got so fedup with peoples attitudes it starts to get on your nerves after a while

**Fluff** · 31-May-06, 20:50

people are more than happy to complain, but never happy to praise!

**Billy Boy** · 31-May-06, 20:51

Originally Posted by Fluff

people are more than happy to complain, but never happy to praise!

how true that is lol

**girnigoe** · 31-May-06, 22:13

No matter how busy or stressed you are you should always greet your customers well and thank them....

Yes, I do speak from experience. I was a shop assistant for many years. I know its not always easy but a smile doesnt cost anything and its not that particular customers fault you are having an off day!!!

Customer relations are very important for business. If you are
snapped at by a stressed out member of staff you will tell your friends about it.

Word soon gets around!!!

**willowbankbear** · 31-May-06, 22:18

Im with the shop assistant, keeping a smile on yer face whilst the customer abuses you ,Its got to be hard , think you should put yerself in his/her shoes. Cant be happy all the time

**girnigoe** · 31-May-06, 22:25

Originally Posted by Stone Roses

Im with the shop assistant, keeping a smile on yer face whilst the customer abuses you ,Its got to be hard

Totally agree there and why should you keep a smile on your face if the customer is abusing you!

What I meant was think of the customer after - its not their fault that you've just had a rough time.

**changilass** · 31-May-06, 22:30

Don't much mind if I get a smile or a warm welcome, but I do object to being totally ignored whilst the shop assistants talk amongst themselves, as we were in Mackays Thurso the other day. In the end we simply walked out and spent money elsewhere.

Astra · 31-May-06, 22:31

my moto is treat someone how you would like to be treated

**willowbankbear** · 31-May-06, 22:43

Originally Posted by Astra

my moto is treat someone how you would like to be treated

Doesnt always work out like that though, ye could be on a roll then some snotty nose youth comes in(I have some1 in mind folks)and gives ye a load of cheek. It certainly would p me off on top of all the other everyday things in life. But I do agree with your motto in theory

**crashbandicoot1979** · 01-Jun-06, 09:00

Originally Posted by changilass

Don't much mind if I get a smile or a warm welcome, but I do object to being totally ignored whilst the shop assistants talk amongst themselves, as we were in Mackays Thurso the other day. In the end we simply walked out and spent money elsewhere.

Totally agree - that really winds me up aswell. A lot of shops, both in Thurso and Inverness, are bad for that. I appreciate that a shop assistant can be having a bad day, hence they don't smile, but to blatantly ignore customers whhile they catch up on gossip/coronation street/whatever, is downright rude.

**engiebenjy** · 01-Jun-06, 09:11

Originally Posted by changilass

Don't much mind if I get a smile or a warm welcome, but I do object to being totally ignored whilst the shop assistants talk amongst themselves, as we were in Mackays Thurso the other day. In the end we simply walked out and spent money elsewhere.

Quite agree, that happened to myself ans sis in law in coop thurso one day, and were kept waiting even when she very vocal in voicing her displeasure at being kept waitin while they were gabbing - we were still ignored!

**Woolie** · 01-Jun-06, 09:26

I am actully a shop assitant myself so yes i do know what its like being on your feet 7hrs a day and yes i do know what its like trying to serve 10 people at a time and having custmors being rude to you not having a tea break or dinner for hours on end i know all that but i still think a simple thank you or hello when you reach the till costs nothing. I always greet my custmers in a friendly manner no matter what kind of day I 've had its not their fault after all. And before anyone says yeah well caithness is not like inverness i agree but ihave worked in a shop in a town busier than inverness and i was the same to my customers there so please just a simple hello or thank you as you leave is nothing to ask surely.

**candyfloss** · 01-Jun-06, 09:49

Originally Posted by Stone Roses

Im with the shop assistant, keeping a smile on yer face whilst the customer abuses you ,Its got to be hard , think you should put yerself in his/her shoes. Cant be happy all the time

Agree with you there Stone Roses, my daughter works in a shop and some of the customers she has to deal with are really rude and shes still suppose to keep a smile on her face,a very hard thing to do i would think

**Woolie** · 01-Jun-06, 10:12

Everyone semms to to missing my point here all I was saying was we do'nt know how lucky we are up here most of the assitants in the shops in wick are friendly compared to when you go to inverness where they don't have time to give you the time of day although i still think a smile and an hello when you reach the till does'nt cost anything. Who can honestly say their is a shop in wick where the staff are rude cause I can honestly say i have'nt encoutered any.

**dunderheed** · 01-Jun-06, 11:32

sorry woolie , i've got to disagree with you , if you go into any supermarket in caithness you will find they are pretty much all the same.
i know that staff are told to be polite to customers but it can be very hard to smile when dealing with an irate customer , in fact some customers find it very condisending if they are complaining about something and you are standing in front of them with a "forced" smile.
i have worked in the retail trade for almost 16 years in all parts of the country and i find that caithness is up there with the best for customer service and the worst for staff who don't seem to know how to smile.

what shop staff need to remeber a smile and a welcoming word can go a long way , on the other side of the coin it is every customers right to complain to supervisors or managemet if the are not competley happy with the way the staff have dealt with them.

**Woolie** · 01-Jun-06, 11:39

i understand what your saying maybe i've just been lucky not encountering any rudeness in wick and have never really had many rude custmors either.

**SEAFORTH** · 10-Jun-06, 16:20

Been to Inverness loads and I can't really say I've ever gone into a shop where staff have been rude or ignored me. Wish I could say the same about Wick. Could easily name one or two places where staff could do with a course in customer care.