Look at me! Talk to me! Listen to me!

[JenCdn]

Okay, okay, okay...granted, my employer tells me what to wear (uniform), what to say (upselling) and what time to be here each day, but does that really mean that I'm a faceless nobody who doesn't deserve your attention? I mean I'm a person, AND I'm handling your food.

Backstory...one of my first customers of the day,

SC = obvious
JC = JenCdn

JC: "Good morning, how are you today?"
SC: "Can I get a footlong turkey breast on Italian?"

JC: "okay then, what kind of cheese would you like?"
SC: "I need a small breakfast sandwich on wheat too!"


GRRRRRRRRRR

Exchanges like this don't usually get to me, but this SC wouldn't even look at me, let alone try to hear what I was saying. This SC is the type who ends up ordering something they don't want and then blaming me for it in the end because THEY weren't paying attention.

Just had to vent...thanks for the opportunity!

[georgiab]

I sooooooooooo feel ya on this...everyday I ask the customer as they walk in How they are and most of the time I don't get an answer or even a damn glance...fine then but yet when they want to know what sale I just mentioned to the other customer who did acknowledge me oh then I am good enough to speak to!

[Zell]

I sooooooooooo feel ya on this...everyday I ask the customer as they walk in How they are and most of the time I don't get an answer or even a damn glance...fine then but yet when they want to know what sale I just mentioned to the other customer who did acknowledge me oh then I am good enough to speak to!

Yeah I mean when I walk into Gamestop or something and the guy says "Hey how are you doing today?" I at least acknowledge him and say "I'm doing good, how are you?"

I hate people that think employees are robots.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Yes, a lot of people at the bookstore are feeling "I have a member card" or "How much is this?"...

Personally I would often be feeling "Get the hell out!"

[Andara Bledin]

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to any greeters at any stores I've ever been to for likely failing to acknowledge their greetings. I do this at work, too.

If I'm thinking about something, I won't realize I'm being spoken to until up to a minute later. I'm not ignoring you, I'm just distracted.

That is all.

^-.-^

[Sableonblonde]

If I'm thinking about something, I won't realize I'm being spoken to until up to a minute later. I'm not ignoring you, I'm just distracted.

I am the exact way, and I've felt bad about this so many times in my life. I live very much inside my head, and often am totally oblivious to what is going on around me. Whenever I pass somebody and they say hello to me, it takes me awhile to realize someone is even talking to me as well. Sometimes I'm so startled that I don't even say anything back, and that's when I feel really bad!

It really annoys me as well when customers won't even look at me when they are ordering. Especially when I'm handing them their change, and they've turned almost completely around to talk to somebody else, and just have their hand outstretched toward me.

[myswtghst]

What I love is when our techs call in, say "Hi, this is so and so, how are you today?" and before I can even answer or ask how they are, they launch into their issue, as if that question was just a formality and not actual conversation. That drives me nuts.

[Rolling Star]

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to any greeters at any stores I've ever been to for likely failing to acknowledge their greetings. I do this at work, too.

If I'm thinking about something, I won't realize I'm being spoken to until up to a minute later. I'm not ignoring you, I'm just distracted.

That is all.

^-.-^

I'm the exact same way. I have stuff on my mind and I'm not always "with it." I don't mean any ill-will towards the greeters.

[NoodleBoy]

This is kind of related... something that would always irk me when I was working drive through would be when the customer asked for a minute to look at the menu and decide... and when they were done, they'd start their sentence with "ummm............. hello?" Many times in a town of voice denoting some sort of belief that the intercom had turned off and "Hello" was the magic word to turn it on.

They'd usually do that after I'd say, "Order when you're ready."

It'd kind of grate on me in a weird way. My only purpose at that point is to wait for you to order-- I'm not busy seeing how close I can get my penis to the deep frier before it turns crispy. I can also hear every damn word you say, from "I hope the drive-thrue guy is cute" to "this guy sounds like a jerk" as well as debating the merits of enchiritos and chalupas.

[powerboy]

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to any greeters at any stores I've ever been to for likely failing to acknowledge their greetings. I do this at work, too.

If I'm thinking about something, I won't realize I'm being spoken to until up to a minute later. I'm not ignoring you, I'm just distracted.

That is all.

^-.-^

I am the same way. At my job, used to greet people, when they came in. Only a few people would say a hello, I am fine, back. Now, I just say it every so often now.

[Sofar]

People don't listen when I talk. They just wait for their turn to speak.

[Gabrielle Proctor]

Me- "Hi, welcome to the hobbyshop, can I help you find anything?"
SC- "No, I'm just looking."

Me- Goes back to what I was doing.

SC- *after about 5 minutes* EXCUSE ME! I *NEED* your help!!!

I just want to tell them to back off already, they're the one's who were just looking. If you have a question, ask it! Don't yell at me for leaving you alone after you said you didn't need help!

[Noelegy]

When I worked at Hastings, if I happened to be near the front of the store, stocking the "new releases" paperback display, I'd take turns with the service desk being the "greeter" when people would enter the store. Just a "Hi, how are you today?" or something like that, to let them know they'd been acknowledged.

You wouldn't believe how many people would SNAP, "I don't need any help! I'm just browsing!" as soon as they came in.

Okay, I shall now back off and imagine that there is an electric fence around you which shall shock me painfully if I attempt to approach you or render assistance in any way. You obviously have Issues, and it's a shame that humans don't come with protective coloration, like some animals and insects.

[aurelemsrealm]

I rarely greet customers as soon as they walk through the door because our store is usually busy enough that I'm waiting on customers at the register. Instead, I wait until they get to the counter.

Occasionally, customer traffic is slow enough that I will greet customers as soon as they walk through the door, but usually only if they look my direction. If they are looking toward the merchandise aisles when they walk in, I don't bother greeting them right away. I just wait until they ask for help or approach the counter.

I usually keep my greeting short and to the point, "Hi. Is this all for you today?" The customer's reaction determines whether I bother to maintain a conversation during their transaction. The customer's attitude usually determines how I treat that particular customer. I try to chat and be friendly toward the good ones, and am usually indifferent, barely civil toward the less agreeable ones. I pretty much ignore the ones who just come in to use the bathroom or don't buy anything unless they decide to speak to me along the way. If the non customers speak, then I go ahead and speak to them.