Ignore me and I'll ignore you (minor rant)

[Dave1982]

I have a rule when it comes to customers: if they ignore me, then I will ignore them. That is, if I approach them with a greeting or an offer of assistance and get nothing but silence, then that customer is dead to me. I will not approach them again or try to help them, no matter how confused they look, unless they decide to actually ASK for help. Technically, this runs contrary to policy, but I have found that the overwhelming majority of people who ignore me are either being passive-aggressive due to some intense desire to NOT be bothered or a deep-seated belief that I am unworthy, OR they are totally oblivious to the world around them. Both are bad. The passive-aggressive types are generally assholes, and the oblivious ones are the sort of people who can't find things that no human being with functioning eyes has any business not being able to find. They could walk past the ENTIRE AISLE of envelopes ten times and not see it, even when I point it out to them, or fail to find a pen even if someone shoved it in their hand and said "WRITE!" I do not wish to interact with either type, so I just pay them no mind. If they want help, they can come find me.

For the record, if there's some doubt as to whether or not they heard me, I do not enact this rule. So if it's noisy, or the person is elderly or is wearing a hearing aid or turns out to be on their cell, I'll make another attempt. But I'm talking about the people who don't respond when you stand right next to them in an otherwise dead-quiet part of the store.

I've been getting a lot more of this than usual lately, and I find it irritating.

Double bonus points when one of these people then walks up to the service desk demanding to know if anyone's working in the department.

[Food Lady]

It's even worse when you're a cashier. All day I had people ignoring me in front of me. I SAID..."HI."

[Astroturtle]

I know the feeling "Hi can I help you?" *dead silence*, *walks away*, *stares into space*...is a "no thank you" that hard? If you can't speak you can shake your head...its ALWAYS those people who go "HELLO!!!! DOES ANYONE WORK HERE?!" ... sir/ma'am you walked past me 3 times I offered assistance once and when you ignore/walked away from me I said "I guess thats a no" (Yes I actually say it outloud after I'm ignored ... if some catches me and claims I am rude I can say the same to them, of course after 2 years of doing this no one has heard me or said anything)

I do the same I offer to help once, if you ignore me regardless of how slow it is, I will ignore you (also against my companies policy). Those that actually have the decency to answer get help not to mention if I like you, you might get a discount (I'm not allowed to do it, but we give out so many discounts no one will notice one more for an actual nice customer)

[Trayol]

Oh how I hate being ignored. Clearly the dairy store has some barrier in which within the first twenty feet of walking in, some customers are oblivious to the existence of employees.

When I'm greeted by an employee, I reply back. Be it a smile, a head nod, a wave or a vocal response.

[Teysa]

Oh yes, I hate that one too. Is it really that hard to answer 'hi' back or 'fine, thankyou' after being greeted? Something that annoys me almost as much is the people who yell across the aisle for assistance. Obviously walking the few feet to get into conversation range is too difficult.

[customersruinmylife]

You get it a lot at bars as well. You get people who try to order drinks with their back to you so they can face their friends and chat to them. I find this so ignorant that I do not serve them, and I don't allow co-workers to serve them. If they want served they have to look me in the eye.

[tamezin]

OR they are totally oblivious to the world around them.

This is me, on occasion. Usually when I have something else on my mind. Unfortunately it always bites me in the backside. I can go into the store for 1 specific item, get so lost in my little world when I can't immediately find said item. Then I have a cart full of everything else except the one thing I went to the store for, get home and realize that yes....I did it again.

[AirHostess]

Many passengers ignore my greeting when they get on the plane. In return I ignore them trying to attract my attention.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

What I hate is when they ignore me but then get pissy later on when I ignore them (this after they did not respond to my greeting in any way).

[Chazzie]

At Dunkin it's actually pretty funny. If I'm not busy, I'll say "Good Morning!" as soon as someone walks in the store. Most of the time they get this scared look and walk away from the counter behind the bags of coffee or the drink cooler where I can't see them, because they're not ready to order.

I'm not demanding you order immediately! I'm just saying hello! Don't ignore me just because you don't know what you want!

[blas]

In some instances, being ignored is better than the greeting being answered with a "PACKOMARBOREDS!" or "CAMELSINABOXANDAPOWERBALL!"

[EricKei]

So if it's noisy, or the person is elderly or is wearing a hearing aid or turns out to be on their cell, I'll make another attempt.

Noisy or hearing aid, go for it ^_^

Cell? Don't bother. They're gonna ignore you anyway.

[SorryIsGoodEnough]

I am very, very, very shy. I always smile when a cashier or customer service person greets me, but when I answer, it's always so quiet they can't even hear me anyway. And then they see me mouthing 'Hi how are you' but not saying anything and they think I'm crazy.

...But I do smile and make eye contact before ducking my head down and continuing on my way.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

While I would never ignore someone greeting me like that....(well, not purposely, anyway, I have poor hearing and I frankly often deliberatly try to tune out extraneous noise when I am shopping so I can concentrate), I'm willing to bet the person being rude and ignoring you is probably sick to death of the parade of greeters confronting him every time he rounds a corner.

Seriously, Lowes is now implimenting that stupid policy and I have reached a point where I just about cringe when I see someone in red headed my way. I don't need to be bothered by strangers every two steps I take. By about the eighth time I am confronted, my patience is just about at it's breaking point. I find myself avoiding eye contact, actively avoiding approaching employees, just so I can shop interrupted.

A friend of mine said on Friday that he will actually flee, if he can get away before they see him.

I would never be rude because I understand that the eighth person to "greet" me is not the first seven who also did, if that makes sense. But not everyone understands that, people tend to think all employees have a hive mind, and their thought is "Lowe's just won't leave me alone for five minutes so I can shop." So they are cross when you speak to them.

I mean, it's not your fault, and I get that. But one can hardly blame them, either.

[Mikkel]

I mean, it's not your fault, and I get that. But one can hardly blame them, either.

I don't suppose one can, but if I ignored a clerk because I was tired of greeters I think that Dave1982s approach would suit me fine. Just being ignored until I asked for help would be just what I wanted