Most asinine ways to get your attention

[npro_god]

Hello all,

Long time lurker first time poster. I've been out of retail for a few years but reading these posts just brings up a dredge of bad memories.

So anyway, onto my question: Whats the most asinine way a customer has tried to get your attention? I had several that happened to me when I worked in the largest sporting goods chain in Canada a while back...

1. Standing at the rear of the store and yelling "CUSTOMER!!". Repeatedly. At the top of their lungs. While I'm amazed at both your lung capacity and the breadth of your vocabulary, I don't feel inclined to see what you're yelling about and I will keep walking to the cash desk.

1. Taking a shoe from my display rack and banging it loudly on my cash desk when I've got a line up of 10+ people and I'm by myself. No I don't know if we have that shoe in your size. Because it's not my department. I'm not going to go over there because I need to be here. The most I can do is page someone to go over there and give you a hand. What's that? The shoe staff are all busy with other customers? Well then you have two choices: Wait or leave.

Ah the memories...

[MadMike]

I used to really hate it when they'd whistle to get my attention. What am I, a dog? The first few times, I'd instintively turn to see what the noise was, and then they had me. I eventually trained myself not to respond in any way to that particular sound. I'd just keep walking until they actually addressed me like an actual person.

Another one that annoyed me somewhat, but only happened once that I can remember was, "YO!" As in, "YO! I need you to cut some carpet for me." I wish I could have gotten away with telling him that my name wasn't "Yo."

[seeress_83]

Next time you have one yell "CUSTOMER!" at you, look at them and yell "FISHSTICKS!"

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I've heard whistling, snapping fingers, tapping, standing around looking irritated. I, too, trained myself to not react in the slightest to any of it. If you are calling your dog, call your dog. I won't interfere. If you want to talk to a person, however, you will have to speak some human language. And you will have to use this human convention was have called "manners."

I've had people say, "Didn't you hear me?" And I've responded along the lines of "Oh, was that you? Yeah, I heard a whistling sound/tapping sound/whatever stupid sound. Didn't know what it was. Can I help you?" All with a cheery smile on my face.

[simplyanother]

I once whistled at a customer to get her attention (after repeatedly saying "ma'am" etc), she said "The pet shop is next door". Heh, I was embarrased. (But she wasn't snippy or anything. And I didn't really intend to whistle, it just happened. HONEST!).

I'd say the woman screeching "PIPE CLEANERS" in my general direction was the most idiotic way anyone has ever tried to get my attention. I continued walking. I think she then said "Miss.." etc. but still. Randomly shouting products at me just makes me think you're nuts, not that you need my help.

I hate it when they stare at you, and expect you to understand that this means they want your help. No, it means you're creepy.

[SuperB]

I could have a line of people almost out the door and some idiot will barge up to the front and say, "excuse me..." right as I'm trying to count change back to a customer. I don't mind answering questions in between register rings but they're damn well going to wait until I'm ready.

One thing I've noticed in all the years I've been in either retail or tourist areas is that there is a definite cultural difference in people that explains a lot about how people behave/interact. One particular group used to irritate the hell out of me until I realized, and it was confirmed after discussing it with someone, it's the way things are where they are from. Where they are from, if you don't push your way to the front, or interrupt, you may not get service. It's a lot easier to deal with the differences now that I understand them a bit more and it doesn't bother me as much as it used to.

[friendofjimmyk]

My biggest peeve EVER!

When I was waiting tables - while talking to another table - someone at another table reaching over and grabbing at my shirt, elbow, leg, apron, bar towel...etc. etc. That was the quickest way to get bit.

One time, I had an asshat of a customer that I could not stand - he was rudely placing his order with me being a total ass about it and I had someone at another table reach over and tug on my shirt to get my attention - this asshat became my hero when he snapped around and shot this poor unsuspecting soul a look that I swore cut him in half!

[dizzy_starshine]

I got a telling off for this one but the customer was SO in the wrong

There were two of us on a deli counter and I hear someone say 'thank you'. now thank you to me means exactly that, so I look up and say 'thank you, bye' and this nutter says 'no! i want service' of course i shot back 'oh you mean please serve me? thank you closes a conversation not opens one '

>_< weirdest ever

[Sofar]

Every once and a while I get someone waltzes in and just sits down at a table. And waits there. Despite the big "order here" sign, painted on a wooden arrow pointing at my head, (which we are considering getting decked out in neon.) Sometimes after a while they'll get the hint and come up to the counter, or ask, "Do we, like, order up there or something?" But what really bothers me are those whom after a minute or so start snapping their fingers or whistling. And why is it, that any attempt to explain how your particular restaurant or retail establishment does things is immediatly countered with, "Well that's stupid!" Basically meaning, "I gotta get up?"

[ArenaBoy]

I hate whistling, the yelling of "HEY BUDDY!", and my biggest peeve; horn honking. There is nothing more irritating when I am helping someone out and all of the sudden I hear a loud car horn go off a good 4 feet away from me making me jump.
I had a guy honk his horn at me a good 15 times when I was helping a customer for 30 seconds. I got annoyed by the honker so much that when he honked again I screamed "WHAT DO YOU FREAKING WANT!?!?!?!? I lost my temper yes but hearing a goddamn car horn for 30 seconds straight will make you lose your sanity.

[Ciarrai]

Yelling from the end of an aisle is so damn annoying. If you need my help, please come up and ask me instead of screaming.
However, my biggest pet peeve is people who snap their fingers at me. It only happens with people from a certain ethnic group, and it drives me round the twist. I am not a dog and I do not respond to snaps. I've walked away from people who snap at me, and told my manager that if they complain, I will not apologize. They are the ones in the wrong, and snapping at me like a dog will not get them service from me. GRRRRR.

[BookstoreEscapee]

heh...i snap at my cats. they don't answer me either...

my personal favorite was the woman, standing in front of the customer service desk with 1 person ahead of her, and after i had just announced to the person working at the desk that i was going (late) on my 15 minute break, just asked her question to my back as i was walking away. no, excuse me, can you help me or anything...stupid me, i turned around and ended up having to help her.

and don't get me started on the guys who start with "hey, honey..." just makes me want to

hey, my first post that didn't have to be audited by the mods. yay!

[Mark Healey]

Once, I had this woman waddle in and bellow some name. And I mean bellow. She didn't even look at me as she was doing it. I asked her who this person was and she said he was a photographer. After this treatment I wasn't about to give full assistance so I just told her "aisle 11A".

After a moment she bellowed some more questions and got similiar curtness. She doesn't find anything and leaves. As she is doing so she makes the comment "You might have made a sale if you weren't such an asshole". I was so taken aback by the gall to make that comment after the way she behaved that I couldn't think of a response before she left.

Crap!

[ShootMePlease]

People are just appaling in how they treat you sometimes. I've had customers snap their fingers and point at the ground in front of them , like I'm going to run over and fetch my bone. I've also had people yell at me, yank on my clothes, smack me in my arm, and probably the most bold, just grab me and turn me towards them. Last time I checked, I was a member of the human race. I don't think it's too much to expect to be treated as such.

[Arcade Man D]

At the grabbing, I say just deck them. Grabbing is unwanted touching, and thus, per the legal definition, assault. God knows I would, but then again, the mall I work at has had some problems with employees being assaulted (in the vernacular this time).

However my "favorite" is "Hey, kid!". As if anyone working in customer service, especially an arcade, is by definition not an adult. (Even better, arcade policy requires employees to be at least 18.)