Senses fail me

[ahanix1989]

Ok, given the layout of the store, people don't notice: I CAN'T SEE YOU.

If I'm standing at the breader table (in green), people ALWAYS stand behind / off to the side of the display case, in the red area.
Here's a little hint: I can't see through the wall, don't get mad at me when I seem to be ignoring you. I don't know you're there.

What annoys me more is, we have a little doorbell for us to get their attention. The button is under the menu. People walk all the way over, press the button, and walk back out of my view.

And when ordering, they like to stand in front of the display case, pointing at things. "Ma'am, it's curved glass. I can't tell WHAT you're pointing at, and I can't hear you unless you're standing right in front of me. The exhaust system is on high, two friers are pressurecooking chicken, and the third is open frying the wedges, while Nancy is doing dishes in the back. You need to stand in front of me, not stand behind the case, mumbling 'chicken tenders'.

Luckily, we're allowed to just be straightforward. "I can't hear you. Come over here."

[XCashier]

Why can't these people go directly to the customer service person if they want assistance? No, they have to stand in the blind spot, silent as death, waiting for the employee to notice them.

At the Drug Store From Hell, we'd sometimes have big stand-up displays at the front counter (where I was invariably stationed). One doofus stood behind this six foot tall display, where I could not see him, while I tended the line. After the line cleared and I made my way across the counter to clean up, I saw him and asked him if I could help him. At first he was polite, asking about the different types of film, then he exploded and told me I was "damned rude" for ignoring him. I could not SEE HIM! He was standing behind a display that was taller than he was! Bastard.

That's like the idiots who walk up behind an employee stocking merchandise, and just stand there silently, waiting to be noticed. They expect the employee to have eyes in the back of his/her head, or be able to hear the SC's breathing. I repeat: if you want service, go directly to the service person. They don't have ESP and they might have a lot of blind spots due to bad workstation design. It won't kill you to move over a few feet so you can be seen.

[BookstoreEscapee]

BN has their cashwrap line marked off on one side by a row of tables and other displays. The one right at the front of the line is the big gift card spinner display, which is probably about 6 feet tall. In my last store, unless you're on one of the 2 end registers, you can't see anyone standing behind it. And they have other gift card displays attached to the tops of the shelf units in front of the registers, which further blocks visibility, especially if you're on the short side (I'm 5'4"). So the line moves along and the next person just stands there behind the spinner, not hearing the cashier 4 registers in screaming NEXT!!!!

[ahanix1989]

I love how it takes one person to reply before anyone else will


I need a sign like on the back of semis -- "If you can't see me, I can't see you".

FYI, standing at the breader table, I hear

• Deep Fryers
• Fryer vent on "High"
• RC Cooler
• Hotbox
• TV playing local music
• Coworker doing dishes
• Sandwich cooler
• Registers up front

Makes it a little hard to hear someone... walk up to a counter and wait out of my view.

[Getoutofmylobby]

Complete lack of manners.

At least you have a place to hide. What gets me is when people STARE at me while i am working. It takes awhile to type in information, make keys, wait for the registration card to print out etc. Customers with nothing better to do like to stare... right... at... me... until i'm done. Bugs the hell out of me. I know it's boring checking in but show some manners.

One of these days i'm going to snap and tell people to look at something else.

"Hey! What the hell is that?"

[ahanix1989]

Tap your foot, and a little iguana in a jester costume pops out of the counter and runs around.

[AFpheonix]

The way my pharmacy is set up people can stare right down the length of it to the filling station. It's horrible when people are sitting there vulturing at the front counter. Go sit down, moron, we'll get yours done when we get it done!

[Dips]

You can cure vultures. This only works if you are actually working on the vulture's order and aren't so busy that you'll get behind on other folks orders, but it's very effective if you can do it:

Vulture: [stare]

You: [stop making the order and walk over to The Vulture with a mildly puzzled expression] Yes? Is there something I can help you with?

Vulture: Huh? No.

You: OK. Please have a seat. [indicate waiting area]

Vulture: [stare]

You: [stop making order and walk over to The Vulture with an even more puzzled expression] Are you sure there's nothing else you need?

Vulture: No!

You: OK. You just looked like you needed something. Please have a seat. I'll call you when your order is ready.

Repeat as often as necessary until The Vulture gets the clue that staring slows you down and stops it.

Of course some Vultures just won't ever get the clue. They'll get angry and complain about how you were too slow.

This is your cue to politely explain that you are trained to help customers who make eye contact with you, just in case they need something. If he had actually needed something, it would have been terribly rude for you just ignore a customer who might need something, wouldn't it?

Then explain, sweetly that perhaps it would be best if next time he would just take a seat if he didn't need anything while you make his order. No, no, of course you're not trying to tell him what to do. You're just trying to help him get the best and fastest service possible.

[ahanix1989]

An update:
Just got the data cable for my camera phone (WHEEEEEEE)

This is all I can see when I am cleaning the breader.

[rvdammit]

That's twice I've read breader as breeder.

[customersruinmylife]

I dont get that. The bar I work at curves all around the building, so that if you are stood at one end, you cant see the other, but for some reason people always stand around the corner where I cant see them, and at the till that is closed! Come to the one thats being used you morons!

Theres also the customers that stand about ten feet away with their arms folded, looking stern. YOU HAVE TO WALK UP TO THE BAR IF YOU WANT TO GET SERVED!

[Shironu-Akaineko]

Ok, given the layout of the store, people don't notice: I CAN'T SEE YOU.

Okay, now replace every word with the word "wall", cut about 2 or 3 feet off lenght wise, and you've got my WALLED IN bakery workstation.

People will lean in mumbling while I got the oven's fan at full blast in my ear.

Now imagine when there was NO ventilated ceiling and the intercom was OUTSIDE.

Beautiful.

[Becks]

And when ordering, they like to stand in front of the display case, pointing at things. "Ma'am, it's curved glass. I can't tell WHAT you're pointing at, and I can't hear you unless you're standing right in front of me."

Same thing at my store. And then they have the nerve to get mad when you point at (from their point of view) random items, trying to determine if that's what they want.

[katie kaboom]

for some reason people always stand around the corner where I cant see them, and at the till that is closed! Come to the one thats being used you morons!

ugh, welcome to every freaking day i work! It drives me up the wall to see some idiot standing at a register with absolutely nobody around. For the love of god, go find one that's being used. We have a lot of registers in my store, many of which don't get used anytime other than during the holiday rush. Do you think standing there like a dipshit is gonna make someone magically appear? Cause it's not. Again, go find a register that is actually being used. I mean, come on people, this is not rocket science.

[Imogene]

Yet again, in Chesterfield, we had our three registers set up in an ell... with two on the long part, and one on the short part that was only ever on during the Christmas season. However, I would routinely end up at the second register which abutted the unused register. I'd be standing there, watching the store, and someone would come up to the counter area for the unused register, and stare at me. Little did they know, my peripheral vision is pretty good, and I'd have seen them walking up, but I would ignore them.
SC: "Hello?"
Me: "Shhh! You're not supposed to see me behind the non-existent tree! Now get in front of my register, as the one you're standing at has no money in it, moron."