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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10156070/Sainsburys-worker-fights-back-against-mobile-phone-use-at-checkout.html

This is an interesting story. A girl working in a shop refused to serve a customer unless they hung up their phone. By the look of it the customer complained and the store backed the customer. Understandably so as who can afford to lose a paying customer these days but it does raise an interesting question of manners.

To be honest I can see both sides of this. I can see why it might be considered rude to carry on a conversation with someone else whilst being served in a shop, but on the other hand I'm one of those people who hates engaging in small talk with checkout assistants. I don't want to chit chat I just want to pay and leave and if I'm already engaged in a conversation with someone else, even if it is on the phone, I just don't see the point of ending in just for the sake of 2 minutes of awkward silence whilst the assistant rings through the shopping.

I worked at a video rental store for like seven years, during which time I had no issues with processing customers who were on the phone and can't see why that would be a problem. 100% back the customer and the store here

Two levels.

a) Interpersonal level: rude behavior, should get positive social punishment i.e. starte, telling someone he's rude.

b) professional level: act like you are expected to and serve the customers.

The latter has precedence. Sure, it's poor social behavior to keep talking to someone on the phone, but you are working there and have to stand above said behavior. If you can't, deal with the consequences.

Unless there's a rule that says no cell phone use during checkout, I don't see why a cashier thought they had the ability hold up a customers purchase.

I dont understand why people are against this, I work at subway and you would not believe how iterating it is to try and make someone a sub when they are engaged on their cell phone, making me hold up every time he/she tries to listen to something important. Its just outright rude behavior and I support this person.

I think it sort of comes down to the customer thinking that because people in retail are in the low jobs that they can look down at us. I'm a uni student and also junior pilot, I need money, there's no need for my customers to instantly treat me like a bit of dirt from under there show. So show some manners people.

Working in fast food =/= working in Sainsbury's, where the only questions I expect to be asked are "Do you want help packing?" "Do you need a bag?" and "Do you have a nectar card?". If I am in a position to answer all three of those questions in the same time I would without using my phone, then there is nothing wrong.

Nothing in the article mentioned that the customer had been ignoring the cashier's questions, just that the cashier took unwarranted offence and proceeded to attempt to blackmail the customer into complying with a personal wish.

Having worked at several coffee shops, I can tell you, donkey-caves talking on the phone are beyond irritating. That said, working in a service industry means having to put up with people acting like tools and treating you like trash with a smile on your face.

I always hang up before checking out/placing an order, however. It's basic courtesy.

People like the "victim" are totally not the kind of people to be apologizing to. I'm with some of the comments in the article; if you're having a face to face interaction with someone else, get off the damn phone.

 Necroshea wrote:
People like the "victim" are totally not the kind of people to be apologizing to. I'm with some of the comments in the article; if you're having a face to face interaction with someone else, get off the damn phone.

When I was a cashier, the only time that bothered me was when the person on the phone wasn't capable of multi-tasking. Other than that, I had no problem with it.

 Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:

 Necroshea wrote:
People like the "victim" are totally not the kind of people to be apologizing to. I'm with some of the comments in the article; if you're having a face to face interaction with someone else, get off the damn phone.

When I was a cashier, the only time that bothered me was when the person on the phone wasn't capable of multi-tasking. Other than that, I had no problem with it.

Yeah, I'm referring to the people that tell you to hold on while they're talking to someone because they don't know how to stop talking and focus for mere seconds.

The only time it's acceptable to be on the phone while interacting with a service representative is when you are ordering food for somebody else and they are on the phone with you. And, of course, let the person assisting you know up front that is who you are on the phone with. It's easy to tell who has worked retail and who hasn't by the comments: those who have worked retail hate customers on their phones and those who haven't don't see what the big deal is. I applaud this girl based on the title. Haven't read the full article, but unless anything spectacular is said, it's pretty simple.

 timetowaste85 wrote:
The only time it's acceptable to be on the phone while interacting with a service representative is when you are ordering food for somebody else and they are on the phone with you. And, of course, let the person assisting you know up front that is who you are on the phone with. It's easy to tell who has worked retail and who hasn't by the comments: those who have worked retail hate customers on their phones and those who haven't don't see what the big deal is. I applaud this girl based on the title. Haven't read the full article, but unless anything spectacular is said, it's pretty simple.

Oh, ignore my previous post then. I forgot I never worked retail!

 timetowaste85 wrote:
The only time it's acceptable to be on the phone while interacting with a service representative is when you are ordering food for somebody else and they are on the phone with you. And, of course, let the person assisting you know up front that is who you are on the phone with. It's easy to tell who has worked retail and who hasn't by the comments: those who have worked retail hate customers on their phones and those who haven't don't see what the big deal is. I applaud this girl based on the title. Haven't read the full article, but unless anything spectacular is said, it's pretty simple.

I've never worked retail, and I fully support the shop worker. If it were me, you came into MY shop, not the other way round. As was said earlier, unless you are ordering for someone else and they are on the line, get off the fething phone while working with people in a face to face.

Police are in a form of "service industry", if you were pulled over, you tell the officer to hold on while you continued your oh-so-important conversation? Short answer is NO! In the age of being overly connected, we've lost one of the most basic of skills, and that is actual interpersonal skills, aka, how to act around people in public places.

Simple "your total is $x" and "do you have a rewards card" jobs, I don't see a problem with being on the phone (talking or browsing Dakka). The customer is still rude, but it doesn't affect the business.

If the customer is required to actually interact with the business (Like Subway or anything else where an actual two way conversation is required) then I don't have a problem with a business telling them to step out of line and come back when they are ready to order.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 timetowaste85 wrote:
The only time it's acceptable to be on the phone while interacting with a service representative is when you are ordering food for somebody else and they are on the phone with you. And, of course, let the person assisting you know up front that is who you are on the phone with. It's easy to tell who has worked retail and who hasn't by the comments: those who have worked retail hate customers on their phones and those who haven't don't see what the big deal is. I applaud this girl based on the title. Haven't read the full article, but unless anything spectacular is said, it's pretty simple.

I've never worked retail, and I fully support the shop worker. If it were me, you came into MY shop, not the other way round. As was said earlier, unless you are ordering for someone else and they are on the line, get off the fething phone while working with people in a face to face.

If it was YOUR store, sure! You can make whatever rule you want. If one of your employees made up a rule and refused service to a customer if they didn't follow it? That's silly.

I want this to be a rule, but a clerk doesn't get to just make store policy unilaterally.

I totally support the employee. I've worked in service areas most of my life, nothing is so important you cannot get off the phone to get what you are supposed to be doing done , and that is contributing to finishing the order with the cashier/service person and not holding anyone else up.

I'd like to see how all these "talking on the phones is ok" people go when trying to do their job and the person you are supposed to be interacting with (think of it like completing a contract) is not paying attention and doing a half arsed effort at communicating. Retail/service is not different to any other job , you expect the person to at least pay you the courtesy of paying attention , hanging up and apologising.

I mean it's great the person on the phone is having a conversation but there are other people involved in the interaction , not just them.

When I have worked in service before i have a policy of "the customer is right if they are polite" if they aren't and are being rude, they get a minimum of service. I don't see why someone thinks it is Ok to be rude, something hasn't worked out well, deal with your frustration , don't take it out on the employee with a tantrum.

I once said to a barrista who had a had a problem with a customer who didn't like their coffee " if they are being polite give them their money back and a new coffee , if they aren't just give them a new coffee", another customer in the line (who happened to be a suit - always feth wits them ) said " I've never heard of such a thing " I said "politeness doesn't cost you anything, impoliteness does" and he shut up.

Why are suit wearers nearly always feth wits????

Bullockist wrote:
Why are suit wearers nearly always feth wits????

Because they're wearing a suit and you're not. I imagine the whole lot of them are condescending arses.

I knew a guy who ran a store and had a cell phone jammer, and he would turn it on if people just came up to the counter and tossed merchandise on the counter at him like he was a serf and the lord just handed him some boots to clean.

I have done, a little more passively, what she did in several places. I think more and more customers confuse the words service and servitude, they believe we are their bitches. Sorry, we are there to help, but when someone is on their phone, it makes helping them semi-impossible.

 SoloFalcon1138 wrote:
I have done, a little more passively, what she did in several places. I think more and more customers confuse the words service and servitude, they believe we are their bitches. Sorry, we are there to help, but when someone is on their phone, it makes helping them semi-impossible.

If it is semi-impossible for you to checkout a person in a supermarket line while they are on the phone then you shoud be on welfare because you are clearly unable to do anything.

There are plenty of legitimate situations where being on the phone makes it hard to help you. A regular checkout register is not one of them.

If you want to talk on the phone whilst at a checkout, go to a self service checkout ,that way you can interact with a machine as much as you like.

Bullockist wrote:
If you want to talk on the phone whilst at a checkout, go to a self service checkout ,that way you can interact with a machine as much as you like.

At least the machine doesn't try to sell me the store credit card every time I check out...

mine do

Bullockist wrote:
I totally support the employee. I've worked in service areas most of my life, nothing is so important you cannot get off the phone to get what you are supposed to be doing done , and that is contributing to finishing the order with the cashier/service person and not holding anyone else up.

I'd like to see how all these "talking on the phones is ok" people go when trying to do their job and the person you are supposed to be interacting with (think of it like completing a contract) is not paying attention and doing a half arsed effort at communicating. Retail/service is not different to any other job , you expect the person to at least pay you the courtesy of paying attention , hanging up and apologising.

I used to think like this. Back in my retail days, I was certainly guilty of ignoring customers standing at the counter until they hung up the phone, unless there was a queue behind them...

But on consideration, I have to wonder if there is really any reason to get uppity about it. We've decided as a society (or at least, parts of that society have... other parts of it don't see the problem) that talking on a phone while interacting with other people is rude. But nobody complains about serving a customer who is simultaneously carrying on a conversation with the person standing beside them... It's just talking on phones that we object to.

And ultimately, the customer being rude is rarely a valid excuse to not serve them. If that were the case, I would have had a lot more free time in my years at Kmart...

Bullockist wrote:
...(who happened to be a suit - always feth wits them) said " I've never heard of such a thing " I said "politeness doesn't cost you anything, impoliteness does" and he shut up.

I like my suit, though I do not wear it every day.

just because i think it doesn't mean i say it. The always is also a gross exaggeration , but hell, I'm on an forum.

Insaniak I always serve a customer, it's just that if they are rude they get basic service, in and out, no questions or offers of help or conversation, just here's your product you wanted, that's my money and bye.

People have a thing against people who wear suits now?

The hell?

I'm not suitist but after about 15-20 years in service I tend to try and avoid serving businessmen (or suits - small business people tend to be ok, it's the guys in big companies that tend to be less than helpful) .
The number of times I've had a table of people embarrassed by drunken suit guy because he decides it's good to take the piss out of the waiter is immense, or treat the service person like crap. It happens too often.

I worked in retail, in a corner-shop-newsagent type place, but back in the days before mobiles were really as popular. That said, you'd still get the odd customer trying to get served while messing with their personal organiser (yes, back then), or having a long-ass conversation with their mates when it's clear you're waiting on them.

When that happened, I'd give them a few moments to catch up but if they took too long or were otherwise being a numpty they'd get their items cancelled and I'd move on to the next person in the queue... who invariably was just as frustrated at the idiot holding up their day and completely on my side.

Oh, and I did pick up on this...

"I won't be shopping there again, I'll go to Waitrose in Dartford instead."

Waitrose have a reputation for overly expensive but admittedly high quality stuff. That means their customers have a reputation for being stuck-up rich ponces too...