(no subject)

[dreamer_easy]

Whilst in the US I was sent on a mission to find a very specific pair of socks, visiting several stores in a mall in my ultimately unsuccessful quest. In each store, I was assisted by someone friendly and helpful, but was rather thrown by one chap talking on the phone to a friend as he sold me something (other than the socks), and a lady chewing gum while we talked. This would be unusual here in Oz - even unprofessional and rude. But because I saw a dozen sales people in a row, I got the impression that they weren't being rude at all, that this was quite normal, and they'd have been surprised and confused if I was offended. I'm always fascinated by the differences in culture between Australia, the US, and the UK, but have I got the wrong idea here?

(ETA: Mind you, surely it's rude in the US as well as here for a hotel receptionist to avoid eye contact, keep a blank face, and mumble? That was such an odd experience last year that I was almost frightened by it.)

Comments

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

[alawston.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I tried to take some American buddies to St John in Spittalfields, my personal favourite restaurant in the entire world. They utterly squicked out when they saw the bone marrow jelly and duck's heart on the menu, even when I said they could always have salad.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

[arjuna-lj.livejournal.com]

Hubby's strongest memory of US weirdity (visited for work a few times) is that when he said thank-you to people (waiters, receptionists, people in shops etc): "they looked at me as if I were completely mad".

He says he gave up doing it after a bit 'cos he felt so awkward.

[drhoz.livejournal.com]

that's sad :(

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Hunh. I say thank you to people in those positions all the time and usually just get a smile. And that's here in famously unfriendly Boston. I wonder if they were just reacting to the accent, or something.

[gregmce.livejournal.com]

That's a very good point on the accent. I, too, always say please and thank you to people in those sorts of positions and likewise get a smile (or more) in return.

[jvowles.livejournal.com]

Ditto -- and I generally lack accent.

[fred-god-of.livejournal.com]

I always say thank you here in upstate New York, most people don't but I get a smile and a you're welcome not a confused face.

[gregmce.livejournal.com]

I think it has a lot to do with the lack of raising of a livable wage in a lot of lower-end sales and/or customer service positions.

When I worked for the grocery store (over a decade ago, now, yeesh) all of that would have not only been unacceptable, it would have gotten you written-up at the very least and quite possibly fired. You could get away with that in part because working for Giant paid well both short-term and (even moreso) long-term; there was actual competition for those job positions, and people did their best to try and keep them.

Since then, though, more and more places are failing to make those sorts of jobs financially appealing, so there's a lack of caring. So what if you get fired, there's something else out there. And people in general who are more likely to do a good job will look elsewhere to find something that pays them more what they're worth.

So the downward spiral continues, and customer service in generally gets more and more horrendous.

Ultimately, my take (going back to your original question) is that it is quite rude, but that more and more people in the US have come to expect shoddy service. Ugh.

(Then again, when I work the occasional Sunday at the comic store, I end up selling huge amounts of books without even trying, simply by being vaguely friendly and welcoming. It's amazing the difference it makes. People are so shocked they feel the need to buy more stuff.)

[off_coloratura]

I concur with this. The quality of customer service has nosedived in the U.S., because the people in those jobs don't give a damn and there are no consequences for their bad habits. This is something my husband bemoans all the time.

In New York City, in general, this was not the case, because the competition for jobs was a lot fiercer. I found salespeople there on the whole (and of course there were exceptions) to be brusque but fast, because that's what New York consumers valued the most, to be able to make a quick transaction and get out of there.

[ianracey.livejournal.com]

I work for Barnes & Noble in the US and neither of those would have been acceptable at any of the stores I've worked. Talking on the cell phone in particular would have management coming down on you like a ton of bricks--I don't know if a first offense would necessarily get you fired, but a second definitely would.

[cheesygirl.livejournal.com]

Oh it's still considered rude, but that doesn't stop people from doing it anyway. I do like for the person waiting on me to at least acknowledge my existence and say "how are you today" or "did you find everything you needed" or "have a nice day". As my mama would say about these kinds of rude salespeople/clerks/cashiers, "I didn't even get a 'Kiss my ass', let alone a 'How do you do'!" :D

[(Anonymous)]

Oh goodness no. Lord preserve us from chatty salespeople. Not seen and not heard until you want to buy something, and then they can speak only to tell you the price.

Never got the American obsession with everybody being smiley and happy. Give me good old British grumpiness any day.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

IAWTC

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

Four minutes out of my day:

[SMILE, MAKE EYE CONTACT]
"Hi! Did you find everything you were looking for here?"
[IF JUST ARRIVED AT TILL, CLOSE TILL GATE BEHIND YOU AND BOLT IT]

[CONCENTRATE ON SCANNING THINGS, AND REACT TO WHATEVER CUSTOMER SAYS AS APPROPRIATE. MAKE OCCASIONAL EYE-CONTACT FOR AS LONG AS CUSTOMER IS SPEAKING. TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF THEIR OUTPOURINGS, BUT DON'T STRAIN YOURSELF.: IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO BE SEEM INTERESTED THAN TO ACTUALLY ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE. IF BY SOME MIRACLE THEY DO ACTUALLY SAY SOMETHING INTERESTING, TRY NOT TO GET TOO DISTRACTED BY IT: PRIORITY RIGHT NOW IS SCANNING ITEMS & CHECKING THE LOGGED PRICES AGAINST THE LABELS. DEAL WITH ANY DISCREPANCIES AS APPROPRIATE. IF CUSTOMER IS GETTING A SURPRISE BARGAIN, MAKE SURE THEY KNOW IT. IF SCANNED PRICE HAS GONE UP, MAKE SURE YOU CATCH IT, AND OVERRIDE IT, AND EXPLAIN TO CUSTOMER WHAT YOU'VE DONE. UNLESS THEY'RE CHATTING TO THEIR FRIEND/SPOUSE/MOBILE, IN WHICH CASE SOD 'EM.]

[ON COMPLETION OF SCANNING AND HITTING "TOTAL":] "OK, that comes to X pounds and Y-ty-Z pence."
[EXPLOIT TIME DURING WHICH CUSTOMER IS FUMBLING FOR CASH] "Would you like a bag for these?"
[WAIT FOR RESPONSE. REPEAT IF NECESSARY (IT OFTEN IS). BAG ITEMS IF SO REQUESTED. IF NECESSARY, REMIND CUSTOMER OF TOTAL THEY NEED TO PAY.]

[IF CUSTOMER OFFERS A RIDICULOUSLY LARGE NOTE FOR THEIR 15p POSTCARD:] "I don't suppose you happen to have anything smaller, do you?" [WAIT PATIENTLY FOR CUSTOMER TO ACTUALLY BOTHER TO LOOK AT WHAT CASH THEY'VE GOT AND OFFER SOMETHING REASONABLE.]
[IF CHANGE SITUATION GENUINELY IS DIRE, ADD:] "...Or a card?"
[ELSE, IF IT TAKES A WHILE BUT THEY SEEM TO BE GENUINELY LOOKING:] "...I can cope if you haven't."

[ACCEPT THEIR BEST OFFER OF PAYMENT. STATE THE AMOUNT REQUIRED, THE AMOUNT RECEIVED (IF DIFFERENT), AND THE AMOUNT OF CHANGE BEING GIVEN (IF ANY). THIS IS IMPORTANT CYA STUFF. ]

"...And your receipt."

[WAIT FOR RECEIPT TO BE TAKEN (OR REJECTED)] "OK, thankyou." [SMILE] [ADD ANY PARTING PLEASANTRIES OR WITTICISMS THAT SEEM APPROPRIATE, IF ANY]

[IF IT TAKES THEM A WHILE TO GATHER THEIR WITS AND BELONGINGS, ALLOW THEM 10 SECONDS GRACE]

[IF ANOTHER CUSTOMER IS WAITING, THEN:]
- TURN TO THE NEXT CUSTOMER WITH ARM OUTSTRETCHED OVER THE TOP OF THE SLOW-COACH'S STUFF]
- [IF CUSTOMER IS WITHIN ARM'S REACH AND PAYING ATTENTION:] "Can I help you there?" [THIS *MAY* SERVE AS A PROMPT TO THE SLOW COACH TO GET OUT OF THE WAY, AND FINISH SORTING THEIR BAGS OUT AWAY FROM THE TILL]
- [ELSE:] "Who's next please?" [REPEAT UNTIL NEXT CUSTOMER WAKES UP]
[ELSE: LEAVE TILL AND GO BACK TO WHATEVER YOU WERE DOING BEFORE]

Summary: Inside, I can be as grumpy as I like (and frequently am, of late). I'm just (usually) not mean and/or stupid enough to show it.

Thank God for all those acting lesson, eh? =:o}

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

[EXPLOIT TIME DURING WHICH CUSTOMER IS FUMBLING FOR CASH]

You could write a novel while I'm doing that.

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

Maybe *you* could. I'd barely have time to decide which colour paper to use. =:o\

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

AHA HA AHHAH HA

You have summed up the beginning writer experience in a sentence.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Gumchewing while talking is not uncommon, but the cell phone thing was way out of line.

[browneyedgirl65.livejournal.com]

Chewing gum while talking/working is fairly unremarkable although it is definitely unclassy -- do that in certain circles and you will be instantly branded, tho no one will actually say anything. We like to think that the U.S. is a classless society. Ha.

Talking on the phone is a definite no-no although it's sadly becoming more common to see.

I say thanks all the time to various service people, waiters etc, so I don't know if that's a regional thing, or if, as someone remarked, maybe the OP's accent ;-) or what. I make a point of thanking these people -- they get a lot of crap on top of lousy wages, lousy job environment, etc.

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

"We like to think that the U.S. is a classless society. "

Actually, I think the original wording was "the U.S. is a society with no class". [G,D&RVVF]

...

[RBA]
"I make a point of thanking these people -- they get a lot of crap on top of lousy wages, lousy job environment, etc."

Thankyou. =:o}

[lordshiva.livejournal.com]

Bit surprised at everything people have described, because I live here and work in the service industry. We say thank you to the customer for their custom, and customers often say thanks for helping them. I live on the west coast. Don't know if that makes a difference. But when I was in the south it was also very polite, though sometimes friendly in a way that seemed overly familiar.

I will walk away from a customer who interupts my service to answer a cell phone. And I have been rude to people who were being rude to me. It is never acceptable to carry on private conversations on a cell phone while assisting a customer, although in the larger departments, employees sometimes have to answer calls from customers while assisting customers on the floor. Gum chewing likewise is tacky. But sometimes people are trying to quit smoking:-)

[realtegan.livejournal.com]

Holy crap. I've seen customers talk on a cell phone, but I'd leave the store without buying something if the clerk was on a cell phone while I was attempting to buy something. Then I'd call or write the store and complain to the manager. That simply is not acceptable behavior.

As for "thank you", I always thank folks working in any service industry when they've helped me. Most of the time I get either a nod or a smile in response. A few times they look at me as if I've grown another head. In my opinion, those are the folks that need the "thank you" the most, since they clearly never hear it.

And sadly, the previous comment about chewing gum and class is correct. People who chew gum are automatically put into a different, lower, class by most of society. Particularly if they chew gum at work. I saw it when I worked at an office. It's very strange in some ways... but chewing on something while a person is talking with you is very distracting to that person so maybe it's understandable.

[matthewwolff.livejournal.com]

Nah, these things are rude in the US as well. Depending on how lax the managers of the store you were patronizing are, the chewing gum thing could go by without comment, but talking on the cell phone while helping a customer? I wouldn't imagine that will go too many times without complaints to the managers....
Interestingly, here in New York, I have been to many stores that now sport signs insisting that employees will not serve customers who are talking on cell phones. It makes a lot of sense, when you think about it, it's not only rude, but it also slows down things for other customers waiting for help....

[cheesygirl.livejournal.com]

I have been to many stores that now sport signs insisting that employees will not serve customers who are talking on cell phones.

Oh, amen to that! That is one of the many MANY things that tick me off about common cell phone usage. It's so incredibly rude.

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

"Interestingly, here in New York, I have been to many stores that now sport signs insisting that employees will not serve customers who are talking on cell phones. "

[NODS] That would help prevent situations like this one (http://pbristow.livejournal.com/320982.html). =:o}