Serving people while on the phone

[JoeyB]

After yesterdays news story at sainsburys in london where a member of there checkout team refused to serve a woman while she was on the phone has started a debate whats everyone elses thoughts on it?

personally i think the member of staff was right, manners cost nothing, and if i'm ever on the phone i'll say let me ring you back or hold of going through the check out until the call is finished.

 

 

 

Sainsbury's apologises for worker who refused to serve customer on mobile phone Sainsbury's has apologised after one of the supermarket chain's checkout assistants refused to serve a shopper who tried to pay for her shopping while using her mobile phone.

Miss Clarke checked with the customer service desk on her way out of the Stadium Way store and was told it was not company policy Photo: CASCADE NEWS

 

 

Although the supermarket chain does not ban phone use at the checkout, the member of staff took matters into her own hands, refusing to serve a customer while she was on her mobile.

Jo Clarke, the 26-year-old customer, had reached the front of the queue at Sainsbury's in Crayford, south east London, with her mid-week shop.

She said: “I was standing at the foot of the till waiting to bag my shopping up, yet the lady on the checkout was just staring at me, when I stopped my conversation and said: 'Is everything ok?'

"'She said, 'I will not check your shopping out until you get off your mobile phone.’

"'I ended my call swiftly and said to the lady on the checkout, 'Apologies, I didn't realise that it was Sainsbury's policy that you are unable to use your phone at the checkout', and she said, 'Well you learn something new every day'.

Miss Clarke, a property manager from Crayford, checked with the customer service desk on her way out of the Stadium Way store on June 24, and was told it was not company policy.

The checkout assistant’s stance drew support from some, however.

One person writing on the News Shopper website under the name Virtual-Monster said of the incident: “I think using a mobile phone when you are engaged in an activity involving face to face contact with another person is incredibly rude and offensive.

“Unless it's an emergency put the phone away and try being polite and attentive to the person in front of you.

“Manners cost nothing.â€

Another, going by the name Carparkattendant, added: “And good for the checkout assistant. Bad that her employers didn't supported her!â€

Miss Clarke said she had been “dumbfounded†by the checkout assistant’s words.

“I don't know what she was playing at,†she said. “I couldn't believe how rude she was.

"When did she have the right to give me a lecture on checkout etiquette?

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

A Sainsbury's spokesman said: "We have apologised to Ms Clarke and offered her some vouchers. It isn't our policy to not serve customers who are using a mobile phone."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10156070/Sainsburys-apologises-for-worker-who-refused-to-serve-customer-on-mobile-phone.html 

[Dan]

Bit of a non story for me really. Personally think it's just standard poor manners but it doesn't really surprise you.

[Guest MattP]

Yep, totally behind her.

 

Height of rudeness.

 

Like Dan says tough, should this really be making the papers?

[purpleronnie]

Yep I'm with her too.

[Kitchandro]

I don't think it's bad manners to be on the phone in a shop. You're not there to engage in conversation, you're there to buy stuff.

 

The woman not doing her job is totally out of order.

[Zingari]

What the article  doesn't say is that the girl was working as a sex chat line hostess at the time . 

[Jimothy]

What the article doesn't say is that the girl was working as a sex chat line hostess at the time .

Were you on the other end of the phone at the time Zing?

[Zingari]

Were you on the other end of the phone at the time Zing?

 

 

Yes I think it was all the fake orgasm moans that were putting the check out girl off . She couldn't hear the beeps as she was scanning the barcodes .

I wasn't too pleased that she was multi tasking either . Those sex line rates are flippin expensive !!!

 

edit;

she told me she was a slim busty blonde too , I feel really cheated now !!!

[kylestyle06]

I've been on the phone while buying from a shop before and don't see the issue - rude or not i'm not there to have a conversation.

 

If I as the customer wanted to speak to the assistant I would do so.

[hairy]

Totally with the checkout chick. Very rude.

[Rincewind]

There was a similar question on an application form for Tesco.

It basically asked if you were asked to help a customer while there was a queue what would you do?

 

In the Sainsbury case It depends. Was the call a private/personal call? In that case maybe she should not have had the phone with her. Was the phone at the till and from a manager?

Then she could have called another member of staff to help.

 

If there was a queue she should have said I am busy I'll call you back/call back later.

What she shouldn't be is rude.

 

If it was the customer on the phone. It is not nice but not something I'd do. I would not want others to listen in. Depends on how they are serving you if they are asking question then listen. Concentrate on getting the money ready so they can serve the customer behind you as quickly as possible.

[Webbo]

There was a similar question on an application form for Tesco.

It basically asked if you were asked to help a customer while there was a queue what would you do?

 

In the Sainsbury case It depends. Was the call a private/personal call? In that case maybe she should not have had the phone with her. Was the phone at the till and from a manager?

Then she could have called another member of staff to help.

 

If there was a queue she should have said I am busy I'll call you back/call back later.

What she shouldn't be is rude.

It was the customer with the mobile not the cashier.

[Guest MattP]

Fcuking Hell lol

[Soar Fox]

lol

[purpleronnie]

Oh ken.

[kylestyle06]

There was a similar question on an application form for Tesco.

It basically asked if you were asked to help a customer while there was a queue what would you do?

 

In the Sainsbury case It depends. Was the call a private/personal call? In that case maybe she should not have had the phone with her. Was the phone at the till and from a manager?

Then she could have called another member of staff to help.

 

If there was a queue she should have said I am busy I'll call you back/call back later.

What she shouldn't be is rude.

 

I looked at your sig after reading that, and thought thats about right.

[Guest MattP]

Whenever I'm having a bad day I can always rely on 'Ken McCluskey' to cheer me up.

[21st Century Fox]

Wow, Waitrose have got really aggressive with their marketing techniques.

[Rincewind]

It was the customer with the mobile not the cashier.

 

 

Yes I realised that after the first part and could not be bothered to delete it. Was I wrong in what I put? I was just trying to cover everything and not treat it as black and white.

 

I've never heard of it being done before or making the papers. No good news in the Mail then?

[Webbo]

Yes I realised that after the first part and could not be bothered to delete it. Was I wrong in what I put? I was just trying to cover everything and not treat it as black and white.

 

I've never heard of it being done before or making the papers. No good news in the Mail then?

It was in the Telegraph? 

[Rincewind]

It was in the Telegraph? 

Still a non-story. Not one that our newspaper would publish.

[Jace]

Both rude the customer should show more respect and the till operator clearly needs some customer service training, and as for you Rincewind I am lost for words

[Webbo]

Still a non-story. Not one that our newspaper would publish.

So why did you comment on it?

[Rincewind]

Both rude the customer should show more respect and the till operator clearly needs some customer service training, and as for you Rincewind I am lost for words

 I thought that is what I said in more wore words.

[Guest MattP]

 I thought that is what I said in more wore words.

 

It isn't at all.

 

You assumed the cashier was on the Mobile