Talking on the phone whilst at the checkout

[AP]

there is no way I could even try it, I am never at the shops these days without screaming kids Got enough to deal with!

There are plenty shops I have been to though where the cashiers are all having a jolly amongst themselves and some of the conversations I hear between them are so unprofessional. Goes both ways

 

[Kate&Lucas]

Its actually part of their job

This is the most annoying part!! I don't want someone chatting to me to meet some bloody target. It used to be part of my job when I worked on the phones and every quarter I'd lose out on my bonus for not engaging in pointless chit chat (to build rapport... with a person I'll never speak to again), whilst still trying to juggle the call time to get it in under two minutes. Bugger off!
I hate this sort of thing. Why not just let people do their jobs efficiently without this useless time wasting? And I don't know about anyone else but I sound fake as hell when I try to chat to customers, how are you meant to pretend to give a crap

 

[lau86]

I wouldn't talk on my phone in a shop. They often want to ask questions like do you need help with your packing, so I wouldn't want to hold them up. It does feel rude. Today a work man rang me whilst I was waiting to go to have my blood taken, they called me in as I was on the phone to him, I quickly just said I've got to go.
I work in a hospital, sometimes patients carry on their conversation when it is clear I've come in to speak to them. That gets my back up!! Anyone working in the nhs knows its very time pressured.

 

[Caite]

I wouldn't talk on my phone in a shop. They often want to ask questions like do you need help with your packing, so I wouldn't want to hold them up. It does feel rude. Today a work man rang me whilst I was waiting to go to have my blood taken, they called me in as I was on the phone to him, I quickly just said I've got to go.
I work in a hospital, sometimes patients carry on their conversation when it is clear I've come in to speak to them. That gets my back up!! Anyone working in the nhs knows its very time pressured.

That annoys the hell out of me. When I go to do a mum/baby check, there's loads of things I need to ask about, and the mum is sitting there chatting on her phone. Drives me mad.

I'll use my phone at the checkout. I'll still say hi and bye and whatnot to the person serving. If I'm not on the phone, I can be quite chatty to them. However, I get annoyed when they talk to their colleagues or another customer, and I know at least once, I made a point of saying to my mum 'how rude,' whilst still standing at the till. I also get really annoyed when they tell me to put my pin in or remove my card - I can read!

 

[Blah11]

I hate it. I once had a woman who was obviously early 20's (but under 40, the age which you have to look to not need ID) and she wanted to buy alcohol but she was talking away on the phone not making eye contact with me so i just stood there and waited for her to finish because i NEEDED her ID to start the transaction. She was annoyed but she didnt realize that she held everybody up just to talk crap and in that situation it was essential for me to talk to her since she didnt get the hint and just show ID.

Normally i can understand if they are waiting for me or if its a simple transaction but it still irritates me that they cant wait 5 seconds.

I dont do it, i always call back if im busy.

Under 40?! Who came up with that rule, thats a hell of a jump from 18 haha. I'm sure it's 25 here? I barely get ided these days getting old.

 

[tinkerbelle93]

i work on tills at a department store and it doesn't really bother me, I'm just there to be doing my job. I can see the other side of the argument but with the pace of life today sometimes you have to multi-task and take calls whilst shopping, travelling etc. I'm not really sure what to think! xx

 

[Incubus]

I'll carry on my phone call, I'll say to the person I'm talking to to hold on a second whilst I pay etc. but I'm not gunna hang up on someone to have idle chit chit with someone working on the till the tesco, I hate when they start trying to make conversation with me! It's so awkward and dull.

Ill serve people at work ( I work in nandos) and they will make there food orders whilst still being on the phone, doesn't bother me at all.

 

[// arcadia]

If im shopping i would still say hi no help with packing and thankyou ... thats all i care to engage with them so id use my phone if i needed too.

 

[Button#]

I think it's rude. If I'm on a call and don't want to hang up I use the self service checkout.

 

[MrsBandEgglet]

I work on the checkouts and I'm not that bothered by it, unless they're stroppy and rude to me. I serve a lot of people that are obviously on their lunch break so this is probably the only time they've got to take/make that call. I did have somebody once who put all her shopping down whilst she was talking and walked off, expecting me to pack it, which I did because it's in my job description. she returned to pay and didn't speak a word to me the whole time. No thank you or anything. I was probably overly (and sarcastically) polite and said thank you, have a nice day quite emphatically. I think the best thing to do with rude customers is just rise above it. I try not to talk to my colleagues whilst I'm working too because I think that's really rude but there's this one guy I work with who always insists on talking crap to me. It's really embarrassing and I'm gonna have to say something soon I think cos I can tell customers find it rude.

 

[Natsku]

Its actually part of their job

This is the most annoying part!! I don't want someone chatting to me to meet some bloody target. It used to be part of my job when I worked on the phones and every quarter I'd lose out on my bonus for not engaging in pointless chit chat (to build rapport... with a person I'll never speak to again), whilst still trying to juggle the call time to get it in under two minutes. Bugger off!
I hate this sort of thing. Why not just let people do their jobs efficiently without this useless time wasting? And I don't know about anyone else but I sound fake as hell when I try to chat to customers, how are you meant to pretend to give a crap

Ah you'd like it here then, no small talk at all! The extent of the vast majority of my interactions with cashiers is - Hi, hi, 10 euros, thanks, thanks. bye.

 

[charlotte-xo]

I can't multitask while packing shopping so I'd never purposely be on the phone I'd only ever answer the phone if it was nursery. I don't think it's rude as long as it doesn't slow you down if there are people waking in the que. half of the people who work at my local tesco on the tills are quite ignorant and oh don't even e so much as a hello :/

Xx

 

[Lara310809]

If the person pays attention to the cashier when they need to, and they are ready with their payment when it's required, then I don't see the problem. It is rude, but I get that some people have phone calls they need to take so, whatever. The ones I can't stand are the ones that are so engrossed in their call that they don't greet the cashier, don't pay attention, aren't ready to pay when needed, and hold everyone up.

 

[nic18]

I work with the public, and it annoys me when trying to serve someone and their chatting on the phone, especially when you need to ask something but don't want to interrupt.

 

[highhopes19]

Its actually part of their job

This is the most annoying part!! I don't want someone chatting to me to meet some bloody target. It used to be part of my job when I worked on the phones and every quarter I'd lose out on my bonus for not engaging in pointless chit chat (to build rapport... with a person I'll never speak to again), whilst still trying to juggle the call time to get it in under two minutes. Bugger off!
I hate this sort of thing. Why not just let people do their jobs efficiently without this useless time wasting? And I don't know about anyone else but I sound fake as hell when I try to chat to customers, how are you meant to pretend to give a crap

It's not about meeting targets for a bonus well not for where I work its just what we are told to do... But tbh I just naturally chat away with anyone anyway..
The thing is I'm not being fake talking to customers I genuinely do like talking to them, what a boring shift if we didn't interact and chat with customers

 

[sue_88]

I also think it works both ways.....I would expect the cashier to deal with me alone during a transaction and any cashier I come across that decides to chat to another colleague which I find just as rude, I remember their name and mention it at customer services so they can be told it's not acceptable.

 

[MikaylasMummy]

I do think its rude. However sometimes if I'm really busy but need to be on hold somewhere for a while life has to go on and I will just continue on the phone wherever I need to go. However the person in front of me takes preference and I always apologise to the person serving me and explain iv been on hold so they know i realise its rude. Also if it was going to make me hold up the line I would step out and come back.

 

[Kate&Lucas]

Its actually part of their job

This is the most annoying part!! I don't want someone chatting to me to meet some bloody target. It used to be part of my job when I worked on the phones and every quarter I'd lose out on my bonus for not engaging in pointless chit chat (to build rapport... with a person I'll never speak to again), whilst still trying to juggle the call time to get it in under two minutes. Bugger off!
I hate this sort of thing. Why not just let people do their jobs efficiently without this useless time wasting? And I don't know about anyone else but I sound fake as hell when I try to chat to customers, how are you meant to pretend to give a crap

Ah you'd like it here then, no small talk at all! The extent of the vast majority of my interactions with cashiers is - Hi, hi, 10 euros, thanks, thanks. bye.

Sounds like heaven!

Its actually part of their job

This is the most annoying part!! I don't want someone chatting to me to meet some bloody target. It used to be part of my job when I worked on the phones and every quarter I'd lose out on my bonus for not engaging in pointless chit chat (to build rapport... with a person I'll never speak to again), whilst still trying to juggle the call time to get it in under two minutes. Bugger off!
I hate this sort of thing. Why not just let people do their jobs efficiently without this useless time wasting? And I don't know about anyone else but I sound fake as hell when I try to chat to customers, how are you meant to pretend to give a crap

It's not about meeting targets for a bonus well not for where I work its just what we are told to do... But tbh I just naturally chat away with anyone anyway..
The thing is I'm not being fake talking to customers I genuinely do like talking to them, what a boring shift if we didn't interact and chat with customers

It sounded very fake coming from me

 

[candypanda]

I do it! I really don't care about the small talk and don't see why I should have to be part of a fake conversation after a 13.5 hour shift! I say hello and smile and say thank you but we aren't friends so I don't see the issue?? I just need them to do their job and scan the items, that is all! Lol x

 

[SophiasMummy]

I try not to be on the phone while paying for something, but usually any phone calls I get are important so if someone does ring me while im paying I will either talk to them while im at the checkout of tell them I ill ring them back in a couple minutes. but to be honest im usually taking to m 3 year old while im at checkout I dont give much attention to the cashiers any way not being rude but keeping an eye on LO is more important than giving them my undivided attention