Does it frustrate you when you walk into a store or an office, and nobody bothers to at least glance at you to acknowledge that they see you?

Yes, it hacks me off, for sure. They either ignore you or won’t leave you alone. Our Walgreen’s here is good for speaking to you when you walk in the door. The checker always gives you a shout out. It must be company policy to do that, as they all do.

Man this drives me insane, but I think, unfortunately, that it is just a sign of the times. Some people are now so rude and they seem
to view politeness and compassion as a sign of weakness!!!!

I used to work on a reception of a busy leisure centre and it was pretty much impossible to acknowledge everybody who walked in the door all the time. Not only did we often have queues of people but also there would often be tens of people walking through the door. It is not possible to acknowledge every single person and give good customer service to the person you are serving at the front of the queue. In quieter moments it was easy to say hello to everyone who walked through the door. In the rush ours it wasn’t even possible to look at everyone.

Because of that, when I walk into a shop or centre where there is a reception, if it is busy I am not worried about whether anyone acknowledges me or not. I understand that they are busy.

No problem – just wear a Burkha and a knapsack and they won’t take their eyes off you.

I never had a problem with glancing up and at least making eye contact without interrupting whomever I was working directly with at the moment. But I understand. If a place is totally packed, and people swarming through the doors, that’s one thing. I wouldn’t really expect acknowledgment in that kind of situation, at least not right away. I don’t expect it when I’m in the checkout line at Walmart, either But I’m talking about being the only customer in there and it happens, that’s unbelievably rude, IMO!

@DarkScribe LOL! I’ll remember that!!

Nope… frankly I’d rather be left alone. I’m not big on hello and goodbye… don’t ask me why. I never have been.

@poofandmook I kind of understand what you’re saying. I hate preliminary chit chat, like on the phone, when you’re calling for a specific purpose. As a customer, however, I don’t like being ignored.

@Val123: yeah, I’d prefer being ignored as a customer unless I approach them with an issue, or unless it’s ridiculously obvious that I need help.

I went to a Polish Specialty Food store in town to get some fresh Kielbase and fresh Pierogi… (both home made) there were two people behind the counter and one woman who they were waiting on… the three ladies were chatting it up in Polish for a good five minutes, and it was as if I didn’t exist… I turned around and left…

It always seems to happen to me just when I need someone at any other store I’m at. I could be clothes shopping and in my own little world (happy to be left alone) and sales people will ask me if I need help.. then the very time I’m in a store and DO need help, nobody is around.

It is frustrating when you want help, there’s none to be found. In this market, it would seem to be important that the customer is not ignored. So many places offer the same things, and getting you to purchase from them would be a plus.
I get so aggravated when you go into “name a store” and the clerks are just busy chatting with each other, or talking about someone who was just there, to bother with me. My money spends anywhere, and if I don’t get good customer service, i don’t go back. On the other end, if I do get good service, I will talk it up.

When I get really frustrated, (not something that happens often), I always do the same thing. I take out my phone and call the business, ask to speak to the manager and suggest that they organise some service for me. It works every time.

Actually, I love it when that happens. Greeters and salesman are nagging and annoying.

Yes, sometimes this drives me nuts. This weekend I went into my local grocery/liquor market and the owner was working the check-out stand. He was on the phone when I walked up and didn’t acknowledge me for some time. Then got off the phone and rang me up without ever once looking me in the face or greeting me. And he actually TOSSED my ATM card back at me across the counter after he’d swiped it. I thought he was really rude and in the future I’ll probably go there less often. I am a fairly regular customer and they’re never really very helpful in there.

No, I’m anti-social.

@J0E I’m not talking about greeters and salesmen. I’m talking about, like, well, whenever I walk into our little newspaper office, there are four women there, and they just ignore me (and everyone else) for a few minutes, before they grudgingly get up to see if you need something. Same thing at our business office at our local hospital. I don’t mind waiting while people finish up whatever they’re doing, but some acknowledgment that they know I’m waiting would be nice.

Its becoming rude or uncomfortable nowadays to make eye contact I’m guessing, I’d prefer to be left alone while I’m shopping unless I need help.

@Samurai Dang it! I need to think more carefully when I ask my questions, because I’m not referring to shopping. I’m referring to walking into a place of business, and the only reason you would be there would be to talk to someone about something. Like, if you walk up to check in at the Dr.‘s office and get ignored or something. Or go up to the ordering counter at a fast food restaurant, and they don’t even acknowledge you.

@Val123 isn’t a store a shop?

@Val123 Ah, I see what you mean, but I still find it better being ignored for a moment rather then them making a big deal that I’ve arrived. Still, it should make sense that the customer should get the respect he/she deserves.

@Leanne1986 I don’t understand. I wouldn’t consider the insurance office or a doctors office a shop or a store….Oh, wait. I understand. I referenced “store” in my question. Shouldn’t have! I need think my Q’s out a little more

@Samurai No, not making a big deal, just making eye contact or something so you know that they know you’re there, and they’ll be with you in a moment. When they don’t acknowledge you at all, it kind of leaves you shuffling your feet wondering if you should say, “Um. Excuse me?” when there is no way they couldn’t have seen you come in!

@Val123 Ah yeah, I get your point and agree with it.

@Val123 If we’re talking about an office then yes I would get a bit irritated. I hate it when you walk into a quiet office in need of assistance so you say “excuse me” and then they look at you as if you should be ashamed of interrupting them…

Wait….maybe that only happens to me???

But yes @Val123 if we’re talking about offices rather than stores I see your point!

@Samurai At last! I’m trying to do more better with my questions!
@Leanne1986 I worked briefly in a public office of four women. They’d been there for EVER. I was the new kid on the block, but had been in customer service for umpteen years. I knew from experience that these women would just ignore anyone walking into the office for several seconds, because I’d had reason to go into that office before. Well, here’s me, Immediately and cheerfully greeting the customers coming in—and boy did I get dirty looks from the other gals. It was WEIRD. Some sort of power trip, I think….

@Val123 OK I’m with ya. Any office should acknowledge you upon arrival. If the receptionist is on the phone, put up a finger (not that one) so they say, hey I see you. But when you stand and wait, or have to clear your throat, cough or finally say, hey can I get some help, I’d be ready to leave.
A Doctors office that doesn’t atleast nod your way – I like what @DarkScribe said ” take out your phone and call them” I’m sure going to remember that!

@Skippy Call them! That IS funny!

Yeah, it’s frustrating. Especially when it looks like they aren’t doing anything work related, but just talking on the phone to a friend, or just not wanting to be involved—it kills me. Especially if I’m in a hurry. Generally I make it my business not to do any further business with such a business if I can at all avoid it.

As to your “gals,” I agree that it’s a power trip. They probably had gotten so used to doing nothing, that they resented customers, and they didn’t like you breaking into their sweet little dirty deal. I don’t suppose you lasted long there? Unless you don’t mind being an object of scorn by your fellow employees?

Uh, shall we say, it was not a good fit! EVERYTHING that I considered an asset, customer service skills, follow up on customers, computer skills, everything was held against me. None of them litereally had any idea what to do with Word or Excel..or anything. When I started using programs like that to organize myself, it was like, (Said really snotty) ”What are you DOING??!!” And, above all, “That’s not how we do it!” Well, just guessin’ the last time they made any procedure changes would have been, oh, in the 70’s at some time!! Srsly. They had actually gotten computers about 6 years earlier, but all they knew were the specialized programs for their jobs. It was a nightmare. I’d come home at night and literally cry.

I’m sure there’s a special circle of hell for such people as that! Or there would have been, had Dante only had the good graces to be born a little more recently.