Customer Service Complaints: People who take calls while being served

I have an issue with mobile phones.

Well actually I have an issue with talking on phones in general, but that is another story for another time.

I don’t like when people take calls in restaurants, I don’t like when people take calls on public transport and I sure as hell don’t like when people take phone calls while I am serving them.

It is without a doubt, the rudest thing you could do to someone and is potentially the thing that irritates me most in working in retail.

I don’t know what it is about customers and them thinking they are more important than the people that they are being served by, but everyday while processing sales, I have people answer there phone and give me looks that say, ‘you better not talk to loud, I’m busy’.

Today I had one such lovely customer.

Let me set the scene for you; I was in the middle of processing a sale at the counter when a customer came up and stood behind the person I was serving.

They were on the phone.

I finished up with the first customer and the person on the phone stepped up to the counter and dumped the clothes without looking up or stopping his conversation.

This pissed me off, so I decided to just focus on the paperwork I had to do.

He then tapped the counter in front of me and pointed to the clothes.

Oh no he didn’t!

“Sorry mate, I’m just waiting till you’re off the phone.”

He wasn’t very happy by this and retaliated by mouthing ‘I’m very busy’.

Instead of responding with a simple, I couldn’t care less, I decided to be overly sweet. Overly sweet...and overly loud.

“HOW HAS YOUR DAY BEEN?”

He stared at me, I think in mild shock.

“YOU JUST SHOPPING TODAY?”

He covered the mouthpiece, “I’m just on my break. I’m really busy…can you hurry up.”

Hurry up? To me that means fold every item delicately and fold in tissue paper. He really shouldn’t have said that.

Five minutes later, I finished up folding his three items and got to work finalising the sale.

“THAT’S $359.”

He threw his card on the counter.

Leaning forward as close to the speaker I responded, “IS THAT ON CREDIT OR SAVINGS?”

“Credit.”

“WITH A PIN, OR SIGNATURE?”

He did a pin signal with his finger.

The register slowly printed out his receipt; I ripped it and put it in his bag.

“HAVE A NICE DAY!”

He stared.

“Oh…next time. Get off the phone when buying something…(and muttered) jerk.”

He stared.

“Have a nice day!”

I hate customers.