I agree and don't like those interruptions either.

But....as illustrated in various posts above, sometimes a customer has waited a long time while that customer is carrying on a detailed conversation with the store clerk, discussing everything personal and nothing business related. People who actually want to buy something shouldn't have to wait for a customer telling their forlorn life story, or gossip, to the store clerk/cashier.

Exactly. It's mind boggling to be standing there with your merchandise laid out at the cash register, with money or credit card in hand, after already waiting in line behind 6-8 people.....

....and the cashier seems to think it's more important to attend to "somebody" out there who's out kickin' tires by phone than to actually make a sale and collect money!

Really?? You would want to get the clerk in trouble because he/she is conversing with a customer instead of ignoring them.
This whole issue should go under the heading "don't sweat the small stuff"

Just saying.............

Cabin Fever
 

I echo your sentiment of "What's the hurry? We're retired...etc."
EXCELLENT VIDEO by the way......

I also do not believe it's just a southern trait re neighborly chitchat; up here it happens , especially at this time of the year, or early spring, due to CABIN FEVER.......once people begin interacting with other humans again, all the news comes gushing out .......

Again, it is nothing new. I distinctly remember my mom and my grandmother back in the 1950's literally crossing the street to avoid Mrs. So and So, who would go on endlessly about her ailments, her grandchildren, her problems, etc.........some people just have no one else to talk to. Very sad. But truly, it only takes a few minutes out of a very long day to be kind and listen, if only for a moment.

We also have had neighbors who are more verbal than most; ironically married to very quiet spouses........when we see them walking down our street, most duck indoors to avoid a long long story.........but truthfully, it would be kinder if we all used our God given patience.

Patience is a virtue..........especially while standing in lines, waiting for service.

The video was an excellent reminder. Thanks for sharing.

Sales Clerk answers phone
 

I'm sorry but I don't allow it. I have waited in line, at the store, and now it is my turn to be served. If the clerk reaches for the phone I immediately ask them what are you doing? I tell them they can answer the phone after they are done with me. To me it's the same as having another customer butt in and serve them instead of me. I disagree with previous posters who thinks it is OK to answer the phone. Let it ring.

:1rotfl:

Yea - right! Let the phone ring! Doesn't matter to the caller who has no idea that you're waiting in line and being held up by their call. I wonder if those who say "let the phone ring" would feel the same if it was them calling and waiting and waiting and waiting for an answer (or being on hold) while not knowing that they may be holding anyone else up?

So what's a cashier/clerk to do if he's required by the boss to do both or at least feels compelled to be equally fair to the caller... get in trouble with that boss for not answering the phone or have a complaint filed against them? Give the poor cashier a little patience and understanding, and if you must blame, blame the boss who has that cashier doing both at the same time instead of having another arrangement for having the phones answered whenever possible.

Is it that hard to put ourselves in that cashiers place? I don't think so!

I have a saying for this: "Less talkie - more workie!"

The one's that get my blood boiling are the ones in the left lane that flies past you speeding then swerve over to right lane and slams on the brakes making right hand turn. Now I got slam on my brakes to keep from hitting them when all they had to do was pull in behind me and exit with NO vehicles Behind me. :rant-rave:This also happen on interstate. Speeding down the left lane then swerve across lanes of traffic cutting off me and other people to get to the exit cause they are so important they can't wait 15 seconds by merging to the right and exiting like normal. then there's the ones that don't stop at 4 way stops or pull out into the center of lanes before stopping :rant-rave: I guess they don't know that your not in line till you stop and that suppose to be behind the stop sign:rant-rave:

IMO the cashier should answer the phone and say "please hold as I am waiting on a customer". If the person chooses to hang up that is on them. The key here is that the live customer is there to buy, why should he/she be made to wait behind someone who is probably price shopping?

I agree. I am asked to hold lots of times. I don't mind. It lets you know they are busy with someone already. Another thing is, whenever possible they shouldn't even be transferring a call to a cashier. Whoever answers the phone should take care of it or get a number to call back.

Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Dallas, etc. are all big cities but you would never know it from the politeness of the people that come from there compared to the northeast. I don't know why that is.

My son works for Panera as a computer programmer. He is currently developing a mobile web site that will allow you to place your order before you get into the store or while you are waiting in line. Unfortunately, the people who wait until they get to the clerk before they decide what they want probably won't use the site.

The cashiers that chat with everyone when there is a long line are also a pet peeve of mine as well. There is one in particular in a store that I shop in quite frequently and this girl is always in the express line. People in that lane usually just want a few things and want to get in and she is the slowest cashier I've ever seen. She'll also often initiate conversations with customers about the product they are buying. "Oh, I've never had that before. Is it really good?" "It's not too sweet is it?" "I might try some of that sometime."

I'm really trying to have more patience and not get upset over these things so I really just try to calm myself down and let it go.

Like someone said, I also think that it is a regional thing. People from New England, especially the cities, are not so outgoing. It's not that they're not friendly, they just are quite a bit more reserved.

It was a great video, but I'm sorry. I am so tired of hearing people say that because we're retired we have no place to go. I have plenty of places to go. I belong to several clubs and like to get to them on time. I have doctors appointments. My wife works and sometimes I drop her off and pick her up. I also do volunteer work and it is important that I get there on time. A lot of people have golf tee times, tennis times and times for bocce tournaments and who knows what else.
Yes, I agree we should give ourselves plenty of time to get to our destinations but sometimes things happen that are beyond our control and we get running late.
Like I said, we might be retired, but we're not dead. Many of us find that we are
busier in our retired life than we were when we were working.
Like I said in a previous post, I am trying very hard to become more patient and see things from other people's view. But please don't say "What the hurry? You're retired. You have no place to go."
That's one of my pet peeves.

Sounds like the general theme of response here is, fast or slow, talkative or not, in a hurry or not in a hurry, let's just notice what's going on around us and try to be considerate of other people.