To expect shop staff to be trained NOT to use a certain phrase?

Thanks, bikergran, for given us a view from 'the other side'. I have shopped in our local Co-op for many years and the staff have always been friendly and chatty, but it's relatively recently that they have started asking questions like 'Doing anything nice for the rest of the day/weekend/'. I feel it's a bit impertinent or even nosy and would rather they just helped with the packing. I always place my bag in an open position so they can put the scanned items straight in, but they don't get the hint!

The "doing anything nice ...?' question bugs me too. Not quite as much as the cold callers on the phone who ask me if I am having a nice day, though!

A blast from the past!

www.gransnet.com/forums/chat/a1210526-Supermarket-staff-engaging-with-the-customer

I got stuck behind one of those garrulous old ladies at the till yesterday - and I was running late so was not amused. She had paid her bill but made little effort to pack her stuff away and as she had a shopping trolley the assistant couldn't help her. She just stood there chatting away with her change in her hand and her purse in the other oblivious to the queue building up behind her.

The young woman on the till was obviously embarrassed but doing her best not to look uncomfortable or bored. I had to try very hard to remember that this old person probably lived alone and had no one to talk to at home.

Another one that annoys me is "No one else has complained about it".

Eloethan to that one I always reply 'Well, you won't be able to say that in future!'

"It's not my department" just means, 'It's not my responsibility," imo, phoenix. It was silly of that fishmonger not to just point you to someone who could help you since that's what you asked. But the other staff member did fine, imo, by thanking you and saying she would refer the matter to the manager.

I don't mind staff being "friendly and chatty." But I do mind when one of them gets into long conversations at the till while other customers and I are waiting. If a talkative customer starts it, that's not the staff member's fault, of course. But we have one till lady who starts these lengthy conversations herself. Grrr!!! Some folks love her for it, but most of us shoppers avoid her.

Please bear in mind that it may be the policy of the supermarket that till staff chat to customers. It can be forced on them, some do it with more ease than others and more or less appropriately according to their personality.

Personally I'd rather pack my bags in peace and sometimes say something like 'I hope you won't think me rude but I need to concentrate' usually the staff member quietens down and often looks relieved. Ive been known to feed back my irritations about personal questions to central management, you never know if enough of us do it they may listen.

Sorry, bikergran, hadn't read all the posts . You are exactly right. Can't blame the till staff.

Thanks, Nina. Curiouser and curiouser.....

In our Waitrose the staff are very helpful and even the security man goes off to find the right departmental assistant for us.
We use the gun blipper at weekends because we're too busy to pass tbrough the long queues at the tills. The silly thing is they've now combined the quick pay tills with self check, so today I had to wait ages while a customer scanned everything.