Patronising or what!?

A shop failed to delivered my order three times.
On my last visit ;
the assistant spoke very loudly and said ,SHALL I WRITE IT DOWN FOR YOU ?
To which,I replied ,no thank you ,but make sure that your company understand basic English and a very simple request .

I try to remind myself that people are trying, though misguidedly, to be helpful as I need to control my blood pressure. I didn’t quite succeed when I was called a little old lady to my face!!!

That’s utterly and completely outrageous!

It happened once when I took my mother to register in a private hospital with my dear mother, same, a clinic appointment, the receptionist said exactly the same, directed at me.

My rather outspoken mother, looked the receptionist right in the eye and said, very loudly, “I am here you know, you can speak to me and I am perfectly capable of filling in this form myself, however I won’t as I have severe arthritis in my hands!”

I couldn’t help but smile!

Sorry, bit muddled in the first sentences! I’m sure you all can work out I was with my mother 😂🤣😂

I know it's annoying but we have to remember they mean well and are probably just trying to help. Some older people don't have a clue with tech so maybe they've just had to assist someone like that.

Honestly, I can't remember how I spoke to older people when I was younger, but we didn't have phones and tablets back then so we didn't need to help anyone with that, only maybe filling in forms.

I agree Chestnut. I really dread to think how I spoke to older people in my 20s. I could be very uppity. Probably still am.

You may be right chestnut some older people don’t have a clue about technology and maybe they do mean well, but at least wait and see if they need help before offering it.
My 100 year old cousin was doing video editing and learning Spanish online up to a couple of years ago and only stopped now because her eyes give her trouble.
It’s good to help but it’s not good to presume a person needs that help

Receptionists, and in fact everyone come to that, should, as part of their work training, be taught to assume that an elderly person is completely compos mentis, unless there is evidence to the contrary.
It would save a lot of irritation.

Anyway Luckygirl3 apart from that, the comments to your daughter was completely unnecessary, as I’m sure she was well aware ( as any daughter would be) that she could help you if necessary !

My reply was to just get on and do it!

That would so anger me - whether I were daughter or Mum.

A couple of years back I came out of the greengrocers, went to cross the road to my car parked on the opposite side - just as I was about to cross my phone beeped and I was waiting for an important message - I must have hesitated for a gazillionth of a second while my mind processed whether I should step back and read message or wait until I got in the car. Decided I would cross and was just about to when a nice young man came along, took my arm and said he would help me across the road.

Ah Ferry so he was a nice young man. What’s to dislike?😂

Esmay

A shop failed to delivered my order three times.
On my last visit ;
the assistant spoke very loudly and said ,SHALL I WRITE IT DOWN FOR YOU ?
To which,I replied ,no thank you ,but make sure that your company understand basic English and a very simple request .

Oh dear 🙄

I remember not that long ago I was working with a girl in the unreserved that I’d worked in for 24 years. I asked this young girl to repeat what she’d said as I had not caught her last sentence room being noisy. She replied oh I forgot you were deaf? 🫣🫣I replied ‘ I do wear a hearing aid because of slight deafness due to my perforated ear drum but I’m quite ok in all other areas! She still hasn’t passed. Her level three after three years!, I may be deaf……..

Sorry typo nursery.

Well, it’s annoying but I don’t see it as anything to get worked up about. It’s kindly meant even if a bit tactless.

I had a friend who used to help old ladies across the road. She helped one lady across only to be told that she hadn’t wanted to cross and now she had missed her bus.

BlueBelle

You may be right chestnut some older people don’t have a clue about technology and maybe they do mean well, but at least wait and see if they need help before offering it.
My 100 year old cousin was doing video editing and learning Spanish online up to a couple of years ago and only stopped now because her eyes give her trouble.
It’s good to help but it’s not good to presume a person needs that help

Yay! Your cousin sounds great.

Luckygirl3

Had to register at reception desk of a private clinic yesterday. My DD was with me as she had done the driving. Receptionist handed me a tablet to do the registration and turned to my DD and said "Perhaps you can help her with it".
Words failed me... at least any remotely polite ones!

I think a good approach is to answer: "I can manage, thanks."

If people keep answering straightforwardly perhaps the 'message' will sink in.

Esmay

A shop failed to delivered my order three times.
On my last visit ;
the assistant spoke very loudly and said ,SHALL I WRITE IT DOWN FOR YOU ?
To which,I replied ,no thank you ,but make sure that your company understand basic English and a very simple request .

I don't understand this post. Write what down? Their failing to deliver suggests they needed your address written down for them.

I've been talked to a couple of times - by GP's Receptionists - as Slowly and Carefully as possible as if I'm deaf and daft. I wonder if I must look like the little old lady, Mrs Wilberforce, in the film The Ladykillers?

Ha ha! It’s a bit “does she take sugar” isn’t it

I don't mind being thought of as a little old lady because I literally am one though admittedly not very old, yet. I haven't noticed anyone trying to insult me or take advantage of that fact.

In fact, I'm rather flattered to be thought any kind of 'lady' 😂

A young man very kindly stepped aside for me to go first, and then said “I think I might have a bit more mileage in me than you”!

Bless him 😆

It was honestly the first time I’ve ever felt my age 😳

Twenty years ago, when I was only in my early 50s, on Saturday nights I worked for a very cool trendy DJ in a club in Manchester who thought it a hoot to serve teas and coffees alongside the usual nightclub bar offerings (to be fair we did sell a lot of teas and coffee so maybe he was on to something). Anyway, as well as the beverages we sold his very popular merch.

One night when the music was particularly loud, a sweet young thing came up to me and said "do you sell hoodies?"
Because of said loud music it took a beat to register what she'd asked and before I could reply she said "Y'know...a sweatshirt...with a hood on?" complete with mimed hand movements and a deeply sympathetic expression.