being ignored (in local shops)

[moondancer]

I cannot believe that this applies only to me and my family /friends : I can provide a list of indie shops here which fall into the categorie of ignoramus - as in the card shop we entered and approached the desk to have the assistant suddenly throw back his head in a yawn? so many weird experiences here,so many times we have turned tail, the main culprit at the moment being M&S, understocked,under trained, 'enjoy the rest of your day' - erm it is 7pm ? so many times we have been devalued, the times we have been valued are standout, this does not make any sense to me - the rotten shops should be the ones we are wary of.

I have had an unbelievable experience here with a new opening which I will describe later this month, : it is all very well people saying : O I ... blah blah blah but really, check out the cons.

Perhaps it is living in France for so long - that now I expect and imagine a salutation or at least a recognition of my physical presence - who knows, but really - I am a paying customer - you are a small shop- you are denying my presence ??? this is not an egotistical experience, this is an exercise in courtesy

feel free to list, please, can we raise the standards here, and why don't we have a Waitrose ???

[cohen22]

There is obviously a very large hole in your tiny little life. There's a Waitrose in Beckenham. I would suggest you moved there... or maybe just move back to France!!

[ollieloudon]

Could just be me but don't feel the need for validation from someone earning ?8.40 an hour whether you buy something or not. Enjoy the rest of your day at 7pm , yes you have 5 hours left to enjoy I don't understand your criticism. This is by far the most pathetic post if heard on this forum. Period. Get A job in the service industry and see how you do. Embarrassment.

PS Cohen22 I like you and your previous post feel like we would get on xx

[LurkyMcLurker]

I, for one, applaud you Moondancer.

For too long we've had to put up with subpar service from local shops and eateries.

I remember a time when customer service meant something! Nowadays the help don't even bow when I enter the M&S.

It's all a travesty.

[Sue]

Personally the last thing I want when I go into a shop is to be greeted, when I just want to have a mooch around in peace.

Unless I know the person concerned, that's different!

[rendelharris]

Don't know where you were in France squire but by far - by an order of magnitude - the worst condescension, rudeness and poor customer service I've ever experienced was living in Paris. I feared it was due to my accent until I saw exactly the same happen to many native French friends.

What's wrong with saying enjoy the rest of your day at 7PM? Would you prefer "not much of the day left so hope it's a bit crap"? For most people around 7PM is when the part of the day they really enjoy - family, eating, socialising etc - starts!

[Robert Poste's Child]

Moondancer has a point, though: as every restaurateur knows, it's service and general ambience that brings people back and turns them into regulars. When everyone's bewailing the death of the high street and well-known names are going under, poor service is such an own goal.

I spent a hilarious 20 minutes trying to get help in a big M&S last week and all the staff were too busy huddling in twos and threes bitching about a colleague to notice me!

[moondancer]

cohen22 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There is obviously a very large hole in your tiny

> little life. There's a Waitrose in Beckenham. I

> would suggest you moved there... or maybe just

> move back to France!!

thank you for your response, i will consider this upheaval in all seriousness

[moondancer]

ollieloudon Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Could just be me but don't feel the need for

> validation from someone earning ?8.40 an hour

> whether you buy something or not. Enjoy the rest

> of your day at 7pm , yes you have 5 hours left to

> enjoy I don't understand your criticism. This is

> by far the most pathetic post if heard on this

> forum. Period. Get A job in the service industry

> and see how you do. Embarrassment.

hank you for your response : you are surmising that I have indeed not been in this position and unable to empathise - nevertheless I would not describe anyone's heartfelt post as pathetic - this as I am sure you will consider am, says more about you than it ever could about me and mine - so dismissive, rude, disparaging, unsympathetic, traducing, etc

> PS Cohen22 I like you and your previous post feel

> like we would get on xx

[moondancer]

LurkyMcLurker Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I, for one, applaud you Moondancer.

>

> For too long we've had to put up with subpar

> service from local shops and eateries.

>

> I remember a time when customer service meant

> something! Nowadays the help don't even bow when I

> enter the M&S.

how astonishing that you would allow this as your first post ....

>

> It's all a travesty.

[moondancer]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Personally the last thing I want when I go into a

> shop is to be greeted, when I just want to have a

> mooch around in peace.

>

> Unless I know the person concerned, that's

> different!

different is what you do, Sue

[moondancer]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Moondancer has a point, though: as every

> restaurateur knows, it's service and general

> ambience that brings people back and turns them

> into regulars. When everyone's bewailing the death

> of the high street and well-known names are going

> under, poor service is such an own goal.

>

> I spent a hilarious 20 minutes trying to get help

> in a big M&S last week and all the staff were too

> busy huddling in twos and threes bitching about a

> colleague to notice me!

thank you for raising the standard, RP child !

[Jim1234]

I find the local shopkeepers here incredibly friendly and know many of them by name - I don't think you'd get that in the majority of the rest of London.

Best solution is stop shopping in chains that exploit their workers in such cruel conditions.

[Robert Poste's Child]

Shops aside, I think that in my lifetime we've lost many of the basic daily courtesies that you still find in other countries, and London is ahead of the rest of the country in this. One of the things that always surprises me about the US is the amount of sirring and madaming that goes on where you just wouldn't hear it here any more, including situations where no money is changing hands. Also at work: when I have worked or had meetings in continental Europe, everyone always greets their colleagues clearly and formally whereas here you often get ignored or grunted at.

[moondancer]

Do you not realise? all you who have left disparaging/ad hominen comments, that you are receiving the service which the shopkeepers/landlords/bar staff/brunch suppliers deem that you deserve? And that you are buying into this? Have a good rest of the evening you all.

This week to La Rochelle, Isle de Re and Biarritz, and back to our house in the Charente, no one can walk past without acknowledging a physical presence, so no, I do not 'have tomove there' I already am.

I feel sorry for those of you who do not know or appreciate charm, acknowledgement, good service, and realise from your charmless responses that I am alone in this.

Please, enjoy the rest of your day.

This will not inhibit me from describing my experience with a local business this week, which I will engage upon my return.

[Robert Poste's Child]

To be fair to the M&S food hall staff, they're probably freezing.

[ollieloudon]

moondancer Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ollieloudon Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Could just be me but don't feel the need for

> > validation from someone earning ?8.40 an hour

> > whether you buy something or not. Enjoy the

> rest

> > of your day at 7pm , yes you have 5 hours left

> to

> > enjoy I don't understand your criticism. This

> is

> > by far the most pathetic post if heard on this

> > forum. Period. Get A job in the service

> industry

> > and see how you do. Embarrassment.

>

> hank you for your response : you are surmising

> that I have indeed not been in this position and

> unable to empathise - nevertheless I would not

> describe anyone's heartfelt post as pathetic -

> this as I am sure you will consider am, says more

> about you than it ever could about me and mine -

> so dismissive, rude, disparaging, unsympathetic,

> traducing, etc

> > PS Cohen22 I like you and your previous post

> feel

> > like we would get on xx

Being told to enjoy the rest of your day at 7pm doesn't warrant sympathy. Next

[rendelharris]

moondancer Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Do you not realise? all you who have left

> disparaging/ad hominen comments, that you are

> receiving the service which the

> shopkeepers/landlords/bar staff/brunch suppliers

> deem that you deserve?

It's true, my brunch supplier has been mildly taciturn recently, I must have a word.

If everyone, according to you, gets the service the provider thinks they deserve, does this not make you think about why you may be receiving poor service? Or is it easier just to accuse those who find your post just a trifle whiny and pompous ("and why don't we have a Waitrose???") of lacking charm? Customer interactions are a two-way street, if you go in with what appears to be a comically haughty and superior attitude don't be surprised if people don't fawn all over you.

[Robert Poste's Child]

Oh, come on everyone - Moondancer is usually a considered and thoughtful poster and I don't think s/he deserves all the vitriol.

[Sue]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Oh, come on everyone - Moondancer is usually a

> considered and thoughtful poster and I don't think

> s/he deserves all the vitriol.

What happened today, then? :))

[Robert Poste's Child]

Maybe it was one rude person too many? Someone yawning in your face is pretty dire; wouldn't make you more inclined to spend your hard-earned there, anyway.

I also wonder if English may not be Moondancer's first language and some of the nuances may sound different to other people.

[Passiflora]

Whatever, but have to agree with rendelharris about French people's rudeness and terrible acknowledgement of anybody if they are not from France or can't speak French!

Spent a week in Paris in 2001 for a 10th wedding anniversary (which my husband had arranged) but I couldn't wait to get bsck and I would never visit France again!

[uncleglen]

I would relate a hilarious example of being ignored in one of those sports shop chains but RH will accuse me of lying...it was not me personally being ignored but someone else

[rendelharris]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Maybe it was one rude person too many? Someone

> yawning in your face is pretty dire; wouldn't make

> you more inclined to spend your hard-earned there,

> anyway.

"we entered and approached the desk to have the assistant suddenly throw back his head in a yawn" - not while they were talking to him, not in their face, as they approached the desk. You know what, maybe they were tired, sometimes you can't stop yourself yawning any more than you can stop sneezing. I reckon people in France might yawn sometimes - by golly I reckon even staff in Waitrose yawn sometimes. The level of entitlement on display in the OP is astonishing. I've actually been chuckling to myself on and off since reading it at the thought that someone objects - actually seriously objects - to someone saying "Enjoy the rest of your day" to them. Absurd.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I find the majority of staff lovely in Dulwich. Yawning to me isn?t rude, it?s a bit like sneezing, it?s quite hard to hold back. Have a nice day when it?s 7pm is not rude. I?ve accidentally said ?Good Morning? when it?s afternoon, sometimes people just aren?t quite with it, they are only human after all.