I work in customer service and I am getting sick and tired of people coming up to me expecting service while talking on their phones. My job requires me to ask some questions in order to provide that service. I can’t very well do that while you’re blabing away to whoever about nothing important. If you must take or make a call at that very moment please wait until that call is done before you come up to me. It’s called common courtesy people!!!
—Frustrated with stupid customers
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2009.
Just politely tell the cunt, “I’ll help you as soon as you’re finshed your phone call.”
its not being rude or “not doing your job”. Its what you wrote – common couresty. If the customer cannot wrap their head around that, fuck ’em. You don’t exist to be their beckon-call.
I used to do it at the NSLC. If they get pissed off that’s their own problem. A good manager will stand by their employee instead of telling the customer they’re always right.
I second NGF!
What irritates me is when employees answer the phone when I’m standing right there, and have been waiting for service. Why should someone who waited four rings get service before me? I walked out of PC Medic the other day for this very reason. (Don’t ask what I was doing at PC Medic.)
Would you be annoyed if you called and no one answered?
No, for the reason I stated – I’d assume they were busy with other customers! I’d call back later.
once a dude came up to cash, on his phone, im like “hi, how can i help you?” and that silly motherfucker put his goddamn finger in my face as if to say “one sec”….. what a class A douche!!!
I hope you returned the courtesy when he got off the phone. Please say you returned the courtesy.
When I worked at SS and someone came up and was on their cell phone I would ignore the phone, lean in and just say [loudly] whatever I had to say. They usually got the point.
I hate trying to deal with people when they’re on the phone. And when you’re on the phone with someone and they start talking to someone else on their end.
not to mention those who are to busy talking on there phones holding up lines at any and every fast food or coffee joint!!
I worked a job once, where I was able to send these assholes to the back of the line.
Everytime I did so, it made my day!
Makes you wonder how people fucking survived without a cell phone!! Fuck you cannot even go to teh grocery store without some stupid bitch pushing a cart with her cell phone to her ear. We live in a world where people expect to talk to people immediately. Nothing can wait. It is sad really.
It’s the customers’ not so subtle way of telling you that they consider the person they’re talking to more important than you OP. Their priorities are different than yours. Is it rude? Yes. Is there anything you can do? Not really. Though I do like PK’s strategy.
iPods piss me off too. At least turn the volume down when you’re interacting with other people.
As for the point brought up about the employee answering their phone while a customer is at the counter, what ever happened to saying “Hello, company name, please hold” or just letting it go to voicemail and calling them back?
I let the phone ring off the hook while helping people, but man you should see my boss have a panic attack lunging for the phone, its sad, really.
The ‘please hold’ thing doesn’t work in some enviroments, I can do a quick phone answer and then get tied up for 45 minutes, no joke. I cringe when the phone rings.
Alexander Graham Bell should be dug up and kicked severely in the goolies for inventing the tossing phone…. for some it’s a lifesaver but for others it’s the most anti-social piece of equipment ever thrust upon us.
I used to work as a bank teller many years ago and this used to piss me off royally. I got to the point where I refused to serve clients until they got off their phones. I would not address or process transactions for any individuals while they were talking on cell phones, then when the line up would get long I would announce to the waiting customers that they had the phone yacker to thank. Many red faces followed.
Yup, way to go. If they’re yakking on their cells and not move aside, just call “NEXT”.
I get a kick out of the people who have cell phones and HAVE to be making calls to people every second! As soon as one conversation ends, they’re dialing another person and the only thing they say is, “Hey – what’re ya doin’?”
agreed that would annoy me!!