Around two weeks ago, a checkout worker at a Sainsbury's (one of the UK's largest supermarket companies) denied service to a customer until said customer ended her phone call:
Sainsbury's apologised to the customer, who has since said that she will shop at a rival supermarket from now on; Sainsbury's itself welcomes debate over the issue. I agree with the checkout worker and I don't think that Sainsbury's should have apologised: the shopper was the one in the wrong in this situation.
There are several reasons why I think this: for one, there is no reason to be talking on a phone in a supermarket unless you're asking someone if there are any groceries that you need to pick up. Secondly, a shopper on the phone at the checkout delays the queue. Thirdly, it's pure rudeness: checkout workers are people, too, and there is no reason to ignore them; when you're paying for your shopping, the person operating the checkout should be your focus of attention, not somebody who is irrelevant to the situation.
The second article said that Sainsbury's are quietly supporting their employee. I hope that this is still the case: the checkout worker was justified in their actions, and phone usage at the checkout should be discouraged.
What do you think?
Oh my God, whenever people talk on the phone in the check out line, it annoys the crap out of me. I mean, really? Is it that important? I felt that way when parents were chatting away taking their kids to school and ignored speed limits. Nan was a crossing guard and one of her coworkers was hit because people weren't paying attention. Really? What could be more important?
ReplyDeleteI hate it when I see parents ignore their babies or toddlers in favor of using their phones; it saddens me when I see a parent pushing their child's stroller, but instead of speaking to their child, they're messing around with their phone. :(
DeleteI totally agree with you!
ReplyDeleteThanks. :)
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