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Try living in NYC for a few years! I lived there for 16 years (I'm English) and moving to CT has been a breath of fresh air. People are polite and if the line is slow will engage in pleasant conversation. Maybe I'm still in the honeymoon period, but it has been one of the best things about leaving NYC, being around friendly genuine people on a daily basis. I feel like I'm home again, good manners rule.
Try living in NYC for a few years! I lived there for 16 years (I'm English) and moving to CT has been a breath of fresh air. People are polite and if the line is slow will engage in pleasant conversation. Maybe I'm still in the honeymoon period, but it has been one of the best things about leaving NYC, being around friendly genuine people on a daily basis. I feel like I'm home again, good manners rule.
Wow, where in CT do you live? When a line is taking too long where I live, people start huffing, rolling their eyes, and displaying other hints as if to scream to move quicker!
I have to be honest ... I have not seen two strangers engage in friendly conversation yet in CT.
Wow, where in CT do you live? When a line is taking too long where I live, people start huffing, rolling their eyes, and displaying other hints as if to scream to move quicker!
I have to be honest ... I have not seen two strangers engage in friendly conversation yet in CT.
Ohhh, too bad for you that you haven't been in a long line with me yet When I see people getting frustrated I always tend to start a "meaningless" conversation to attempt to lighten the mood. People tend to laugh at my dumb jokes in those circumstances; probably because they are wondering if I'm crazy... It doesn't always work, though.
And to be honest, I only start the conversation if I'm in a good mood and not late to be somewhere else. Then I'm just as pissy as the next person!!
Give the kids a break, and realize the job is more involved than it used to be.
Spent a long time in my teens, 20's, 30's working retail. I even managed a mall store for some 5 years in a small business owned by a family man who was working hard and asked hard work from his managers and staffers too. The point being is that most new hires didn't know that they were supposed to smile and be attentive. The manager has to tell them what is expected of them while on the job. No leaning on racks with you back to the door, no talking on your phone while customers wait, and sorry to say it but no ignoring other customers, while chatting up just one customer. Yes to long hours on your feet, yes to doing all the stocking of shelves in between customers, yes to doing all the cleaning, yes to unloading the delivery trucks when all he paid for was curbside delivery, yes to running around to paperbag stores just to get bags, yes to moving the store in the middle of the night when the mall tells you to trade spaces, yes to rearranging everything in the store just to make it look fresh and new, yes to nearly breaking your neck on ladders etc. to decorate windows, etc. etc. All for minimum wage or just pennies more. Sorry but these workers aren't there just for customer service any more. Oh one more, yes to dealing with the customers who brag to your face about being a "baracuda" of a customer.
The other end of the spectrum is the chain stores that have a paid position called "Greeter". This is now a bad economy, and look at how hard CT has been hit, which means most stores don't have a "Greeter". The greeter has to stand at the door and draw people in, smile soo hard for soo long that your cheeks hurt. Yes I did that job too.
So, again. Sorry but these workers aren't there just for customer service any more. Give the kids a break, and realize the job is more involved than it used to be.
I find the service is there when I need it most times and I would rather a swiftly moving line then being able to talk about the weather with a customer service rep.
When things are not so busy, if you want conversation, I find it's there most times as well.
The OP to me is the real frustrated and rude person and no matter where you go...there you are.
In other words you prefer dealing with robots who repeat without meaning it: "Can I help you?" in a tone that sounds more like "Why are you bothering me?"
Efficient lines? When there is nobody waiting behind you and they just want you to move away from their arrogant attitudes?
Oh well. I guess it is not only the store employees fault. Some customers can be even worse, I can agree.
Try living in NYC for a few years! I lived there for 16 years (I'm English) and moving to CT has been a breath of fresh air. People are polite and if the line is slow will engage in pleasant conversation. Maybe I'm still in the honeymoon period, but it has been one of the best things about leaving NYC, being around friendly genuine people on a daily basis. I feel like I'm home again, good manners rule.
Maybe I am not that lucky and only deal with people who act like they are new yorkers from wall street or Fifth Ave, but with a min. wage and only high school!
From your posts it sounds like you hate the USA. Good luck with your move out of the country.
No. I don't hate it. I don't even hate the way kids are raised here or the way temporary workers are (not) trained.
I just can't imagine how any business can survive allowing people to be rude and agressive towards customers.
In one of my grad courses I remember how some other students would present in class how serious their retail companies were about recruiting and training, but it is sad to see that executives have no clue what is really happening in the lower tiers of their organizations.
But your response is typical. "You don't agree with me, or you don't like the way I treat you? Get off my store.... get off my country... " LOL keep living like that... denial.... everything is fine.... this country is strong, prosperous and full of pleasant and friendly people... and some even criticize people from France... Oh La La
I find the service is there when I need it most times and I would rather a swiftly moving line then being able to talk about the weather with a customer service rep.
When things are not so busy, if you want conversation, I find it's there most times as well.
The OP to me is the real frustrated and rude person and no matter where you go...there you are.
Frustrated, yes. Rude only as a response to rude people who forget they are there to assist you. Just pretend you are well educated and you are working in retail as a hobby...
I think the customer service is pretty good here. I don't notice much of a difference from other states I have lived in. One difference, this is the first place I have lived in that you are expected to bag your own groceries if a bagger isn't present!
Maybe you should try the BigY in Stratford. I have to shoo them away from bagging my stuff when i use the self-checkout lane.
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When I see people getting frustrated I always tend to start a "meaningless" conversation to attempt to lighten the mood. People tend to laugh at my dumb jokes in those circumstances; probably because they are wondering if I'm crazy...
It doesn't always work, though. 
Give the kids a break, and realize the job is more involved than it used to be.
