Is this the easest way to lose customers, or am I just having a really bad week!

[Successful Selling]

I've just been refused to be served in a sandwich shop because i was on my mobile.


I had never been in this shop before and stood in the queue with everyone else. I had made my choice well before i was served. I was on my phone, but in silence (the other person was doing all the talking). When i got to the front of the queue, they ignored me and served the person behind me. There were three people serving so i assumed they all thought i was being served by someone else and had missed me out. I said nothing. However, when a second person behind me was also served, I pointed out to staff that i was actually waiting. All three staff ignored me which i thought was weird. In a slightly louder voice I tried to point out their mistake again, but again, i was ignored. Then, a customer in the queue behind me tapped me on the shoulder and informed me they would not serve anyone who was on their mobile. He then pointed to a sign behind the counter which said "Our staff do not talk on their mobile phones while serving you. We would respectably request that you do the same while being served by them".


I was totally gobsmacked. I lowered my phone so it wasn't near my ear and asked a member of staff if the sign was serious. He informed me it was and pointed out that "Manners cost nothing sir".


Admittedly I may gone too far with my reply. I said "I don't want to be invited around your house for Sunday Lunch, nor be introduced to your family. I don't need to know how your day is going or how cold it is outside, I simply wanna give you a few quid for a sandwich and get back to work." They all ignored me and carried on serving others.


I then left the shop drove for approx one minute to Tesco Express and bought a sandwich there.


If that's their policy, then fair enough and fair play to them for sticking to it. However, in a day and age where companies like Tesco's are putting small businesses out of business every week, I just don't understand how they are willing to lose a customer so easily. It's a shame - cause their food looked nice.


Maybe I'm having a bad week and i'm the one out of order. It just amazed me that they were willing to lose business over something like this.

 

[Fearghal]

Was this an independent sandwich shop or part of a chain?

Very surprised at this.

 

[Successful Selling]

Was this an independent sandwich shop or part of a chain?

Independent.

 

[deniser]

I wouldn't refuse to serve someone but there are few things more annoying than a customer standing in front of you in a shop talking on a mobile, completely ignoring you, and you the shopkeeper standing there like a lemon waiting for the conversation to end.

You may not have been speaking and may be a good multi tasker but most people cannot communicate their order/do their shopping whilst being on the phone and things grind to a halt.

Good for the sandwich bar I say!

 

[Paul_Rosser]

If thats their policy then fair enough, but there should be a big sign up telling you the rules of their shop.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

I would consider it bad manners to use a mobile whilst expecting to be served, but then i am a old crinkley who remembers life without mobile phones

 

[thelegalstop]

Wow, that really surprises me, but this is their policy. They might lose some clients, but it is possible that many clients approve this and visit them more often.

 

[mhall]

I won't buy from Retailers who are on the phone with their hand stuck out for cash. I think it's only fair that I also have manners and common courtesy to concentrate on the person talking to me.

Sorry, but I think you've had a bad week.

 

[Successful Selling]

They might lose some clients, but it is possible that many clients approve this and visit them more often.

But would you take that chance?

I understand they could preceive people on the phone as being rude, but I wasn't looking to build a long term business relationship with them. If I was swearing at them or being agressive then I get that, but as far as they are concerned, the 'business relationship' they have with a large majority of their customers consists of a 20-40 second meeting, in which argubaly, there is no negotiation or contractual obligation required by either party.

I just see they have all the systems in place to trade and yet are not maximising the sales from it.

 

[Deleted member 138423]

If a shop can turn custom away such as in this case, then that's their decision! Manners are one thing, but cutting a nose to spite a face is entirely another. The guy on the phone could have been speaking to an office and getting their orders for this sandwich shop! It's a very fickle policy imho.

 

[Paul_Rosser]

Maybe they just watched a bit too much Seinfeld

 

[kate1]

MHall, agree with you, the amount of times I have had a hand stuck out for cash, whilst the shop has been on the phone, one particular establishment I go to the receptionist is having a full time conversation with the patient on the phone as if she is talking to family. Think I probably waited 15 minutes once whilst listening. Bad move of this shop I say - its about money. I work for a catering company and if they refused to serve somebody because they are on the phone, they would soon be losing business.

 

[deniser]

Yes, it goes both ways.

 

[swankypants69]

I can see both sides of the story, as I have been on both sides of the counter in this situation

By being on the phone while ordering you are not allowing the member of staff/business to fully engage with you. This could inhibit the service they are trying to provide to you. This might not be important to you, but it might be to them.

How many accountants, solicitors, marketing consultants, SEO experts etc out there would be happy to discuss/conduct business with you while you were on the phone to someone else?

I guess it does come down to respect and old fashioned manners

The times they are a changing.......

 

[PDRD]

Wow amazing responses on here.

Do you not see it as rude to go in and wait and be served while on the phone? I agree 100% with the shop.

Are you really that busy that you didnt have time to wait outside until you had finished your conversation? I assume you continued this talk while driving to tesco?

 

[Paul_Rosser]

How many accountants, solicitors, marketing consultants, SEO experts etc out there would be happy to discuss/conduct business with you while you were on the phone to someone else?

I guess it does come down to respect and old fashioned manners

The times they are a changing.......

Conducting business regarding accounting, legal etc. Is a bit more difficult and does need the client to give you 100% concentration. Getting what filling someone would like in their sandwhich isn't quite the same.

I often have clients answer the phone during meetings with me and I just wait for them to finish, they are the paying customer so if they want to take a call then that's fine, I however would never answer the phone in a client meeting.

 

[swankypants69]

The level of respect required is still the same though IMHO

Best get back to polishing the chip on my shoulder ;-)

 

[kate1]

Agree with you Paul, business is about making money, not personal preferences

 

[Successful Selling]

Are you really that busy that you didnt have time to wait outside until you had finished your conversation? I assume you continued this talk while driving to tesco?

Yes and no. I wasn't that busy, but I'd been up since 4am trying to speak to a guy in Hong Kong. We kept missing each other and by the time he rang back and I'd found a translator it was around 1pm. I was still on the phone to him at 3pm, so yes, i was still on the phone to him at while driving to tesco.

I wouldn't have waited outside the sandwich shop until the conversation finished, no.

 

[simon field]

If someone has a phone pinned to their ear, then they are in the middle of a conversation.

My mum always taught me that it's rude to interrupt if someone's in the middle of a conversation.

OP, would you have minded if the member of staff who served you was talking/texting on their mobile whilst serving you?

 

[Deleted member 138423]

Is this thread for real?! Customer on the phone whilst waiting to PAY for an item and the shop refuses to serve him and you think this is a good call! Seriously?!?!

I used to frequent a pub where the landlord in his wisdom stopped males wearing jeans in the pub at the weekends. He didn't keep that policy for long...

 

[simon field]

Is this thread for real?! Customer on the phone whilst waiting to PAY for an item and the shop refuses to serve him and you think this is a good call! Seriously?!?!

I used to frequent a pub where the landlord in his wisdom stopped males wearing jeans in the pub at the weekends. He didn't keep that policy for long...

Sandwich maker waiting to make the customer a sandwich, sees customer on phone, serves other paying customers whilst phoney customer finishes phone call and is less busy.

It's just manners, that's all.

Anyway, bottom line is the OP had to endure a Tesco "sandwich" (beef and horseradish maybe) so there you have it.

 

[Deleted member 138423]

Sandwich maker waiting to make the customer a sandwich, sees customer on phone, serves other paying customers whilst phoney customer finishes phone call and is less busy.

It's just manners, that's all.

Anyway, bottom line is the OP had to endure a Tesco "sandwich" (beef and horseradish maybe) so there you have it.

OK, at the cost of this being construed as argumentative, this is my last post; Sandwich maker assumes customer with phone is being rude because he has phone to ear. Ignores him, Happens again so customer points out he's waiting to be served. Sanwich maker reprimands him and when customer retorts, sanwich maker ignores him fully followed by the other staff! get the facts right and read what the OP read!

I love horse meat thankfully, it's part of my stable diet now, though I haven't been eating it furlong......

 

[simon field]

Please note I'm only thanking you because I share your love of awful jokes

 

[Successful Selling]

OP, would you have minded if the member of staff who served you was talking/texting on their mobile whilst serving you?

As long as i got my sandwich - I wouldn't care if she was breast feeding her 9 yr old child, whilst at the same time speaking French and balancing a football on her nose.

After all, I (the person willing to give this business their money), only went in for a sandwich.

 

[simon field]

As long as i got my sandwich - I wouldn't care if she was breast feeding her 9 yr old child, whilst at the same time speaking French and balancing a football on her nose.

After all, I (the person willing to give this business their money), only went in for a sandwich.

Fair enough. Maybe most people wouldn't care and I'm just petty.

So how was the Tesco stalewich, sorry, sandwich

 

[Hunnie]

Hi,
As a retailer I always ask any customers who are browsing if they mind if I answer, when an coming call occurs whilst they are still there.
If the call comes as I am serving I just ignore it.

As a customer, if in a queue I would take the call but would try to end it when about to be served, with a view to call them back.

In the OPs case it seems the call was important and long distance so difficult to postpone.

As a retailer faced with a customer on the phone I would try to gauge their level of ability to still communicate their purchase. If they appeared too engrossed in their own conversation I would move on to another customer.

Regards
Hunnie

 

[Young Recruit]

I admire the sandwich maker sticking to his morals.

Perhaps he has decided to create a certain atmosphere in his shop which he believes his target customers will value and he's sticking to his plan. In the long term this may pay off and differentiate the shop.

Then again he may just be a dusty luddite dinosaur.

JA

 

[kate1]

sandwich gate

 

[Steve Sellers]

If someone has a phone pinned to their ear, then they are in the middle of a conversation.

My mum always taught me that it's rude to interrupt if someone's in the middle of a conversation.

OP, would you have minded if the member of staff who served you was talking/texting on their mobile whilst serving you?

Thats true, but then the customer says jump they should say how high imo.

 

[kate1]

Obviously they dont need the business

take your business elsewhere OP, I work for a catering company and we wouldnt dream of acting like that

 

[Steve Sellers]

Obviously they dont need the business

There are "needs" and "wants". Some people work for what they need others for what they want. And I just cant want enough to be honest....more more more more more please!

 

[Christine Hough]

I wouldn't refuse to serve someone but there are few things more annoying than a customer standing in front of you in a shop talking on a mobile, completely ignoring you, and you the shopkeeper standing there like a lemon waiting for the conversation to end.

You cannot begin to number the times I have been served by a shop assistant who makes no eye contact and continues talking to a colleague while serving me.
Usually I just sigh and hope for better next time, sometimes I will forgo the purchase.

It would be nice if we all returned to the art of giving full attention to the person we were speaking to. But actually it is not today's culture and as a shop I would by no means refuse to serve someone who was still clearly able to communicate and pay.

 

[Steve Sellers]

You cannot begin to number the times I have been served by a shop assistant who makes no eye contact and continues talking to a colleague while serving me.
Usually I just sigh and hope for better next time, sometimes I will forgo the purchase.

One of my biggest pet hates Christine. Tesco on Hall Road - the fag counter. OMG the women on there are terrible, like a bunch of old fish wives having a natter!

 

[simon field]

One of my biggest pet hates Christine. Tesco on Hall Road - the fag counter. OMG the women on there are terrible, like a bunch of old fish wives having a natter!

Why do they put the fags at the front of the shop, but the medicines for the ill, the old, and the generally infirm - right at the freakin back????:|:|:|

 

[Steve Sellers]

Haha yes but smokers have worse lungs than lil old ladies with ceramic hips. plus smokers have no money left to buy anything else so they want them in and out.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using UK Business Forums

 

[Matt1959]

I admire the sandwich maker sticking to his morals.

Perhaps he has decided to create a certain atmosphere in his shop which he believes his target customers will value and he's sticking to his plan. In the long term this may pay off and differentiate the shop.

Then again he may just be a dusty luddite dinosaur.

JA

relevant point here IMO. Most people get annoyed with others babbling into their phone whether it be in a shop, bus, train, almost anywhere really so the majority of people will be on the shops side and have a respect for them taking a stand. In the context of differentiation, every little thing helps and it makes the shop have a bit of character. But, If I had a shop, would I refuse to serve the OP? NO!

 

[Deleted member 138423]

sandwich gate

.

 

[Christine Hough]

I don't really understand why people object to people talking on mobile phones in busses and trains, when talking to a friend is fine. Is it that people talk more loudly on mobiles?

 

[Talay]

I think the OP showed a complete lack of manners and if they think they are right, then there is something fundamentally lacking I'm afraid.

I was taught by my parents and had it reinforced through my peers and schooling that such an action would be deemed unacceptable because it singularly fails to show respect for the person you are attempting to enter into conversation or transact with.

The OP should have finished their phone call before attending to their hunger.

I wonder whether the OP sought to then eat his sandwich whilst attempting to converse with this incredibly important person in Hong Kong, through a translator. Knowing something about Hong Kong etiquette, the OP is lucky he was not on a video phone.