I’ve made it impossible for the cashiers at Safeway to mangle my name, and every once in a while I’ll get someone holding my airmiles card (which has my name whited-out) squinting away at it, trying to read it. Hello - that name didn’t get whited-out by accident!
Funny. We went to a Texas Roadhouse this weekend and got to view this ‘dancing’ as well. It was hilarious in that the dancing wasn’t very good. We were far enough away to avoid permanent damage.
Is “Merry Christmas!” or “Don’t tell me I never gave you nothin’!” still okay?
I called Safeway to have my name removed from the ‘get stuff cheap’ card; it prints on the receipt as ‘Safeway Shopper’. Yes, on several occasions I’ve been told ‘thank you, Ms. Shopper’. Then the checker gets that dejected ‘oh god, I need a beer’ look and I feel all bad and stuff.
There is a certain finesse required to come off friendly without making one feel stabby. The JCP clerk rang out a with a uber perky Hello when we entered the store yesterday. That is acutally nice, ok. So we were there about 20 minutes, found our stuff and got in line. Then she pulls out all the small talk opportunities, makes observations about how long we were there , a long time according to her. Notices how short the shorts are that we are buying, but she says when you wear leggings underneath it’s more modest. On and on she rambled about what I dunno I tuned her out. She never stopped smiling and talking.
On average I would rather deal with a stabby friendly clerk than a glum disrespectful retail drone.
There is only one correct answer to that question, and it is this.
My favorite stores are the ones where the staff are friendly and available but not pushy. If you hover while I shop, I leave. Quickly. Even if I really needed whatever I came in for.
Seriously. Just this past weekend, I decided to pop into the bricks-and-mortar store for a catalog I’d never bought anything from, just to see whether I liked their fabrics, how their various sizes fit me, etc. I figured I’m short, and stores rarely carry the vast majority of the Petite selection they have online so I’d probably end up ordering online anyway, but I wanted to avoid ordering a bunch of stuff that didn’t end up fitting right in ways other than length and having to return it and eat shipping fees. (I order from Land’s End regularly, but that’s because I know my sizes there and it generally works OK.)
A nice little older lady who was working there greeted me cheerfully at the door and offered to help me find whatever I needed. I told her thanks, I prefer to browse on my own, but would let her know if I needed anything. I swear, the woman followed me all over the goddamn store, never more than about 10 feet away. I know, it’s slow and you don’t have much to do, but sheesh! I finally left.
I was with you up to the “feeling bad” part. 
“Hi, I’m Charlie Manson. I’ve been… away… for a long time. Where are your butcher knives?”
How about they hand me and all the other customers loaded guns when we walk in the door? I’m not really sure what would happen, but I would certainly feel like an empowered consumer.
I think this would be an especially appropriate policy at Target.
Note to self: change name on Safeway loyalty card to say Anita Mandic.
Dude, it’s free food. Might I suggest you ditch the tighty whiteys for some spacious boxers?
I’m sure this is, of course, 100% factual.
It’s free food I don’t want, from a place I’m already paying for food from, and maybe you should relax a little as well, whoever you are. This isn’t something I incessantly dwell on, exactly.
Well, some of us actually like getting a little extra bite of something for nothing. And even when we don’t want said freebie(s), we smile and say “no thanks”, and don’t bitch about it on an internet discussion forum, intimating that getting something, however small or trivial, for nothing is a bad thing.
I worked in a video games store one Christmas period. We had to make sure that we asked everybody who entered the store if they needed any help. I was constantly amused by the people who would reflexively say, “No, I’m alright, thanks,” and then whip round and follow up with, “Actually, I’m looking for an Xbox game suitable for a 3-5 year old who likes space and monkeys, do you know of any?”
Once the new year kicked in and people were shopping for themselves again, it became largely pointless, and I’m glad I don’t work there any more as it became harder and harder to motivate myself to check up on customers.
Welcome to the Dope. I’ll give you some free deadly neurotoxin in a bit.
Just so we’re clear: I don’t necessarily have to accept, correct? No? All right then. I’ll pass, but I thank you very much for your kind offer.
:: Goes about business as usual, and doesn’t even consider getting on the SDMB and whining about the free offer he was just made. ::
Do you know what rhymes with Science? Compliance. Do you know what doesn’t rhyme with Compliance? Neurotoxin.
Didn’t say it was a bad thing. Said it was a bit silly and pointless when one is actually standing in line to buy the very thing I’m being offered a sample of. Also never said I didn’t politely decline the offer.
Troll fail.
Really? Is that what you said?
(My emphasis.)
See, to me, at least, “unreasonably annoyed” doesn’t seem to equate to feeling that said practice is “a bit silly and pointless”.
But at least we can agree on this.