Anyone, and I mean, anyone, that wants to ‘upsell’ me.
If I want to know about any other services, I will ask.
If I want a product to do something differently, I will ask.
If I want anything at all, I will ask.
Stop bugging me. You are losing my business
Okay, but some people prefer to be left completely alone until they specifically want help with something–in other words, someone should be watching to make sure my water glass doesn’t get empty, and I should be able to call someone over (or in the case of retail stores there should be someone nearby) just in case–but otherwise they should not approach me. Too much “How is everything for you folks?” will make me stop going to a restaurant, and have a sales associate jump on me in a clothing store almost always shortens the visit.
I don’t like it when a salesman assumes I really want to be coaxed into buying something other than what I unambigously told him I want to buy. “Oh, sure, you just said you wanted to buy a 4-head VCR. But I just know if you came over here and looked at our 8-head VCR’s you’d realize how much better they are.” On a couple of occasions I’ve had to threaten a salesman by telling him if he mentions his special item one more time I’ll go to a manager and ask for a different salesman.
I can’t speak for all women, but THIS woman has never gotten that to work right, either. At least half the time I spill the money.
And what’s with this touching stuff? People putting change in your hand who HAVE TO MAKE A POINT ABOUT TOUCHING YOU. I don’t want to be touched by strangers, even strangers who give me money! My cultural background is NOT touchy-feely and being touched by anyone other than a close friend or relative is intrusive to me. Downright skin-crawling creepy. Don’t touch me!!!
Ew.
{{{shudder}}}
I suspect that is why the new trend to put the bills in your hand first, so they don’t accidentally touch you while putting the change in your hand.
This has been bitched about before but: When I come up to the counter, don’t ask me, “Is that everything?” First of all, it’s a stupid question, because the answer is obviously no. I don’t want, need, or have the ability to afford “everything.” Had I piled the entire contents of the store including the bathroom fixtures on the counter, then yes, that would be everything. If I want something else, I’ll friggin ask for it.
Re: Waiting in a call queue and upselling:
Look, I’ve just waited 20 minutes to get to talk to a human. The whole transaction will take a half minute. Adding another minute trying to push crap I don’t want means that there are other people waiting who could be helped if you would just STFU. If they didn’t try to “run ads over the phone” I would have hardly had to wait at all.
I would’ve been offended. Even if you didn’t, it at least sounds a lot to me like you were just tossing your unwanted bag back into the peon drive-thru worker’s face, which strikes me as incredibly rude.
To the topic: I know this is supposed to make most (or at least a majority) of customers feel better for some reason, but as a short person, waiters kneeling down to my eye level to take my order strikes me as condescending, somehow.
Exactly. The business thinks this constitues great customer service, but it just drives people crazy.
This five foot rule thing means all kinds of different people will be asking me if I need anything almost constantly throughout the meal. Ugh.
I realize this is not the customer service rep’s fault, but it drives me crazy when you call a customer service line, say for your cable service or credit card, and first you must enter a metric crapload of information using the touch tone phone. Your account number, your phone number, the last four digits of your social security number so they can verify that you are who you say you are. Then, when you make it through the system to an actual person, you have to verbally give them this information AGAIN. Heaven forbid the first person can’t help you and must transfer you to another person, because then once again, you are reciting your account number, your zip code, etc etc. They seem to have a call screen that associates my phone call with my account, because the second (and third, and fourth) agents start off by greeting me by name, yet I still have to do the recitation. Do they think that I called them, and then during the call transfer, a criminal grabbed the phone from me and is now pretending to be me? Actually, given the length of time that you have to be on hold waiting for another agent to assist you, this might be more likely than I would have guessed.
Leaper, if I say I don’t want a paper bag, and I would be pretty wary of carrying a hot cup of coffee in a paper bag much larger than it, then I shouldn’t get a paper bag. My giving back of the paper bag to the girl was not meant to insult her. Why should I be forced to accept the paper bag I don’t want? And besides, I was recycling!
If you’d just given the bag back to her, it would’ve been another thing entirely, and I doubt the girl would’ve been pissed. But you, in your own words, “tossed the bag back.” That, IMO, was rude, and the worker had every right to be ticked.
Well, yeah, if I’d tossed it at her, that could be seen as rude. However, after we finished our transaction, she turned away from the window back into the grill section. After I’d removed the coffee from the bag, placed it into my cupholder, and placed the bag back onto the ledge, but before I put my car in gear and pressed the gas, she’d returned to the window, saw the paper bag sitting there, and she proceeded to snatch it up while simultaneously huffing at me. I thought that was rude. I don’t routinely show my ass when someone doesn’t comply with my wishes- I merely gave the bag back. Sorry to nitpick, I just wanted to explain that I wasn’t an asshole to her, I just didn’t want the bag.
People at certain large chains that rhyme with Breast Guy who ask me repeatedly if I need any help while I’m browsing through the movies. No, thank you; I think I can manage alphabetical by category all by my lonesome.
In the call center where I work, we have a rule that you can’t leave the customer on hold for too long without hearing a person’s voice. We also have a rule that, when possible, you’re supposed to warm transfer callers (meaning you say, I have ____ on the line, and s/he’ll be able to further assist you today, instead of just putting them into the other queue). This would be a great strategy if our conferencing were flawless. With certain departments, if I put their hold music on hold to check on the client, I run the risk of being unable to reconnect. This makes the client’s hold twice as long. Yet, if I don’t warm transfer to one of these departments, or if I don’t check back quickly enough, it’s bad customer service. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not wait.
Establishing “personal” relationships with CSRs in another state. Look, I don’t want to have an intimate relationship with one rep, because that means that, if that rep’s gone, I’m screwed. Make the information readily available, or have the rep work consistent hours. It’s that simple.
Thank you for clarifying. Your new version sounds a lot more in the spirit in which you probably intended it. Personally, though, I would’ve given it back to her directly, but I may be wrong when I think that would’ve been the best for all concerned. 
You could shop at my chain, if you weren’t in NC. We ask every customer this upon checkout, and if the customer says s/he couldn’t find something, we’ll send the bagger or the person running the front end to go get it. If the customer doesn’t want us to do that, we’ll tell them exactly where it is so s/he can get it next time. And we almost always have 5 - 10 people spread out among the 15 - 20 aisles in an average location who will not only tell you where to find it, but will take you there personally.
This drives me batshit too. I train the new people to say (and put in the hand) in this order: “37 cents makes 14, 15, and 5 is 20… and here’s your receipt, thank you and I’ll see you again soon.” If they count back the change in the (only!) correct way, then the change hits the palm first naturally.
Where I work, the baggers aren’t supposed to ask, they’re supposed to take hold of the cart while the customer is finalizing payment and start out the door as soon as they’re done. We only give it back if the customer says not to do that.
But we’re not like most grocery stores, and we’re proud of it. Of course, we aren’t perfect all the time, but we’re better than most, and I’m happy to work there.
I’m not keen on that either. Personally I’d prefer it if the cashier just put my change on the counter and let me pick it up, but nobody ever does it that way.
Amen on the “no upselling.” I hate, hate, hate this. No, I don’t want the freakin’ huge drink I won’t be able to finish even if it is only 30 cents more. No, I don’t want an appetizer. No, I won’t be having dessert today.
Sheesh.
What about hotels who boast that one of their “special extras” is a mini-bar in the room? This is not an added convenience for the guest. It’s just a way of screwing money out of the poor sucker for over-priced drinks and snacks.
I can grind my own pepper, thank you very much: it doesn’t impress me with your continental chic having someone hovering behind my left elbow with a 3 foot phallic grinder, it pisses me off. Ditto with the water: just leave a carafe on the table and I’ll help myself.
And let’s not get into the whole ‘“would Sir like to taste the wine?” and then pouring me a half inch so I can swirl, sniff, sip and nod appreciatively’ rigamarole: that’s just fucking pretension. I know my wines, or I wouldn’t have ordered what I did: just pour the first glasses, then leave the bottle on the table - if it’s corked, I’ll send it back, otherwise leave us alone to drink it in peace.
By the way, my wife may be both female and Japanese but she doesn’t lack the power of speech or decision: do not address her indirectly through me or you’re really going to piss us off.