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dear people in the service industry, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT TO DO

neon/drifter

neon/drifter

Shit Shoe Wasp Smasher
Member
Apr 3, 2018
4,062
Hi all,

I wanted to bring up discussion about this stupid little phenomena that my socially awkward ass has encountered lately and after a recent phone call with a tech support technician, I'm inclined to say something about it.

When I go to a fast food restaurant and there's no line, I won't just charge the cashier like a bull with my order. I wait. I have once waited a full minute and a half with the cashier just looking around or cleaning their station. They weren't distracted or on their phone or anything, it was just as if they didn't know how to initiate the Interaction! I politely wait for the "how can I help you today?" Why? Because it's a courtesy to you and me. You, because I'm not being rude and treating you like a microphone and me because it let's me know that you. Are. READY.

But that was another time.

So onto today's example, I'm doing this whole phone call thing and then when it gets to the end, I say "Alright well thank you for your help." They replied, "You're welcome" and then we hung around on the phone for a dead 45 seconds of silence before they asked, "....would you like a case number?"

I relented and said yes, then I did the formalities for them, "Alright thanks again for your help and I hope you have a nice day." THERE. NOW WE CAN END THE PHONE CALL.

THESE FORMALITIES KEEP THE THREADS OF SOCIETY FROM FALLING APART PEOPLE.

Anyone?
 

Deleted member 2625

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,596
I get what you are saying but you shouldn't be afraid to ask, either. Sometimes folks get distracted. Just... ask. It's very possible to do this without seeming rude. Just say "I'd like a table whenever you get a moment" or w/e.
 
Tamanon

Tamanon

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
19,729
I mean.... fast food is where people learn customer service. Can't expect perfection there.

You can also initiate the conversation with a simple "Hello" and a pause.
 
SatoAilDarko

SatoAilDarko

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,824
I usually wait a few feet away from the counter because I'm looking at the menu and deciding my order. Whenever anyone asks to help me I say I'm still deciding. So yeah unless I go up to the counter I don't expect them to ask me and prefer they don't.
 
Woolley

Woolley

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,420
Go up to the register and order. That is what they are there for.

And the service rep might not be able to end the call and is instead waiting for you to hang up.
 
Shiloh

Shiloh

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,710
I always pulled a "Can I help you with anything?" when people wouldn't come right up to the counter. Quickest way to see where they currently are in their purchase. Plus you come off as helpful and friendly.
 

Deleted member 19626

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,732
I feel like it's a bit on you, you too can take some charge. You don't have to have someone specially say come here or goodbye to do it yourself
 
BDS

BDS

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,845
I worked in retail and would always get mildly annoyed when people would do what you're doing. If you are in a retail or service establishment the formality is to assume the employee is ready and willing to help you unless otherwise indicated (they're clearly occupied with something else). It's obnoxious when you get those people who just sort of stand ten feet to your left waiting for you to approach them. Some people don't like being approached, so many employees default to waiting to be approached.
 
ManEater

ManEater

Member
Feb 15, 2019
15
Well, usually the one who arrives is the one who greets, so maybe you should say hi when getting to the counter. That would break the ice.
And as mentioned above, the service rep probably can't end the call.
 

corasaur

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,988
Your "waiting to be asked to order" body language sounds exactly like my "please don't talk to me yet I have no idea what I want yet" body language.
 
Driggonny

Driggonny

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,170
I stand back as I think about my order, then walk up to the register regardless of whether or not anyone invited me if I'm ready. It's not really a social curtesy at a fast food restaurant that I've ever heard of to *have* to wait to be invited.

Edit: Wait a minute... is OP a vampire?
 
ZealousD

ZealousD

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,303
I've worked both in food service and in over-the-phone customer service.

I'm kinda siding with the service workers in both of your examples. No offense, but I think it's just you, dude.
 
Scrooge

Scrooge

Member
Oct 25, 2017
633
They are there to take your order. If you just stand there, they probably think you are still trying to decide what you want. There is no need to wait. Just go up and give your order.
 
ItIsOkBro

ItIsOkBro

Happy New Year!!
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
9,515
damn op thinks he's being courteous but is actually expecting people to be mind readers heeding to his every action
 

Deleted member 19626

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,732
I'm also the guy behind you that's going to skip you and go to the counter becuase I know what I want and you look like your still trying to figure it out
 
Chojin

Chojin

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,625
Whycantyouguysbenormal?

Its okay to order food. They get paid to do that.


Or you could wear a T-Shirt that says "Please ask me if I want to order something"

I'm sure it'll work like a charm.
 
OP
OP
neon/drifter

neon/drifter

Shit Shoe Wasp Smasher
Member
Apr 3, 2018
4,062
ZealousD said:
I've worked both in food service and in over-the-phone customer service.

I'm kinda siding with the service workers in both of your examples. No offense, but I think it's just you, dude.
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I can see the angles for the fast food worker. But not the phone operator. I mean, you can't leave that up to the customer to end the call, the operator might be looking something up or have something else to tell me.
 
CyborgNumberBlue

CyborgNumberBlue

Member
Oct 26, 2017
558
OP demands society adhere to norms they have defined singularly for themselves and gets upset when they don't follow them.
 
GazRB

GazRB

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,797
You sound like an awkward old white lady. Are you an awkward old white lady OP?
 
flatearthpandas

flatearthpandas

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,140
It happens. At the end of the day, it's better to just take the initiative on these things, start the interaction when you're ready and hang up the phone when you've got what you need taken care of
 
OP
OP
neon/drifter

neon/drifter

Shit Shoe Wasp Smasher
Member
Apr 3, 2018
4,062
flatearthpandas said:
It happens. At the end of the day, it's better to just take the initiative on these things, start the interaction when you're ready and hang up the phone when you've got what you need taken care of
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I just have to break the mold of what feels normal to me is all.

Having such a majority here disagree with my angle is admittedly eye opening. I will not succumb to being a bitter old fuck that won't adapt! Maybe that's how it was for me growing up, but it ain't that way now and that's ok.
 
OP
OP
neon/drifter

neon/drifter

Shit Shoe Wasp Smasher
Member
Apr 3, 2018
4,062
jett said:
Unless a cashier calls out to me immediately I always step up and greet them cordially. I ain't waiting around for nobody.
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Ya know you're right. I can cordially greet, I don't have to just wait to say my order. That way, I initiate and am still polite.

I always make sure to thank people personally when leaving the place. But I never thought about the intro. Hmm.
 
TheHolyTurnip

TheHolyTurnip

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
672
Tulsa, OK
neon/drifter said:
I can see the angles for the fast food worker. But not the phone operator. I mean, you can't leave that up to the customer to end the call, the operator might be looking something up or have something else to tell me.
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Click to shrink...

I think you're kinda on point with the fast food thing, if you're working the front and there's a customer at the counter (not backed up a little ways but right at the counter) they should be initiating some service there, at least ask if you're ready to order if nothing else. It's their job to do that.

I recently started working at a call center and if the customer doesn't hang up after all the pleasantries I'll use the dead air time to finish up any notes or other things on any accounts I still have pulled up and then hang up on my end afterwards. Or I'll just hang up on my end if I don't have anything else I need to do.
I don't know about a lot of places but where I'm at we are allowed to hang up as long as all the goodbyes are said, but most times people on the other end are the ones hanging up. I could see some places having a weird policy on that kind of thing though, probably depends on what kind of customer service/tech support your doing.
So on the phone part I think you might be being a little weird about it, but mostly just because it's harder to know what's going on at the other end of the call and what the company expects out of their people.
 
Metallia

Metallia

Member
May 31, 2018
476
I worked customer service, specifically complaints for an online retailer, for a while and pleasantries like that just did not come naturally to me. You call yourself socially awkward, but similarly they probably are too - I know I am. I always tried my best to give the best answer I could and resolve the problems presented, but even after taking at least a few thousand calls there, getting the routine of a good call start and end never once settled in for me, and I occasionally had those awkward dead silences. It would be nice to say "don't work customer service if you aren't the type for it then", but it's not quite as simple as that in a world where we need money to live.

For the record, I can at least tell you that the customer initiating conversation is never rude. The only time rudeness is an issue is if you're actively not letting the person do their job to help you (for example, by arguing with them). Otherwise people just want to sort out what you want and have you on your way so you can both be done and happy. Anything that makes that easier is appreciated.
 
Bacon

Bacon

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,630
I appreciate the OP's willingness to reevaluate his stance. Usually people are just looking for agreement. Good on you OP.

As a service worker if someone was hanging back 5 feet away from the register I would typically leave them be because it appeared that they were still evaluating what to order. I've also had instances where I tried to ask if they needed any help and they would get snippy with me and tell me that they were still trying to decide. After a couple of those interactions I decided it was the safer option to just let the customer approach when they were ready.
 
Yankee Ruin X

Yankee Ruin X

Member
Oct 31, 2017
2,685
For the phone one many Customer Service jobs have a policy where they aren't allowed to hang up on a customer so they have to wait for the customer to end the call.
 
Dervius

Dervius

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,911
UK
neon/drifter said:
But not the phone operator. I mean, you can't leave that up to the customer to end the call, the operator might be looking something up or have something else to tell me.
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Have you considered that the phone operators may be instructed not to termiante a call, but allow the customer to do so, thus confirmiing they are done?
 

mrmoose

Member
Nov 13, 2017
21,190
I do think culture has shifted to a more "don't bother me unless I ask for something" attitude which probably contributes to this a bit. Like for whatever reason people will complain about workers initiating conversations with them in Target or Best Buy when they're just browsing, but those same people will complain that there's never anyone around to help them when they need it. I would hate to work in customer service. Though if you want to see what it's like, wear a red shirt to Target.
 
weemadarthur

weemadarthur

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,602
It's okay if you have that viewpoint.
But see, the thing is.....a lot of people have the opposite viewpoint, and don't want to be bugged until they let an employee know what to do for them

In the end, this means service people will piss off someone no matter what. It's a no win situation.
 
Thatonedice1

Thatonedice1

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,112
Working on that also.
Go up to the cash register, smile and say "hi!" I promise you your positivity will make someone's day as opposed to just standing there not saying anything. You are just annoying them. If they are to busy they will let you know.
 
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