Greeters/Small Talk While Running Errands

[Walking Tourist]

I really don't mind a little chit chat but I find it very annoying when store clerks are too busy chatting with one another to pay attention to the customer. When store clerks put their hands out for the money and they are not even looking at me, I put the money on the counter. Store clerks don't have to be my best friend but they also don't have to treat me as if I barely exist.

 

[Chaotic Harmony]

I would probably make chit chat with a brick wall if given the chance... I just love people. They fascinate me. I'm always wondering what someone finds interesting, what they enjoy to make small talk about, what they really want to say, but can't.... Yeah, I'm that person that would probably drive all the Is insane with my curiosity....

 

[Walking Tourist]

I am an "introvert" but am also very curious and love to hear people tell me their stories. You would not drive me insane at all.

I would probably make chit chat with a brick wall if given the chance... I just love people. They fascinate me. I'm always wondering what someone finds interesting, what they enjoy to make small talk about, what they really want to say, but can't.... Yeah, I'm that person that would probably drive all the Is insane with my curiosity....

 

[gromit]

I like short, fluffy exchanges with strangers. Makes me warm inside a little bit.

 

[Tiltyred]

What's funny to me about it is that the people who like to chit-chat with other people are thought of as nice, while the people who don't like it are thought of as douchebags. But if you could understand the PAIN the chit-chatty people put the douche-bags through, you wouldn't think they were nice at all.

(I know, I know, it's me who's dysfunctional so I have to grin and bear it, but thank god for internet shopping.)

P.S. Should douchebags be hypenated? Or maybe it's two words. Anyway.

 

[stalemate]

P.S. Should douchebags be hypenated? Or maybe it's two words. Anyway.

I have an awesome duffle bag that I refer to as my d-bag.

 

[cascadeco]

Well, I'm not at all a fan of the smalltalk, and would prefer to just go about my business without interacting with salespeople, but I don't see their role as 'bad' per se, either. Just not for me. I think I convey pretty clearly though that I'm not interested in chatting, as I just smile or give a short answer or whatever..but basically my body language doesn't encourage them to continue.

Sometimes though if the person is just totally pleasant/lively (one of those people who just seems so utterly genuine and humorous that they're infectious and you can't not respond warmly to them) -- usually goes hand in hand with them not taking their job overly seriously -- then I'll banter with them a bit more and - *gasp* - might even enjoy myself or be perked up by their goodwill.

 

[Randomnity]

I use my music player strategically and it helps avoid uninvited attention 90% of the time, and the rest of the time a "no thanks" or even a head shake works well. Religious avoidance of eye contact is probably a big factor, too.

Not when I'm actually at the cashier/teller/whatever though, that's rude. Always bugged me when people did that (music, phones, whatever...) when I was a cashier.

 

[Coco]

I'd probably think Bill had a bad day. Poor Bill D=

So I agree with Melissa. xD

I like random little chats like that, I don't really care if it's about how amazing the lamp on the roof is

But I very rarely do it tough, sometimes in the bus or something like that

 

[Aquarelle]

P.S. Should douchebags be hypenated? Or maybe it's two words. Anyway.

Hehehe I don't know, but that made me laugh.

 

[OrangeAppled]

Random greeters slightly annoy me....it seems phony & serves no real purpose from my perspective. If I want help, I will find someone & ask. An exception to this is in a clothing store, because I appreciate when they start a dressing room for me (when I have an armload of stuff that is), but I don't want to be nagged into anything either. And that said, it's not any major annoyance - very easy to ignore.

However, when I am dealing directly with someone (ie. a bank teller or cashier), I prefer some basic politeness to being overly blunt. I don't like the talk to become too lengthy or personal though. A mere "Hi, how are you?" works with a pleasant face, demeanor & tone of voice. I don't like to feel like I am bothering them, basically (I've seen employees make customers feel like burdens...).

It certainly doesn't "brighten my day" if I am in a bad mood though. In fact, if I am in a bad mood, and respond briefly to any inquiry, I hate when a happy-go-lucky customer service person tries to push their happy talk on me.

When I've worked in retail, I was actually pretty good at picking up on whether a person wanted pleasant small talk at the register or not. It's easy to smile, be open, and let the customer decide how much talk they want.

Anyway, I will choose "no small talk", because politeness is more than enough for me. Chitchat is not necessary.

 

[LucrativeSid]

Smiles and head-nods. The perfect compromise! Don't ignore me, but don't talk to me unless there's a genuine reason for it.

 

[Such Irony]

I find errands unpleasant and just want to do them quickly and get them out of the way. I'm not there to socialize and when someone tries to chat me up, I feel like they're wasting my time.

I do understand the importance of the greeter role though. You want people to feel welcome and to feel like there is someone in the store you can approach with a question or concern.

 

[Goosebump]

Even though I do prefer to be left alone while doing shopping, I understand it's their job so I will return a polite nod or smile, and said "No thanks, I'm good". If they keep insisting after that point, I would say the variations of it, maybe in different tone to emphasize.

Also, the best way for me to avoid those people is to just make any eye contacts or pretend to use the cell phone while passing by them.

I use my music player strategically and it helps avoid uninvited attention 90% of the time, and the rest of the time a "no thanks" or even a head shake works well. Religious avoidance of eye contact is probably a big factor, too.

Not when I'm actually at the cashier/teller/whatever though, that's rude. Always bugged me when people did that (music, phones, whatever...) when I was a cashier.

This.

 

[Coriolis]

A similar thing is when they get you at the cash register and start up about did you want to put this on your BlahBlah charge? You don't have one? Do you want one? You know you get 10 percent off? Are you sure? Would you like to try a whatsit that's sitting here all over the counter so you have no place to put your purse down while you look for your money? What's your zip code? What's your phone number? This stuff makes me foam at the mouth. I feel like OMG take the freaking money and leave me alone...

Or "Did you find everything you needed today?" Well, I'm at the register ... what do you think? I want to say "No, I'm still wandering the store."

If cashiers ask this and I didn't find something, I make a point to tell them so, but it doesn't accomplish anything. Another pointless question. I don't give out any personal information, and if they start down the road of charge cards and gimmicks, I cut them off with, "I'm not interested. I just want to pay for my items." Yes, online shopping is a blessing.

 

[Totenkindly]

This is how I feel. I don't mind a little chitchat, especially if it seems genuine. What I can't stand is the reluctant, bored, monotone, "How are you today?" as they avoid eye contact. Sheesh, don't say it if you're going to resent it. The other thing that gets me is when someone asks you how you are or if they can help you as you walk in the store, but then they don't wait for an answer before they walk away or turn their attention elsewhere.

Well, yeah, and that is a qualification to my earlier post. Many people seem to be wording things as if they're assuming it's ALL fake. I don't think people's interest is all fake. But it does depend on HOW they engage.

For those who seem genuine, I think it's good.

For those that behave as you describe, 'lulah, it's crap. I'd rather not have them try if they don't mean it or can't invest in it.

There's not much of a bigger slap to me than responding to someone's question and having them get distracted in the ten seconds I'm answering and end up ignoring my response. That can get me going.

What I really hate is being actively sold to or being followed around the store. And if you try and come in my dressing room, I will hurt you.

Lol. Well, yeah. I actively avoid salespeople unless I need them; I hate it when they hunt me down. Some manage to be engaging without invasive, which I do appreciate.

But I've also had to deal with sales people who totally TOTALLY blew me off. It usually happens in the tech sections of Best Buy or a similar place; they'll come up and talk to guys dressed worse than me and try to help them, then when the guy leaves they'll just walk away while I'm still standing there seriously reviewing merchandise. Since I purchase mid-range (which, if I'm bothering to come to a store rather than going 'net for cheaper costs), this just leaves me with the marginally satisfying internal response of, "Okay, you scumbags, I'm leaving to visit your competitor and you just lost yourself a few hundred dollars in sales."

 

[skylights]

sided with bill because while the "hi!" and "how are you?" is great (i'm from the southern US, so really used to that), and enjoy bantering if i'm in a good mood, but the unsolicited "how can i help you?" as soon as you walk in the door and "how was your weekend, what did you do?" from a stranger are crossing the line. i feel like even though melissa may like it, a lot of people feel like it's stepping on their toes.

Maybe what this boils down to is that we all have some disdain for being approached by strangers feigning shallow pleasantries for purposes of pitching their alterior motive?

i love being greeted and chatting, but i hate when someone extends social niceties to me only for the purpose of selling something. it's when the fake radar goes BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZP. like a vuvuzela.

anyway, i've worked for a few years in an upscale specialty grocery store; the way i look at it, i try to be nice to customers because i want to make the place i work at a pleasant experience for them, and just brighten their day. i loved going to the store when i was little and i would like to recreate that for the people today. sure, i'd love for them to buy stuff too, but the more basic human desire for harmony comes before profit. but i think the two end up running together anyway - be kind and genuine, but not fake or overbearing, and people will sense the pleasant and welcoming but not pressured atmosphere and want to come back. i firmly believe if people feel like our efforts are positive and genuine, they will be more likely to want to interact with us and buy from us than if we are pushing the bottom line to the detriment of the experience of the customer.

 

[Cybin]

I won't say I haven't had exceptional experiences where chatting with an employee or a customer wasn't genuinely pleasant or engaging, just mostly it feels awkward and forced. Not in a bad place or always in a fake way, but definitely unnecessary and unwanted by both parties.

Ideally I want to go through with my errands with ease and on a comfortable middle ground between dismissive and rude service and overbearingly 'polite' service. Basic common courtesy will suffice. I like cashiers that are attentive to my needs, but don't hinder things by talking more than doing. I feel the same way at my job as well. I'm polite to everyone, even if I don't go out of my way to chat them up. Smile, please, thank you, cash exchange, done.

I hate the sales pitches too. I can empathize with the employees being made to by management. (for than matter, I understand trying to make employees do it when forced to by corporate) So, I always make sure to politely decline. No reason to be rude if they are just doing what they are paid to do.

 

[Aleksei]

I guess I'm more like Melissa but not exactly. I don't mind the chit chat at all, I actually enjoy it and I initiate it sometimes. But I don't see it as a requirement and it probably isn't going to change my outlook on the day one way or the other.

So, I don't really care if I chit chat with them or not, but if it happens, that's awesome too.

^This.

 

[IZthe411]

More of a Fe than a I/E issue?

I don't mind small talk- I'm an I. Depends on what it is. I've been working more on my small talk skills.

But there is sometimes when I'm in a recharging mode and I don't wanna be bothered!