Why do I no longer want to live in the UK?

[Colwyn]

Perhaps they don't ask "Can I help you, sir?" because too many smart alecs replied "Yes, you could let me a hundred quid, that would be a help!" and they got bored with these wiseacres. Can't blame them really.

[bewva]

I also hate the phrase when you have been waiting in a queue for a while "Sorry for your wait". I have a very large mate and if anyone says that to him he says "why whats wrong with it, I can't help it". The embarrassed looks are priceless.

[kayakebab]

My son got an email today from Burtons saying happy birthday mate!

[Eric]

I think the article in the press lately about the young lady in a supermarket, who refused to serve a customer while she was on her phone also shows,  no it's not all bad, but given that we are driven to comment (with some surprise) on good service,  it's far from being all good either. I have to say I quite admire her attitude, I wouldn't expect to "deal" with a client while they carry out a phone conversation either.

The lady sued the shop though and got money!

She didn't sue, this took place last Monday.  She was offered £10 of vouchers by way of compensation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2353581/Sainsburys-customer-shocked-checkout-assistant-refuses-serve-mobile.html

[angela]

Terrible, I would like to think she will be ashamed of having profitted by having appalling manners, but I doubt it!

[jrichards1]

I was driving over Blackheath in SE london just before the Olympics last year when the traffic lights began flashing, the radio went off and dials on the dash board were flashing then all went off. This stopped the traffic.

Apparently there was an unannounced test to jam all signals in case of anyone remotely detonating bombs. You should have seen the panic because no one could get a signal on their phones. People were running up and down the line of cars asking if anyone had a signal, it was like the beginning of a Si Fi film.

Although is was unannounced, it was guessable because they were using the Heath for events and I would have expected some sort of test, what else could it have been? Aliens?? It certainly was a picture of panic though, OH NO PHONES!!!!!  What did people do without them?

[Lotty]

Lol I agree Bluwise! I CAN'T stand it when they say 'you alright there?' either. Mind you I also prefer them not to hover over me asking if they can help. I can see them and will ask for help if I need to. They must loose customers because of this. Left to browse I'm more likely to buy.

[UPtownr]

Hamlet, to your question of { I asked a salesman at a gents outfitters a few years ago why they don't now ask if they can help the customer instead of asking "are you alright there?" The reply was"we aren't allowed to ask that anymore!" Why?" }...

it made me chuckle to read that they went from "may I help you?" to "are you alright there?" (thanks) but the Monty Python crew's 'salesmanship' training videos thought that when you ask a 'yes/no' question, it is very easy for the customer to say 'no', as in: 'may i help you? no!", and even if they said 'yes', one would need to ask yet another question as to the nature of the help. so they thought us to ask: "HOW may I help you?", assuming that there must be a way we can help them, after all they walked into the store, didn't they ..and it is an open ended question, forcing the customer to think creatively to dodge it. ....but to read that they were told "you are not allowed to say it" without an explanation or an alternative, they now babble yet another useless sentence, was funny.

as for Turkish merchants keeping an eye on you (not to help if you have questions, but to make sure you do not pocket anything) is indeed annoying. Having lived in the US for almost 30 years, this aspect now really bugs me too. I simply stare "öküz trene bakar gibi" back at them, until they look away or they ask me if i need help, then reply: "I am just looking, no need for you to follow me. I'll call you if I need help". Reminding them they need my business, not the other way around.

[calvin 1949]

Last time I went in a Gents Outfitters for a suit fitting ,he asked me which side I dressed   ,I replied the side  near the window .  :)Cannot understand his strange look!!!    

[Menthol]

Customer service in the UK is certainly a varied affair.

Here in Sheffield, we are known for our friendliness and it is often referred to as 'the biggest village in the country'.

So I can only presume that all bus drivers in Sheffield are from 'elsewhere' as in my (admittedly limited) experience every bus journey has been started with an unpleasant experience trying to actually board and pay on the bus.

ME (quite pleasantly): Single to the City Centre please.

DRIVER (glaringly): Where?

ME (meekly): City Centre please.

DRIVER (loudly and impatiently): WHERE. IN. THE. CITY. CENTRE. EXACTLY?

ME: The High St

DRIVER: 3 40

ME - hands over 4 £1 coins

DRIVER - looks at me as though I've just pushed a dog turd into his hand and then shouts 'YOU NEED THE EXACT MONEY. I DONT DO CHANGE'