No cell phones, please, say businesses

Spartan's post reminds me of a BIG BIG BIG  rant I have about the Pittsburgh Post Offices.

Why do I have to stand in line 30-45 minutes behind 20 morons who dont have their packages/forms  ready going in(and dont bother to even work on them IN line....   ), when I am just there to PICK UP a package/letter?   My service  has already BEEN PAID FOR!   

In Texas most PO's  have dedicated package pickup only line.

Similar but different.

I haven't been frequenting "fast food" joints like I did in my youth but I have a couple rants:

#1. Lunchtime. You've been standing in line for >1 minute. The menu didn't change from the last time you were here. When the dude/dudess behind the counter says 'may I help you' DO NOT lean back and say hmmmm...umm...I don't know........mmmm......ahhhh..........etc etc etc.......have your F'ing order READY!

#2. You're in the same line with your young children. They're cute. They can speak. When the same dude/dudess says, 'may I help you' you turn to your little angels and say 'honey, what would you like?' It's precious. And the rest of us in line behind you appreciate the next 5 minutes it takes to coax the order out of the aforementioned angels.

As far as #2 goes, I will NOT enter a line to order something for my kids until they have decided exactly what they want.

Yes it's late. Well past 5:00SST. Thank you for listening to my rant but I blame Aske for lighting the fuse. 

I actually have a reasonable explanation for this, but you're still not going to like it:

When I have somebody in the store, the odds are that they've decided to buy, while the person on the phone is still thinking about it.

You only get one chance to make a good first impression, and it's going to be on the phone 90 pct of the times in certain kinds of retail...

Well said Fuzz.

Good points all.  The P.O. thing pisses me off as well.  Before you step in any line, have your *feces*/wants ready to go.

I do credit the MN DMV for this, if they see you in line for something without a form, they'll kick you out.  Period.  Nazi style.


As for MFAWG,  I do know the frustration of standing in line waiting to talk to/do business with the dude, only to be interrupted by some lazy *fudge* at home in his boxers, and is given immediate priority over me.  Having said that, I am most likely to visit that place once, or depending on the type of business maybe a handful of times.  The person "behind the counter" cannot discriminate;  to say, a customer is a customer, and they need all of them.  If he blows off "phone guy" in favor of me, he has lost that customer.  He needs to answer that dudes call and wants to help every single body at the same time.......If I lose "tire place" I haven't really lost anything.  If tire place loses enough of me, they lose a lot.

I didn't say what I'm thinking all well, but you've come to expect it.

Restaurant: For sure.  Do it all the time.  Not always a negative reaction, per se, but a statement that at that particular time, they are not equipped to deliver the service I am expecting.

Other businesses:  Depends on what I have invested(and would have to take into account the service person's attitude, demeanor, and attempt if any to justify taking the call over me).  I certainly would consider it.

Yeah, I understand their logic.  My logic is, I AM a customer.  The guy on the phone may never be.  I may never be again if I'm treated rudely.  I have walked out of a store that did this to me.

I hate that.  Makes me want to Shout.

Or at least provide you a Big Chair to sit in while you wait.


I've left restaurants for slow service, more than once.  I've never walked out on a clerk who took a call while waiting on me.  I have walked out of a store because the clerk kept taking calls, slowing the line down to the point that I waited a good while and never even reached the counter to start being served.

But I have no problem with a place that politely excuses a cellphone user and takes the customer behind him/her.  Dude, you dropped the store in favor of your call -- they're just following your cue.