Should I be on my cell phone when placing an order at a grocery store? Absolutely not
Q. I work in the seafood department at a large local chain supermarket and during Lent and every Friday before and after Lent we are very busy. There is often a line. We wait on customers cheerfully and then call the next one waiting in line to serve. Every day I have a customer talking on a cell phone and have to wait while they finish talking on their phone! Before I can help them, they have to stop talking and then they continue talking on the phone. If I ask a question, I politely say, “Excuse me.” The person gets annoyed! All of my teammates feel this is rude, because we cannot ask them to wait until they finish speaking on the phone or ignore them and wait on someone who isn’t on their phone. What is your opinion on this?
A. It is very rude, inconsiderate and impolite for any customer to be talking on a cell phone while in the process of being served by the seafood department staff, the meat department staff, the cashier, the cleaners staff, the bank teller, the post office staff, or ANYONE attempting to help or serve customers. I have actually seen signs placed in lines which read: “Please refrain from using cell phones while being served.” Whenever I see signs like these, I immediately think of how disappointing it is to have to have signs telling adults not to use cell phones in a civilized society. What has happened to our common sense, our common consideration, and our values of other people? It is sad. Very sad.
Q. If you park your car using valet parking which is complimentary, do you tip the attendant or not?
A. Tip. This person is providing a service and even though it is complimentary to you, rarely is this attendance being paid a lot of money. Regardless, this person is making your life a lot easier by parking your car for you and retrieving it for you when you are ready to leave. How nice for you and what a wonderful service. Tip.
Q. I recently borrowed my neighbor’s shovel to dig a small hole in my flower bed to plant a small tree. I unfortunately hit a root and I broke the handle. I felt terrible. I immediately apologized to my neighbor and offered to pay for a new one or replace it but my neighbor said not to worry about it. I still felt I should replace it and I did, even though I was told I did not need to do that. I think I did the proper thing, didn’t I?
A. Yes, I agree. You did the proper thing by replacing the shovel.
