Shop Staff Using Mobile Phones.

I would walk out and make sure they knew why, before I left.

i believe in germany and austria shop assistants have to have completed a course in technical college to be employed.
but i guess sole traders/family businesses can do what they like. but standards are generally higher.
i noticed in ireland young assts/saturday staff are much more alert and attentive.
maybe we've all got used to poor service in uk.

Very rude and inappropriate treating customers as if irrelevant it’s annoyed me only recently. I decided next time it happens I will put the shopping down and go elsewhere.

We waited ages in a cafe the other day, while the assistant chatted on the phone. She glanced at us and carried on her conversation. If we hadn't had a hungry DGD with us, we would have walked out.

I’ve stopped going to the local convenience store on DD1’s estate. I usually take DGS1 in for an after-school treat. The young assistant ignores the customers, is almost always on his phone, or else has a couple of mates loitering at the counter. It’s a family run little shop and I wonder if the rest of his family know about his indifference.

I agree. I also hate it when two cashiers are having a conversation at the same time as serving customers. My first job was in a shoe shop with a very old fashioned manager who taught me all the skills and behaviours required. Number 1 was always give all your attention to the customer you're serving. We'd have been sacked if we'd ignored customers like some do today. I'm not tarring all salespeople with the same brush. Most are brilliant but the ones who are bad are really bad.