Store "Greeters"

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Joined: 28 Jul 2012
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02 Sep 2012, 1:17 am

They don't bother me. If they don't say anything, I walk past. If they do say something...I walk past. I didn't think you were supposed to respond? In the Walmart near where I used to live there was usually a disabled woman doing the greeting. She never tried to talk to anyone, she just sung. That was kinda nice.

When I go to a store I only say one word, "good", when the cashier asks how I am.

MirrorWars
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02 Sep 2012, 9:34 am

Marcia wrote:

MirrorWars wrote:

It's even worse when it happens in Britain, because it's so alien to British culture.

It came over here from America fairly recently.

The first time I came across a greeter was going into a Gap shop in Glasgow, and this person I didn't recognise said, "hello!" and smiled at me. I said, "hello" back, than spent quite a while racking my mind to work out who it might be as they seemed to know me, then I noticed that they were saying "hello" to everyone who came into the shop, and worked out that they must be getting paid to do it.

I'm getting used to it now, but I really think it's uneccesary. At least if they're wearing a shop uniform you know it's their job, but it's worse in shops where staff wear ordinary clothes, as I have great difficulty recognising and remembering the names of people I do know, without being confused by these people.

And it is alien to the culture here!

As they are only doing it because they are being payed to, I really can't see the point in it, at all.

I wouldn't want to do it. It's odd.

b9
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02 Sep 2012, 9:54 am

someone in a uniform that greets me as i enter the store will be the person who finds all that i am looking for, and when i have found all that i wish to buy i let them go.
it saves me much time

Callista
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02 Sep 2012, 9:56 am

Usually I mumble "Hey" to them or something like that. I don't resent them or anything. They're doing their jobs.

It can be useful to have them around, though, because if I am looking for something obscure, I can ask them where it is and be out of the store sooner than I would be normally. The less time I spend in noisy, chaotic supermarkets, the better.

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02 Sep 2012, 4:56 pm

Tequila wrote:

Kaelynn wrote:

Not the hello because hello always turns into how are you.

That's easy - you can answer the 'hello' questions by rote. It's easy. Just say what everyone else says.

You: "Hello."
Them: "Hi. How are you?"
You: "Fine thanks. Yourself?"
Them: "I'm alright."
You: "Nice day innit?"
Them: "Aye."

And so on.

Yes, but if you're having a crappy day this sequence forces you to lie in order to be 'polite.'

InThisTogether
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02 Sep 2012, 5:24 pm

LKL wrote:

Tequila wrote:

Kaelynn wrote:

Not the hello because hello always turns into how are you.

Yes, but if you're having a crappy day this sequence forces you to lie in order to be 'polite.'

It isn't a lie. It is part of the script. No one expects people to be "truthful" when they have these kinds of exchanged. It's just the social script to follow. And a rather simple one, at that.

To follow the script as suggested by Tequila is what is expected by most people in superficial settings between people who would only "exchange pleasantries" (which is what you are doing). The purpose of this type of interaction is to trade pleasant comments; You are not actually discussing how your day is going or how you feel. If you follow the script, it matches expectations, and things flow smoothly. To assign deeper meanings or try to break apart the "why's" makes something simple way too complex.

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GiantHockeyFan
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02 Sep 2012, 5:24 pm

I have no issues with greeters. They are usually like me: work alone and try to be helpful and friendly. As well, I live in an area of Canada with sky high shoplifting rates so literally every store (even some restaurants) has a security guard. I usually smile and wish them well because I'm sure they have a very boring job and they are usually solitary young males like myself with a few Aspies thrown in. I think they appreciate I acknowledge that they are human beings trying to make an honest buck are aren't out to be paranoid about everyone as they are mostly for visual deterrence.

Having said that I don't put up with BS at all. I had a undercover floor walker stalk me once (followed me everywhere in a Zellers store) and made it obvious I was being watched and I had a lot of fun toying with him. I know all the shoplifting tricks from my retail job (and my career involves safeguarding assets) and made sure to show 'signs' of all of them. I had a good laugh when as expected the page went up "security check camera 6". Go ahead and waste your time! :lol: It made a routine trip lots of fun and I made sure never to shop in that dump again and surprise the store went under not long after that incident.

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02 Sep 2012, 5:39 pm

InThisTogether wrote:

LKL wrote:

Tequila wrote:

Kaelynn wrote:

Not the hello because hello always turns into how are you.

Yes, but if you're having a crappy day this sequence forces you to lie in order to be 'polite.'

The entire purpose of words is to assign meanings to patterns of sound produced by other people. If it were a meaningless exchange of pleasantries, why not have a sequence like,
You: "Hello."
Them: "Hi. Go ga ha shambaka?"
You: "Nonshago. Leekai?"
Them: "Leekai."
You: "Kinikinik iri?"
Them: "Iri."

And even that appears to have some sort of non-English syntax.

eric76
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02 Sep 2012, 5:46 pm

LKL wrote:

Tequila wrote:

Kaelynn wrote:

Not the hello because hello always turns into how are you.

Yes, but if you're having a crappy day this sequence forces you to lie in order to be 'polite.'

If you have to lie, at least have fun with it:

You: "Howdy"
Them: "Hi. How are you?"
You: "Not so well. My neighbor ran over my cat."
Them: "That's terrible."
You: "Yeah. My wife doesn't want to waste it so we're having it for supper tonight."

InThisTogether
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02 Sep 2012, 5:58 pm

LKL wrote:

InThisTogether wrote:

LKL wrote:

Tequila wrote:

Kaelynn wrote:

Not the hello because hello always turns into how are you.

Yes, but if you're having a crappy day this sequence forces you to lie in order to be 'polite.'

Your point being? I was simply explaining that in the social context of exchanging pleasantries, it is not considered lying to follow the script.

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eric76
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02 Sep 2012, 6:32 pm

InThisTogether wrote:

Your point being? I was simply explaining that in the social context of exchanging pleasantries, it is not considered lying to follow the script.

About 20 years ago, I was visiting a woman I know (who happens to have a BS and MS in Psychology) who owned her own business. At one point the telephone rang and it was her mother. She didn't have time to talk to her mother at the moment so she handed me the phone and told me to talk to her mother until she had time.

So I talked to her mother. After about three sentences, she grabbed the phone out of my hands and apologized to her mother for putting me on the telephone.

So much for exchanging pleasantries. These days, I try to be humorous instead although not everyone appreciates or understands my sense of humor.

Tequila
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02 Sep 2012, 7:02 pm

LKL wrote:

Yes, but if you're having a crappy day this sequence forces you to lie in order to be 'polite.'

It isn't a lie. It's just exchanging pleasantries whilst you conduct business.

In order words: would you really want to hear about all of your cashier's medical and social problems whilst going for your pint of milk? I wouldn't.

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02 Sep 2012, 7:19 pm

eric76 wrote:

InThisTogether wrote:

Your point being? I was simply explaining that in the social context of exchanging pleasantries, it is not considered lying to follow the script.

That's a different kind of social pleasantry. Just flat out small talk. The rules there aren't as straightforward so it is more difficult, unless you stick to "Is it hot enough for you?" and "How 'bout those Yankees?"

I hate that kind of small talk.

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SickInDaHead
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02 Sep 2012, 9:48 pm

I have developed a programmed response to greeters that makes them think I like them or something. Really, what a crap job. I feel sorry for them. So why do they need to be treated like they are covered in boogers or something?

Whenever I see someone in a job that I know I could not do (and being a greeter is one of them), I feel sorry for them. I try to be nice, and learned how to shut down any anxiety or revulsion to them and just be nice. I used go get flustered.

All the world is a stage, and greeters are just another character.

Colinn
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02 Sep 2012, 9:59 pm

I'm not a fan of it either. Some shops here ask you within 30 seconds of entering the shop. Maybe if I have enough time to look in the shop I will have an enquiry to make. But I don't get annoyed with the employees themselves, they have to do as part of their job. I just find it an unnecessary and invasive store policy. One of the reasons I mainly stick to online shopping. I only really go to them physically if I get wind of in store only deals.

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02 Sep 2012, 10:14 pm

Tequila wrote:

LKL wrote:

Yes, but if you're having a crappy day this sequence forces you to lie in order to be 'polite.'

Of course not, and I don't want to tell them mine. That's why it's so f*****g annoying for them to ask.

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