Workers on their cell phones

I can't stand this and I feel like it's getting worse and worse. I went to Target in Levittown and had to wait for the cashier to finish texting for over a minute before she got to my order. No sorry, or thanks for waiting, no embarrassed look or anything. This has also happened at Stop and Shop in Amityville a lot lately. The cashier was SO rude with the texting one day that my DH actually went on the website and contacted headquarters. They offered us a $25 gift card which I thought was so generous of them but DH refused it because he works in retail and wanted them to know that we aren't just one of those customers that complains until they get something, that we had really poor service and that they would probably want to know in order to fix it.

It hasn't gotten better, worse in fact. We were in line to pay for our groceries and the manager told someone to open up because the lines were long and this guy took FOREVER to get to the register we went to and texted the whole time there, didn't look up at us and say hi just scanned our stuff mumbling that he didn't want to be there the whole time. This happened again at the DELI!!! There were 6 people behind the counter talking and laughing, only 2 people waiting in line and none of them would help us. One was on their phone, one was just walking around. Then sometimes I see them in the aisles "hiding out" texting. I can't take it anymore!! There are so many people without a job and these scumbags aren't working for their money at all.

Re: Workers on their cell phones

I don't understand the need to constantly be texting in general, so I definitely don't understand it in the work environment!

Sorry you've been having such crummy experiences!

Re: Workers on their cell phones

I HATE this with a friggin passion.

I have been know to say something to the person. Something along the lines of "Nice to see you get paid to send text messages while you're here"
I also complain to the manager.

I think it is rude and irresponsible. I also think its up to the store to be on top of this. Employees should not be allowed to have their phones at the register while working. End of story. If there is an emergency they can be reached through the main line of the store, like they did before cell phones existed.

Re: Workers on their cell phones

Hate this. I have no issue saying something to said person either. I dont have all day to wait for you to finish before you cut my cold cuts. I also LOATHE the cashier conversations between checkouts. The so, and so said this, and now Im stuck covering her shift crap.

Re: Workers on their cell phones

hate to place blame on anyone but its the stores/managers fault 100%

where i worked (completely different line of work but nonetheless) we were not allowed to use our phones whatsoever unless it was a true emergency and if it really was a true emergency we had to go to the lunchroom.

i cant stand going to supermarkets etc and seeing people texting

Re: Workers on their cell phones

I HATE this. I used to work in retail, so I realize it can get boring, but it's saddening to me that teenagers can no longer go 37 seconds without texting/checking facebook.

I've also run into a lot of instances lately where cashiers are standing around talking to the one register that's open, and they wait until the line gets incredibly long before opening up another. Last time I saw this was this weekend at the Deer Park outlets, the cashiers were loudly discussing how one employee trash talks all of the customers. Yeah, that really makes me want to go back.

Customer service is becoming a thing of the past.

eta: My assistant is 20 and used to think nothing of whipping out her cell and texting in the middle of a work day. I ended that fast by telling her if she couldn't get through a day of work without texting, she can't have the job. I'm very strict about using the phone on breaks and emergencies only. Her texting while we're with a client makes me look bad.

Message edited 8/9/2011 2:54:16 PM.

Re: Workers on their cell phones

This is when you need to complain to the store manager.

Re: Workers on their cell phones

I was at an inside playground. A child was playing on the equipment wrong, right in front of a worker who was texting. I said something to her, she looked up and kept texting. I said something to the manager, he went over and took her phone.

Re: Workers on their cell phones

its so disrespectful ... the supermarket near me now has notes on each checkout that cashiers are not to be texting, talking, etc. ...

Re: Workers on their cell phones

Funny my DH and I just had this discussion yesterday. Our son goes to camp at the YMCA and my DH, who was using the track, looked below and saw the counselors and assistants texting away instead of interacting with the children. One was even lying on the floor of the gym texting while the kids just did their own thing. He complained to the director of the camp because if we are paying $$$ to engage and entertain my kid then you better be doing just that. The director said the employees sneak their phones in and that she's trying to do something about it. Technology has changed acceptable codes of conduct for the worse.

Re: Workers on their cell phones

Re: Workers on their cell phones

Drives me absolutely crazy. Target is the worst, but I also use the Scan-It in Stop and Shop and use the self check-out, so I don't notice it there.


This used to happen when I was teaching pre-school in a daycare center. The younger girls were constantly texting and not properly watching the kids. So when I was looking at daycares for DS when I was pregnant, that was one of the first questions I asked. One center director told me, "We TRY to enforce it, but they do it anyway." That immediately scratched that daycare off my list.

Re: Workers on their cell phones

This happened to me and I was annoyed. I went to the supermarket and wanted some fish. Waited at Seafood dept and guy was texting behind the glass door that leads to the back, so I finished my shopping and went back. Again, he was still texting behind the door to the back room. So i stood there for about 5 min, he never looked up or came out. I said f it and checked out. On the way to the check out line I saw the store manager and told him I couldn't get any service bc the guy was too busy with his texting. Manager flew away and a few seconds later, manger paged the guy over the speaker to report back to seafood immediately. They lost a good sale, I hope they told the guy to save the texting for his break.

Re: Workers on their cell phones

I work in home care, and this is one of the #1 complaints when it comes to the aides.

We have a policy that they are not to be on their cell phones when in the client's home, but obviously, based on the # of complaints that come in on any given day, many still are.

I get that the job can be boring, especially if you are sitting in someone's home for 12 hours straight and they are sleeping or whatever, but still.......

We've actually worked this into all of our trainings now as an example of how a pt can be seriously neglected because the aide is on their cell phone texting.

My work also will not pay for texting for those of us who have company cell phones because the bills they were receiving before it was the in thing and included in the plan, were astronomical.

Now they don't do it because they know it's a distraction.

Re: Workers on their cell phones