On the other hand........
I went to the (sub) post office yesterday to send off something I'd sold on ebay - it's in the corner of a convenience store and the counter was unmanned. A voice was shouting at me to come over to the main till and I waited in the queue behind the people buying fags and booze.
I put the parcel on the scales and asked for second class post and made some small talk about the sunny weather. I then asked for proof of postage and the proprietor let out a loud groan and said I ought to have asked for this first. I apologised and said that the girl at the counter usually did this automatically, was it a problem? He told me that he needed to press a button for a pop before he opted for second class and would now have to do it all again. Again I apologised and suggested he might just do it automatically every time, but he told me this would waste till roll paper. In which case perhaps he could ask at the time if a pop was required? No I was told, it was up to me to tell him if I needed that.
Once more I apologised but did mutter to the person behind me that it seemed the customer was never right - which earned me a dirty look at the till. Then after a moment's thought he said, no sometimes the customer is right but in this case was wrong.
I then said, look I am sorry if I have caused you trouble but I would quit while I am ahead if I were you - which rather took the wind of his sails and I left, determined not to go back there again.
Sorry for the rant, but it just seems so obvious in any sort of customer-facing business to be pleasant and friendly. Make life much more agreeable if everyone did this in all situations wouldn't it?
