‘Don’t say hello to me’: why I hate polite shop keepers

If you see Phil Brown in a shop, don’t ask him how he’s going - and here’s why. WATCH THE VIDEO.

I guess some employees are told they have to greet customers when they come into a store. Every time I enter the shop at the servo over the road the young guy shouts, “How’s it going?”

But I don’t need to be greeted, I just need to be served. When I front up to pay for milk or bread or whatever, that would be the time for some superficial banter. But I’d rather just slip in unannounced.

Even when he is serving another customer and I think I have got past him he spots me and calls out, “How’s it going?”

Don’t ask Phil Brown how he’s going.

I used to just say “good” under my breath but lately I have been ignoring him.

I mean I’m just in there to buy something, I don’t want a relationship.

I notice this more and more. I don’t mind incidental courtesy and genuine hospitality but when it becomes mandatory it is tiresome. A major stationery outlet that I frequent does the same thing and they just have someone standing there specifically in that role, saying hello and goodbye. And you are expected to respond.

I don’t want that kind of pressure when I’m shopping. An occasional greeting is fine but just to have someone robotically greeting people is unnecessary and annoying.

Thank you for trying to help but please leave me alone, Phil Brown says.

I mainly just want to be left alone to conduct my business. I want polite service to be sure but I don’t want to be singled out for any special greeting in the same way that I don’t want to be approached in the street to buy something. When I go to my stationery store I have experimented with ways of getting around this. On a recent visit I tailgated someone else going in. I was kind of hiding behind them as they entered and then I broke off and ducked behind the pen stand. The lady in the store greeted the woman in front and I thought I had managed to elude her but then she spotted me and called out, “Hello!”.

I turned and grimaced in her general direction. Because in general I prefer to be ignored. I want good service but I don’t want to be pounced on every time I turn up.

Next time I go in and someone says to me, “Hi, how are you?” I’m just going to stop and reply, “Why do you ask?”