Waiting in line just to be ignored ?

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Be MORE assertive. An employee at a store ignoring you or being a jerk? Raise your voice and threaten to report them. Not to report them later, threaten to report them RIGHT THE HELL NOW. Chances are, an employee being that way at you already has a few strikes against them (as it's basically guaranteed that you ARENT the only one getting that treatment), and the more strikes they get, the closer they are to not being employed at all. Walk straight towards whoever the manager is, demand to see them, and explain just what the problem is.

The manager wont help? Go to someone higher on the chain. Yes, this is doable, and yes, this can work.

If THAT doesnt work? Then you get to do the fun one: send repeated letters/emails to the appropriate places (usually listed on the website for the store chain in question) detailing just how bad of an experience you got, and who specifically caused it, and say things like "If this keeps up, I just may be taking my business to some other place that knows how to treat their customers well".

Seriously, this is the stuff you gotta do when you're dealing with that level of jackassery. And really, people acting that way towards you very often are that way towards LOTS of people.

There can be other situations though; if someone cuts in front of you in line, and the employee at the register doesnt do anything about it, it can be because they're afraid to, as the customer that did the cutting is exactly the sort to simply yell at them about it, which'll just make things much worse for everyone involved. I've seen this one happen; someone's being an absolute jerk towards everyone, but the employees really cant do anything about this. The only real solution is to get the jerk customer what they want and out of the store ASAP.

And also... try other stores sometimes. Heck, I dont go to the gas station that's nearest to my house for... pretty much anything, since some of the employees seem to just not give a crap. Hell, I had one time recently where I DID go there, went to grab a half gallon of milk, went to the register, waited. Nobody there, but I could hear them in the back room, and the door thing had rung loudly when I'd entered... it was obvious I was there. Couple minutes pass, I put the milk on the counter with a very audible THUD. Next, dropped my enormous keychain on there (2 feet long!); you cant NOT hear that thing. Still nothing. I could still hear movement and such in the back. I simply left the place... with the milk still on the counter. If I couldnt get service, I was at least going to FORCE the guy to have to get off his ass and actually do something once he did come back. I went to the gas station further down, and got what I needed without issues.

It happens to me all the time. I come up to the counter and the cashier will just go away to do something else or serve other customers who arrive after me and just ignore me. I feel like he doesn't like my face so he doesn't want to serve me or something...

I think your suggestion is a good idea Misery! But I never do it. Sometimes I open my mouth and say that I was here before (before the several other customers being served before me when they clearly arrived after), but they will look at me with a shocked face like if I was a weirdo with a strange behavior. Well, the cashier will end up serving me, but still...the cashier ignores me, I try to get his attention, be heard and served, and I'm a crazy weirdo?

I know I don't have a neurotypical body language. But I don't understand why people would assume we would come up and stand in front of the counter juste for nothing, without wanting to order or anything...?! It makes no sense at all! Even if we have a weird body language, it still makes no sense to me!




Again, I don't get it. I don't understand for what weird reason anyone would go to a hairsylist just to sit down, wait and leave. IMO a customer who comes in and sit's down to wait obviously want's something, a haircut, a beardcut, whatever, but obiously something and they should react.



Deffo!

I never had an issue with this kind of stuff during the brief time I was living on my own, but then I often went when there were fewer people, and in places where the check-out doesn't have a conveyor belt I laid my stuff out on the counter once I got there and even before then I usually held what I was buying clearly visible in my hands. I have the opposite issue, really. I wonder if it has something to do with living in the South.

I get the same thing quite often. Once I was in hospital for a heart rhythm issue and the cardiologist wouldn't talk to me, only to my partner. In shops too I get ignored even though I'm, quite clearly in the line. Sometimes I feel as if I'm invisible. I get the point though that it might be that my body language is saying the wrong thing. It could well be about eye-contact. I find that quite difficult.

Yeah, people who will talk to any person who's with me instead of talking to me, happens often to. And I feel....disrespected. I'm not a ret*d who need's a parent to talk for her. How would those people react if we would talk to other people and ignore them?

I went to the SSA office with my husband because of a paper work nightmare he had to straighten out.

He was yelled at by the guard for not paying attention when the que numbers were being called. My husband was in near shut down mode (the place was a zoo with over 50 people crammed in there), and I wasn't paying attention. My husband's number was called and no one got up. When the guard yelled it again, my husband stood up, and yelled across the room, "Sir, pay attention." My husband turned beat red.

Yet this same guard helped me out finding out some Kleenex for my husband. And also found me a seat after I had to leave an make a phone call, and came back.

The SSA person practically said three words to my husband and chatted me up all sun shiney friendly. Before I was called back (they had too take to me too), he said the person said about 4 sentences. When I came back there it turned into party time. The person got all chatty and friendly.

I think it had to to with my husband looking terrified, overwhelmed and white as a ghost from the sensory over load. We had to wait 3 hour before even getting taken back. Horrible.

In the car, my husband asked me how do I get people just to help out. I don't know. I'm guessing a good 70% is body language, and the rest figuring out the mood of the other person and talking?

I know my husband gets ignored all.the.time., and I rarely do.

I wasn't going to jump on this thread once I saw that the OP was like 6 or 7 months ago... but since people are reviving it, I'll post, too.

It helps when dealing with waitstaff, clerks, receptionists, etc., to realize that they have a very lowly position in their organization, and many times can easily be led/pushed into whatever you need. It also helps to realize that in part, their job description is to serve you.

I am fairly effective in getting what I need from these people. So let me share what works for me. These techniques and skills do require some fine tuning and at first, you might find you have overplayed your hand. But it's worth working on, because life is short, you know?

1. If you are ignored, raise your voice. That does not mean raise your pitch (how high your voice gets) but raise the volume/loudness. It takes some practice to raise it just the right amount, that gets you noticed but does not get you thrown out to the curb. You want it a little louder than conversational, and you want to project it right at the person whose attention you need.

2. Practice saying these things until they come out easily and smoothly.

"Excuse me."
"Excuse me, but I was next in line."
"May I get some service here?"
"Could you please listen to what I am saying to you?"
"We don't seem to be understanding each other. May I speak to your supervisor?" (manager, etc.)

When actually employed, you will say these things in a slightly louder than conversational tone of voice. You might even have to talk over the other person, but only do so if they won't let you get in a word edgewise.

The reason to practice saying these things is so you don't mumble or fumble when you speak, and also so they come out smoothly as needed by the situation.

3. Stand up as straight as you possibly can. Square your shoulders. Don't slouch.

4. People with neat, sharp attire will always be viewed as more important than those with worn, wrinkled, dirty attire. Also, accessories such as a striking lapel pin or smart jewelry will project importance and confidence. If you have body odor, you can forget the whole battle, people are not going to want to interact with you. So do pay some attention to clothes and grooming.

(Obviously, #3 and #4 are for in-person situations and not for telephone conversations, where you can't be seen.)

I hope this helps!

This is one of many reasons why I mostly buy things online or at a store with a self-checkout machine. If that's not an option, I go to the least crowded shop I can find. Small businesses and shops that specialise in a particular product are better than big corporate stores because the employees are more invested in making you happy. If I get ignored, I leave without buying anything and add that shop to a "do not return" list and I frequent the places that treat me well.

I still haven't figured out the restaurant/bar thing though. I've had a few recent experiences when I was ignored for 20 minutes, then a friend joined me and we had prompt service for the rest of the night.

As for the haircut situation, I've worked enough customer service jobs to know they were trying to close up shop and were pretending not to notice you so they didn't have to stay late. Like I said, if I'm just ignored because people are being lazy I don't go back.