Want Customers? Show Some Courtesy!

I’ve refrained from this in the past, but it’s gotten to be too much to let it go any longer. As it says in the title section of this site, every once in a while I’ll go on a rant. So here goes.

I went to the little convenience store around the corner this morning to get a snack. I actually go to this store all the time, and I’ve run into the same thing many of those times that I’ve gone. However, this one has convinced me not to go back. I’m going to name it in this post in case the owner(s) decide to do a Google search someday to see what people think about their place. J & C Market at 90 E Tennessee Ave in Oak Ridge, TN is the little store I’ll be talking about here.

When I walked in this morning, there were probably 3 or 4 people there, not including the loudmouth behind the counter. She was talking, trying desperately to talk above the noise, to a lady sitting at a table in the store. That’s not such a terrible thing in itself I suppose. I went about my business to pick up the snacks I wanted.

When I got to the counter, this loudmouth continued to yell to this other lady in the store telling her about some deadbeat guy buying video games instead of paying a mortgage. This is now happening while I’m standing there trying to pay for the snacks I wanted to purchase. Not only did she continue yelling, but she was stepping aside as to look completely around me to continue this extremely important conversation. Her interactions with me constituted of only “debit or credit?” when I handed her my bank card. And she had to ask that twice because she was so intent to stay focused on this other conversation.

No, this is not the way to keep a customer. I’ll go to the Rocky Top a mile down the road before I visit this store again. At least they pretend to care about the customer and pay some mind when they’re being given money.