Telling times at the tills

Things are hotting up in the mall. There is a business (busy-ness?) that is not unpleasant. People are getting used to the new layout at PnP that caused such aggravation in the early stages, there are lots of goods on sale and people are pushing trolleys with less of an air of 'shopping for food again!'. There is an atmosphere redolent of the approach of the long summer holidays, Christmas and a new year to look forward to.

The pet peeve at PnP for the public is the sullen faces at the tills, the apparent lack of interest in the job to be done, and the pace at which it is carried out. We are slowly getting used to the idea that we cannot expect more than this and as a result, our interaction is limited to dumping the goods on the counter, saying yes we will take a bag, presenting the card for payment then pushing the trolley out of the shop. Gone are the days of friendly chit chat, a mutual grumble about the weather or the price of fruit and a friendly and genuine smile. If we want these things, we shop elsewhere, and as the competition is currently in the process of building opposite, we can only hope that they will be more selective in their choice of front-line staff. With little competition in food prices, the only thing that gives retailers a competitive edge is the quality of their service.

One thing that is noticeable with the change of floor plan is that the staff no longer seem to have the time to gather in groups of three for a chat in the aisles, something which was quite a talking point previously as being synonymous with a visit to PnP with the general consensus being that it makes the consumer's blood boil to observe such apparent lack of discipline in the workplace and is yet another reason to take our wallets elsewhere.

Here's looking forward to some healthy competition!