How's it going, Maann! ( A rant of sorts)

[Jorge Galvan]

Don't know about you, but this has been going on for decades in with me, when I'm out in public. So here goes...

I'm at Best buy circa, 1997, 1999, whatever...

I need a cord for my VCR, I hit up a salesman,. And...

"HEY MAN HOWS IT GOING?". Ok,. Guy is upbeat, he helps me and I'm out the door.


I'm at TARGET, getting a battery for my phone and...

"Hey dude, whatcha need?"


Now my personal appearance is nothing I brag about, I pretty much look either like a bum or a rocker depending on the situation.

So I tell the shop-boy what I want he gets it I'm on my way.


This type of greeting and approach has been the "norm" for me since the mid 90's.

I get it I am not Mr. Moneybags or Mr. Rogers, but I also notice that Mr. Rogers himself gets the same treatment!!

Now in my later year I'm at that age where I would like a "May I help you sir?". Instead of a "what's up Maann?". I'm not here to "party with you" and if I still look like a "kid" or a "punk". I expect a certain level of respectful greeting.


I don't get it?

Even when I worked at Toys R US part time back between 2003-2005, I always treated the customer with respect. "How many I help you, Ma'am?"

"What can I do for you sir?"

I would go toe to toe with Mr. Humpries at Grace Brothers on customer service.

Even at TRU, I saw a colleague go up to older women and say, "Hey guys, what's up?"

After he got done, I pulled him to the side and said, "John, you can't do that, you have to show the customer repect, you might get into trouble if you say the wrong thing". He didn't care.

Sigh.

I dunno, what do you think? Has this happened to you? Am I expecting too much these days. Or should I bring a bottle of Jack and a Spliff with me next time I go to Walmart?


Jorge.

[TrekStar]

Don’t waste your time getting frustrated over it, next time bring a bottle of Jack and a spliff and when you hit up a salesman just say…..(using a British accent) excuse me mate are you free?

[LonnieFisher]

I personally feel insulted when someone refers to me as "sir". I'd rather be addressed as "dude" or "man" or "guy". But that's just me. I'd be fine with "Yo, dude. Can I help you find somethin'?". Even, "Hey guy, whussup? You need any help?" But then, I'm a really cool guy, and I hope they would recognize that. I guess if I wasn't a jeans and t-shirt kinda guy, I might feel differently. I also have hair that is really long, way down my back.

[Megotastrophe]

I have been greeted with directions to the homeless shelter a couple of times...

[palitoy]

I only answer to "Daddy".

[Makernaut]

I only answer to "Daddy".

[J.B.]

I only answer to "Daddy".

"Hey Now!"

[Mikey]

I'm usually greeted with, "the food kitchen is 4 stores down across from the mission"

[Bruce Banner]

I usually just get followed around by the store detectives.

[KingKickass1983]

I look too scary to approach. And every time I look around for an employee, they scatter....

[Wee67]

I prefer store associates to kneel before me and ask, "in what ways can it be my greatest pleasure to serve you, my Liege?"

And do NOT make eye contact!!

[LonnieFisher]

I actually prefer the store workers to leave me alone. If I need help, I'll find someone and ask. I usually just wander the store until I find what I'm looking for. I also use the self checkout, so I don't have any contact with the employees at all.

[Earth 2 Chris]

As long as people are nice, they can be a bit casual. I'm one of those people who have other customers asking me questions about the store, as if I work there!

[ODBJBG]

A few years ago my wife and I went into Abercrombie to buy a shirt.

"What's up?" says the person folding jeans at the front of the store. Uh, nothing I guess, pal.

Three or four steps more into the store, another worker, "What's up?" Still nothing BTW.

Another few steps, "What's up!?" from yet another employee.

Getting closer to the shirts now when someone else approaches, "What's up?!"

We quickly grab the item and make a b-line for the register, where some sort of managing employee is "Did somebody say what's up to you?!"

It was bizarre. We still joke about it to this day. A half dozen people greeting us with "What's up!? What's up?!" until someone then double checked that we had been "What's up'd".

Long story short, this was obviously a very brief campaign and/or store exclusive attempt to greet people in a "hip" way.

It's possible that sometimes when you were getting "man'd and dude'd" employees had been encouraged to do so.

[Mikey]

Seriously though, most retail people seem to like me on my first encounter

Guessing cause i'm fat