Consumer Etiquette Part 5: Senior Citizens

The previous posts in this series have been directed at particular groups or kinds of people. Today, it’s a little different. Yes, I’ll be talking directly to senior citizens, demonstrating how they are viewed as customers from the eyes of the clerk and yes, I’ll be outlining several hints on how they can improve their shopping experience, for themselves, for the clerks, and everyone else. What will be different today is that I’ll also be directing this segment towards all other customers, in relation to senior citizens.

The younger the customer is, the easier it is to educate them to distinguish between proper behavior in certain situations and what won’t fly. As the years pile on, social behavior becomes is more and more engraved into one’s persona, leaving little room for the possibility of learning to behave in a different manner. Senior citizens, and I’m essentially referring to anyone above the age of 65 or so, are by now practically stuck in their ways. One wouldn’t really consider this an issue, until you take into account two things:
One, whence you get old, the behavior you’ve exhibited over your life will be so engraved within you that it will appear normal to you. Not all grandparents are sweet old creatures. If you were a grumpy middle-aged person, you’ll be even grumpier when you’re older, and you’ll see nothing wrong with that. It’s how you’ve always been, so why would you change now?
Two, things in this world change constantly. Products come and go. Prices change as the economy rises or falls. Even currencies change. That’s life, times change. In today’s world that’s probably more evident than it used to be when you we’re growing up. What you must remember if you’re a senior citizen is that it’s not personal, and the clerk can’t affect that, no matter how hard you try.

Senior citizens, you’re one group of consumers who’s annoying habits are generally forgiven, solely for the reason that you’re old. That does not mean you’ll get away with everything. There are a lot of things you do, intentionally or not, which could easily be avoided.

I’m not talking about a few deficiencies which you possess, namely the fact that you move slow, you forget to weigh vegetables or forget to purchase items and then need to wander off to get them (ok, that one’s actually annoying), or the fact that you take a painfully slow time to deal with you money and packing. It’s ok, you’re old.

But, there are several things you do which more or less tick off clerks, and should be avoided. Starting with the very beginning of the day, before the store opens. I understand you have a routine to your days. Regardless, there’s no need to be standing outside the store half an hour before opening, peeking in through the windows or even knocking on the windows, hoping we’ll open earlier. I’ve once gone to the door when an elderly woman knocked on the window 25 minutes before I was to open shop. That was also the very last time I’ll ever do it. The exchange of words went something like this:

“Knock knock.”
Me: “Yes? Can I help you?”
Old Woman: “Are you open already? I’ve been waiting out here forever.” (Lights closed, doors closed, 9.35am)
Me: “No, we open at 10am.”
Old woman: “We’ll you’re open now, right?”
Me: No, we open at 10am. It says so on the door. Sorry.”
Old woman: “I don’t have all day to wait outside for you to open, so you’re going to let me in now, aren’t you?”
Me: “No, sorry, I can’t do open the store until 10am.”
Old woman: “I can’t wait that long, I have other places to go to.”
Me: “I’ll open the door at 10am when the store opens, just like it says on the door. See you then!” (I close the door.)
Knock knock.
Me:”You have got to be shitting me!” (I open door.)
Old woman: “I know you open at 10am, but can you let me in to do my shopping already? I have to be at [other store around the corner that also opens at 10am] when they open.”
Me: “I’m not allowed to let customers into the store before we open. We are open until 8pm so you have plenty of time to come by after you’ve been to [the other store].”
Old woman: “I don’t have all day to go around at stores. If you won’t let me into the store now, I’ll never shop at your store anymore.”
Me: “I’m terribly sorry, but I really can’t let customers into the store before we open. I don’t even have the cash register set up yet.” (Old woman walks away muttering to herself. The time is 9.50am and I’m in a hurry to get things done before I open.)

Since then, I pretend not to notice people knocking on the windows before we’ve opened.

By the way, the woman came back at 10.15am and spent over an hour shopping… So exactly why did I waste 15 minutes of my life?

I’ve never understood why old people wait outside the store forever before it opens, and then complain that we didn’t open the door for them when they got there, or say “took you long enough, I’ve been waiting forever.” People, the world doesn’t revolve around you. We have the opening and closing times on the door and we won’t deviate from them for anyone.

Other nuisances which senior citizens commit are a bit more annoying. Possibly the single most annoying thing is when old people start talking to you at the checkout counter, because they’ll go forever. If it’s a quiet day, we typically don’t mind the impromptu break. It’s all about the timing. When it’s really busy, there’s only one cash register open, and there are 14 people in line behind you, DON’T start chatting with the clerk. We have work to do, and we can’t just start chatting with you, leaving the other customers waiting. We’re not being rude, we’re at work and we have responsibilities to attend to.

Many senior citizens have the disillusion that clerks are their personal butlers from the moment they enter the store. In some stores, such as clothing stores, there are staff present who’s job it is to walk around with customers and provide assistance when it’s needed. Grocery markets or stores with very few clerks working at any given time, we cannot follow you around and attend to all your needs. We can help you if you have a problem or a question, but we have many things to do. We are not your slaves.

At this very moment, I can’t really think about anything else that senior citizens do that annoy me. I’ve contracted senility from them, I guess. There was something else, but it escapes me.

And now to the part where we start to talk to other customers about senior citizens.

There are some simple things you must remember. As simple as they may be, it’s actually surprising how often people seemingly forget these things. They aren’t as fast as you. They can’t see as well as you. They’re forgetful. And above all, it’s not the clerk’s fault, so don’t take your frustrations out on him or her.

Too often I’ve had customers yelling from the end of the line to hurry up, move it, open another checkout counter, and assorted vulgarities. I simply choose to ignore them when there’s really nothing I can do about it. I’m not going to start telling a feeble old customer to hurry up. I don’t tell any customer to hurry up. I can’t, and I won’t. The only thing I could do in this situation is call for assistance, but that’s not always possible. If someone doesn’t shout anything from the line, you know they’ll be snappy and bitchy when it’s their turn. How fun… And the funny thing? It’s no one’s fault! Well, except for the customer who has a problem with it…

In some stores, where the clerk who’s supposed to be at the cash register is also supposed to be stocking shelves and helping customers, there won’t always be someone at the checkout counter. ESPECIALLY if we’re helping out a senior citizen. We can’t be in two (or three) places at a time. So please, don’t walk off, and especially don’t start yelling for service. That’ll just make us move slower, because you’re not exactly being a desirable customer.

The bottom line is that although all customers are treated equally, there are instances when this is not true.

You’ll be a senior citizen one day. You’ll move slowly, your vision will be a little blurry, you’ll forget things, and you’ll need assistance to find the stuff you need. One day, you’ll be that slow person infront of others, slowing up the line. So have some patience with senior citizens. And don’t forget, it wasn’t the clerk that made them slow and old.

[<---Go To Part 4]
[Go To Part 6--->]

Part Zero: Introduction [16.08.2007]
Part One: What You Might Not Know [17.08.2007]
Part Two: Everyday People [18.08.2007]
Part Three: Under The Influence [19.08.2007]
Part Four: Children And Their Parents [20.08.2007]
Part Five: Senior Citizens [21.08.2007]
Part Six: Animals [22.08.2007]
Part Seven: Disorderly Conduct [23.08.2007]
Part Eight: Tips And Hints [24.08.2007]
Part Nine: For The Workers [25.08.2007]
Part Ten: Summary [26.08.2007]

If you have any comments, experiences or additions to this post, please leave a comment! Thank you in advance!