Another unhelpful store clerk

Yesterday, I went into the local hardware store asking for a "eye and hook latch." The store clerk looked at me baffled and said, "I'm not sure what you mean. <Long pause> <Insert phony ignorance> Do you mean a hook and eye latch?"

Really? Were my transposed words really that confusing???  lol!

DH and I both encounter feigned ignorance quite a lot with store clerks. What's up with that?

I've had people look at me funny when I've said "poached eggs" here in Belfast.  I think it has more to do with how one says a certain phrase.  If someone from the UK is used to hearing and saying it one way and someone comes along with a different accent and uses different wording, it will most likely throw them off for a moment.  Although if he put on some sort of attitude it's a different matter. 

I got the worst freaking attitude in the US to the way I said "Blueberries" waitress refused to understand what I was saying, and it was incredibly condescending and rude, covered with fake saccharine niceness "Sweetheaaaaaaaaart, I don' understand what you're SAYING, you want what honey? We don't get many foreigns around here", then I still had to give her a freaking 15% tip.

You serve like 4 types, what do you think I am saying? Sorry it's blue-BERRIES, not "blueberries"

Bleh, I hate US service for the most part

then I still had to give her a freaking 15% tip.

No you didn't. The tip isn't mandatory, it's based on quality of service, and I definitely wouldn't have given her that much if she acted that way to me or my husband.

No you didn't. The tip isn't mandatory, it's based on quality of service, and I definitely wouldn't have given her that much if she acted that way to me or my husband.

I guess I didn't want to  have a confrontation about it, I'm always slightly scared they'll chase after me and make a big scene, but yes, next time I'll be a bit more stingy. I tend to over tip in the US as the waitresses scare me anyway.

I pretty much hate any service "professional" who thinks that being deliberately obtuse or an intimidating ass is part of their job description.  I'm a pretty low key person, but the woman who feigned ignorance when I ordered a mocha "moe-ka" instead of a "mock-uh" and pretended to be confused to the point of telling me she had no such drink.   really?  Because its that confusing of a pronunciation in an area of London positively drowning in tourists of all varieties and accents.  I simply cannot be understood?  Yeah, right.  But even assuming that was the case, there are ways of clarifying that don't include being incredibly obnoxious.  Finally someone British behind me in line came to my rescue and was quite nasty about the faux confusion and suddenly, the skies parted and the woman managed to figure out what I was saying.  Annnnd I didn't go back ever again.

ETA: there are no geographic confines to my loathing.  Rude is rude wherever you are.

My husband had this issue in Germany.  All he wanted was a Coke and asked about 6 times and eventually the guy ahhhhhh KOKE.   Heh.  I'm sure he was saying something that was confusing the waiter.  It is easier to understand that this could be a problem in a country with another language. 

ETA: there are no geographic confines to my loathing.  Rude is rude wherever you are.

I think that was the point I was trying to illustrate, there are flipping rude people everywhere, you just notice it more outside of your comfort zone so to speak.
If someone is rude to me in London, I'm much more likely to just say something! I do have particular hatred for fake sweetness though which seems more common in the US. That's a personal preference though.

I do have particular hatred for fake sweetness though which seems more common in the US. That's a personal preference though.

This is me LOL I have worked in restaurant and customer service since I was 14 and I have perfected the super sweet attitude.  I don't do overly stupid sweet but I am certainly there to HELP YOU and no reason to be a rude a**.

I think that was the point I was trying to illustrate, there are flipping rude people everywhere, you just notice it more outside of your comfort zone so to speak.
If someone is rude to me in London, I'm much more likely to just say something! I do have particular hatred for fake sweetness though which seems more common in the US. That's a personal preference though.

Oh, I wasn't saying you were picking on the US, I just wanted to clarify lest someone think *I* was just picking on the UK.    I want to cause bodily harm to people who think their fake confusion is cute.

This is me LOL I have worked in restaurant and customer service since I was 14 and I have perfected the super sweet attitude.  I don't do overly stupid sweet but I am certainly there to HELP YOU and no reason to be a rude a**.

Me too! I feel like you're conditioned from the start to do the whole cheerful/helpful/hospitable thing!  Over the years, I've tried to tone it down, especially when I was doing food service/retail in the UK. Though at least I was at HMV, which is actually the one place where they want you to swoop in and help people just to get them in and out (during Christmas anyway), so my US service thing worked really well in that environment.

However, it was all I could do to stop my voice from going about 10 octaves higher when I answered the phone at work!    I definitely had a completely different phone voice in the workplace and still do to a certain extent. I don't know where/when/why I started doing that!

I've never understood the point of correcting someone in a way that makes it appear you are trying to make them look stupid. I get a lot of people correcting how I say something as I order, such as the "moe-ka" instead of a "mock-uh" incident mentioned above. If you know what I am ordering, and are aware that my accent is different than yours, why correct the way I say one word? You know what I am ordering, just give it to me with a tad of politeness, please.

The feigned ignorance thing is pointless, too. If you don't know what a person is saying, ask them to explain again. If you are just pretending to not understand because they say it differently than you, it is obvious and makes you look like an a$$, in my opinion. I've seen it here and in the US, and it annoys me in both places.

Another one I hate, and Morrisons in Blackburn seems to be the worst about it, is employees cutting in front of customers, or shoving past them without so much as an excuse me or a 'get out of my way'. It might be different if it was only one rude employee, but it seems to happen at least once per trip, if not with five or six different people. I'd go elsewhere, but Morrisons is the most convenient.

I pretty much hate any service "professional" who thinks that being deliberately obtuse or an intimidating ass is part of their job description.  I'm a pretty low key person, but the woman who feigned ignorance when I ordered a mocha "moe-ka" instead of a "mock-uh" and pretended to be confused to the point of telling me she had no such drink.   really?  Because its that confusing of a pronunciation in an area of London positively drowning in tourists of all varieties and accents.  I simply cannot be understood?  Yeah, right.  But even assuming that was the case, there are ways of clarifying that don't include being incredibly obnoxious.  Finally someone British behind me in line came to my rescue and was quite nasty about the faux confusion and suddenly, the skies parted and the woman managed to figure out what I was saying.  Annnnd I didn't go back ever again.

ETA: there are no geographic confines to my loathing.  Rude is rude wherever you are.

I think I would have said something like, 'Oh, I guess you don't serve that here, so I guess I should go elsewhere with my business.' I agree that rude is rude no matter where you are!

I guess I didn't want to  have a confrontation about it, I'm always slightly scared they'll chase after me and make a big scene, but yes, next time I'll be a bit more stingy. I tend to over tip in the US as the waitresses scare me anyway.

I don't think you need to worry about a wait person confronting you about a tip! That seems pretty extreme.  Yes, they might be disappointed or angry if you leave a small tip or no tip, but confrontation is not the norm.  And I don't think anyone would chase after you!

Another one I hate, and Morrisons in Blackburn seems to be the worst about it, is employees cutting in front of customers, or shoving past them without so much as an excuse me or a 'get out of my way'. It might be different if it was only one rude employee, but it seems to happen at least once per trip, if not with five or six different people. I'd go elsewhere, but Morrisons is the most convenient.

I've had that happen to me a few times in Selfridges. Was really surprised - I mean I know it is touristy to a point, but people are forking out loads of money - and I for one expect better service, especially when I am paying for it!