Tim Waters, Lincolnshire, UK
Shop service without a smile
I was wondering what (if any) training is given to employees of Scotts Supermarkets.
My parents have lived on this wonderful island for many years and I visit at least twice a year. On my last trip, I visited Scotts Supermarket at Żabbar with my mother, who often shops there. It was on the morning of Wednesday, February 1. The shop was not busy and we walked round with ease getting her shopping. We arrived at the only checkout that was open and waited a few seconds while the previous customer was served. I loaded the items onto the belt, smiled at the young lady and said: “Good morning”. Absolutely no response! No smile, no hello.
I then began to pack the items into our bags; my mother smiled at the lady and said: “Good morning”. Again, no response. The only contact we got was a grunted total for the goods. Mother paid and we both said goodbye, to be met again with silence. My mother said later that she had previously spoken to the store manager and had not been given any reasonable answer about the rudeness she often encounters.
Surely, part of any basic training would involve being at least polite to customers. Or does this not include non-Maltese?
My parents and I realise how very blessed they are to live in Malta but being polite to customers does not seem to feature a lot here. The custom they have provided to businesses over the years would amount to several thousand euros.
If this lack of service and basic politeness were encountered in the UK, I’m sure something would be done by the store’s management.
Popular Stories
In Discussion
41 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Rob Edwards
Feb 15th, 14:23
This letter is remarkably consistent with my experience of the Scotts supermarket in Sliema. Almost without exception, the customer service levels in this supermarket are dreadful.
My particular concern is that this is largely symptomatic of too many other places that I frequent in Malta (be they supermarkets, restaurants or even banks).
While I fully accept that poor customer service is not unique to this island, it appears to be something that Malta specialises in. It badly needs to be addressed, because it is a real blight on the nation.
Giov DeMartino
Feb 13th, 16:08
40 comments on a missing.....smile. I have just been watching the news.........Athens burning......because a salesgirl, one particular salesgirl, failed to reciprocate a smile. Comment on something more sensible, please.
Mr Tony Gatt
Feb 11th, 10:23
I got my Irish wife to say something about "l'gholi tal-hajja" That gets a laugh, at any rate.
Rachel Williams
Feb 10th, 13:49
Actually most customer care in Malta leaves much to be desired. Very very few are the establishments where I find service to be professional. I take umbrage at being called 'Hi' (short for 'hija', to be clear) and generally treated as if people are doing me a favour. It seems to be irrelevant to staff that it is actually the consumer paying their wages. No need to be over the moon because I smiled politely, but a little courtesy would go a long way. Restaurants and Bars especially need to clear up their act.
Franco Farrugia
Feb 10th, 19:54
I agree with you - but it's not only in Malta! But that's no excuse, obviously.
K. Zammit
Feb 10th, 12:20
I fully agree with Mr. Waters but the fault is not of the employee but of the management for either not training their staff properly or for not controlling that their training (if it was done) is put into practice. Its not a question of British being so arrogant as Mr. Kay said, this is basic education it costs nothing to be nice to a client and it is unbelievable that the cashier had no basic knowledge of English when English is one of the 2 Official languages in Malta and is a compulsory subject in all our schools.
I live in another country besides Malta I also live in The Philippines and its a pleasure to see how well the staff are trained in most of the supermarkets, Department Stores, Malls etc. The staff go out of their way to help you, to greet you and you can see that even though some of them have a limited vocabulary they do their utmost to understand what you require. They are well trained and their training is put into practice with the management overseeing the importance of customer service. They address Men as 'Sir' and Ladies as 'Mam' and not as ' AW he' or 'gbin' as most untrained staff do in Malta.
Therefore it would be a good idea for us Maltese to train and implement better customer service and basic manners by the staff at their work place.
The same can be said for some of the part time waiters who are working to supplement their income, does it never occur to them that if they are nice to their clients they may increase their chances of a bigger tip ? I think its fairly obvious to everybody that a smile and a friendly greeting is so much more pleasant than a long face and no response or basic greeting or salutation to a customer.
Alan Kay
Feb 10th, 10:04
Sir, may I suggest after so many years coming to Malta, you have by now learned a " bongu" etc and illicit a better response in their own language?
We English are so arrogant in expecting the rest of the world to speak our tongue we don't bother with theirs.
Franco Farrugia
Feb 9th, 23:51
I travel extensively. It's not only in Malta that the smile is absent.
D Martinelli
Feb 9th, 22:57
Two simple words "Good Morning." Is that so difficult to say? Was it difficult for the clerk to acknowledge the Lady and reply back with a simple "Good Morning." That's just plain rude and ignorant. The lady who was rudely greeted should have left the goods on the belt (for the clerk to put away) and walked out. Teach a thing or two to the business owners that it takes years for one to forge a good customer relationship and just seconds to destroy it. For that lady, I hope she avoids Scotts Supermarket in Zabbar at all costs.
Ms Sylvia Zammit
Feb 9th, 22:46
I am also a regular customer at this particular branch - have been for many years in fact. However, I have always found the staff to be helpful and courteous - especially the ladies at the deli counter. Indeed, this is 1 supermarket where I feel welcome, and my suggestions are given consideration by the management too. Could be you are mistaking embarassment for rudeness Mr.Waters.
Giov DeMartino
Feb 9th, 18:33
And they say that it is us, MALTESE that are always grumbling. Taking all this trouble to complain in the press because your Good morning was not reciprocated!
Janet Bayes
Feb 9th, 23:30
Excuse me - - but it is rude not to reply when someone says good morning, whatever the nationality, dont you think? We all know that it is the way things are here - - but that makes it no less rude.
I dont actually think that its a big fuss to make - - - just shows that some of us have different cultural expectations.
Ben Agius
Feb 10th, 00:21
If you want a response from such people one shouldn't be polite but say something like"il-madonna x'ugieh ghandi jew xi dwejjaq dat-temp" etc etc . This would encourage the locals to engage with you in conversation. But they don't like small talk.................
Giov DeMartino
Feb 10th, 11:28
Janet Bates is perfectly right. Some of us have different cultural expectations. For example I remember several servicemen belching in public and happily exclaiming: Good stomach. The fact that a particular salesgirl did not reciprocate a Good Morning means nothing. It was only a mountain out of a molehill.
Alfred Grech
Feb 10th, 17:36
Come on Giovanni, when they start awarding the medal to complainers, you'll be the first one to receive it. Tim is right - many times, sales people need to be paid to offer you a smile and that's not the proper thing to do. It is so easy to be nice and you get so much in return.
Giov DeMartino
Feb 10th, 18:33
@Alfred Grech. It depends on what you complain about! We've had people taking all the trouble to write a long letter to complain because, they said, it was so difficult to open a carton of milk; others were complaining because, they said, the lid of a yogurt tub is dangerous.....now we have someone complaining because his good morning was reciprocated. We are living in a world made up of humans and perfection has to be sought somewhere else. Yes, I do complain, but I challenge you to say what my complaints are about.
Alfred Grech
Feb 10th, 19:12
Giovanni, Tim's complaint is in order and it may urge store owners to teach their staff how to be more politce and friendly with people.
Complaing about the cartons of milk and yogurt is also helpful because if they improve on the milk carton and yogurt, everyone will benefit from such a change.
You too complain on various topics - why not? - it's order to complain but don't complain because others complain because such complain will make you a winner complainer ;))
Giov DeMartino
Feb 10th, 20:23
You have not answered my simple question, Alfred.
Alfred Grech
Feb 11th, 00:32
Too many to remember - I am not criticizing mostly for your complaining but for condemning someone who posts a legitimate complaint like the one above.
Alfred Grech
Feb 11th, 00:39
Giovanni, I'd like to ask you to please join a group on Facebook, it's called Maltese Gemgem. I know I qualify for it and probably you too will qualify. All we do there is gemgeming :))
Mario P. Sciberras
Feb 11th, 11:41
I agree with Alfred. You are an excellent speciment to join Maltese Gemgem on Face Book. What is wrong is wrong FULL STOP
Giov DeMartino
Feb 11th, 16:01
We have NO REAL problems here except the possibility of......no, I won't say it. NO, No, we have a problem: the salesgirl did not reciprocate my Good Morning! Shame on her.
Alfred Grech
Feb 12th, 01:51
But when the "hello" is omitted by the majority of the sales people it DOES become a huge problem that reflects bad on this country.
PAUL BUSUTTIL
Feb 9th, 16:29
TRAINING ! what dictionary did you find this word in, this is Malta take it or leave country.
Janet Bayes
Feb 9th, 13:54
All the advice here about try another store!! Makes me laugh. Shopworkers here seem to undergo NO customer service training. BUT, it seems to be the norm for any staff coming into contact with JOE PUBLIC. It is an acceptable (for some) part of the way things are done here. If you want to have British standards in manners - - go to Britain.
Peter Murray
Feb 9th, 15:57
Your advice made me laugh Janet.....go to Britain indeed......not nowadays!
Jennifer Styevens
Feb 9th, 13:44
Scotts in Naxxar is where I shop the staff there are always friendly, having said that we all have off days and some of the customers are not so polite either, especially when they cant be bothered to say please and thank you
j dough
Feb 9th, 12:18
It seems to be a sickness in many many shops and supermarkets on the island that customers are invisible.
I shop from Scotts Zabbar and whilst you do very occasionally get an assistant who is not communicative, I would say that for 99% of the time all the staff is very helpful and friendly. It is in fact this that has made me regular and loyal customer.
Peter Murray
Feb 9th, 12:11
One bad apple does not make for the whole barrel to be deemed rotten .There is no excuse for rudeness as good manners or basic courtesy costs nothing - but buys everything.Try the Scotts in Burmarrad as the staff there are great!
John Micallef
Feb 9th, 11:49
That is strange. A particular supermarket is one of my favourites for shopping, and I also use the one in Zabbar.
Most of the time the girls are very helpful and most do sport a smile. I'm quite sure that the Management will be acting on this.
I must add that what Mr Waters said (also) appplies to many shops around Malta, where you get either a too-friendly over-zealous sales person or a cold uninterested staff. Many small shops do not invest in any training at all, some owners do not even know the basic shops ethics. LAst month, while in a shoe store in Valletta, the owner and one of her staff got into an argument where the staff was being told off, accused of lacking in interest, etc, in a rather loud voice in front of customers.
Nathalie Frendo
Feb 9th, 11:47
Nowadays it has become quite common to get a greeting from the employeees at supertmarkets of course one always finds the odd fellow who gives a bad name to the rest I feel you were quite unlucky this is not the norm
Tanja Cilia
Feb 9th, 10:35
Come to a particular supermarket at Fleur de Lys. The young ladies are all friendly, helpful, smart, and charming.
Karl Consiglio
Feb 9th, 10:34
Forcing people to smile? Maybe her dog just died.
Joe Muscat
Feb 9th, 13:56
So what! When people are working in a place where they have direct contact with the customer, they need to be welcoming and courteous...It does not cost a penny but makes the customer feel great and makes them come back to the same store. you leave your personal stuff at home... So what should I do? I had an argument with my wife, bad mood, take it out on the customer, or maybe I just received a bill I can't afford... Every day has its problems....leave them at home...Work is work...
And Consiglio, stop making excuses for everything under the sun....
Karl Consiglio
Feb 9th, 20:36
Joe Muscat
She was not taking it out on the customer she was looking just a wee bit gloomy.
Nathan Young
Feb 9th, 10:12
I shop at a particular supermarket in Zabbar on a regular basis and have all ways found ALL the staff very polite and helpful.
I agree with Graham Holme re. the butchery department,the man in Zabbar is also top class and so is the meat.
Christopher Pollard
Feb 9th, 09:44
May I suggest you shop at a particular supermarket in Burmarrad where the staff are excellent.
nella bencini
Feb 10th, 22:58
As are the staff in Sliema's branch, especially if you come across Marika, a total credit to Scotts, as she is very hepful, always smiling regardless of which side of the bed she emerged from..
Graham Holme
Feb 9th, 09:38
Suggest you visit Scotts in Burmarrad
Nothing but praise for the staff,always friendly,helpful,especially the guys in the butchers department,who go out of their way to be of service.
Big thank you,from a very satisfied customer,
Peter Murray
Feb 9th, 12:47
Spot-on Graham with your observation -but you forgot to single out the excellent manager fro a special mention.
Graham Holme
Feb 9th, 23:06
Peter,the manager does not happen to be your good self by any chance?
If so all the great teams have a great captain to lead them.
Well done sir,,,