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.