Heh, your peeves sound like me when I was in the Electronics section. -Sees someone wandering the aisles. "How are you today? Is there anything I can help you with?"-
Most of the time, all I got was a "I'm just looking right now" but there were plenty of people who needed that help before I saw them, so it was still a good thing to do. I just didn't hit enough of those people, I guess. Evidenced by the fact that I'm back at registers now.
ETA: But keep this in mind: It's a soul-sucking, terrible job. The truly polite ones might just be doing the politeness thing to buck themselves up. I can't tell you how many times I've said, "Have a wonderful day Mr. Soand So" and been talking to myself as well.
edited 21st Apr '13 4:09:53 PM by Journeyman
I'd be fine with guards. They'd watch me shop, too, but I'd be fine with that.
It's the whole 'friendly and nice and smiley' thing that weirds me out. Service industry in Germany is best described as 'either apathetic or pissed off', so getting pounced by some smiling shop attendant takes me out of my comfort zone.
No, I do not need any help five seconds after I come in the door. I'm just browsing. Stop following me around, I still don't need any help. When I do, I'll find you. And stop smiling. I'm stressed out, I'm grumpy; who gave you the right to be happy?
It's annoying and it's creepy. But first and foremost, it's just so hypocritical.
Complicated - because simple is simply too simple.