I'll wager
that if it even happened; what the compensation-voucher-seeking customer will have "forgotten" to mention was that it would have been checking a PLU code, borrowing a till roll, or any one of a dozen bits of brief bits of peer-to-peer chat that keep the place actually functioning smoothly.

Our place introduced a similar policy on similar grounds, which resulted in complaints about how creepy the place was if it was quiet, with staff just stood looking silently at each other; and complaints about how slow service was when it was busy, with delays and supervisor calls soaring as we had ask them to check PLU codes or get sundries (rather than ask the person stood next to you who either knew the relevant section, or had a pile of what you needed).

It became a policy where you got crap from managers if you ignored it, and crap from the supervisors if you followed it.
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 16:36, 1 reply)

Some relevant training might be useful too
In one of the multitude of supermarkets in Cambridge (you can guess the brand).
I wanted an item to go with a console so I picked up the box and went to customer services to see if they had it in stock.
The lady on the desk seemed quite upset to be asked a question and said "you need to go to the till and, look; it doesn't even have a barcode I can scan". Not surprisingly at the till I get a look of disdain and she says "no you need to go to customer services" I protested I had just been there so she said try the cigarette counter. Finally the women on the cigarette counter actually appeared to have a clue and found someone to go fetch the item from stores and they generously allowed me to pay at customer services.
All of this took around 25 minutes.
It's common sense isn't it? Make sure that staff have all the information and training to do their jobs properly. Really what is the point of putting someone completely clueless on customer service?
(cmouse is pondering about life in other jobs, Tue 15 Jun 2010, 9:12, closed)