Going back to the OP in this thread...Try working in and A&E dept' on a Fri/Sat night!!! Rude just does not cover it! and I am trying to help them...even if the injury is due to drunken violence!!!!!!
The nice peole are really nice and the horrid ones are awfull :-(

I always seem to get good treatment maybe because it doesn't cost anything to be polite & say please & thank you. I got a lot of abuse when I was working-mainly because I was an investigator & caught people out breaking the law. Also when people don't get the treatment they should & the scheme lets them down-no excuse for being rude etc though

I use the Humber Bridge quite a lot(especially whilst Mr Wu was with his breeder)& on crossing one day the lady toll operative had her left arrm(the one nearest the customer)heavily bandaged. I passed a polite comment & asked her what she had been doing & she replied "It was a customer" !!!!! I replied I hope they caught the b*gg*r & with a smile she said"Yes it was all on the CCTV" Now what the heck could happen at a bridge toll booth The cost is very clearly signed & everyone knows that you have to pay(it costs £5.60 for the return crossings(£2.80 each way)for cars & small vans-to save around 100 + miles to go round & over the free bridge-not to take into account the time as well)so why attack the toll operative !!

I'm always polite to sales assistants, receptionists etc it costs nowt & I often get a bit better treatment for being nice.

All the Lidl's etc I've been in have been staffed by pleasant people & I wouldn't want to deal with some customers that go into shops

I'd rather pay £1 more for goods

I don't personally shop in Lidl just because it's cheap, in fact do lots of mine in M&S and Waitrose (closest and I'm lazy), but more for the unusual and specific things it sells.
My brother-in-law got a nifty little gadget that turns on/off lots of sockets together... great for last thing at night turning off lamps etc.It's not been in since and I'm still waiting.
As I said, it's stollen and apricots are better than anywhere else I've tried.
As for the staff and clientele; I find that it has lots of European migrants shopping there (and who could blame them wanting a taste of home at reasonable prices) and the tills are manned by basically friendly people who've look like they've had a hard time at the hands of customers.

> Ok I don't go either BUT I may go have a little look now

Pam, try Aldi's if you have one close to you.    I thought it would be like Lidl's but most of the stock is UK produced and it's good tasty stuff.  I buy the canned dog food for mine occasionally and there's never any of it left in the bowl.   Their range of cereals are great & cheap, pasta sauces, great deals on fruit & veg at the mo - I got 6 Kiwi Fruit this morning for 39p......

I could do a shop at Aldi's, I couldn't at Lidl's but saying that I do buy my wild bird food etc. at Lidl's.

Oh no there are two.. I thought there was only one :-)  I will have to remember it is the one that begins with A LOL

lol this topic tickles me ...
my mother and I tend to try and put the world to rights whilst we speak on the phone, and customer service and lack thereof tends to be a regular topic!
Some people have just lost all manners they really have!
I work with lawyers... enough said! 
As for Netto/Lidl... I bought the dogs their little paddle pool from there last summer, absolute bargain!

I work in a call center for a big insurance company and I can tell you, customers have some disgusting habits even when your not facing them!

Coughing and snotting right down the phone, or saying hang on ill just take this other call, or stressing about something which was THEIR fault to begin with!!
Jyst something you have to learn to deal with working with people, hence why Im hoping to be a RSPCA animal collectrions officer I wanna work with dogs, get more sense of of them! lol

they often have a run of 'non food' things

Whilst visiting my brother who has a Wilkinsons store in his town, I was like a woman possessed, they had all these bargains on cleaning products, washing powders, I almost filled a trolly. :-D What a great bargain store, I will definitely be returning there. Once I've got through the years supply of goods I've already bought!

Hubbies face was a picture, when I said I was going to visit my brother last week, he asked if he should make some more room in the pantry. :-D

Re:  The real topic :-D

People basically are no longer taught manners, and that does come via the parents. I applaud all of you who work in retail, or any type of customer service.

The public are impatient and rude, and personally I feel many assistants don't enjoy their jobs at all, which is why they find it so hard to genuinely make polite conversation. 

I have to say, it is one thing that The Americans could do with teaching us, I know many find the "Have a nice day" so un-english and infuriating, but I love the Americans for their politeness to each other, it is one place where I love to shop, the purchasers are polite and patient, the staff, helpful and friendly, it is like it is in-bred to be polite, once upon a time it was the same here,  now it is a novalty for friendliness to happen in a shop. (Apart from supermarkets whom seem to be taking the lead with their staff training and trying really hard to be polite and friendly)

Our society could do with a darn good overhaul.

apparently lidl treat their staff terribly (explains the miserable feel). their veg is great though...we've an aldi opening up here soon so shall give it a go and see.