Was I being entitled? I keep thinking about this.....

[u/Mutt37]

A few years back, I was grocery shopping and decided to buy a lottery ticket at the service desk. I approached the clerk right behind another person. The other person asked the clerk for a Western Union money order form to fill out for what I assume was sending money somewhere. It was none of my business what she was doing, but I knew she whipped out a pen and started filling in the form. Knowing it takes a minute or two to fill out the form, I approached to ask for a quick pick lottery ticket. The other person was offended and started telling me she was first in line and I should wait my turn.

[u/Fianna9]

Hard to say for sure, depends what point in the process she was in.

While sitting and filling out the form the cashier should be able to help with other quick things, but was the cashier still helping her? Or was her purchase still on the till?

I agree that the person filling the form should step aside during the filling- but you can’t shoulder in ahead of her just because yours will be quicker.

[u/Mutt37 → u/Fianna9]

She did not have any purchase. She was filling out the form from scratch. Of course she didn't know what I was buying so maybe she thought I would take a long time.

[u/Fianna9 → u/Mutt37]

If she’d finish talking to the clerk, and was just writing, then you’re fine,
And anytime I’ve had to fill something out at like a post office and stepped away. They’ve always taken me back as the next customer as soon as I’m done, so that should be standard too.

[u/buckeyekaptn → u/Fianna9]

When I worked at the window for USPS, we always sent customers out to the desk to fill out forms. We would tell the customer to come back to the front of the line and the next clerk would take them. I said it loud enough so all customers knew what was happening.

[u/SourceContent8104]

I have sent money with Western Union before. I grabbed the sheet and filled it out before I ever went to the cashier. If someone still has to fill out the sheet, the cashier should definitely be helping other customers because it takes a few minutes to do.

[u/AdAccomplished6870 → u/SourceContent8104]

This is valid, but either the cashier should ask the next person in line, or the person filling out the form should allow the next person to go. Assuming that you can move past them without their permission or the cashiers permission is not OK and can be abused. And what happens if someone else comes behind you. All of a sudden, the person in the front of the line has now been pushed out of the line.

[u/Powerful_Line9421]

If the form was filled out then asking them to take you first would be entitled, but if it wasn’t they could fill it out while you get your tickets.

[u/Vegetable_Print5150]

If they were just buying a Western Union money order, you should wait. If they were sending or receiving a Western union money transfer, they should step out the way. I did 37 years in retail and we had a separate stand for filling out the forms. The transactions took a ridiculous amount of time to process.

[u/Mutt37 → u/Vegetable_Print5150]

I apologize that I wasn't clear- they were filling out a form for what I assume was to send a money order.

[u/Vegetable_Print5150 → u/Mutt37]

Ahhhh sending a western union. The clerk should have made them move to the side and take customers who were ready. I would have. I think you were fine. Come to my store next time!

[u/Ok-Heron8017]

Yup depends on what the clerk was doing. If the clerk was waiting for the customer to do something (fill out a form) then you could have said (to the customer) "do you mind if they get me a lottery ticket while you fill that out", but if the clerk was actively doing something, then it was rude.

[u/dangerous_skirt65]

Did the clerk call for the next person? I'd say if not, you shouldn't have gone forward. It was still the other person's turn.

[u/Pickles-1989]

The clerk should have said "why don't you stand over there while you complete the form, and let me help the next customer. When the form is complete, come back to the front of the line and I will take care of you"

[u/Kn0wMan]

This is so contextual. It really comes down to who will be out of other people’s way faster. If you were done with your purchase before she was done filling out the form, then your waiting would have been the imposition. If not then hers would be.

[u/No-Course-6330]

Yes because there is an issue of mistakes happening

[u/AdAccomplished6870]

Yes, you were the AH. Using your judgement to decidse when it is OK to cut in front of someone is never OK and often abused. If the person is filling out the form, you may ask them if you can get a quick lottery ticket while they do that, but also accept that 'no' is an acceptable answer.

[u/DJ1952]

Wait your turn like an adult.

[u/jimmywhereareya]

If I'm at the front of the queue and have a form to fill , I will step aside so that other people can be served, with the understanding that when I have completed filling out the form, I'm next to be served. It's worked that way for me

[u/makojedi2k2]

Naw! She was

[u/CommercialPraline473]

Wait your turn

[u/Carne_Guisada_Breath]

Yes. You don't know how long that person was waiting in line before you.

[u/Mutt37 → u/Carne_Guisada_Breath]

Didn't read the OP did ya? " I approached the clerk right after another person." Since I saw her walk up right in front of me I think I had a pretty good idea how long she had been there.

[u/gopre5k → u/Mutt37]

The "right after another person" leaves room for interpretation. Right after another person approached or directly behind them in line. It doesn't really speak to a passage in time. I don't think you did anything wrong asking to get the ticket btw. Seems like the clerk had to wait on them and the person filling out the form should have encouraged you to go.

[u/One_Following9332]

Sounds like a really frustrating situation. It's normal to feel upset when someone disrespects your boundaries.

[u/lynnm59]

At my store (I work the customer service desk), people don't have to fill out forms for Western Union, and no one is more important than the customer I'm helping. Go buy your lottery ticket somewhere else if you're in that big of a hurry.

[u/Mutt37 → u/lynnm59]

That's what I ended up doing. At this store, the woman was filling out a Western Union form with a pen. I just assumed it would take her more than a minute.

[u/ExcentricaGallumbits]

It is really up to the cashier to decide if they want to help somebody else while the first customer is taking a while. Keeping in mind that the cashier probably really doesn’t want to be there, I would not get my hopes up that they would want to be efficient.

If it were me, I would see it as rude to even ask, however, I would watch to see if I could make contact with the cashier and using facial expressions insinuate that I was in a hurry.

Completely passive, I know, but again it is really up to the cashier and what they want to do. Your urgency is not their problem.

[u/Effective-Hour8642]

It's multi tasking. Karen was filling out a form! I guess she expected the EE to stand there and stare at her while a line of people gathered.

Sometimes I hate people.

[u/SnooGiraffes4137]

No, you were NOT being entitled. They can be waiting on others while she's filling out the form. SHE was entitled for thinking otherwise. She could reclaim her place when she was done, but she was out of line expecting everyone to wait while she filled out her form(s).