"Years ago, I worked in a big box home improvement store that's no longer in business.



I was stocking shelves at one end of an aisle and a man was at the other end, just standing there, watching me. then he whistled, like you would for a dog. So I ignored him. He whistled twice more, about a minute apart, before finally storming halfway down the aisle and shouting, 'Hey?!'



That's when I finally acknowledged him and asked, 'Can I help you?' and he said, 'Yeah, I've been trying to get your attention for like five minutes,' and I said, 'Oh, I'm sorry. I heard whistling, but I thought perhaps someone had lost a dog.' And he just about turned purple and demanded to speak to my manager.

So I picked up the phone and paged a manager, and when he arrived, the man immediately began telling him that I had 'just ignored him' and that's 'terrible customer service' and demanded an apology. My manager then asked me why I didn't acknowledge him, I said, 'he was whistling, and —' my manager cut me off, turned to the man, and said:

'You're right, I'm sorry no one taught you how to ask for assistance.'"