I AM making an exception here before I start. Shop staff in the Five Valleys are in my experience helpful, polite and courteous and not at all typical of the examples cited below.

However, I have been travelling a lot around the country recently and the same cannot be said for others.

It is infuriating beyond words to have to wait twice as long for a transaction to be completed because staff are too preoccupied either flirting with each other or trying to score some sort of one upmanship in the smart remarks department.

In one shop I visited just this week I was expected to source the goods, without help, find out the price myself, go in search of a bigger size, again without help and virtually wrap it myself. I felt like sending in an invoice for my services. The assistant was of course gracious enough to take my money but not without pulling a face when I didn't have the exact change.

I left the shop feeling as though I had intruded on a private party to which I obviously was not welcome.

Compare this with a shop in France or America where not only is the customer greeted properly, given undivided attention and made to feel valued but they are then waved off like a long lost relative.

I once popped into a store in the US to ask directions and came out with three electrical appliances. Not hard sell, just good salesmanship.

I really don't want to be told anymore: 'if its not on the shelf...' for goodness sake, at least pretend to look. Humour me. I am, after all, the paying customer.