YOU would assume that someone in a shop wearing a badge and organising stock would work there wouldn't you?

Well never assume.

Yesterday, in one of our town centre stores, I couldn't see what I was looking for on display, so I asked the badge-wearing woman.

She looked at me as if I was something that the cat had dragged in and with a sneer told me she didn't work for the store but only for the particular product line in the area where I was standing.

She referred me to the assistant on the counter who was busy serving a queue of customers.

But, after a couple of minutes, I spotted another badge-wearing woman and decided to ask her.

She too didn't actually work for the store but only a section - really they should have flashing lights on their head or something.

Again I was referred to the girl behind the till, who by this time had a huge queue of people waiting to be served.

Frankly, I couldn't be bothered. So I left. Their loss.

Sadly, this shop isn't alone in its poor attitude.

Service in shops is not what it used to be.

A few days ago in one of the new Golden Square stores, I was queuing up to buy something and had time to observe the three store assistants behind the counter.

Only one was serving - hence the queue - of the other two, one was attempting to do some paperwork while her young colleague chatted non-stop to her while shifting a few hangers - empty hangers.

As I waited, this really started to annoy me - surely moving hangers is not as important as serving customers? The pair were completely oblivious and appeared not to care less.

Perhaps their training had only extended as far as hanger management and not serving customers?

Shamefully, in a typical British fashion, I didn't complain, I just awaited my turn.

But this sort of behaviour is by no means isolated.

In yet another store (yes I do shop a lot) I was served by a young female assistant who looked extremely bored and it must have taken all her energy to say: "Put your PIN in". There were no pleasantries, pleases or thank-yous, call again, nothing.

And it's not only fashion stores where this poor attitude is creeping in.

In the supermarket where I shop every week, the assistant serving me one day was busy conducting a conversation with a colleague on the next till - something to do with what they were doing at the weekend or some social arrangements.

She didn't stop when I started packing my shopping, or acknowledge me in any way, she carried on, almost yelling in order to make herself heard.

I felt like apologising for shopping there and obviously disturbing her. How rude of me.

Last week it was a young lad on the till. I attempted to make polite conversation while packing, he merely grunted a reply and carried on. He obviously had no wish to talk - either that or being a typical bloke couldn't multi-task - talk and swipe at the same time.

And I make no apologies for being ageist - it tends to be young people that are the worse culprits - scruffy, grumpy and downright rude.

Mrs Slocombe would turn in her grave!