Walking into this store felt less like shopping and more like intruding

I visited the Rage store Cradlestone yesterday(04/02/2026) and was met with what can only be described as visible irritation from the assistant tasked with helping me. No greeting. No warmth. Just attitude — as if assisting a customer was an inconvenience rather than her actual job.

Against my better judgment, I returned today(05/02/2026) hoping that the previous experience was a once-off. It wasn’t. I stood in the store browsing for a good five minutes without a single acknowledgment. No greeting, no “I’ll be with you shortly,” nothing. I eventually had to greet the assistant myself. During payment, I asked whether staff ever smile. The response was a blunt “No.” When I pointed out that customer-facing roles require a basic level of friendliness, I was told, “We are tired.”

While I understand exhaustion,it is not the customer's responsibility to absorb it. Customers are not emotional dumping grounds for staff burnout. If being “tired” means an inability to offer basic courtesy, then management has a far bigger problem than foot traffic.I work with people myself and know very well that personal fatigue has no place in how customers are treated. Basic courtesy,eye contact,and a greeting are not extras-they are the bare minimum.

This wasn’t just poor service — it was uncomfortable, dismissive, and unprofessional. It speaks to a store culture where customers are tolerated rather than welcomed.Rage is not doing customers a favor by allowing them to spend money in their stores. Until staff are properly trained, managed, or held accountable, this store will continue to repel customers instead of retaining them. Deeply disappointed.