Could I please offer some advice to the retailers of York (national chains and local independents) on how to do business in a recession and therefore increase chances of surviving the said economic downturn.

1 When a customer is waiting to be served, do NOT chat with your mate, chat on or even answer your mobile or carry on with routine admin whilst pretending the customer isn’t there. The customer pays your wages, your mate and your mobile don’t.

2 Open when the sign on the doors says you are going to open. It is extremely annoying being stuck outside a closed shop ten minutes after it’s due to open, watching obviously late staff trying to get things in order before unbolting the door. If your staff can’t get in on time sack them and hire staff that can.

3 Do not start trivial conversations off the subject with the customer you are serving when there is a queue of people waiting to be served.

Just some of the things I’ve encountered in and around some York shops in the last few weeks. Hardly earth-shattering, but very irritating nonetheless.

The best shop for customer service in York I’ve used is York Camera Mart – knowledgeable staff who are polite, relevant and to the point with excellent prices. May I respectfully suggest that the businesses guilty of points 1 to 3 send their staff there for training.

Graham Horne, Beech Avenue, Bishopthorpe, York.