Retailers and polite society

“Is everything okay?”

Sir, – Further to recent correspondence (November 29th), the one that annoys me most is the shop assistant who, when they finally come to serve me, asks “Are you okay?”

If I was “okay” I wouldn’t have taken the time to place myself in a situation where I needed assistance, even if it was only to pay an exorbitant price for some small item. – Yours, etc,

SEAMUS McKENNA,

Maynooth,

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Co Kildare.

Sir, – A common form of address to a customer waiting to pay at many Dublin retail outlets is “Are you okay?” or even more brusquely, “Okay?” My response is “Thank you for asking but I haven’t been okay for years.” – Yours, etc,

DAVID LOUGHLIN,

Rathmines,

Dublin 6.