The only place that I have experienced employees chatting away and ignoring the customers is one store in a large grocery chain here in the east. My husband and I were at the deli counter waiting and waiting and waiting while 2 employees stood a few feet away and looked at us several times as they were talking and laughing. I was boiling...my husband has a little more patience than I do. I told him...I have to walk away because I am going to explode at them right now. Of course when we left the store then he showed his anger....lol.