What is an acceptable waiting time? How long are you willing to wait to get ring up at the grocery stores or to see your doctor or for customer service to answer the phone line, etc. etc. And do you get irritated when you see the customer service continue to talk to another customer long after they have completed the transaction? For me it depends on my mood or situation, I find myself sometimes getting irritated and annoyed by their behaviors. Other times, I find it amusing. Overall, I do not enjoy waiting especially if I have other errands to run. I have been kept waiting in a doctor's office for longer than an hour and I never spoke up even though there were people that came after me that went in ahead. And that put me in a bad mood but I am trying to overcome that by telling myself that I am lucky I am not as sick as those who went in ahead of me. I don't really know but it is just a way to make me feel better about the slight.
It depends on where you are and like you said my mood. At the doctor I don't really have a choice but to wait. I have waited as long as 3 hours past my appointment. I was extremely irritated and angry but you do not have a choice. And the ones who went ahead of you were not necessarily sicker. Just lucky, knew somebody, or whatever. Our local family practice (which is about all we have in my small town) is horrible. You have an appointment at 2 you can bet you will not see a doctor before about 4:30. If my appointment is at 2 and I go in at 1:45 and 3 people in line in front of me are "walk ins" who want to see the same doctor they will go in before me. So why the crap do we make appointments. Just show up and who ever gets there first gets in first.
I have walked off and left a full buggy sitting there in line at the grocery store before. It was about 5 or so in the evening and they had ONE register open and people every where. Like the line was actually 2 going down the aisles and the managers could have cared less. So off I walked and they can put the stuff back up.
I get irritated when cashiers ring up friends and stand there and talk for 15 minutes after transaction is done. Sometimes cashiers just get to talking and I try not to get too upset about that. It could be the customer or the cashier. You never know when someone could be on the verge of suicide and a few friendly words could make all the difference in the world.
Over all I am not a big fan of waiting. lol. Totally depends on the situation though.