I promised another article about being behind the counter at the grocery store, so here it is. We cashiers see a lot. Eventually, we grow tired of certain habits. If you ever see two cashiers having a conversation that immediately hushes when a supervisor or customer walks anywhere near them, they're most definitely talking about the annoying customers that they just had. We've all done it. So here are a few more things that just drive us up a wall.
Cell phones
Everyone has a cell phone. It is great to use it to keep track of what you are missing and to get texts or calls if someone forgot to ask you to pick something up. Want to know what isn’t great? When you decide to take that call (or continue it) when you get to my register. I have a list of things that I’m supposed to ask you. I am considered rude if I don’t ask you and I am considered rude if I interrupt your phone call!
I had a customer get angry with me by the end of her phone call. I had bagged all of her groceries and told her the price. Turns out, she wanted paper instead of plastic and she was mad that I didn’t say hello. The truth was, I said hello and asked the question. She nodded at plastic, so I bagged in plastic. See how cell phones can lead to miscommunication?
Jokes
OH! You are so funny! It didn’t scan so it’s free, right? You just printed that $100 bill? The amount isn’t okay? HAHAHAHAHAHA. So original. Not. I hear these jokes all day every day. I laughed the first time I heard them, but they aren’t funny anymore. You’re not clever, you’re not unique, stop telling these jokes to your cashier.
You can especially stop if you’re trying to be funny for my benefit. It just doesn’t work. Then you have to make me force a laugh so I’m not the rude cashier. Save those jokes for the cashiers at department stores. I’m sure they haven’t heard them before.
Licking your fingers
I have seen customers lick their fingers before putting their hands in their pocket to take their wallets out and lick their fingers again to separate the money. That’s disgusting. Money is already disgusting and you’re adding your fresh spit to something that I have to touch and keep in my drawer. I always feel so gross after handling money, but especially after handling yours, finger lickers!
Paper in plastic
So you want to be eco friendly and choose paper, but you want to have the convenience of handles, so you want plastic. Oh, I see! You’ll have both. I hate bagging groceries in paper bags with a passion, but I will bag groceries in paper 100 times over before I would bag paper in plastic. The paper bag doesn’t strengthen the plastic bag. And opening a paper bag in a plastic bag is the worst. Please just pick one!
Arguing about the price
You think you saw a sign that that bag of chips was on sale? You do realize that if you want to argue about prices, I have to call a manager to check on those prices. Nine times out of ten, the price on the shelf is not what you think it is. So, if you’re alright waiting for me to call the manager and wait for him/her to check the shelf to tell you that the price is exactly what it says on my screen, then by all means tell me that you think the chips are supposed to be two for five instead of $2.99.
If you don’t want me to have a manager check, then don’t bother bringing it up. Oh, and by the way, a picture of the sign is not proof that you are correct. You might have taken that picture from last week’s sale. I’m not technically allowed to believe the customer on what they think the price is unless my manager checks. And don’t do that “I told you so” garbage if my manager says that you were right. I DON’T CONTROL THE PRICES!
Not understanding your food stamps/snap benefits
Food Stamps benefits are a highly debated topic in the first place, but you are not doing the stereotype of Food Stamps recipients any favors when you don’t understand your own benefits. In most places, you can’t get prepared foods on Food Stamps. That’s the way it is supposed to be.
The fact that the store at which I work allows you to get a sub as long as it is not toasted is wrong. But you just plain look like a fool if you get a hot meal at the deli, walk around the store until it gets cold, and then try to pay for it with Food Stamps. You. Cannot. Get. Hot. Foods. On. Food. Stamps. If it was hot when you picked it up, you cannot get it. It does not matter if it is cold when you get it to me.
Why do I bring this up? I literally had a customer bring me a fish fry, among other things, and question why he had a remaining balance after he used his Food Stamps. When I told him that he could not get hot foods on Food Stamps, his response, no joke, was “Well it’s not hot anymore!” THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!
To be completely honest, these things aren't that bad. It's just when we see it day after day AND multiple times per day, it gets a little grating. To put it in perspective, it's like when you're riding in a car with someone and they keep asking "Are we there yet?" just to get on your nerves. I have been a cashier for seven years (granted, I didn't work a full seven years. Thanks college for helping me keep my sanity) and have seen MUCH worse things and much more ANNOYING things. I could probably write a whole book.
Just remember: your cashier is a person, too. They have bad days and those bad days can be made better or worse by your actions and your words. Say "hello" when they do before you demand for a price check and maybe even wish them a good day back if they tell you to "have a good day." A smile can make a world of difference.
