Dear Customers,

Please do not argue with me over stupid stuff. Please do not scream at me because I don’t follow your way. And I’m sorry if I don’t know where everything in the entire store is. Sometimes, I love my job, and sometimes, I hate it, but honestly, that is life. You aren’t always going to love everything you do.

Please don't argue with me about things I can't control.

I don’t make the policies or rules. And I’m sorry I am not afraid to tell you that. I will explain that probably over and over throughout my shift. And I had a customer honestly get mad at me the other day over it. She started debating with the customer behind her and both of them started arguing over how stupid the policy seemed. It was ridiculous. The debate lasted several minutes, but it definitely seemed much longer than that. I explained that there was nothing I could do about the policy and I would be following it. I also informed them that if management needed to be called, I would call them. But, it got me realizing that we argue all the time over things we cannot control.

The customer actually isn't always right.

I can’t always follow your ways. I’m sorry, I can’t. There are policies, I have bosses, and I’m sorry you are not always right. I cannot always accept your price competition prices or your amount of coupons. There are certain policies I have to follow when you don’t have your I.D. I cannot do everything you want and I won’t. I’m not losing my job over doing something your way. I denied someone something the other day and they looked at me and said, “You should do what I ask you to do because I am paying for your education.” I wanted to look at this customer and say “Oh really? I work 25 hours a week to afford a month of school. I am a first generation college student and am working hard for the money I get so I can be the first graduate in my family. But honestly, you are shopping here and paying the company, not for my education.”

The store is huge and I don't know where every last item is located.

Retail stores are something huge. There is absolutely no way for me to know where every little item is. I work two different locations of the same retail store, and surprisingly, they are not set up the same. And sometimes, I can just tell you where I think the item is located. As a cashier, I don’t have a way of finding out exactly where the item is in the store. And if you can’t find it in the few places I tell you it could be located…we might not have it in stock at the moment. Sorry to say, but it’s true. I have had customers look at me and say, “I don’t care where you think it is, I want to know exactly where it is.” Talk about ouch…there are definitely nicer ways to say that.

We are humans just like you. We have feelings and emotions and get yelled at and screamed at more than you can even imagine. So, whatever you do… don’t argue, don’t scream, and don’t get upset because the cashier does not know exactly where the item is located. Treat the cashiers, store associates, and managers with the respect they deserve.

Love always,

A Retail Cashier