Grocery store, department store; you name it. Cashiers all over the world can relate to one thing: the struggles of dealing with the public. Some who have never had the experience of being a cashier claim it's a piece of cake, but trust us; it is pretty safe to say we have heard and seen it all.
"Hi, how are you today?" does not give you a reason to tell us your life story.
If a cashier says this to you, there are usually two reasons why they are asking: 1. It's an easy way to break any awkwardness between themselves and you. 2. It's literally part of their job. Answers such as, "I'm good. How are you?" or "I'm fine. Thanks for asking" are the best ways to go. Giving answers like, "I'm awful," or "Why do you want to know?", will only make your cashier uncomfortable. Also, avoid giving away too much information about your life. For example, talking about a recent hip replacement you just had done should be a subject to avoid (and yes, I have had this conversation with someone before).
Just because an item doesn't scan, doesn't mean it's free.
We've all heard this joke before. "Oh, it's not ringing up? I guess that means it's free!" This was clever the first time we cashiers had heard it. If this was the case, we'd have everyone damaging the bar codes, and everything would be free. Cashiers will be able to find the price of your non-scanning item, even if we have to call the manager to help.
Please place your money in our outstretched hand.
We don't mind when people take their time to count their change. We only mind if our hand is there for customers to place their money in but is instead placed on the belt or counter. Not only is the money all over the counter now, but now we have to strategically get the coins off of it. It doesn't seem like this would be that big of deal, but you're saving us a lot of time by just putting it in the cashier's hand.
Yelling at us will not get your problems solved any faster.
I'm sorry an item is ringing up more than it should. I'm sorry our store doesn't carry what you're looking for. However, this isn't your cashier's fault. We do not control any of this; we simple just scan your items and give you change. We're happy to help you in any way we can but starting to get angry with us will not fix anything. Next time anything unexpected happens during your next shopping trip, remember to stay calm with your cashier. They're trying their best.
We're human too.
Many cashiers are students trying to save their money for school, retired adults trying to get extra money, or people who work just to have a job. We're all trying to make money, just like the customers who come through our line do outside of the store. Being kind to your cashier makes the work shift go by just a little quicker.
Working with the public isn't always the easiest job. Next time you go to the store, be sure to thank your cashier. It may seem like a such a small thing to do, but trust me: the smallest gesture can make our day. When you're on the other end of the register, you truly get an insight of what working with people is all about.
