creepy encounters with cashiers

[Sector 7]

Last winter, when I was still using a cane and had an infusion pump slung over my shoulder, I decided to try on a cape. The saleswoman heard me tell my friend that I usually don't like loose, floppy clothes, but sleeves were uncomfortable over my PICC line, so a cape would be perfect for a while. So she starts telling me how great I look for someone who's sick, and how many capes she's sold to women who use wheelchairs, and btw what was wrong with me anyway.

It could be much worse, my friend. My godson has CP & is in a wheelchair [well, now its a Rascal scooter thing]. At the mall or movies, people will just stare. Mostly, it is because they just don't know what to say. Often, they are surprised that he speaks so well... they look at the body and assume he's retarded [or whatever the current PC term is].

I commend your waitperson for, at least, trying to be conversational. She was probably trying to put you at ease. Whether or not it worked is your decision.

 

[propita]

At my local Von's, the cashiers who recognize me say hi, the ones that don't call me "Ms. [last name]." At CVS, there's a couple of tech/cashiers who don't even have to ask my name. Scary that I have so many meds that they know me.

I don't mind a little friendliness from cashiers. I tend to chitchat.

 

[Gaseous Anomaly]

all the checkers at my local heb call me sir with the exception of one who's dad i work with and know thru him, she calls me by my last name. i try to just put my stuff on the conveyer and not worry about it again. i've only been short 1 item when i got home and that was taken care of when i called the store back. i guess that is the difference between professionalism and rank amateur.

 

[Tosk]

On top of that, the wait staff will invariably interrupt conversation at the table. [...] The polite thing to do is to stand quietly and wait for a break.

A server's job is to be pleasant and serve the customers as quickly as possible.

Stand quietly and wait to be deigned with a gap in the conversation, and do your job as quickly as possible!

 

[Yoda]

My Von's card is linked to an old roommate's name, so they have a woman's name on there, and they have a company policy to address me by that name, so they just throw a mister in front of the last name and hope I don't get mad. It's kind of funny. I never correct them or comment on it, which I assume is in line with what they prefer. Sometimes they might realize their mistake if they have to check my ID.

It's pretty obvious when a cashier just wants people to go away as fast as possible, so be prompt with what you want, prompt with your payment, say "please" and "thank you" without going over the top with it and you'll get out ok.

If you want to brighten their day, the best opportunity is when the customer in front of you is obnoxious and/or stupid. Go up and say "What's with that guy?" and then mock whatever it was they were doing. If you hate on the same customers they hate, the enemy of their enemy is their friend.

 

[B.J.]

Most people just address me as "sir". If there are any companies with a policy to address their customers by name, I've never heard it. Of course, that's probably because my last is extremely difficult to figure out how to pronounce, and my first name that's on any card is one that most people don't go by today, not even myself. (I go by that name over on the left, if you're curious. )

 

[Mr Awe]

Cashiers have a habit of telling me how shitty their day is going. I have no idea why. I usually ask how they're doing, just to be polite, and the usual response is, "I can't wait to go home."

Um...neat.

If you don't want to know, don't ask! I can imagine that most cashiers will be having, at best, mundane days on the job and that their personal life is more interesting. So, you've got to expect the can't wait to get home bit!

Mr Awe

 

[Mr Awe]

Were the kids on your lawn especially noisy this morning?

No.

Did I not tip you enough the last time you waited on my wife and me?

You think that implying that someone is a server is an insult? You must be real classy!

It's just that you sound very much like the broken record that's been playing for the past three thousand years or so about how horrible kids are these days.

Maybe the kids are fine, and you're just a grouch.

Ah, TSQ, this is why I love you so much!! Absolutely perfect!

Mr Awe

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

No.

Did I not tip you enough the last time you waited on my wife and me?

You think that implying that someone is a server is an insult? You must be real classy!

It's just that you sound very much like the broken record that's been playing for the past three thousand years or so about how horrible kids are these days.

Maybe the kids are fine, and you're just a grouch.

You don't know me, so you get a pass this time.

There has been a significant decline in politeness over the last couple of decades. If you're in the age group that falls into that, fine.

I hope you'll take the opportunity to learn from people who have been around longer than you have.

And yes, I'm a grumpy old bastard.

This is so hilarious to read form someone with a KISS avatar.

IS THIS THE FATE OF US ALL?!

Fuck it, I used to be a huge Plasmatics fan, let the young do what they like. I certainly did.

 

[Mr Awe]

I was a cashier many, many years ago. Mainly, I found it to be a tedious job. I always enjoyed chatted with the customers because it helped pass the time. I wasn't required to chat with them, I just enjoyed it. However, I could always tell whether they wanted to chat or not, and respect their wishes.

As a customer, I also like to chat, but again, I respect the cashier.

Mr Awe

 

[Captain_Nick]

Cashiers have a habit of telling me how shitty their day is going. I have no idea why. I usually ask how they're doing, just to be polite, and the usual response is, "I can't wait to go home."

Um...neat.

Well, you asked

What would be a more inconspicuous answer to the question? I'm finding that 'we'll we're getting shut down in a week' isn't working for me, it just leads to more questions.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Young people these days are not trained in etiquette.

It is impolite to address elders by their first name unless they say it's ok.

Did I not tip you enough the last time you waited on my wife and me?

You don't know me, so you get a pass this time.

There has been a significant decline in politeness over the last couple of decades. If you're in the age group that falls into that, fine.

I hope you'll take the opportunity to learn from people who have been around longer than you have.

This is hilarious. You giving advice on politeness is like getting pet care tips from Michael Vick. You are without a doubt one of the most consistently rude posters on this board, and your arrogant posts never fail to astonish. This string of condescending comments is further proof of that. If I bought into the stupid theory about the alleged decline in politeness that's been going on for decades I would hypothesize that it began right about the time you were born.

You can make a case that saying someone's first name without being properly introduced is rude and presumptive, but it has fuck all to do with being an elder. Just because someone has lived longer than someone else doesn't make them a better person or more worthy of the respect you should give equally to everyone.

I do enjoy the opportunity to learn from those older than myself, because they have generally experienced more. On the flipside of that coin, that doesn't prevent them from being an asshole who is not worth listening to either. There are also plenty of young people who have lived fascinating lives and experienced some amazing things, so their input is not lesser by default. It depends on the person.

And what the fuck is this supposed to mean?

"You don't know me, so you get a pass this time."

Knock that shit off.

 

[Captain Ice]

^Amen, brother. Totally agreed.

 

[Emher]

When I was a cashier what I did was since the cash register was at the front door, was to say "Hello" when a customer entered and "Goodbye" when they left. In between you treated them politely and answered any questions. As well as keep an eye so that they didn't shoplift. Which to be honest was mostly old ladies that tended to do. That and get away with bullshit like "This cup is chipped, so I only want to pay a third of the given price."

I'm in service job today as well, but I like it way better then being a cashier.

I occasionally get leering cashiers...I've definitely been leered at to the point that I became uncomfortable enough to leave the shop, but what I really hate is the guys who use the exchanging of money as a chance to do this nasty thing where they slowly slide their hand across mine. Combined with an overly sexual stare it makes for a really unpleasant encounter.

Okay, that's just giving me the creeps and making me nauseous at the same time

(oh hey, finally found a use for that little guy!)

Young people these days are not trained in etiquette.

Dude, honestly: the biggest assholes I've met in my life are people in their middle age or older.

Are there assholes around my age? Fuck yeah there is. But some of the most mean, obnoxious, ruin your day kinda of people are 95% of the time are older people.


As I said earlier, I'm in a service job and I encounter customers pretty much every day. I'm polite as long as they are, if any problems surface I do my best solve it and assure them we will do our best to do so, and if they're feeling chatty you can at times stay for a bit of tea. Granted, the vast majority of our customers are very nice and delightful people. Even the ones around my age (the majority of our clients are elderly), while at times curt since they hire us for the job, not to chat away, are polite.

But some times you just meet that major asshole. The one you know is just going to argue about the bill no matter how quick and neatly you do the job. And you stay polite, you accommodate, and you make damned sure that any animosity is on their part. And then when they refuse to pay the bill you bring the full wrath of the IRS on them.

When that happens, I kid you fucking not, it's only people who are well of to very well off. Luckily for us, we can just choose not to do business with them again. We have more then enough work. And for the select few assholes (we've only done this for one ex customer thus far out of now 1000 separate clients), we spread the word amongst out fellow local service companies that "Don't do business with these assholes, they will bitch and they will stiff you on the bill".


Conclusion: you are of course entitled to your opinion. Mine is that assholes exist in all age groups. But the older ones are to me the most verbal ones.

 

[MacLeod]

Some may think me obnoxious. I can deal with that.

A cashier's job is to be pleasant and move the customers through as quickly as possible. A server's job is to be pleasant and serve the customers as quickly as possible. Extraneous conversation slows down the process.

To members in the service industries: Be polite and don't be overly familiar. Your employer and your customers will thank you for it.

And of course the opposite is also true isn't it.

To customers, please respect our staff and treat them with respect, be poliete to them. If something does go wrong speak to them in a poleite manner and they will endeavour to try and rectify your complaint. Screaming and shouting at them will not help resolve your complaint any faster.

Just as we sometimes witness poor examples of customer service, we can also witness customers treating members of staff poorly.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I hate chit chat with cashiers or baggers. Really hate it. Well, I don't like chit chat in general really. I think that some people, especially those who seem to end up in cashier jobs, really don't like silence between two people and find it awkward, so they try to fill it with something. But to me it isn't awkward, it's relaxing.

I had the unfortunate experience of working as a bagger in a grocery store, but left after just one month because I couldn't take having to be so fake all the time. If I don't feel like smiling, I'm not going to smile, and if I don't feel like talking, I'm not going to say anything. It's not like I didn't try, but it's just not in my nature to do those things, I am not naturally a chatty or upbeat person. I found having to act friendly more exhausting than bringing in the carts from the parking lot in 100 degree weather. Thankfully I went back to an office job after that, where I don't work with customers and I can sit in silence while I scowl.

I also hate it when you're walking around a store and staff keep asking you if you need help. If I want help, I will ask for it, otherwise leave me alone!! I know that not everyone operates this way, so I understand that they have to do their job and I am not rude to them, but I just wish it was different.

 

[Shazam!]

I went to New York a few years ago (I'm from Blighty!) and found the shopping experience to be weirdest most surreal thing I have ever experienced. I don't care what the store directives are the insincere platitudes are ridiculous.

 

[sojourner]

I also hate it when you're walking around a store and staff keep asking you if you need help. If I want help, I will ask for it, otherwise leave me alone!! I know that not everyone operates this way, so I understand that they have to do their job and I am not rude to them, but I just wish it was different.

Yeah, this bugs me. I went into an HHgreg once and stayed about 5 minutes before I had to leave. It was worse than a used car lot with the sales people coming up to ask if you needed "help" (you could almost physically hear the "sell you something?" hidden in that one word) every 5 feet.

 

[Nick086]

Young people these days are not trained in etiquette.

It is impolite to address elders by their first name unless they say it's ok. Doubly so for a customer. If they introduce themselves to you by first name it's good. If I introduce myself as "Mr. Zoid," then it's disrespectful to address me by anything else.

Restaurants are particularly bad. My skin crawls when a server refers to my wife and me as "you guys." On top of that, the wait staff will invariably interrupt conversation at the table.

The polite thing to do is to stand quietly and wait for a break. My tip subtractor goes into high gear when a server interrupts my wife and me in the middle of a conversation.

I have worked in many service jobs and I understand how it works. If someone wants my respect (and my money) they have to show me that they understand how it works, too.

So do you give less tip when it comes to gender and looks?

 

[Shazam!]

I'd never introduce myself as 'Mr. Surname'* Seems weirdly arrogant and implies and superiority to me.






*I'd insert my own surname, obvz