Tips From a Cashier/Cashier Rant

gsmithnp

I haven't read all of these, but as a former cashier (grocery store and fast-food place), present-day customer, and one who works with the public daily, I can relate to just about all of these.

People who expect you to be a mind reader. Just tell me or ask whatever it is you need. Politely is better, but don't get angry because my crystal ball is in the shop.

People who empty their cart onto the belt, then leave the empty cart behind them in the checkout lane. The folks behind you can't advance to pay for their stuff. Push your cart AHEAD of you so it's out of other customers' way and your cashier can put your goodies back into the cart, enabling you to transport it to your car with ease.

Yes, it can be aggravating when a customer pays for several dollars' worth of stuff with coins, but it's a little different with kids. Had a walmart cashier refuse to accept $10 worth of quarters from my then-7 year old for a toy she had saved her money for because the coins weren't rolled. Um, if someone hands a cashier a roll of coins they have to open it to make sure it's actually got money in it and not stuffed with metal washers or BBs or something. Come on, it's a KID! I could see it maybe if it was all pennies, but good grief. And she was rude about it too. My daughter was in tears.

Customers, please have any coupons, gift cards, discount cards, etc IN YOUR HAND before you get to the register. Also, if you're one who still writes checks (some still do), please have as much of it filled out before you get to the register. YOU might not be in a hurry, but those waiting behind you may be.

If you have a cart full of stuff, for the love of God PLEASE do not get into the "15 items or less" line unless the cashier specifically calls you over. See above about other people possibly being in a hurry.

If you are on WIC, please follow the directions and get ONLY the items listed on your voucher. The store cannot substitute the name-brand juice for the generic brand you were authorized, no matter how much you complain or if the store is out of the generic. The cashier cannot magically make your authorized product appear, or change the rules of the program. It is illegal and s/he could lose their job. (Note: not bashing WIC or people on it. Wonderful program, and vital for those who need it. But please don't try to manipulate the system--you will only succeed in ruining it for everyone.)

Last thing: I have always wondered why, when giving change back, cashiers place the paper bills in my palm first, then the coins. I always end up dropping the coins and fumbling with it all. If the coins are placed in my palm first, I can wrap my fingers around them and then grasp the bills between my index finger and thumb. I can understand it when the cashier actually counts back the change (you go from largest denomination to smallest), but hardly anyone ever does that anymore. "$3.42 is your change" as they put the three $1 bills in my palm and place the quarter, dime, nickel, and two pennies on top. Now I have to try to juggle the coins, bills, my purse, and maybe my purchases too without dropping anything. Or maybe I'm just weird...

pamperedlinny

I used to cashier but it was at a Christian Book Store. Thankfully that saved a lot of drama. But the people that come in 5 minutes before closing and continue to browse 20 minutes after we close and have an attitude when you ask them to leave seriously irks. And there was one guy who did it almost every week. Grrrrr

On the other side, working the customer service counter in a store like that is almost fun. You can watch them come in mad, see them check themselves and thier surroundings and realign thier thoughts. It's actually visible on most faces.

I don't think I'd have the nerve to work cashier in a regular store. I'd end up totally losing it with some people.

GodlessHeathen

Nothing's worse than working as a cashier at x mass time. People lose their minds if you say happy holidays.

horndave

I know how you feel. I don't work as a cashier, but I do work at the front desk of a hotel and you wouldn't believe the amount of stupid people I talk to on a daily basis. Sometimes people will call me and say, "Can you give me the phone number to the Marriott in _________ (insert random city here)?" Like... why would I know that? I have to look it up on google. It's such an annoyance.

Another thing: when you call the hotel, a recording plays with options at the end. Press 1 for reservations, 2 for directions, etc. People press 4 for the front desk and then say "Hi, can I make a reservation?" and of course I'm like "sure, I'll transfer you to reservations!" But seriously. LISTEN TO THE MENU.

There's a lot more, but those are just two examples. Working in customer service can be really frustrating at times. I do enjoy my job, but there are just some really ignorant people in the world.. haha

I did listen to that freaking menu, I pressed 4 and the damn thing sent me to this phone.

hookilau

So they build a store with 25 cashier points and it gets really busy. so they put extra staff on and increase the cashier points from 7 to 9 leaving 16 closed.....and wonder why people get upset.

This of course is the stores fault not the cashiers and I always treat people with respect unitl the demonstrate otherwise and then I flick their ears and karate chop their necks gently until they tell me to stop......then I keep doing it and annoy them.

Subtle irritation is much better for the sould than all out confrontation.

I go to work for the latter.

Love and Peace to all cashiers (and karate chops and the hand of calm) xxx

:laugh:

smantha32

Yeah, we get it about the hooks already.

The hide feature is lovely. :-)

That's like her third post about hooks. People touching her hooks must really ruin her day. :happy:

I don't think, in all my years in retail, anyone ever touched my hooks. lol

Maybe if they did, you'd be on MFP shouting about it. LOL :laugh:

runlilyrun

I worked as a cashier for Kmart for three years in high school. I didn't mind it. However, it really irks me (and irks me now when a cashier does it to me!) when someone hands me the bills and then the change on top. This is very awkward! Hand me the coins first then the bills. Easier to put away! And now I always bring up another item with a bar code if the one I want doesn't have one to save the cashier having to call for a price check which just annoys everyone!

I've known other cashiers who became flustered by getting the coins handed to them first.

Can't please everyone.

Personally, I'm always thankful when the cashier counts the change back the old fashioned way, rather than just telling me the lump sum of change or - all too often - just handing me the change with nothing more than "here's your change. Have a day."

It especially irks me when I'm handed my change, coins on top, and then expected to vanish into thin air. Give me a second to put my money away!

Yesyesyes. Totally this.

Also is there an East Asian language without a word for 'please' or 'thank you'? Trying to work out if there's a good reason for today's tourists' rudeness. 'I want a chicken sandwich and a coke'.

thetruthrevealed

ok

thetruthrevealed

Everyone's job sucks. And EVERYONE here is or has been the crappy customer that ruined someone else's day at some point in their life, whether or not it was intentional.

Case in point: when a cashier calls 911 about someone who is making THEIR day suck, and that cashier is incredibly rude to me, the 911 dispatcher, making MY day suck.

No one is perfect I agree, but i dont think everyone has done something to ruin a cashier's day. Those are pretty strong words. Sure i may have wanted something in a certain bag or asked for a price check. But does that qualify for ruining a person's day. I think not.

KxCoyote

Do you really have to throw away freezer food? We were told that once, but yet, we see all the time, food being put back into the freezers from a cart full of other return items. (We grocery shop at night because both me and my mother have social anxiety) And more often than not, those items are half-defrosted or even completely defrosted.
We've seen this in many stores. Is it a company policy? Or just something that is said and not really followed up with?

JenBrown0210

Is that all you got? :noway:

:laugh: so true!

Men, wear a shirt - you are shopping, not sun-bathing, and I only want to be that close to a naked chest if it is my husband's, eurgh.

Please and thank you cost nothing.

If you hold up the queue apologise to the person behind you, it's not my fault so why should I apologise? If it IS my fault THEN it's my place to say sorry.

Ladies, pyjamas are not appropriate attire when shoppping. It makes you look chavvy and cheap.

Do not consume anything until you've paid for it. If you want your child to stuff its face while you shop buy the items and THEN continue shopping. I don't want to touch some skanky half eaten chocolate bar or baguette that is covered in your child's spit. :sick:

I'll let someone else continue, I'm getting all riled now... :explode:

When I take my 4 and 5 year old daughters shopping they know they cannot have their treat until it has been scanned! I think it is so rude to eat something before you have paid for it!

thetruthrevealed

Don't ask "paper or plastic" anymore then. Just do paper. You are clearly not ready for plastic. Or maybe even customers.
[/quote]

First off, I cannot just decide to do "paper." I dont think you know what cashiers do and or are suppose to do. First off, trainers and supervisors tell cashiers and reinforce to them that only certain items are to be put into paper bags and if the items would rip a plastic bag then a cashier can put it into a paper bag. But how many times does this happen. My point is, at least 65% percent of the time i have to put things in plastic bags unless the customer asks paper. And not every customer asks for paper. If the customer does not ask for paper, then the cashier is not allowed to simply choose paper. Im not so sure you understand that. So, dont tell me to just simply bag items in paper and not plastic. It doesnt work that way. Unlike customers where they can get away with almost anything when they are besides a cashier, a cashier does not even have the right to choose to bag most or majority of grocery items in paper. Sure SOME people will ask for their items to be put in paper, but not many people want to carry around a big paper bag with just a few items in it. also it takes up too much space in the garbage so alot like plastic and plastic bag also folds up so it doesnt take up much space. majority of my job consists of putting items in plastic bags. Sure i really really really wish I was allowed to bag at least 50% of customers items in paper.

runlilyrun

Wait, why would you even have two kinds of carrier bags available?!

And why don't people just bag their own shopping like they do here? I don't understand.

ruth3698

I used to manage a Dollar Tree and my list is very long. Now that I'm not working there anymore I'm free to voice my opinion to the general public.I remember this one time I was in line at k mart and this older woman in a wheelchair with I'm assuming her adult son started yelling at the cashier.The poor girl had rang up her items and they weren't ringing up at the sale price advertised so the woman starting calling her a bit$h and stupid etc. I then spoke up and told her it wasn't the cashier's fault and to stop talking to her that way.This woman turned around so fast I thought she was going to fly out of her chair.Then she started yelling at me and telling me that she was going to beat the f*** out of me. I was amazed that not one member of managment stepped in .

I would always be shocked at how angry people would get over the smallest things smh. everybody already listed most of the stuff that got on my nerves.Now that I'm a customer the main thing that get to me is when cashiers don't pay attention to their customer.no "hello","how are you","have a nice day" and when they carry on a conversation with the bagger the whole time ignoring me...ugh...talk about annoying.

PepperWorm

OMG yes to all of these.

Let me add: DO NOT come to my line with a buggy full of items and it clearly says "15 or less" above my line. I get graded on my speed, and having to both scan and bag your crap sucks. Don't get mad at me if I turn you away. Read the damn sign.

Same to the self check out...don't bring your huge buggy of groceries to the self check out. It's such a stupid waste of time because I have to keep vigil and watch you fail to keep everything on the scale, which makes my screen beep at me for weight discrepancies, and it also makes the folks with 1 or 2 items waiting angry.

If you can't understand how to work a self check out, DON'T USE IT.

If you have WIC, please read all of the items on your list and make sure they match up with the awesome WIC friendly stickers under each WIC friendly item. It's a pain in the *kitten* to have to stop and tell you that what you chose is not WIC friendly. Don't get angry at me for it. You screwed up, not me.

If you use EBT, don't get mad at me when something doesn't ring up under EBT. You should know energy drinks, cooked food and non-food items are not EBT friendly. We also charge tax on coupons. Surprise!





Thank god I am no longer a cashier. lol.

blibby33

bump to read later.

teridene

This is a fantastic post! I worked as a cashier for 13 years and don't listen to anyone who says nonsense things like, "you don't have the temperment to work with the public". That person is most likely one of the nasty customers!! Working as a cashier is very hard work, or I should say working with the public is very hard work. And the public thinks that cashiers are a bunch of uneducated dummies. I can tell you that almost every single cashier that I worked with had a degree or some kind. I have a masters degree myself. Your post is right on and I loved it!!

thetruthrevealed

Yes I agree. What I do not understand is, even if someone is less of a person or inferior to someone else, still, Why do people go to such great lengths to cause trouble for other people. It seems as if really it has nothing to do with customers feeling like cashiers are uneducated or inferior. IT happens to be whenever a person has the opportunity where the other person cannot do anything about it, they will take their frustration out on the other person. So, it seems to me people want to take their frustration out on other people. Thats why they do it. NOt because they think cashiers are inferior or uneducated.

lolalament

Don't ask me what something is when all you know is "it's in a bottle and Tesco sell it" or "it was on TV last night". I have no idea.

Don't ask for ideas on what to have for dinner, then reject my suggestions because you don't like it or are allergic or whatever. I've only just met you so have no idea.

treetop57

If you can't understand how to work a self check out, DON'T USE IT.

Don't blame your customers when your store tries to cut costs by having untrained people do a cashier's job and they fail miserably.

moosegt35

If you can't understand how to work a self check out, DON'T USE IT.

Don't blame your customers when your store tries to cut costs by having untrained people do a cashier's job and they fail miserably.

I would blame your elementary school if you can't use a self check out.

treetop57

If that's true then all these rants about how hard a cashier's job is are BS.

moosegt35

If that's true then all these rants about how hard a cashier's job is are BS.

I don'think ringing up items and taking payment is the hard part of a cashier's job. It's mostly just stupid people that make it hard.

treetop57

Too stupid to deal with but smart enough to do the cashier's job. Fascinating.

treetop57

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that cashiers are stupid or their job is easy. I'm saying that I'm not at all surprised that people who are not trained as cashiers and who don't spent hours every day practicing as cashiers are not efficient at checking themselves out. I look forward to the day when the "self-check" stations go the way of eight track tapes.

moosegt35

Too stupid to deal with but smart enough to do the cashier's job. Fascinating.

Your ignorance is fascinating. It isn't hard to scan items and put them in a bag and take money. It's stupid cutomers like all of these stories that make the job hard. You know, like the ones cussing people because their EBT won't work on a pair of socks or if a sale item didn't ring up right, etc. NONE of which have anything to do with the cashier. If you need help working the self checkout though I can get my nephew to do a write up. He is 5 and can work it.

moosegt35

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that cashiers are stupid or their job is easy. I'm saying that I'm not at all surprised that people who are not trained as cashiers and who don't spent hours every day practicing as cashiers are not efficient at checking themselves out. I look forward to the day when the "self-check" stations go the way of eight track tapes.

I look forward to the day they open twice as many so I don't have to stand in the "real human" cashier line behind all the other idiots who can't figure them out and need a baby sitter.

treetop57

I'm glad my ignorance fascinates you. Your need to resort to insults fascinates me.

moosegt35

I'm glad my ignorance fascinates you. Your need to resort to insults fascinates me.

Says the guy laying a blanket insult on cashiers.

treetop57

If you think I've insulted cashiers, then you have completely misunderstood my point.

Cashiering is a hard job. Stores are short sighted if they think they can save money by having their customers do the hard job of cashiering. Self-check is a failure not because customers are stupider than 5 year-olds but because cashiering is a hard job that requires training and hours of practice to be done quickly, efficiently, well.