Tips From a Cashier/Cashier Rant

original_cake_face

A few points from a former cashier:

1st, about not asking the cashier where stuff is.. They ask you for a reason. More often than not, they couldn't find anyone on the floor. The least you could do is attempt, or call a floor person. It's not hard.

2nd: About putting things properly on the conveyor belt.. Not everyone got the same training you did. Not everyone knows that cans go with cans, etc. That's your job. That's what you're there for.

3rd: If someone puts the money on the counter instead of handing it to you.. Put their change on the counter in return. Don't be a *****. Don't drop their change. They might have a phobia and not only are you activating it, but you're also being rude.

4th: Yeah, couponers are hard to deal with.. But the store/manufacturer put out those coupons, and it's your job to stand there and ring them up. Deal with it.

Just a general.. If you're nice to the customer, they're generally nice to you. I've had *****y people, I've been treated like ****, I've had two women on Black Friday get into an arguement and calling eachother *****es and horrible parents AT my register. It comes with the territory. If you don't like the service industry, quit and get a different job.

Edit: And for some things that bad cashiers do:

1: Don't talk to your friends/coworkers while I'm at your register. Don't shout "AAAAAAASHLEEYYYYYYYYY!!!!" and wave when your friend walks in the store. It's obnoxious. It's unprofessional. You're working. Work.

2: I'm nice to you.. the least you could do is be nice to me. I know you're working and you're tired.. But when I'm chipper and smile and ask you how your day is.. don't grumble and shrug. Don't silently stuff my change into my hand and mumble your required "Thank you have a nice day". You get what you give.

cat3nv

"While unloading your products onto my conveyor belt, please let it make sense. Don't give me two things of cleaner than a long line of random food items followed by clothes, more cleaner and other random crap. We have to bag things a certain way, cold food with cold food, cans with cans, cleaners/non-food items separate, not to mention we're scored on our speed, the longer it takes you to unload your belt, the more likely it is I'll get 'talked to' about being to slow."


If this were true I would appreciate the checkers a lot more. I am very anal about my groceries. I put all the cereal boxes together, all the frozen foods together, cans, jars, raw meat etc..... I have had words with several checkers about how I think they are not real smart. They will randomly grab things from the belt. They will get the 1st box of cereal reach over the other 2 and grab a jar of spaghetti sauce. They will put raw meet with fruit. MAkes me CRAZY!!! I have asked if they are trained on how to bag, and they say they can put them in the bags however they want. I use the self check and that lowers my blood pressure.

AND...... Checkers need to count back your change. Do not dump a bunch of money in my hand, or even worse set it on the counter after I placed it in your hand.

Roadie2000

Yeah yeah yeah I hate my job some days too.

billgiersberg

It's difficult working with the public. This gives me the chance to see the things that annoy cashiers and helps me to not do thsome of these things.

For example, someone said don't leave the items in the hand-basket. I didn't know that. I thought leaving the items in the basket made it easier on them but just this week when I did that I noticed the cashier unpacked the basket first. Now I know why and I'll be sure to unpack my basket after putting the divider down first.

I was never sure about handing the cashier the change first and then the currency. I'll try to be sure to do that if it helps them.

I try to be polite but not engage them in a conversation. I figure they just want to do their job. At the same time though I don't care for the few that try to engage me in a discussion about things I'm buying.

I try to help by bagging my own stuff. I haven't seen any comments about that being a problem.

I do all the heavy lifting for the cashier whether it's dogfood at the grocery store or lumbar at Lowes. I did get very angry at a cashier once when she tossed a saw blade across the device to neutralize the security device. The blade skidded across the counted and onto the floor. As far as I was concerned it was damaged at that point yet she thought nothing of it and tried to put it in my bag. An argument resulted which resulted in me walking out leaving her with the whole cart of goods I wanted.

I use to pump gas back in the 70's and I saw how difficult it is to work with the public, especially when they have such an entitlement mentality. That seems to have got worse over the years.

umachanxo

*Don't ask me if I'm 'open'. I'm standing right here, my light is on, I'm looking at you, YES I'M OPEN.

I can't tell you how many times your light ISN'T on. I respect it and go wait in a longer line. There are people who pay NO attention to the light and walk right up and start putting their items on the belt. You (generic cashier you) are open but just never bothered to turn on the light. Bugs me when I follow the "rules" when no one else does.

So if you're gonna get snarky when I try to ask politely if you're open, I'm gonna give attitude, as well.

I think the OP wrote that her light WAS on

k8blujay2

AND...... Checkers need to count back your change. Do not dump a bunch of money in my hand, or even worse set it on the counter after I placed it in your hand.

After working in a mom and pop fast food joint and I was TAUGHT how to count back change... this drives me crazy too... and it's so fricking simple! You start with the pennies and work your way up... but alas, most are just either lazy and would rather read the screen or they just don't know how to do it.

sldwells

I worked in customer service along time ago and i am now the customer!!

-- I think all customers should be treated equally!! If you greet the older lady in front of me and tell her to have a great day you should do the same for me!! is it because Im younger that you feel you don't have to??

--Also, DO NOT ask me if I want my change (Happened in drive thru) i dont care if its a penny!! Its my money and where do you get the nerve to ask if I want my money!!!!!!!!

insatiable_need

A-freaking MEN! I use to work as a cashier at Wal-mart and I got a lot of these problems.

I even had one woman throw all her bags of food and clothes at me because I could not legally take the credit card she handed me since it had her husband's name on and not hers. Did I believe it was her husband's? Yes. But my manager told me "no" when I asked him if I could accept it and the customer freaked!

umachanxo

I've worked in customer service for 5+ years and am still in the job right now as I seek for employment in my field of study. I would say that my least favorite position was in fast food. The only thing that I didn't appreciate was getting shouted at all of the time by impatient people.

And, I try to sympathize with people, but I'm talking about being shouted at for no good reason. Their food isn't late, it's not cold, it's not undercooked, they just want to shout.

But generally, I like customer service. I'm in a sales job right now, and I love my customers (mostly). I try to connect with them on an individual level and it makes my job much more enjoyable rather than just seeing customers as customers.

But I understand your vent, believe me, I do. Just remember that those people are your paycheck and regardless if they're rude, snarky, or the best, they're the reason you have a job. And they're not every customer - a minority of people who had a bad day.

kidakiwi04

We all have jobs to do. We all probably have times when we don't like our jobs. But those customers you complain about don't owe anything to you. If it wasn't for them, you wouldn't have a job at all. So, be a little appreciative of people who spend money at your store--whether or not they are nice to you.

This pisses me off to no end. "if it wasn't for us you wouldn't.have as job" mentality. It may be true but just because I work at a job you deem low and unimportant does not mean I should be treated like a second class citizen. Not directed at you btw.

But I work at a bank as a financial service rep. And that comes with its own head aches. All I ask is do not repeatedly overdraw your account every month then yell at me when you get 750 bucks in overdraft fees. And ask me to refund your fees every single time. We have at least 5 different ways to moniter your account. Pick one and look to see if you have the money before you swipe your card or write that check.

sprfly

...
Still not as wild as the woman who told me her vagina hurts. I may never meet anyone that tops that. I do not work in an office that has anything to do w/vaginas.

I can't stop laughing!!!
:laugh:

TheAnie

- Put your money in the cashier's hands. Cashiers don't make you scrape your change off the counter, so don't make them scrape your payment from there either.

Yeah, when I worked as a cashier I hated that. I'd make a show of slowly trying to peal the coins up off the wooden counter. Or I'd put their change on the counter when it was time to give it back. Even if they had their hand out. Because I had my hand out and they ignored it.

When my company went into liquidation I just let go. If you were a jerk to me, I was a jerk to you. I started fighting back. I think going through liquidation was the best thing ever for me. It let me show people exactly how they behaved because no one I worked with/for cared. We were all losing our jobs anyways.

All that being said now that I'm the customer I am always as nice as can be. It's only failed me once. One jerk working at VS tried to argue with me.

jamk1446

I don't think I've ever been rude to a cashier unless they treated me poorly to begin with. HOWEVER, I have talked back to that canned voice at the self checkout - she is totally rude and pushy!! LOL

This is me too! I never have a good experience with those things and a few stores around here don't have express lanes with a cashier anymore, only self checkout, so sometimes they are unavoidable. I've gotten belligerent quite a few times with the virtual cashier.

My biggest frustration is with bagging. I like to use reusable bags but don't always remember them. When I forget, why is it that I buy 10 things but walk out with 15 bags?

Blame other customers who yelled at the cashier for bagging the way she was taught. People are weird about their groceries and cashiers are afraid to put the wrong thing in a bag with something else or to make the bags "too heavy."

I figure this must be the case even though I never see it. But even when I say, "it's okay, you can bag those together" then I get one item bagged and then that bag tossed in with the other or double bags when it's not needed. Usually I just don't say anything anymore, just accept them and then recycle them.

cat3nv

AND...... Checkers need to count back your change. Do not dump a bunch of money in my hand, or even worse set it on the counter after I placed it in your hand.

After working in a mom and pop fast food joint and I was TAUGHT how to count back change... this drives me crazy too... and it's so fricking simple! You start with the pennies and work your way up... but alas, most are just either lazy and would rather read the screen or they just don't know how to do it.

My first job was at McDonald's and I learned how to count back change. I have been a fast food manager, I have been a checker at a grocery store, I have been a waitress. The last 10 years I worked in a lab, in a hospital and in a free standing facility. I know how difficult each of these jobs are. I do know people make mistakes, but when you see the same cashier or waitress making the same mistakes over and over it ticks me off. Even if it is not a great job, it is a job. Be professional, be polite, and do your best everyday. There are "real" jobs which if people made the number of mistakes you make on a daily basis people would be dead. You may not be a doctor, but you should still strive to be proud of the job you do while you are doing it.

I think you need to Cowgirl up or find another job.

jilltaylor86

I work in a call center doing customer service....dear God, this job has made me lost faith in humanity. On a daily basis, I get yelled/screamed at, cussed out, hung up, threatened, etc. All because I happened to answer the phone and had to recite what they wanted was against company rules. I don't make the rules/set the prices, I just answer the phone, type some stuff into a computer, and move on to the next waiting jerk in line. I hung up on one girl because every other word out of her mouth was an F bomb. I've also been called idiot, dumb *kitten*, and other nice names because they didn't like what I was telling them.

musicstardust67

Stay in school or that's likely the sort of job you will always have.

I worked retail in college. It sucked. Some customers were great. Others - not so much. I found that a smile goes a long way towards getting a better response from people. If I acted like I didn't want to be there, the customer was interrupting me, etc then I got negativity back. Treat the customer like a human being and you'll get treated like one in return most of the time. Oh sure, there are the idiot jerks out there who "don't talk with the help" and don't care if their apples are laying next to rat poison but most people have at least basic manners and common sense.

The opening line was kind of rude. Just because someone works as a cashier does not mean they have no interest in college or only have a high school diploma. College is expensive and not everyone can afford it even after a scholarship. Take that into consideration. Also there are many people in college who do work at places cashiering to pay for college and still make money in college and eventually will get a better job, obviously.

Meganalva

I'm a former cashier & still an occasional cashier in a pharmacy. Worked several years of cashiering in grocery stores so I've had my share of experience.

My biggest pet peeve is when they throw their bills & change on the counter like you are scum and they can't imagine handing it to you. Oh and I really love this when my hand is outstretched waiting for it. I would love to throw it right back down on the counter but I never have. Ughhhh!!!

maidentl

I was a cashier as my first job and a few others down the road. It definitely helped to solidify my desire to get out of retail.

- Put your money in the cashier's hands. Cashiers don't make you scrape your change off the counter, so don't make them scrape your payment from there either.

The cashiers at my local Dollar Tree are awesome. One day a woman made a point of putting her money down on the belt. She then held out her hand for her change. The cashier ignored her and laid her change down on the belt. I had to stifle my giggles. I see them do **** like that all the time, love those ladies!

rml_16

I don't think I've ever been rude to a cashier unless they treated me poorly to begin with. HOWEVER, I have talked back to that canned voice at the self checkout - she is totally rude and pushy!! LOL

This is me too! I never have a good experience with those things and a few stores around here don't have express lanes with a cashier anymore, only self checkout, so sometimes they are unavoidable. I've gotten belligerent quite a few times with the virtual cashier.

My biggest frustration is with bagging. I like to use reusable bags but don't always remember them. When I forget, why is it that I buy 10 things but walk out with 15 bags?

Blame other customers who yelled at the cashier for bagging the way she was taught. People are weird about their groceries and cashiers are afraid to put the wrong thing in a bag with something else or to make the bags "too heavy."

I figure this must be the case even though I never see it. But even when I say, "it's okay, you can bag those together" then I get one item bagged and then that bag tossed in with the other or double bags when it's not needed. Usually I just don't say anything anymore, just accept them and then recycle them.

Oh, what a PITA. Honestly, that isn't how I got trained when I worked that job. But I often noticed the people who got hired with me and had the same training did NOT bag correctly. I think some just get lazy.

musicstardust67

You've got a certain number of hours at work and a specific job description. As long as the tasks fit that description, what does it matter how your time is filled? Tick-tock, done, go home, forget about it 'til your next shift..

Teachers have to take their work home and also deal with disrespect from parents, students, administrators, politicians, etc. They often pay for classroom supplies and clean their own classrooms since budgets have been severely cut.

Sometimes while grading papers and lesson planning on my own time I consider working in retail again, even when I remember the woman who fiercely javelined her child's rental skiis at me over the shop counter because he fell while on the bunny slope. The snow conditions/his lack of skill were my fault, apparently.

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Soo I guess people aren't allowed to vent then or have opinions about their job...too bad we can't all be perfect angels and keep our mouths shut everyday of our lives....