Tips From a Cashier/Cashier Rant

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...

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

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:

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'.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Says the guy laying a blanket insult on cashiers.