Would you have said anything?

I was just at the grocery store and wanted to share a conversation I heard between the customer in front of me in line and the cashier. I was right behind this woman who was checking out. The cashier seemed to know her, and asked her if she'd lost weight. The woman said yes, she'd lost about 12 lbs. The cashier, who looked to be at least 60 or 70 lbs overweight, asked her how she'd lost the weight. The woman replied, "Herbalife", and explained that she just started selling it. The cashier stated that she tried Herbalife years ago, but it didn't work. The woman said, basically, that Herbalife didn't work for her the first 3 times (!!!) she tried it, but it's working now. Something's changed in the formula, perhaps. The cashier seemed very interested and asked her for more information. While I checked out, the woman stood off to the side and started writing down information and going through her phone. I wanted to say something to the cashier -- and really to the two of them -- at the very least that it's also about managing your calorie intake. Or, I thought about saying to at least create a food log and try something like this website. I wanted to say that I've lost 70 lbs using that method. But, the woman was still there after I was all checked out and paid for, and I didn't want to seem rude, so I ended up just walking away, not uttering a word. But I just kept thinking "save your money" towards the cashier and kinda sad that they were both sort of being misguided. Maybe I was reading too much into it, I don't know.

Would anyone have said anything if you were in my position? Just curious.
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Replies

  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
    I would want to say something for sure, but with it being two strangers, its really none of my business so I'd keep my mouth shut. Now if I knew them.. Id have a lot to say lol
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    Absolutely not. Giving advice when not asked about it, it is never a good idea, unless you see something really dangerous happening. We all see things going on around us that we would never do and that we know from experience to be wrong. Still, unless someone is getting hurt, or unless asked, if we start commenting on everything we consider wrong that complete strangers do, can you imagine how this would end?
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited July 2015
    Not at that moment, because that would create fairly public conflict or at least challenge/stress, and I hate that. Also it would cause the cashier embarrassment, because she was super eager about it right then, so you'd be saying, "you're gullible".

    Also, I mean, she is open to quick fixes. Explaining about monitoring calories is kind of a longer conversation. And you'd have to be careful to not come off as condescending, because the point is not you expressing how right you are, it's her coming to grips with the idea.

    But I probably would actually say something to the cashier next time I saw her, if she seemed like she was in a good mood & receptive & had time. *** But NB I actually know the cashiers at my local grocery stores on a small talky basis, probably would be less likely to do that if a total stranger.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Did she ask you for your opinion?

    No?

    Then no
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Absolutely not. Giving advice when not asked about it, it is never a good idea, unless you see something really dangerous happening. We all see things going on around us that we would never do and that we know from experience to be wrong. Still, unless someone is getting hurt, or unless asked, if we start commenting on everything we consider wrong that complete strangers do, can you imagine how this would end?

    Everyone living well and safely? jk
  • Paul699
    Paul699 Posts: 41 Member
    I would have wanted to say "errrm, excuse me, but im waiting to be served here, if you want to talk about personal matters please do so out of work time" but thats just me :) apart from that, no i would not have said anything, people believe what they want to believe, and you offering an opinion would not have went down well.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    No.
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  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    Not worth the effort.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    People come here and ask for opinions and still get mad when they don't hear what they want to hear.

    I doubt essentially calling the customer a huckster and the cashier a gullible rube would have convinced either of the error of their ways.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Nope.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    No
  • SimoneBee12
    SimoneBee12 Posts: 268 Member
    Paul699 wrote: »
    I would have wanted to say "errrm, excuse me, but im waiting to be served here, if you want to talk about personal matters please do so out of work time" but thats just me :)

    I was a cashier for 4 years and if you said that to me (or most of my coworkers) you would be served so slowly, just to waste your time even more. And we'd probably squash your bread or bananas or something.

    After spending hours serving hundreds of customers that don't even acknowledge you, sometimes you just need a quick chat. Plus it's not like the OP wasn't served. She was.

    I know it sounds petty. But we really hate those customers. So glad I don't deal with it anymore.
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
    Nope.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Nope. They don't want to be told anything about calorie deficits. They just want to discuss their trendy diet. There is nothing wrong with that. Lots of people lose weight on trendy diets.

    But when my refrigerator went kaplooey and I was buying fridge stuff and a cooler, the cashier asked if I was having a picnic and I told her why I was buying it all and how Best Buy said it would be five days, so I was going to try to find a place that delivered faster, but until then, I need a cooler...the bag boy told me where he got his and how they delivered the same day. I went there and they delivered the same day. So, I appreciated the tip in a BIG way. :)

    People who are adrift can use a life preserver. People on a ship don't really want one, KWIM?
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Paul699 wrote: »
    I would have wanted to say "errrm, excuse me, but im waiting to be served here, if you want to talk about personal matters please do so out of work time" but thats just me :)

    I was a cashier for 4 years and if you said that to me (or most of my coworkers) you would be served so slowly, just to waste your time even more. And we'd probably squash your bread or bananas or something.

    After spending hours serving hundreds of customers that don't even acknowledge you, sometimes you just need a quick chat. Plus it's not like the OP wasn't served. She was.

    I know it sounds petty. But we really hate those customers. So glad I don't deal with it anymore.

    So are all cashiers passive aggressive?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    ncboiler89 wrote: »
    Paul699 wrote: »
    I would have wanted to say "errrm, excuse me, but im waiting to be served here, if you want to talk about personal matters please do so out of work time" but thats just me :)

    I was a cashier for 4 years and if you said that to me (or most of my coworkers) you would be served so slowly, just to waste your time even more. And we'd probably squash your bread or bananas or something.

    After spending hours serving hundreds of customers that don't even acknowledge you, sometimes you just need a quick chat. Plus it's not like the OP wasn't served. She was.

    I know it sounds petty. But we really hate those customers. So glad I don't deal with it anymore.

    So are all cashiers passive aggressive?
    Apparently just "most." At least at that particular store.

  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
    Nope. Would have not worked. People have to find their own way or it never works.
  • Love2Rappel
    Love2Rappel Posts: 449 Member
    Nope. Would have not worked. People have to find their own way or it never works.

    AMEN
  • soapsandropes
    soapsandropes Posts: 269 Member
    Not your circus, not your monkeys.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    I'd be pissed as hell if some random person butted into a conversation I was having with an acquaintance, so my answer is no.
  • jessathemessa
    jessathemessa Posts: 65 Member
    I wouldn't say anything. I know you probably just wanted to be helpful, but no need to insert yourself into a conversation. Many people don't take that very well.
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
    No but mostly because I could really care less about others peoples weight. If they want to do two seconds of research themselves they'll easily find its a scam and if they don't that is their problem.
  • SimoneBee12
    SimoneBee12 Posts: 268 Member
    edited July 2015
    ncboiler89 wrote: »
    Paul699 wrote: »
    I would have wanted to say "errrm, excuse me, but im waiting to be served here, if you want to talk about personal matters please do so out of work time" but thats just me :)

    I was a cashier for 4 years and if you said that to me (or most of my coworkers) you would be served so slowly, just to waste your time even more. And we'd probably squash your bread or bananas or something.

    After spending hours serving hundreds of customers that don't even acknowledge you, sometimes you just need a quick chat. Plus it's not like the OP wasn't served. She was.

    I know it sounds petty. But we really hate those customers. So glad I don't deal with it anymore.

    So are all cashiers passive aggressive?

    Im sure some of them aren't, but all of the ones I know or have ever met definitely are. If you got home and your bread was squashed, you'd think "Damn, that cashier didn't pack this very well," you'd never assume we did it on purpose, you wouldn't complain, no punishment for us, but tiny bread for you for the next few days.

    When you have 20 people yell at you a day for something you can't control (not enough staff working, not enough cash in your till to give them $500 cash back, it's raining, etc), you find ways to annoy them. Especially repeat offenders.

    ETA: Oh, and we need to be passive so we don't get in trouble from the store owners. The only times I've been actively aggressive was if there was a physical threat.
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  • ashypashy7
    ashypashy7 Posts: 50 Member
    Nope, not my business.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I was just at the grocery store and wanted to share a conversation I heard between the customer in front of me in line and the cashier. I was right behind this woman who was checking out. The cashier seemed to know her, and asked her if she'd lost weight. The woman said yes, she'd lost about 12 lbs. The cashier, who looked to be at least 60 or 70 lbs overweight, asked her how she'd lost the weight. The woman replied, "Herbalife", and explained that she just started selling it. The cashier stated that she tried Herbalife years ago, but it didn't work. The woman said, basically, that Herbalife didn't work for her the first 3 times (!!!) she tried it, but it's working now. Something's changed in the formula, perhaps. The cashier seemed very interested and asked her for more information. While I checked out, the woman stood off to the side and started writing down information and going through her phone. I wanted to say something to the cashier -- and really to the two of them -- at the very least that it's also about managing your calorie intake. Or, I thought about saying to at least create a food log and try something like this website. I wanted to say that I've lost 70 lbs using that method. But, the woman was still there after I was all checked out and paid for, and I didn't want to seem rude, so I ended up just walking away, not uttering a word. But I just kept thinking "save your money" towards the cashier and kinda sad that they were both sort of being misguided. Maybe I was reading too much into it, I don't know.

    Would anyone have said anything if you were in my position? Just curious.

    Nope, I wouldn't say a word. Not my business. They need to to figure it out for themselves.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
    Nope.
  • orchidbutterflies
    orchidbutterflies Posts: 59 Member
    I would never say anything to a stranger but my sister has a friend who sells ItWorks and I gladly gave her my opinion on that ;)
    Which she in turn told her friend, who of course defended the product. But I did definitely sway my sister's view on the topic. She knows calorie tracking/CICO works because she has watched me drop 100lbs so far by doing just that.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    No, I wouldn't have said anything to strangers. First of all, any diet can work if you stick to it. I know nothing about Herbalife, but I assume it's not dangerous. The fact that it's not for you doesn't mean it won't be right for the cashier. And if it's not, then it's not.