Rude cashiers

[basil]

I went to the drug store today to pick up some items. I needed toothpaste and mouthwash, so I decided to stock up on floss too and get some whitening strips while I was at it.

I went up to the cashier who says "boy, my stomach is all full of pizza! I could use some of that Listerine right now". I didn''t comment. "Oh, toothpaste too! And floss!". Still no comment from me. Then "$36 for just hygiene products! Wow, that''s a lot to spend! I guess it''ll keep the dentist away, though!" I sign the credit card receipt, quickly. "Hey, you must be a movie star or something, your signature is so bad!"

Of course, there are about 6 other people in line behind me who are hearing this whole conversation. Obviously, buying toothpaste isn''t the most embarrassing thing in the world, but I was so annoyed that he was announcing all my purchases to everyone in the vicinity, I came quite close to complaining to the manager. Would this have offended you, or see it as some attempt at being friendly?

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Hi! It wouldn''t have bothered me - I think the cashier was trying to make conversation and be friendly.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Better toothpaste than tampons, Vagisil, or condoms. But I get what you''re saying, it''s the principle.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 4/27/2007 2:40:40 PM
Author:basil
Would this have offended you, or see it as some attempt at being friendly?

It def. wouldn''t have offended me ... I would have interpreted it as friendly conversation, or a guy practicing his "chatting up the ladies" since it''s a guy.

I like to be charitable in those type of situations & give the benefit of the doubt. Talk to the manager?? About what? Honestly, I think if you''re embarrassed by THAT encounter - the problem is yours.

 

[littlelysser]

Gotta agree with Deco...It definitely would not have offended me...

And I agree with HH - had I been buying condoms or tampons or something else...then I would have been embarassed...but yeah...

not sure what you''d say to the manager...

 

[basil]

It really annoyed me that the cashier was commenting on the price I paid for said items.

Talk about the weather if you want to "practice chatting up the ladies" while doing your job, don''t announce to the world what you think of what I''m buying. And please don''t make value judgments on personal items I am purchasing. And really, I think he should have taken the hint when I did not respond to his "chatting up" the first five sentences.

I would have told the manager that the cashier was telling other customers what I was buying. I don''t think it''s appropriate, no matter what they are.

Reminds me why I love self-checkout.

 

[neatfreak]

I can understand why it might make you feel slightly odd. But I doubt he meant any harm.

It seems to me like he might have had some kind of social deficiency, so I would give him the benefit of the doubt that he was just trying to be friendly.

 

[Maisie]

It wouldn''t have bothered me at all. Mind you I work with people all day. You would laugh at some of the conversations I have with patients. They seem to think they can tell you anything and everything!!

I think he was just making conversation.

 

[njc]

While I’d be miffed he announced the dollar amount of my purchases, the other stuff doesn’t bother me that much. I probably would have replied to his first comment and I like to think avoided him talking about money. I dont mind making conversation though... darn southern genes.

I’m more offended when a cashier does not say hello or thank you. THAT’S rude.

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 4/27/2007 2:44:19 PM
Author: Madam Bijoux
Hi! It wouldn''t have bothered me - I think the cashier was trying to make conversation and be friendly.

Yeah...I don''t think it''s a big deal. I think she''s just chatty and really bored. I was a cashier once at marshalls and I would take any opportunity to talk with the customers as I was sooooooo bored and tired.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Maybe he was flirting with you?

 

[crown1]

i don''t think any harm was meant here. i think it was his attempt at being friendly. people have different ways of talking and relating to others. i understand you did not like how he spoke to you but i would not have been offended and definately would not have reported him. he probably thought you were rude because you did not speak to him. people can''t always have a meeting of the mind. i would try to forget about it.

 

[asscherisme]

This reminds me of the Saturday night skit that takes place in a Target store and the cashier comments on everything the person buys and then leaves the cash register to go get the items to buy herself. Its an obnoxious skit that occurs semi regularly.

By the way, I hate it when they do that too. The cashier at my local drugstore does the same thing too and she must work like 80 hours a week because she is always there! I avoid going there because of her. Or I pay at the pharmacy counter to avoid her.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 4/27/2007 3:18:29 PM
Author: basil
don''t announce to the world what you think of what I''m buying. And please don''t make value judgments on personal items I am purchasing.

This is almost (IMO) the *definition* of "taking things too personally". I mean no offense but the world doesn''t revolve around you & your tolerances. If all of the other responders (so far) wouldn''t be offended then a manager would have no reason to "correct" this behavior for the greater good.

I''d guess if you told this story in a therapist''s office -- they''d ask "WHY are you worried what that cashier or anyone else in line THINKS of your purchases or values?"

or

"What you assume about other people''s thoughts about you is really a reflection of how YOU feel about YOU."

I don''t mean to challenge your beliefs just to be contrary -- HONESTLY. Sometimes just getting an outside point of view, even if it''s not 100% flattering, can be very valuable in shifting one''s perceptions & patience & tolerance.

Isn''t TOLERANCE wonderful!

 

[chiefneil]

I don''t think that was particularly rude, just a little annoying. Try this on for size, though. A few months ago I was in line at the drugstore and heard someone with a horrible wet cough and super-stuffy nose. It kept on and on, and eventually I realized it was the cashier. There were also wonderful hawking noises to go with it - you know, the type of noises people make right before they spit. I was fourth in line and by the time I made it to second in line I just dropped my basket on the floor and walked out of the store. I really didn''t need to catch whatever the cashier had, or even worse, give it to my little girl.

 

[monarch64]

I had a similar encounter with a cashier when I went to a different CVS than I usually go to last week, this gal is ALWAYS there, though. She is nice enough but not only does she comment on whatever I happen to be buying, she shares details of her own life with me that I''m not particularly interested in hearing about, LOL! I just laugh about it, though, honestly I would so much rather have a cashier speak to me, period, than most of them who don''t even say hello, let alone "thank you."

My biggest pet peeve with cashiers (and I''ve been one, I know all about customer service for crying out loud), is that it is rare for them to say "thank you." Why is it that I''m giving a store my money, and the cashier/representative cannot even bring themselves to say two simple words to keep my business? I find it very unfortunate.

 

[lumpkin]

Oh, I''d probably be annoyed, but not really offended. Some people really don''t know how they are coming off to others. I''m sure no harm was meant by it.

However, if I''m already having a particularly bad day (rare but when it''s bad it''s usually really bad, LOL) I tend to be a lot more easily annoyed. I bought a back pack for my son last year, and I can''t remember what was going on, but I was in a pretty foul mood. The cashier commented on how lazy kids are and how he didn''t even have a back pack when he was in school. I remember thinking, "Yeah, but how many books did you have to carry?" because at my son''s school they have a lot of homework. I was actually angry and I just wanted to be really nasty back to him, but I didn''t. I think I knew at the time that it was annoying, but if not already in a bad mood, his comments would not have bothered me all that much. So maybe were you already having an off day?

But I kinda hear you on that. Why don''t they just hush up! Sometimes saying nothing is better than talking just to talk. Oh, well. Not everyone is as wise as I am, LOL!

 

[basil]

Date: 4/27/2007 4:05:10 PM
Author: decodelighted

This is almost (IMO) the *definition* of ''taking things too personally''. I mean no offense but the world doesn''t revolve around you & your tolerances. If all of the other responders (so far) wouldn''t be offended then a manager would have no reason to ''correct'' this behavior for the greater good.


I''d guess if you told this story in a therapist''s office -- they''d ask ''WHY are you worried what that cashier or anyone else in line THINKS of your purchases or values?''


or


''What you assume about other people''s thoughts about you is really a reflection of how YOU feel about YOU.''


I don''t mean to challenge your beliefs just to be contrary -- HONESTLY. Sometimes just getting an outside point of view, even if it''s not 100% flattering, can be very valuable in shifting one''s perceptions & patience & tolerance.


Isn''t TOLERANCE wonderful!

Ok, I''m normally pretty tolerant of people who don''t mesh well with my personality. I admit I do have a lower tolerance than most for meaningless chit chat with strangers, and that is a pattern of mine. This particular cashier maybe has a pattern of not realizing when other people are not in the mood for meaningless chit chat.

As for being a reflection of what other people''s thoughs are? Probably. I think my teeth are yellow and need whitening, but I think whitening products are awfully expensive. Yeah, I shouldn''t care if strangers think my teeth are yellow and it''s too much to spend on mouth hygiene, but that doesn''t mean I want it announced to the world. Sensitive? I suppose. Everyone has their issues, though

 

[bee*]

I wouldn''t find that offensive at all-although in Ireland, everyone could talk the hind leg off a donkey!

What I found rude was that I was buying a bad today (which was in an expensive store) and the woman first of all ignored me for ages, then when she eventually saw me, rolled her eyes and then came over and didnt say a word. I left the bag there as there is another of the same shop nearby and I went there instead. She missed out on her commission because of her horrible attitude. Give me a chatty sales assistant any day!

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 4/27/2007 4:57:32 PM
Author: basil
Everyone has their issues, though

Ain''t THAT the truth!

I know I was a LOT more sensitive about things like that in my teens & twenties. And I can remember the feeling WELL! Buying condoms? Ommigod I almost fainted. Or - one time I had to buy hemherroid cream

& douches

. I''d turn bright red at the OBGYN''s office when they ask me about my sex life. Oh it was AWFUL. It''s much better now that I''m more comfortable with myself & it''s sunk in that everyone is human & has the same fears & bodily functions etc. Also -- when I realized the everyone else is SELF-obsessed, way more than ME-obsessed. They simply don''t have enough time in the day to seriously pick me apart the way I do myself! They''re too busy cataloging their OWN flaws!

 

[FireGoddess]

Regarding commenting on the price, I probably would have said, "Feel free to discount them if you can, that would be fine by me!" Regarding the commenting on the items, I just wouldn't want them to see something like Monistat in the cart and announce to everyone, "Oh, got the itch down there do ya? That sucks." Y'know, there's a line not to cross. hehehe

 

[zoebartlett]

Basil,

Maybe the cashier was just trying to be friendly, yes in an odd way, but it could have been much worse. I''ve had cashiers who have commented on (and have even read) cards I was getting for people. One time, I was paying for a card I had gotten and the cashier sits there, reads the front of the card, then opens it up to read the rest. I looked at the person behind me apologetically (there was a long line) and she laughed and rolled her eyes.

Someone I knew once worked in our town''s general store. The owner at the time was very strict about having his cashiers pay their full attention to the person they were ringing up. If my friend, or any other cashier, said more than "hi" to a friend who was passing by, they would get reemed out by the owner. That stuck in my head. Now, it really bugs me when I''m at the grocery store and the cashier and the bagger are chatting it up, ignoring me until it''s time to ask for my money.

 

[scarleta]

Fire G I like that: "Feel free to discount them...." You can come shopping with me anytime..
As for the cashier commenting on each item I would just ignore it ( unless Fire G was with me )
I don''t think he really should be commenting on your shopping though.He is just not aware of what he is doing.Some education is needed and this is his manager''s duty.What if you did buy a personal item or prescription items ( he may be one day working in that department)
For this and only this reason I would consider speaking to his boss.Sometimes they are not aware and need some guidance on how to talk to a customers should they wish too do so..
I agree that he was just trying to be friendly and because you did not respond he was trying harder and harder to just get your attention..

 

[Skippy123]

I think the cashier was probably lonely. I usually just laugh and take my stuff. They are not paid much either so I wouldn't bother talking to the manager.

In fact I got a call from my office when I was paying for grocery's and this bagger boy said he hello "mimicking me." I just ignored him; probably a bored kid. If it really bothered you I would have told him something instead of getting him in trouble with his manager first. Just my thoughts; they probably don't know they *are* bothering you.