To The Cashier At The Store Today
I'm not sure if you remember me, but I was the mother in your line today with 5 young children. I am sorry that you were forced to ring up my purchases today, truly am. I could tell that you had much better things to do like stare off into space and pick the polish of your fingernails.
I imagine working with the public is difficult, which is why I could never do it. Especially at a store like this one which sells so many tacky things. I know my limitations. I know I would hold things up and ask,'What is possessing you to buy this tacky piece of crap? It is on clearance for .97 for a reason' And then I'd be fired, or beat up, since there seems to be quite a few scary people who shop at this particular store.
But, since it *is* your job, you should try to do it with a minimum amount of exasperated sighing. I did not pick up an item with no UPC code on purpose. If it is that much of a hardship for you to call the department to find out the price why don't you just give it to me for free? I won't tell anyone. Then we could both be happy.
All I expect from a cashier ringing up my purchases is competence. A smile and some eye contact would be nice, but not necessary.
So imagine my dismay, when rooting around for my Diet Coke with lemon, I discover a bag full of things that don't belong to me. Should I turn around, in the pouring rain, and drive the 15 minutes back to the store. I looked at the things in the bag and while I had no desire to keep any of it, it was all so tacky that I almost felt like I was doing the other shopper a favor by preventing her from bringing these things home and wearing them. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I don't think adults should wear themed clothing with cartoon characters on it.
So you can see I was faced with a dilemma. In the end I decided to turn around and go back to the store for a few reasons. First, taking things you didn't pay for is wrong, though I might have been able to convince myself that in the case of these clothes it was for the greater good. Second, the person who the stuff belonged to was one of those scary types who shop there and I doubted that she would be believed when she returned to the store and said that half of her stuff was missing. Third, I have children that I am trying to raise to be good, moral, upstanding citizens and therefore, I must set a good example even when I don't want to. Because children notice everything you do, which is also why I was polite despite your demeanor.
So I drove back to the store in the pouring rain. Parked my van all the way across hell's half acre because it is such a big freaking van it doesn't fit into a normal parking spot. Dragged 5 of my children, one of whom was a screaming 4 mos old in a carseat, back into the store in the pouring rain. Did I mention the pouring rain?
The least that you could do is to acknowledge me and not act like I am inconveniencing you. I am sorry that it was so difficult for you to grab the bag out of my hand and throw it on the floor under your counter.
I know we left a huge puddle on the floor near your cash register, and for that I again apologize, but I think I already mentioned the pouring rain.
But please, don't let me inconvenience you any longer, your nails are waiting.
I imagine working with the public is difficult, which is why I could never do it. Especially at a store like this one which sells so many tacky things. I know my limitations. I know I would hold things up and ask,'What is possessing you to buy this tacky piece of crap? It is on clearance for .97 for a reason' And then I'd be fired, or beat up, since there seems to be quite a few scary people who shop at this particular store.
But, since it *is* your job, you should try to do it with a minimum amount of exasperated sighing. I did not pick up an item with no UPC code on purpose. If it is that much of a hardship for you to call the department to find out the price why don't you just give it to me for free? I won't tell anyone. Then we could both be happy.
All I expect from a cashier ringing up my purchases is competence. A smile and some eye contact would be nice, but not necessary.
So imagine my dismay, when rooting around for my Diet Coke with lemon, I discover a bag full of things that don't belong to me. Should I turn around, in the pouring rain, and drive the 15 minutes back to the store. I looked at the things in the bag and while I had no desire to keep any of it, it was all so tacky that I almost felt like I was doing the other shopper a favor by preventing her from bringing these things home and wearing them. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I don't think adults should wear themed clothing with cartoon characters on it.
So you can see I was faced with a dilemma. In the end I decided to turn around and go back to the store for a few reasons. First, taking things you didn't pay for is wrong, though I might have been able to convince myself that in the case of these clothes it was for the greater good. Second, the person who the stuff belonged to was one of those scary types who shop there and I doubted that she would be believed when she returned to the store and said that half of her stuff was missing. Third, I have children that I am trying to raise to be good, moral, upstanding citizens and therefore, I must set a good example even when I don't want to. Because children notice everything you do, which is also why I was polite despite your demeanor.
So I drove back to the store in the pouring rain. Parked my van all the way across hell's half acre because it is such a big freaking van it doesn't fit into a normal parking spot. Dragged 5 of my children, one of whom was a screaming 4 mos old in a carseat, back into the store in the pouring rain. Did I mention the pouring rain?
The least that you could do is to acknowledge me and not act like I am inconveniencing you. I am sorry that it was so difficult for you to grab the bag out of my hand and throw it on the floor under your counter.
I know we left a huge puddle on the floor near your cash register, and for that I again apologize, but I think I already mentioned the pouring rain.
But please, don't let me inconvenience you any longer, your nails are waiting.
3 Comments:
Uurgh. So many rude people, so little time. Like the woman in the mall yesterday who needed to be so close behind me that I could feel her breathing down my neck. If you're in a rush, just say excuse me, jerk! I'm almost 7 months pregnant and there is a limit to how fast I can walk.
I mean, if you're going to go out in public, let alone work with the public, get some basic manners.
At least the rest of us can glean entertainment value from your frustrating experiences. I'm going to have to add you to my blogroll 'cuz you are too funny!
OOOH does this hit home! For most of my pre-baby life, I worked retail, both as pee-on and manager. There is nothing that makes me more peeved than a cashier that refuses to be polite. I have actually fired people for this (did I mention that I was a pain as a boss). All you have to do is stand there and be polite. A small smile and a little courtesy is not too much to ask. Yes, it can be crazy-making to wait on questionably competent people all day long, but being polite is part of your job, you get PAID to do it! At least you are not cleaning up human waste or testing dangerous chemicals for the good of mankind; now there are some jobs where you would be forgiven for a less than chipper attitude. And if that sounds more appealing than standing in a nice, clean, dry store all day , let me see what I can do. I'm sure your employers would be more than happy to free up your huffy self so that you can find a more rewarding career. (Did I mention that I was a pain as a boss :))
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