So I've had a job as a grocery store cashier for about 2 years now, and while 90% of the people who go through my line are fine and pleasant, there still is that 10% that I find annoying. Below I will list things I hope you never do to cashiers for the sake of cashiers everywhere.
1) "You look bored" "You look like you want a customer" - Please never ever say this, it is the number one thing that pisses me off. People usually seem to say it after we've had a rush of people for an hour straight and I get in a 30 second breather and then someone comes up and says that and I have to try really hard to be nice. I would rather you went to someone else's line so I could stand there and get paid to do nothing.
2) Don't be the hippy lady who gets tons of green vegetables I never heard of, and then not put them in plastic bags. - First off, even though you only have 10 items but it takes me a long time to scan you through because I have to look up the codes for things like organic anise. Then, you don't have any of the vegetables in plastic bags so my entire register gets soaked in your gross vegetable juices and I have to shut down my register just to wipe up your vegetable water.
3) No, that item that won't scan is not free. It was funny the first time I heard it, but I've heard that hundreds of times by now.
4) Leaving your cart in the middle of the parking lot - Don't be that person, you are not more special than everyone else. Please return your cart to one of the cart stations, otherwise if you leave it in the parking lot it usually winds up rolling down the hill and it could hit someone's car and I have to travel so far to get it.
5) A grocery store is not a bank. Please do not pay for your $10 purchase entirely in change, please do not ask me to give you dollar bills of change for all of the random nickels you have in your purse
6) Don't be an ass. If you've had a bad day and don't want to talk that's fine because I secretly don't want to talk to you either. Please don't take it out on me if you've had a bad day though. One time I asked a customer if he wanted his bag of potatoes in a bag (a common thing because they are heavy) and he yelled at me and said, "What a bag in a bag! I have 3 kids to take care of I don't need to take care of one more!" What do you want me to say to that?
7) Don't tell me about your sex life - This guy before was telling me about how his psycho girlfriends were the best in bed, while my ultra christian conservative boss was standing right by. That was fun.
8) Don't be that dad who asks me if his daughter is pretty - This one dad found out that his daughter was in my high school class, and we had a really awkward conversation where he pretty much asked me if I thought his daughter was hot.
9) Please have your payment method prepared ahead of time - It really bugs me when someone acts all surprised that they have to pay, look in their wallet and see they are $20 short, pull out their debit card then decide not to use it, then give write out a check. I always make sure to just have my money or debit card out ahead of time so I can make the process as smooth as possible for the cashier.
10) Whiny kids - Please no
11) DO NOT CONTINUE SHOPPING PAST CLOSING TIME! - Nothing pisses me off more than this I want to get out of here and you make me wait and of course you have a giant cart full of stuff too. If you do for some reason come in right at closing time, please make it really fast.
Just to reiterate, most transactions go great and there are a lot of really friendly customers, but these are just some of the things that really irk me. Now onto some things I don't mind doing for customers.
1) Old people who need extra help - If you are old and need your bags bagged light or need help taking stuff to your car, I have no problems with that. People who truly need help like this I am cool with helping, I think it's great you can still go do this on your own.
2) People on their phone - Some of my co-workers get offended by this, I personally don't care at all because it means we don't have to talk to each other. Don't make this out to mean I don't generally like talking to people, but having the same conversation hundreds of times a day, "Hi, how are you I am good how are you do you have a xxx card have a nice day" can get really annoying
3) Friendly People - There are lots of friendly customers who will talk or make me laugh, and I thank you for helping my day be better.
Please follow this guide to help you fellow cashiers everywhere. Birdman out