Working as a cashier for the majority of my grocery retail career, I have noticed a trend of behaviors from customers that can be quite obnoxious to their cashier. I have compiled a list of what I believe are some of the most annoying things you can do while checking out. From talking on a cell phone, to complaining about prices, to reminding me how great the weather is outside and how unfortunate it is for me to be at work, the list goes on.
Paper or Plastic?:
Although most cashiers and baggers despise the process of bagging upwards $300 worth of groceries into paper bags, it is a part of the job and we just do it. However, there is nothing more annoying than a customer that forgets to ask for paper.
Cashier: Hi, how are you doing today? Find everything all right?
Customer: Oh I’m doing well thanks, long day.
Beep….Beep…Beep…Beep
Cashier: Would you like paper or plastic today?
Customer: (No response)
Cashier: So it plastic okay for you today?
Customer: Wait I thought the orange juice was $2.99.
Cashier: It is. Okay your total today will be $287.43
Customer: Oh wait, I forgot to ask for paper. Can you re-bag all 15 of my bags into paper?
Last Call for Checkout:
Working in customer service, one of my many tasks of the day is to balance the registers. My store closes at 10 p.m. so by 9:30 we usually have two registers left for the night. This means I get to leave for the day by 10:15 at the latest.
I try to make four generic ‘we will close in ___ amount of minutes’ in hopes that the customers will realize they need to proceed to the checkout area.
“Attention customers, the store is now closed! Please bring all remaining purchases up the checkout area at this time as our store is now CLOSED!”
After waiting a patient five more minutes it is time to balance the last register of the night. Just as I’m locking the money in the safe for the night, one of the security guards informs me there is still one customer left in the store.
As she turns the corner, I see the colossal amounts of food falling off her shopping cart.
Me: Oh hi ma’am I just sent the last cashier home, did you not hear my closing announcement?
Customer: Oh well (shrugs) I hope it’s okay that I checkout now.
Me: (Major eye rolling)
I forgot an item:
It’s rush hour, about 5 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. Every register is open, every bagger is sweating from the amount of groceries coming down the belt. Just as I finish ringing the last item the customer realizes she forgot the all-important bottle of ketchup that she can’t seem to live without.
No she doesn’t acknowledge her mistake and get back in line to grab the ketchup, she decides everyone in line can wait while she waddles back to locate her ketchup.
Rather than getting annoyed with the ketchup lady, the customers waiting decide to take their frustration out on me. “Can’t you just cancel her order?” Well sir, no. Because firstly I do not feel like re-ringing all of her groceries, and secondly I’m not really in the mood to listen to her complain that I couldn’t wait the extra five minutes for her to acquire some ketchup. Sorry.
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