Nobody's Property Illustrated Series #95

Previous... ...Next

Previous... ...Next

The Customer Is Not Always Right, But Never Tell Them That, and Here Are Things Retail Workers Do That Really Piss Customers Off

I used to be a cashier, so I’ll do my best to be gentle, but I’m also a current retail customer, but as I get further down the line age-wise, I actually find myself preferring to shop stores with self-checkout, and it’s largely because of things cashiers are doing that actually piss customers off.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve worked retail. Hell, I used to be a cashier at a now-defunct chain called Big Bear. The customer is NOT always right. In fact, customers can often downright be assholes.

That said, there are a few things that cashiers and other retail workers sometimes do, that really annoy customers. I’m not talking about things beyond your control like the lack of enough open registers. Managers need to quit running bare-bones staff all the time to save a buck and look good to district or corporate management.

That said, here are three things that will downright piss me off, even as an ex-retail worker myself, if I’m a customer in your store and they happen:

1. Rudeness or Impoliteness – Like I said, I’m a former retail worker myself. I’ve been on both sides. But right or wrong, if you are rude to me, I will call you out on it. I had such a bad experience in a Kroger on November 28, 2022 that I didn’t buy one thing from Kroger for over nine months! I admit, it was partially my fault – I lost track of time and was still in the store two minutes after closing. That does not justify a very rude night stock worker named Billy getting three feet from my face and calling me a shitty person to my face, then bragging that it wouldn’t do me any good to report the incident to management, because Kroger is a union shop, and to quote him “the store manager has no balls” – which I did find out the next day was technically true – but she did apologize for his actions and assure me she would take it up with the union. I wound up getting an apology from the corporate office in Cincinnati, too. I still boycotted them until July 2023. He could have been more polite. I would have left.

2. Inadequate or Downright Incompetent and/or Unhygienic Bagging Practices, such as Licking Your Fingers or Arguing With Customers about things you don’t think need to go in a bag that they do. I get that management wants you to minimize the use of bags. However, if a customer asks you to put a gallon of milk in a bag, do it. Don’t argue with them, just do it. Also, NEVER EVER lick your fingers before opening a bag. I used to be a cashier, but even I might go from zero to Karen C. Lockwood from the Homeowners Association in three seconds flat if I see you do this while you’re bagging my stuff. I might even ask to speak to the manager, because in that scenario, I feel it’s justified. Don’t ever f**king lick your fingers before opening a bag. It’s disgusting. I had hoped the pandemic would have put this unsanitary and disgusting practice to an end, but strangely, it didn’t – and I even had a cashier at a Rural King try to not only argue with me, but go into a rant about how the pandemic was “bullshit” (her actual words). If I feel the need to call the manager the next day, you screwed up. Badly. I don’t blame Rural King Supply for the incident, but I have found I shop at Tractor Supply a lot more for things that would come from either – especially since they now have self-checkout at some stores.

3. Conversing With Other People While Ringing You Up. Especially if you are on your phone while ringing someone up. It’s also a pet peeve of mine, by the way, when customers hold up a checkout line because they’re on their phone and won’t pause the conversation while they’re going through the line. It’s especially bad when a cashier is slow at ringing you up and getting you out of there because they’re also maintaining a phone conversation at the same time (there’s an excellent example of a store clerk holding up a customer on account of a phone conversation in Rob Reiner’s 1996 film The American President)

It's important for customers to note that not all, and likely not even most cashiers, exhibit these rude and even disgusting behaviors, and many if not most provide excellent service. Customer frustrations can arise from various factors, and a positive and attentive cashier can significantly enhance the shopping experience for customers.

Nobody's Property illustrated series is published on nobodysproperty.com by Blake Hutchison dba Sansevieria Media. All rights reserved.

© Nobody's Property Illustrated Series, copyright 2018- | all rights reserved. This illustrated series is for entertainment purposes only. Please do not attempt any homicidal, vigilante, or other illegal acts.