It begins.
The holiday season--a time for love, laughter, and good will. A time for bitchy customers and way too many required things to say.
The number one thing I hate as a cashier is a customer who doesn't acknowledge that I exist. The ones who ignore me when I say "Hi, how are you today?" People who don't look at me, and don't even pretend to be polite. "Do you have a membership card?" A single shake of the head, and I'm still not worth eye contact. At this point, I figure this person won't respond to anything, so I don't ask the rest of the questions queued in my brain for the holiday season. "16.95$."
At this point, one of two things usuall happens.
1. The customer whips out a credit card and swipes it before I get the chance to hit the charge key. Customer gets angry when it doesn't work, and I have to apologise and explain that I have to hit a button. Customer rolls eyes or looks at the other person they're with like "can you believe this?" I hit the button and ask them to swipe again. Sometimes customer looks around for pen and goes "Pen!?" and I have to say, "well, it's under your purse." (where you set it while not looking at me or anything else.) "Have a nice day!" Customer ignores and walks away.
OR...
2. Customer pulls out cash and throws it on the counter. I. Hate. That. I am not a robot, I am not a monkey, I am not a SERVANT. I am a living, breathing, FEELING human being who has to work for her living just like everyone else, just like the customer, who has maybe had a bad day and maybe doesn't want to be here. But that's no excuse for tossing money on a counter like it's too disgusting to even consider touching me the little bit required to hand me their money or their card. Yes, I'm paid to ring up their merchandice and take their money. I am *not* paid to be treated like shit while they do it.
Then there's the MILITANT!Christmas Shopper.
"Have a nice day!"
"Say Merry Christmas!"
O.o! ... ... ...
Okay. I can understand, if I'd said "Happy Holidays" someone who is on the "Merry Christmas" side of that whole corporate-store Political Correctness hubub from last year might get mad and tell me to wish them a Merry Christmas. Of course, that's still silly to assume that I would *know* they celebrate Christmas...
But still...what good does it do for me to be forced to wish them a Merry Christmas if I don't really mean it? Plus, I said "have a nice day," which isn't even RELEVANT to Christmas!
"HAVE A MERRY FUCKING CHRISTMAS AND A NICE GODDAMN DAY!" is what I wanted to scream after her.
*sigh*
It begins.
The number one thing I hate as a cashier is a customer who doesn't acknowledge that I exist. The ones who ignore me when I say "Hi, how are you today?" People who don't look at me, and don't even pretend to be polite. "Do you have a membership card?" A single shake of the head, and I'm still not worth eye contact. At this point, I figure this person won't respond to anything, so I don't ask the rest of the questions queued in my brain for the holiday season. "16.95$."
At this point, one of two things usuall happens.
1. The customer whips out a credit card and swipes it before I get the chance to hit the charge key. Customer gets angry when it doesn't work, and I have to apologise and explain that I have to hit a button. Customer rolls eyes or looks at the other person they're with like "can you believe this?" I hit the button and ask them to swipe again. Sometimes customer looks around for pen and goes "Pen!?" and I have to say, "well, it's under your purse." (where you set it while not looking at me or anything else.) "Have a nice day!" Customer ignores and walks away.
OR...
2. Customer pulls out cash and throws it on the counter. I. Hate. That. I am not a robot, I am not a monkey, I am not a SERVANT. I am a living, breathing, FEELING human being who has to work for her living just like everyone else, just like the customer, who has maybe had a bad day and maybe doesn't want to be here. But that's no excuse for tossing money on a counter like it's too disgusting to even consider touching me the little bit required to hand me their money or their card. Yes, I'm paid to ring up their merchandice and take their money. I am *not* paid to be treated like shit while they do it.
Then there's the MILITANT!Christmas Shopper.
"Have a nice day!"
"Say Merry Christmas!"
O.o! ... ... ...
Okay. I can understand, if I'd said "Happy Holidays" someone who is on the "Merry Christmas" side of that whole corporate-store Political Correctness hubub from last year might get mad and tell me to wish them a Merry Christmas. Of course, that's still silly to assume that I would *know* they celebrate Christmas...
But still...what good does it do for me to be forced to wish them a Merry Christmas if I don't really mean it? Plus, I said "have a nice day," which isn't even RELEVANT to Christmas!
"HAVE A MERRY FUCKING CHRISTMAS AND A NICE GODDAMN DAY!" is what I wanted to scream after her.
*sigh*
It begins.