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As a customer, I like for lines to do one thing--move. Period. Over time, I've come not to be upset at the cashiers, but those particular customers who do things that hold up the line. The cashier can't help the situation, they're doing the best they can, it's the customers who are the problem.
The types:
(1) They don't have any of their money or cards etc ready. They've had all that time to get it out, but they don't, and then they have to dig through every last pocket. Sometimes they even have to go to their vehicle AFTER they're already at the point of paying.
(2) They count out a huge amount of change for paying so they get none back. Why is it such a big deal to get change back vs all of it being bills? So what if your item is $5.62 and you get $4.38 in change back from your $10? Is it really going to kill you that much? Sitting there painfully and slowly counting out 62c so you get back an even $5 is not worth the time it takes holding up other people.
(3) Lottery ticket purchasers. I don't know why that is, but they take a whole lot longer than just paying for a soda and getting gas. There should be a separate line just for lottery tickets.
(4) Cigarettes--same thing. They're locked in a cage behind the counter and it takes awhile for the clerk to find the exact one out of dozens of options, and by the time they go, unlock the glass, fetch it, and come back, and then the customer gripes and moans about being ID'd when it's not the cashier's fault, and they have to run to their car to get it--ugh. Buy your cigarettes at a tobacco emporium.
(5) Buying like 50 items in a place like Family Dollar or Fred's. Okay, there's no policy saying you can only buy 5-10 items, but really, 90% of the people in a place like Fred's or Family Dollar etc are there to buy, say, 5-10 items, maybe 20 at the most. I've heard them say they go in there figuring they'll get in and out faster than they will in Walmart, and those check-out lines aren't long enough to hold that much. Going in there buying like 50 items, sometimes more, just holds up things. That's for WalMart, if you ask me.
(6) Arguing about a 20c discrepancy in a price. Okay, maybe the principle is the thing, but on the practical side, wasting that much of my time over 20 freaking cents--come on. Stop griping, pay the 20c, and shut up already.
(7) The ATM card doesn't work. Stop fussing about the machine being picky. Go prepared. Order another card that's fresh, or draw the money out from an ATM. Going in there KNOWING is likely to reject your card, and then complain when it does, and REFUSING to order a new card when they're free anyway--it's silly. Get another card already, it's no big deal to do so and it will fix the problem. Stop being stubborn.
Location: Scott County, Tennessee/by way of Detroit
3,352 posts, read 2,823,495 times
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Last week I was at Walmart...bought 3 jars of this marinara sauce that was on the reduced rack.....didn't know the bar code was ripped on all three....the cashier kept trying and trying and punching in numbers..finally I said..forget it...meanwhile 4 people are giving me the stink eye and the cashier says.... Oh no honey I'll do it for you... Again another minute goes by.. I told her again...FORGET THE SAUCE...just then it went through...you would have been steaming if you were behind me but hey..I wait for people too....and if people want to buy 50 items at Family Dollar, I don't hold that against them....I have gotten to a restaurant on I75 where a tour bus just dropped off 90 people ahead of me....just the way it goes...
I can tell you--I'm not known for my patience, and in fact have said "patience is two-four letter words," implying it's twice as bad as a "normal" 4-letter word.
Yes, I do shop online for many things, and it's ironic in a way because it means it takes you LONGER to get it ultimately due to shipping times, but besides it often-times being cheaper, you totally avoid those annoying situations I described. To me, the avoidance of such hassles is practically my very reason for living.
I have, by contrast, observed people, VOLUNTARILY, moving out of line to let others through if they are on the verge of becoming one of these people. If their item won't ring up at the price they want, they'll either just accept the error after a SMALL amount of checking something out (as in maybe 5 seconds) or they'll just get it later. If their ATM card won't read, they'll put out cash which, apparently, they had set aside for something else--vs throwing a nasty fit over the machine and griping. You really appreciate seeing something like that.
It's sort of like the people I OCCASIONALLY come across who are driving slowly but, upon seeing you and a couple of other people behind them, move over to the shoulder and let others by, and they return to the road itself only once the cars have cleared up. You really appreciate someone like that, after dealing with the schmucks going 15 mph below the speed limit and refusing to budge even as the cars behind them start looking like a parade.
I think more of that consideration is what is called for, NOT asking others to be patient. Sometimes, yes, patience is good when you see someone trying and struggling but really trying, and it's something beyond their control. In instances like that, yes, it's a good thing.
However--please, don't be like this guy (Ben Stein). The Nicholas Cage guy--his 4-letter words aside, he's absolutely right.
It’s not only this, but people who stop at the exit to sort themselves out, look at their receipt, find keys need a firm boot to the butt to the point of leaving a waffle mark.
It's true that there are times when people are under a very tight schedule or have an appointment to make but even in those circumstances, I can't help but wonder how much of an effect it is going to have on somebody's life to 'lose' 10 seconds or a minute.
Such impatience is bad for your blood pressure but it does help you get to a heart attack or stroke faster, since speed is the concern.
What bugs me is the person at the grocery checkout who decides they need to hold up the line because they forgot something and have to run back to find it. Sometimes these people really leave the register for a good bit of time. If I forget something I just check out and go back afterwards through the express line it it is that important. I do this because I know it's rude to hold up the line.
I agree with the OP as far as customers having no respect for those waiting in line. Such as:
1) Not starting to write out a check until the transaction has been completed. Then not having anything written in advance on the check (date, paid to). And then making others wait while he/she fills out the check register (jeesh, why not get out of line and fill out the register later?).
2) Customers who bring in ads from other stores wanting a price match. They stand there and thumb through the ads, even the store employee helps by thumbing through the ads. If you know what products you're buying, then have a post-it note placed on the page so you can quickly show the other store's price to the clerk.
3) Customers who are bored and just need someone to talk with, so they start up a long winded conversation with the store employee while the rest of us are trying to keep our blood pressure down.
Being retired now, yes, I have more time and don't get as antsy as I used to when I worked full time. I can certainly appreciate worker-bees on a tight schedule and wanting to get out of the store quickly.
2) and 3) can be avoided with self check out lanes....
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