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When I was a bank teller, I was very chatty with my clients, but I was also the fastest teller there. And usually at our bank it wasn’t a single transaction, leave sort of place. It catered to professionals who would bring two or three days worth of deposits with cash and checks and stuff had to be counted, so it took a few minutes. This was long before money counters at the windows. I also had the fewest outages.
People liked my chattiness. It made them feel welcome, it made them feel appreciated. I personalized it. I knew they had just come back from vacation. I knew their dogs names and handed out dog bones for them. That was my job.
But if someone came in with a sour face I read the body language and shut my trap. The ones that liked it told my bosses that they liked it and they liked me. Saved my hide once. Had a manager who didn’t like me at all, and was trying to get me transferred out. After the third time she went up to upper management and complained, asking to transfer me. I was told by someone who overheard, management said if it’s between you and her, we’re keeping her. She does more for this branch than you.
But learning body language is hard for some people.
And I don’t mind chatting as long as things are moving along. It’s not that difficult to scan and talk and it does make the time seem faster. The ones that get me are the customers that are surprised that they have to actually pay for something at the end of the transaction. Then they have the garbage can of a purse, that apparently everything is thrown in willy nilly, and have to dig for the ATM card. Pulls out pay stubs from 1984, 42 ripped open envelopes, used tissues, 18 lipsticks; finally finds it, and then she can’t remember her pin and then her phone rings and she HAS to answer it...
Those are the people I wish were struck by lightening.
Maybe that is the difference, your the professional and you are managing your line. Your customers knew that and were happy to be in your line. I have no problem talking to people and prefer to always bring a smiling face to the store or where ever I am. I always figure that just because someone else is having a bad day I don't have to add negativity to the day. Hopefully a smile or a hello will brighten them up.
back in April I was at the McDonald's in Malibu, at the drive up window. I was on my way to pick up my son at LAX. The people that work at this location do not live in Malibu. For years the owner of the Malibu McDonald's paid more, paid for bus fair, or some other kind of transportation, paid for meals, just to get people to work in the Malibu McDonald's. The employees come from outside the expensive city. The girl at the drive thru was having a hard day. Two customers drove thru and belittled her. One of them was extremely racist and condescending. She is African American and just trying to make money to take care of herself.
How I know this is because I was nice when I placed my order. I smiled at the window when she came to the window. Since no other cars were there, we spoke for a minute and she thanked me for being so nice, then she let me know how her day was going. She opened up about the other two customers. We talked at the window for maybe 5 minutes. By the time I left she was happy I had stopped by. I was also happy that I stopped by, not because of what the other customers did, but because I could brighten her day just a little.
I don't know who it was that came in to that location. Realize that Malibu had three kinds of people: Wealthy, Working class that work for the wealthy, and homeless that live in motor homes or vans alongside the Pacific Coast Highway. Possibly it could have been someone just like me that was just driving thru from one destination to another. It really does not matter who did it, only that someone else can come along and change the dynamics of the work day.
As far as those people that don't have their money or cards out. I think that Hell has a special place for those people.
"Did you find everything you were looking for today?"
"No, actually I didn't. The large box of Herbal Tea was not on the shelves".
"No Problem, let me just leave your stuff here on the belt and we will go look for it. I am sure the people in line behind you will understand and just wait for an extra few minutes."
See what I am getting at? Stop with the blank crap that has no meaning. "Hi, how are you today" is fine. Ring up my stuff, say thank you when I pay you and let's get it over.
Do you get into a convo with the gas jockey or the ticket seller at the ski resort or football stadium?
I also work at a "major grocery chain" where this sort of banter is encouraged/mandated.
I do NOT ask customers "if you found everything you were looking for" because (1) it sounds like an effort to upsell, which can be annoying and (2) it has the potential to really slow down the line behind that customer and delay the checkout process for those other customers.
I do my own thing withing the general bounds of the rules and regulations and generally get away with it, because I'm efficient, work hard, I'm pleasant, and most customers don't want or request excess interaction with the cashier.
At my "major grocery chain" top management does whatever they want and orders line employees to do things that may not make sense, based on their whims and what seemed to work for them when they actually worked in the stores 30+ years ago. There are no unions to represent labor so we don't have much say in the situation.
Customers, if you wonder why cashiers smile too much at you or engage in excess banter, it's because management told them to do so, not because they're trying to woo you.
I work as a cashier at a *major grocery store chain*, and the majority of the cashiers greet the customer and thank them at the end of the transaction, but one of the Front-end supervisors wants the cashiers to be more engaging than that.
As a customer at a grocery store, what do you want the cashiers to say beyond the usual greeting and thanking the customer?
It's not what you say. It's how you say it. You can say 'hello' and 'thank you' and still not be pleasant.
Personally, I don't need to be fawned on, but I sure don't like shopping where the cashier has a bad attitude.
No, no no, that’s why some of us line up at the self check even with cashiers open and available. It also accounts for much of the online sales. We are not there to chat, or listen to canned niceties such as “Did you find everything” or “How’s your day going.” A simple greeting of hello, good morning, or good afternoon, perhaps with a smile, and thanks after are all we want. If someone does want to chat they will start a conversation, but the people in line after will be annoyed if you stop checking there items to chat and delay them.
This answer above checked all my boxes.
Plus, chatty cashiers could throw your focus off seeing if an item (or two) is overcharged. Forgive me Mr/Ms. cashier, I have got to make sure I am not being overcharged on the items I am purchasing as you small talk me.
I'll add that cashiers are not sales people on commission so no need to be buddy friendly like a car salesman/woman. However, sometimes I don't mind a friendly/funny chit chat when it is not busy and the items are not on sale .
I think there is more of an expectation for bartenders to be friendly and chatty with customers, but let's face it, they make a lot more money than cashiers and work on tips. An unfriendly bartender with make no money.
I remember about 20 years ago when Safeway made a rule that all cashiers had to be very friendly. Many said that some customers thought they were coming on to them.
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