Cell phones at the checkout

[Lovecats]

I remember a story from a fellow cashier where I used to work. Woman came up to be checked out with her phone to her ear carrying on a conversation. My friend greeted her like we were supposed to do with no response. Gave her her total - still no response. So at the end my friend just smiled at her and waved goodby. Woman took a few steps away and then turned and said, "You're not very friendly, are you?". My friend and the customer in line behind her just kind of stared at this woman.

[BrenDAnn]

I remember once I was talking to a friend who was asking me for help with her math class. I was almost croaking like a frog from a dry throat so I swing into a gas station to get a soda. As I was walking up to the register I told my friend "hang on for a minute, I need to pay for this", then physically set my phone down. The look on the cashiers face was priceless. I'm kind of sad that simple courtesy made somebody smile like that. It should be standard.

I tend to genuinely thank customers who do that. I only wish that C-Store corporate would let us have a 'get off your phone or get out of line' sign. Then again, if the rate at which people read the signs on our gas pumps are any indication, I'm not sure it'd do any good!

[Dreamstalker]

I did get away with posting a sign at my register (I carried it with me) for a week or so, but one of the chronic complainers noticed, D removed the sign and I never did find it again.

Management would never enforce it anyway, even when faced with the reasoning that it would improve transaction time and get lines moving faster therefore make customers happy ...oh yeah, if they do this then it would get rid of the main reason to yell at/"motivate" cashiers.

[bhskittykatt]

I admit to one exception to my "no phone" rule when I'm at a cashier's till. This happened last week, actually. If I'm paying for somehthing and the phone rings and it's the doctors from the hospital where my kid is currently an inpatient, I'm gonna answer it. I will also apologize to the cashier for being rude. If I'm not already mid-check out, and I feel a call is important enough to answer, I step out of line.

Saw something like this recently. When the woman ended the call, she apologized to the cashier and explained it was something urgent. The cashier seemed very appreciative of the apology and was very understanding.

If I end up on a call in a store and it's clearly going to run through check-out, I put the other person on hold until I can check-out or offer to call them back.

[blondescales]

I was checking out once when my cell phone went off. I just glanced towards the pocket it was in and muttered "oh shut up" and continued checking out.