Yes, the panties are cute, but . . .

[kerrisan]

Do your job and ring your customer up!

This annoys me like no other - chatting it up with your customers and neglecting your job. When I worked at Kroger, I chatted with customers all the time (when they weren't being all sucky), but I always managed to be in the top 3 checker list (judged by speed and accuracy).

Ok, what am I fussing about, you ask? Well, I went to JC Penny yesterday and got some workout shorts for nearly half price (buy one, get 1 for 99 cents!!! ). When I went to the Customer Service desk, there were two lines open - one with two customers, and another with only one. So I get in the shortest line and settle into my thoughts - why must my grandmother insist on bringing more crap to her senior apartment, where are Mom and I going for lunch, why is my dad in such a bad mood, etc. After I finish my random thinking, I realize that the line hasn't moved and that the other line is almost gone . . . so I step into the line.

. . . aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the cashier in that line leaves.

Oh well. I stepped into it as she was leaving, so I'm not angry.

Then I tune into why this ONE transaction is taking 10 minutes. I listen to the conversation:

"Ooohh, the panties are cute! I always love our store's underwear. "
"Yeah, I figure - new home, why not get new underwear? And they're so comfortable!"
*turning the undies in her hand* "Ooohh, they look it. These are great!"

Continue ad nauseam. They discussed every item this woman was buying.

I would have left in protest of this, but I really needed workout shorts!

And I would have complained to someone, but I wanted to leave and planned on calling and complaining later. By the time I remembered the incident . . . I'd forgotten the cashier's name. Bah.

Oh well. If she continues like she was she'll get a complain eventually.

If your conversation is going to impede your ability to work, don't do it!

[Andara Bledin]

As discussed in another thread, you should be able to determine the cashier by some form of identification on the receipt itself.

^-.-^

[kerrisan]

Oh! Hope I can find the receipt around here somewhere . . .

[kerrisan]

Found it and wrote a letter on PFB.

[Mad-Bassist]

Ugh! I remember a clerk in a little town I once lived in. She would practically tell her life story to anyone that looked half-interested, and as the new guy, that's how I learned why her line is usually the shorter one. Heh heh.

I pride myself in my ability to keep a line moving (especially at 5:00am when road construction and farm workers would swarm the store and go through the sugar like giant ants.) There is an art form to the fifteen-second conversation, too bad not everyone knows it.

Good luck with PFB and that cashier in the future—hopefully she's not the entrenched type where the boss is too lazy to make an effort to remind her to go faster, because she can be replaced.

[powerboy]

I hate cashiers like that. Just check them out, and have them stand to the side if you are going to chat with them, while you are doing the other transactions.

[GingerBiscuit]

I chat with customers now and again, but usually when it's very quiet in store, or quite quickly.

I have to say it's the stuff the other way round that annoys me. I must ahve an approachable face, as I have the ones who come up and talk to you for hours on end while a queue builds up behind you, and out of politeness I keep nodding and 'uh-huh?ing'.

They never take the hint, and the few times I've very politely mentioned getting back to doing my job they've morphed into sucky customers.

[Mad-Bassist]

GingerBiscuit: I understand that. I use a half-ignoring technique where I talk in "wrapping up the conversation" tone, or at least try to. Hopefully they notice I'm ringing up the next customer's things while I'm doing it. Heh heh.

The real fun I had was a customer when I lived in Texas: a pig farmer that came in reeking like he forgets to take down his drawers whilst in the outhouse. The other customers would form a twelve-foot semi-circle around him, and we'd all suffer as we hoped he would quit getting $1 winners on his scratch tickets.

[air914]

Ooh ooh this happened to my husband last night!!! He was at Wal-mart and I guess there was a "cute girl" behind him in line - he said the cashier was really trying to rush and get him out of there supposedly so he could "flirt with the cute girl in line". My husband ended up getting out of there - but forgot a bag - and of course it was the bag with the receipt in it. He called the store to let them know and I don't think he was really sucky about it, but he did tell them he didn't appreciate being rushed so much so that he walked out w/out that bag. They are supposed to be looking for it and keeping it at customer service for him.... we'll see.