All she could think about was her break and when she was going home!

[Gabrielle Proctor]

I don't think she was a sucky cashier. Swordsman and I have encountered worse from the nearby Kroger. A cashier there will insult you to your face, he calls her "fat-ugly" for this reason.

Anywho, in a store like wal-mart, I prefer not to speak to anyone. Just ring up my stuff and I'll be happy, I often don't fell like talking. If I ever want to shop at a small store that I frequent, I wait 'till I'm in a better mood to shop there. Usually, the owners do want to talk to me and I don't want to be rude.

[HowMayIHelpMe?]

...

You all know what you'd be saying if some customer reported you to the manager because you failed to exhibit the appropriate level of fake cheerfulness.

Furthermore, as a customer, the only way I'd push a "rate your cashier" button with my finger at a checkout stand would be if Leatherface had chopped off my finger and was using it as a pin-pad stylus. Those attempts to get customers to collude with shitty, oppressive managment sicken me.

Amen to that, RecoveringKinkoid!

Also, my own .02 on this:

I'm not so much concerned about the cashier's griping about not getting a break as I am concerned about the cashier's not getting a break.

That's the part that gets me. Seems to me to be pretty unprofessional for management to "forget" to provide for a hard-working cashier's break time!

[RecoveringKinkoid]

"I'm not so much concerned about the cashier's griping about not getting a break as I am concerned about the cashier's not getting a break."

Thank you. Hey, managers! Here's a brilliant idea! Want cheerful employees with good attitudes that don't complain in front of customers? Stop treating them like shit and give them their due.

What a concept!

[greensinestro]

I don't think she was a sucky cashier. Swordsman and I have encountered worse from the nearby Kroger. A cashier there will insult you to your face, he calls her "fat-ugly" for this reason.

Believe me, this was not the worst treatment I've had. It just created a hostile atmosphere, and to me it was like discussing your personal life with a complete stranger. It also made me feel like she was looking for an audience to hear all about her problems.

Nah, I have had worse. I stated a post somewhere about a cashier at Publix who said nothing to me, and pointed to the total. Yet, she and her buddy kept yapping, using language that I should have reported to their manager.

[flybye023]

Yes they can. How is it the customer's fault the employee hasn't been given a break?

Yes cashiers are human but there is such a thing as suffering in silence. Which is what I do if my break has to be postponed because of co-workers taking their breaks, or tasks that have to be done before I can go. No reason for the customers to have to hear me bitching about it.

I totally agree. It's called professionalism people. So what if your store is poorly run and the management slacks on their responsibility to you? You don't air "dirty laundry" in front of the customer. period. ever. (Can you tell this is one of my pet peeves?)

[Broomjockey]

I honestly cannot say to either side. I understand both. If it is a habitual thing to be shafted out of your break then eventually you just get fed up and don't give a crap anymore. But as a customer, you really shouldn't be subjected to a diatribe on the idiocies of the company/management unless you asked for it.

If it was a rare occurance, then suffer in silence, something probably came up that threw off the schedule. Common thing? I'd probably start bitching in front of customers too. My thinking would be "If I drive enough of them away, I can make my OWN break!" And if it was common, I probably wouldn't be heartbroken over getting fired either. If they can't do breaks right, what else is messed up in the company?

[protege]

I totally agree. It's called professionalism people. So what if your store is poorly run and the management slacks on their responsibility to you? You don't air "dirty laundry" in front of the customer. period. ever. (Can you tell this is one of my pet peeves?)

Exactly. Do I go into a store to bitch about *my* job? Of course not--the cashier doesn't want to hear about it. And yes, I *will* complain if I have to listen to it. Sorry folks, but I don't care. I'm here to shop, not listen to whining. Suck it up, or start looking for another job.

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

Funny. When my next break was, and when I could go home was all I could manage to think about today. If I worked at Walmart, I doubt I'd think any differently. Most of the time, I don't expect my cashier to entertain me with a big ol' smile unless she's earning union scale for actors.

[rerant]

There have been days where I've gone my entire shift without a break because either it was "too busy" or they flat out forgot about me.
Sometimes you just need to vent.

[JustADude]

There have been days where I've gone my entire shift without a break because either it was "too busy" or they flat out forgot about me.
Sometimes you just need to vent.

Only time I ever went a whole shift without a break (at a job where you actually felt like you needed a break, that is) was when we had 3 people call out for a Saturday day day shift, and NOBODY got a break that day, not even the managers.

[Jack7957]

One time at the grocery store I was working register and it was less than 5 minutes before I was to go to lunch. I turn off my light just about done with my customer when one of the other guys comes by with his GF (who worked there also) and tells me he switched lunch with me so he could go with his GF. Now, if he had asked before hand, I probably would have said ok. But I was pissed! I turn my light back on, and for the next hour, I was the fastest cashier that store saw in a long time. But I still provided good service to the customers, it wasn't their fault. I can't remember if I reported it to management, we're talking about 10 years ago.

[rerant]

Only time I ever went a whole shift without a break (at a job where you actually felt like you needed a break, that is) was when we had 3 people call out for a Saturday day day shift, and NOBODY got a break that day, not even the managers.

In a cruel twist of fate, the very same day I posted my comment about those shifts where I didn't get a single break turned out to be one of those days.