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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not want to speak to the cashier

79 replies

justcarrots29 · 29/01/2011 13:11

I was at Sainsbury's this morning and the man serving me says hello (lovely, polite) and begins to scan my items. Halfway through he say "So are you doing anything nice tomorrow?".
Now of course this in not the first time this has happened but I mean WTF? Why on God's green Earth does he think I will tell him my social plans for Sunday??

It is lovely when when people say Hello, thank you please etc. I always say hello and thank you and please but I draw the line at some of the things I get asked at the checkout:

"Oh having guests this evening are we?"
"Oh that wine is lush but have you tried..."
"I think that colour will look lovely on you"
"Had a nice day today?"

OP posts:

HelenaRose · 29/01/2011 15:10

I like it when customers say more than just "cheers" or whatever to me; it means they have acknowledged that I'm a human being and not just a service-bot. It really makes my day.

HecateQueenOfWitches · 29/01/2011 15:10

Oh I love having a natter with the cashiers.

There are a few I 'know' and I always choose their checkout if I can, because I like them. They're friendly and we have a nice chat while they put the stuff through the tills and I pack.

Same with the local shops and the garage, unless there's a queue, we have a chat. It's nice.

I live in the derbyshire dales.

When I lived down south it was as different again! People looked at you like you were a mad axe murderer if you tried to talk to them. In fact, when we moved back up this way it took me ages to get used to talking to strangers again.

Georgimama · 29/01/2011 16:26

I cannot bear rude, surly or indifferent sales staff. I don't want to make life long friends but there is nothing worse in a shop than when the sales assistants continue their (inane) chat amongst themselves whilst serving you without so much as making eye contact (checkout assistant in Iceland Chippenham on Thursday, I mean you). I went shopping today in Bath in Waitrose, Jojo Maman et Bebe, The White Company and had lunch in La Tasca. Unbelievably, every single member of staff who served me today was polite, knowledgeable and friendly. This shouldn't be astounding, it should be normal.

I think I am turning into Mary Portas.

Hatesponge · 29/01/2011 16:34

I don't mind a few pleasantries but I can't bear conversation about my shopping. Just scan it through and let me pay!

I have in the past (foolishly) bought underwear from certain supermarkets as well as my food shopping. Never again. Not after having them looked at by checkout boy who then commented 'Oh, special occasion?' Or another one who said he'd never had his hands on a bra that size before

I still cringe at the memory.

nickelthenaughtybutnicefairy · 29/01/2011 16:35

I like chatting to people, but I don't like having to do it - at Waterstone's we had a "get Selling" training regime, which meant that we had to talk to every single customer about their purchase.
That is so difficult when they're buying something you have no interest in "oh, you like gruesome crime do you? Patricia Cornwell? I read one of hers once and I wanted to throw it out of the window it was so hideous/cliqhed/crass/annoying/not-at-all-gripping"

But nothing's more difficult than hoping noone is around watching when you have to serve the greasy-haired smelly women her porn erotic fiction novels. Then you have to scan the book, and do the money without even looking (or breathing through your nose).

manicbmc · 29/01/2011 16:38

I do like a bit of banter. But I'm not bothered so long as people are polite.

PuppyMonkey · 29/01/2011 16:40

I don't mind so much the supermarket cashier chat, but I tell you what I can't be doing with - a chatty taxi driver. When you're on your own. Hate it. Just shut up and drive.

togarama · 29/01/2011 16:43

I'm not a hugely chatty person but I do talk to cashiers if they start a conversation. I assume they're bored or have had a hard day with previous customers.

fulltimeworkingmum · 29/01/2011 16:45

In my student days, I worked as a checkout girl to earn money to alleviate the otherwise massive overdraft I would have had to leave university with. It is the most mind numbing task I have ever had and talking to people was a lovely diversion from the monotony. I admit that overly cheery sales staff are rather annoying but if someone engages you in banal banter for a couple of minutes while scanning your loo roll, it would not kill you to banter back. Some people were just pig ignorant and would not even reply to a simple "hello".

Fraochsmum · 29/01/2011 17:35

No I didn't see that wooly, just the adverts for it. However, I don't believe that ever happens in a supermarket - bar the 'greeter' as you walk in.
Alternatively, I have been on the receiving end when serving people who give you TMI - ones who tell you how often they like to 'do it' (as a checkout assistant), and others who want to take their dessert to their room...and, no, they don't require a spoon. Especially bad when you also have to clean the room the next morning

5Foot5 · 29/01/2011 17:35

A male cashier at Tesco actually touched my baby. Now that's not ok.

But why isn't it!!??

parakeet · 29/01/2011 17:37

How about this? Recently I did my weekly supermarket shop in Tesco and bought some knickers for myself while I was in there - black lacy ones as it happens.

The (female) cashier held them up and said "Ooh, these are nice!"

I felt faintly....exposed...

MadameCastafiore · 29/01/2011 17:39

Poor sod sat scanning shopping all day and you are such a miserable impolite fecker you couldn't even be bothered to enter into conversation.

custardismyhamster · 29/01/2011 17:40

I used to work in Sainsburys and when you had your weekly observation you were marked down if you didn't try to make conversation with the customer.

traceybath · 29/01/2011 17:42

God - I know the names of most of my favourite cashiers

I like good service and normally have small children with me but can do inconsequential chatter and pack shopping and watch them at the same time - I am amazing

Georgi - I was in those shops in Bath today too [spooky]

Georgimama · 29/01/2011 18:00

tracey were you the nice lady in Jojo who pissed herself laughing when DS (3) pipped up in his clear little choir boy like voice "can we go to the gun shop now and get me a gun?"

traceybath · 29/01/2011 18:03

Alas Georgi that wasn't me - but glad to see he's taking his guns seriously

sloggies · 29/01/2011 19:24

For me, the problem is not the conversation with peeps at the till, that's fine, can do that...but I think some things are a bit intrusive - asking about weekend plans, commenting on your knick-knicks, and the size of your knockers (by implication) is just out of order.. Maybe in the training they are not making the distinction between 'acceptable' topics, ie shopping, but not 'personal shopping' and taboo subjects.

kaid100 · 29/01/2011 19:50

Shop workers often are told as part of the job they have to say certain things to customers and are marked on how well they do it. Including a greeting, apologising for the wait, suggesting the customer buy an extra item etc.

They send employees disguised as ordinary customers who mark on a simple checklist how much of what they were supposed to say they actually said.

Since it's difficult to distinguish the employees from shoppers, the cashier in this case was probably just making sure he didn't get marked down in case you were one of these examiners.

onepieceoflollipop · 29/01/2011 20:00

I went to Homebase the other day and had a chat with both a young man on the shop floor and at the checkout. The first one approached me (I was contemplating door handles) to see if I needed help. he asked nicely and I replied nicely.

Chap on checkout was a little over-the-top chatty as in what was I doing later etc . (school run) How old are the dcs, bet they are a handful etc. I could have picked fault with this, and assumed he was being nosy/overfamiliar but actually he was doing his job albeit in slightly overfamiliar manner.

If I had really wanted to I could have been "off" with him but he was working and trying hard to be friendly. So I just smiled pleasantly and responded with pleasantries. Actually it was better than a checkout person who barely makes eye contact.

onepieceoflollipop · 29/01/2011 20:01

meant to add, it made a nice change from B&Q where in my local one the staff are invisible or in hiding and there is usually one checkout open with a queue of 50 or so customers.

feistychickfightingthebull · 29/01/2011 20:09

I literally laughsd out loud at hatesponge

Adversecamber · 29/01/2011 20:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

londonmackem · 29/01/2011 20:22

I always go to Bill at Osterly tesco and Jackie in Ealing as they are friendly - not nosy but nice to have a brief chat (I know their names because of their badge not because they are my friends btw).

I did have to stop going to the till of one young man because he remembered I used my clubcard points for Christmas - I was worried he thought I was stalking him!

londonmackem · 29/01/2011 20:22

YABU!

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