When Cashiers in supermarkets comment on your shopping when it goes through the till?

[crypes]

The other day at one of the biggee Supermarkets i had a running commentary on the items i had bought. I was in no mood to talk and i was starting to cringe a bit about 'that loaf looks nice and healthy' and 'your going to be doing alot of gardening this week'. Sometimes i have even had a cashier read the front of my paper and i thought 'gods sake havent you got a tea break coming up?' I just read in another thread sometimes you may want your shopping items to be private and stay private.

Haven't read the whole thread but just downloading your recommendation Porto so thanks.

I love the checkout staff in my local tesco they are always so friendly and make me leave with a smile it makes me a bit sad to think they are told to talk.

YABU unless it was sanitary products, underwear, contraception or immodium.

If you must be miserable use the hateful automatic tills!

YANBU, its annoying and if it gets your goat, then it gets your goat.

The only time I've ever felt uncomfortable from this though was going into Asda abd buying a pregnancy test and a litre of vodka when I was 20, and that's it. I was too stressed to even think about doing a weekly shop to disguise the fact that I was crapping myself after a one night stand. I was also in too much of a daze to notice my cashier, and it turned out to be a little old woman who commented that she hoped the other item would only be used if the answer was no. I looked up, shocked, and she looked ever so apologetic and when I was walking off she whispered good luck to me.

Thankfully by the way, the answer was no!

Shop online if it bugs you that much.
I used to be a checkout chick. There's nothing more annoying than a huffy customer, when ur trying to do your job.
You should have just smiled for entertainment purposes, grumpy sod!

Most of the check-out assistants at my local supermarket seem to be ex-pupils from the primary school I've been working at for the last 12 years, so mostly we chat about what's happening there now.

There's only one assistant I avoid and only if I've bought a paper, because he will read the headlines and then make comments on them. It's obvious he doesn't share my political views and I don't feel it's the place to start a discussion.

I feel sorry for cashiers if they are forced to talk, and IMO, they are being told the wrong thing. Making somebody uncomfortable by talking at them when they clearly don't want it (and it really isn't that hard to tell if you try) is NOT good customer service. Being chatty is great, but not respecting that some people don't want it is rude.

I've learnt a lot about body language in my job as we are told to pay attention to it. We've also talked about treating everybody as individuals, not just treating them all the same way. Some people want to chat - others don't - I respect that.

I actually hate making small talk but if someone talks to me I'll always reply. i do't mind friendly check out operators, it's much nore preferable than rude ones who ignore you while they talk to their mate 4 tills down.
Does anyone remember Aldi before scanners? The operator had to memorise the barcodes for the whole shop- not much chance of a conversation then.

Once I was buying rather a lot of alcohol and the cashier asked: 'ohhhh are you having a party?'

I was too embarrassed to say that, actually, no it was mostly for me because I like to drink alone at night so, instead, I went along with the party thing.

We spent the next few minutes talking about the imaginery party I was throwing.

It ended up being a fancy dress 40th in case you're interested.

The lad in Tesco Express keeps up a constant stream of chit chat while serving. I like him. He said "ooooohhhhh, is somebody in trouble?!" when I was purchasing myself a pregnancy test. I like him [gri]

YABU I used to work in a supermarket, we HAD to do this, would get in trouble if we didn't (supervisers would often sneak up behind you to make sure and you'ld loose mystery shopper points if you didn't). Bollocks like "ooo special occassion?" for cava

most people like it so long as you try to not make it sound too scripted

but if you think anyone is slightly interested in your "private" shopping then YABVU I can't imagine anyone giving a toss, get over yourself!

The lady in superdrug asked me if I was hoping to be pregnant or not pregnant when I bought some pregnancy tests recently, turns out she was on TWW too and I was bursting to talk about it so didn't mind at all

Saggy - you referred to cats bum and miserable customers. Just because they look cats bum or miserable, doesn't mean they are rude or have to be cheered up. I am always polite - I say please and thank you etc - but I never want to discuss my shopping with a checkout operator, and certainly not one who hasn't got the social skills to recognise that.

YANBU This winds me up something rotten! John Lewis biddies are the worst! Showing the other people at the tills how funny the birthday card is, having a good old feel of the pillows.... Drives me mad!

TheFarSide, the cashiers don't lack social skills, that is not the way they chat off duty, they HAVE to follow a script "smile, thank you for waiting (even if they waited all of 10 seconds , did you find everything you were looking for today? small talk about shopping contents in a way that enables you to drop into conversation that there are other products that might compliment the choices, ask about packing, ask for payment in way that enables dropping in store card option, hand out promo leaflets if applicable, over cheerful goodbye (you get told off if it's normal!)

• I've probably left out a few compulsary parts of the script there, but believe me it is all COMPULSARY, and on top of that you are timed on how many items you scan a minuite so you're not having a normal natural chat!

not a lot of leeway to show your normal day to day social skills! so unfair to judge a lack there of!

i haven't read thsi thread because i simply can't be arsed

BUT there is an unwritten rule that

'Thou shalt not criticise the till lady in any way shape or form'.

Even if they are nasty or annoying.

As a customer you are expected to be desperately grateful for them being there and to accept any comment on your shopping in silence.

shop workers and their masssive sense of hard-done-by-ness

sounds like a normal nice cashier to me, unlike my my local suprtmarket where the cashier who i know slightly (small town) .

Said "oh cakes look nice, no wonder you're putting on the pounds!"

On the whole, I don't think shop workers feel hard done by, DameHermione. Their job will probably (sometimes) pay for lovely luxuries, make up, clothes, eating out and lovely holidays, the hours will be quite good and family friendly because they've worked for the company for a fair few years and are valued by their employers. If customers come in with a shitty attitude and are excessively rude then it might make for a particularly bad day but hard done by? I don't really think so.

My lovely MiL is a checkout lady. She says the stuff she gets told by random members of the public as she scans their shopping would make your hair curl. In Waitrose of all places.

Just saying, it works both ways.

me too! supermarket was the least family friendly hours I've ever had (and I've done NHS shift work!), turning down ridiculous last min overtime was frowned upon and rota was changed with little notice too.

it was also the worst paid job I've ever had, the didn't pay unsociable hours pay when they were very unsocial hours!

I can keep my phone on silent in my job, big no no in supermarket. I can take a carers day in my job, got real shit for that in the supremarket, the "family friendly" rep is all smoke and mirrors

It was also really stressful and much harder physicaly work than more "worthy" professional jobs I've had! They breath down your throat ALL THE TIME and if they're not timing you they're recording you on CCTV

I can't imagine that the supermarket owners want their staff to annoy customers. If checkout operators are getting hassle for not sounding like demented Pollyannas, it's probably from their immediate supervisers - maybe the power goes to their head and they enjoy picking on their staff.

Anyway, IME most checkout operators are fine. It's those mentioned by the OP who feel obliged to keep up a running commentary on somebody's shopping who aren't quite getting it right.

Maargerita, what planet do you live on?
There a million and one ways I'd support my children, and working for a supermarket is NOT one of them! The pay is shit, the hours are shit, and there is NO staff loyalty in a company like Tesco. It's a shit hole of the first water!

A nIce planet! It was slightly tongue in cheek did I ever even MENTION Tesco! Yuck!

Thanks MooBaa I think the ones I speak to must just enjoy chatting as they don't go by script, sometimes they continue talking after I have payed too so I feel a bit better about it all on reflection .

I don't understand you people who insist on being miserable and rude to everyone whether they are doing their job or not. Don't you realise what kind of world you are creating for yourself? So self-centered, people don't like you either you know.