AIBU to think that a cashier shouldn't comment on personal items you're buying?

[catlover1987]

Just home from the weekly shop at Asda. The cashier gave a running commentary on all of my shopping. Oh that looks nice, oh aren't those ready meals handy, oh what is that, I'll need to try that. Mildly annoying but I'm sure she was just trying to be friendly. However, where I think she really crossed the line was when she seen my pregnancy test and said, oh I hope it's a yes! I didn't know what to say!

They are trained to do this in Asda (it's an American Walmart 'Have a nice Dayee!' thing). Although the pregnancy test is pushing it.

Nobody has looked at my you tube links

The people defending the cashier seem a bit confused. One minute anyone who doesn't want to share their life story is looking down on the cashiers, treating them like servants in the Victorian age instead of individuals - the next the cashiers are 'only doing their job' and can't behave like individuals by opting not to comment on personal items. Which is it?

I would have been horrified at the pregnancy test comment. How do they know you want a yes, that could be the worst outcome for you. You might have been post miscarriage and having to check you had a negative.

I had two horrible experiences just after loosing a pregnancy. Having been told that my baby had died but the first surgery date was 10 days away the EPU told me to get myself some codine incase things began naturally. The pharmacist in sainsbury's had to enquire why I wanted codine (I know they have to ask as it's addictive), so I cut to the chase and told her why. She then told me the story of all her miscarriages and offered me a hug. I know she was trying to be nice but I just wanted to have the drugs and go home and sob my heart out.

About a month later buying bits to bake DS a birthday cake the cashier in tesco moaned at me about how she couldn't bake at the moment as she was pregnant and couldn't eat the batter. She went on about how she loved baking and really missed it. I wanted to say you can blood bake and not eat half the batter and you're a lucky cow that your baby hasn't died like mine because I should be pregnant too. I didn't I just left and cried.

I quite like a chat with the cashier, but as others have said, a pregnancy test is a bit .

I was at one supermarket some time ago - might have been Waitrose (name-dropping ) - and the till assistant told methat they were told not to have any conversation that wasn't started by the customer, because some people don't like it.

I DO like it. Common as muck, me.

I can't stand the banal chit chat at the checkouts, it does my head in! (Yes I'm a mardy cow.) However I know they have to be friendly and chat to the customers in case you are a 'Mystery Shopper' - otherwise they get reported on. I suppose the items in the shopping gives them something other than the weather as a topic!

Was going to say YABU as she was clearly trying to make conversation and be friendly but then I saw the pregnancy test buy and she really over stepped the mark commenting on that.

OMG! What if it was unwanted?

I was buying prunes and prune juice last week in order to relieve constipation and he asked me- very innocently tbh - what I was making. I should have just blurted out the truth to see his reaction.

""oooh that ham looks nice, what are you eating that with? "

How on earth is that rude?

I have no problems with chatting to staff/cashiers, but it should be appropriate.

I think any purchases of medicines (unless being dicussed with a pharmacist), sanitary products and certainly pregnancy tests, should pass through without comment. Not everyone is comfortable talking about them.

Skylander it's not easy, I have to send DH to Morrisons on his way home from work for my fix.

I hope Asda high ups get to know of this thread. It's irritating (some) customers and must be awful for the cashiers to have to keep up an inane commentary to each customer. No wonder they occasionally cross the line.
OP and all who've had rude or intrusive comments, that is so wrong and managers should be aware of the effect on customers of the unwanted chat, particularly if is the result of an idiotic 'rule'.

I use to enjoy the chit chat on the tills in my local Tesco until I kept getting served by one particular cashier who just looked bloody miserable. She didn't speak or smile & unfortunately had a fish face (mouth always turned down). As soon as they introduced the self serve I started using them to avoid having to face her.

I hate those flaming self serve tills and I think they hate me too! "Unexpected item in bagging area! Remove item! Place item in the bagging area!" Make your flipping mind up you stupid computer till!

i ti=hink its to do with 'some' of us and our feeling of our basket if we get embaressed.me being on of them.i almost feel ashamed sometimes of them looking at what ive got! so I don't think there would be anything in it for her.after all how often do you look at others hehe.
but the pregnancy test.no way!should she be commenting on that.i don't think people think sometimes.its not a bad thing but to that person it could be depending on what going on for them right now.especially for a lady on pregnancy,it can come with all sort of background issues.

Cashier in Boots, when my shopping contained both nappies and a pg rest: "Never mind eh?".

I was gobsmaked! The rest was in fact positive,but the baby was very much planne. And the napouex weee for my nearly 3 year old!

You can buy tiger rolls in Aldi :)

No, YANBU, commenting on your pregnancy test was a step too far!

I certainly don't mind a chin wag with the cashiers though, and I appreciate them being friendly rather than serving you with a face like a wet weekend. But at the till once in Asda, I was opening my mouth to reply to the comment "This is all right, isn't it?" (a vase I was buying) when I realised she was actually talking across me to her colleague on the next till. And they went on to give their opinions on my face cream and my new skirt as I stood there like the invisible woman. Not a word to me throughout!

Omg I can't believe people are suggesting you should have gone self service YANBU. I've worked in retail and yes we are meant to make conversation with customers but commenting on something like a pregnancy test is not okay!!!

Blimey. YANBU.

And no, you don't get any "Walmart chant" indoctrination if you work for Asda.

I work on a checkout and wouldn't dream of commenting on personal items, it is deeply intrusive. I do like to chat with customers when it feels appropriate though, it would be a very boring job otherwise. You need to read people a bit though, I told a man recently that his purchases (mainly lots of different cheeses and lovely red wines) won best trolley load of the week in my opinion and we had a lovely chat about the wine and cheese club he belongs to. Not everyone wants that though and it's not hard to judge

Honestly some of the comments. This is why retail workers have a raw deal. If they speak to you, they are wrong. If they ignore you, they are being ignorant. Whoever said the customer is always right needs thrashing.

When I was pregnant I had a man at the till in M and S who picked up my various sized bras and kept going on about....."ooooh yes when you have a baby your breast size goes up and down such a lot doesn't it". He was definitely overhandling the bras and enjoying himself. I felt really rather sullied by the whole thing. I should've complained, hate shopping anyway so couldn't be arsed, just wanted to get out of there. Dirty fucker