AIBU to HATE checkout operators commenting in my purchases?

[lallyk]

It drives me mental! I think it's so rude 🤣. One day I might put some KY, cucumbers and Johnnie's on the belt just for laughs...

I always get the recipe people
"What's this?"
"Kale"
"What do you make with it?"
"I just roast it" by the bagful
"How do you do that then? What do you have with it? Do you put stuff on it?"

Although one of the women told me she had taken a recommendation from me (heat up dark chocolate almond milk) and it was amazing so that was nice

As long as it's nothing unpleasant, I don't mind it. They've only ever said things like 'those are really nice, aren't they?' to me. I'm sure checkout staff are trained to chat pleasantly to customers.

The weirdest comment I've witnessed is when a checkout operator commented on my dad's strong resemblance to an obscure 20th Century poet. We went home and Googled and sure enough, they did look alike!

Also, if you work somewhere with mystery shoppers, you treat everyone like the bloody mystery shopper. They comment on how friendly you are, so yes you do tell Margaret that her new blouse will look great in the summer and wish her a nice time in Cleethorpes.

We're quieter if we're queue busting though. Christmas sales queues, I'd only chat to people if I really had to.

I quite like it when they discuss new products, ask what you are going to make with them etc, it shows they are engaged and interested.

I know they are supposed to be pleasant and make small talk but sometimes they are intrusive though. I had one pause over my bottle of milk of magnesia and ask loudly "what does this actually do?" So I thought fuck it and said "it helps me poo". Which was the truth.

When I worked on tills we were told to do that. If you didn’t and a manager noticed, you’d be in trouble. We did point out it was going to annoy a lot of customers but nope, rules were rules.

Anyone remember "Roseanne" taking over the class, and showing them how to shop and read a checkout ...

A packet of Cheetos, a six pack of beer, and a microwave meal. My guess is single and staying that way ...

I hate it. The thing is, sometimes you can have had the worst day in the world, but you still need to go to the supermarket. You really, really don't need the cashier asking if you've had a nice day, or got any plans for the weekend, or indeed anything other than whether you've got a clubcard.

There is a very annoying checkout man at the self checkout till at a Sainsbury's. He always speaks very loudly to the shoppers, to the point of attearibg attention of everybody. And he always approaches me with raffle tickets. And clucks judgementally if I refuse to buy. Prick.

The worst example I've ever seen was the customer in front of me, buying a large quantity of wines and spirits. The check-out lady said "Having a party?" in a friendly fashion, but he replied "No. A funeral". She was mortified. I really felt for her.

Tawdry-useful to know!

@TheHodgeoftheHedge I think it's because of health and safety you can't expect the cashiers to pack endless conveyer belts of peoples shopping due to repetitive strain

I agree - especially when they stop serving to read the packets or ingredients!

I hate it too, although I do 'get' why the assistants do it. They are told to be friendly, and it passes the time for them if they make conversation.

We used to live quite remotely, and 25 miles from a moderate sized town, and we struggled to get things from the little shop closest to us - 2 miles away. So we would often stock up (especially if the big store in the town had stuff with a third off for example.)

We would buy 6 jars of nescafe coffee and 3 packs of 9 loo rolls, and every time, the checkout operator just HAD to say something. Some smart mouth remark like 'are you opening your own shop?'

They also sometimes start reading the magazine I am buying, and commenting on it. That narks me off because I think 'that's my magazine! Fuck off.'

We also stock up with wine or beer sometimes, and may buy 10 bottles for 6 weeks. 'Oh you'll turn into an alkie' one woman said to me once. Rude.

One thing that DOES get my goat, is when I draw a large amount out of the bank, like 3 grand, they ALWAYS ask 'doing anything nice with the money?'

Errrrrm, mind your own business. It's MY money!

A girl on the till once commented on the amount of sweets I was buying, I laughed and said oh they’re not all for me....they were! I was mortified!

I once bought two tubs of Haagan Daz because they were on sale. The young woman at the cash said, "Oh, you must really like this stufff!"

(I may have bought two the day before, as well. )

To the people saying it's because their job is shot and they want to pass the time.

Nope. They are told to do it. They really don't give a shit about your bread and milk.

I always have a bit of banter every time I get IDed for an energy drink. Although they can be quite arsey, I don't mind "Have you got any ID" but "Sorry lad, you need to be 16 for these"... The look on their face when they see on my passport that I'm 21 is great

And I get lots of comments because 90% of my shop has yellow stickers on it - I'm a bargain ninja

If I'm not in the mood to talk I go self service.

I was buying newborn nappies and was heavily pregnant at the time.

The girl (she was young) on the checkout did the usual, "ah lovely, when are you due?" type chit chat and then proceeded to tell me that the girl on checkout number 5 was also pregnant but the boyfriend was being a bit of a dick and she wasn't sure she was going to keep it or not.

Now a bit of "ooh those look like tasty biscuits. I think they're new..." is one thing but...

RIP Caroline Aherne

Today at sainsbury, having a full on conversation whist I'm standing at the end with my bags ready and she hadn't even started scanning! I don't mind a chat if they are scanning as well. I had 3 kids with me being wild all I wanted to do was get home.

I have just had to make a formal complaint about a checkout person in Aldi - Liverpool - I don't mind a bit of 'conversation' but this person actually spun the till readout thingy to show the other people in the queue the amount I'd spent whist informing them that I was only halfway through the shopping!!! She offered to come to my house to show me how to eat cheaply - I was mortified - but asked what she'd knock me up using artichokes tuna and spinach ( normal lunch). I've gone back to online Waitrose shopping.

There's a way of doing it, I think.

"Oh these look nice, you can't beat a chocolate biscuit with a cuppa can you?"

"Ooh salad. I could do with shifting some weight as well"

My dad and I were once shopping in Sainsbury's and the checkout girl said I was good at packing and I said I used to work at Waitrose and they trained us so she went on to tell me that her mum got fired from Waitrose for eating crisps in the warehouse out the boxes and putting the empty packets back, she then turned to my dad and said that her tongue hurt - it has just been pierced and did it look infected!!

Turns out she was my future husband (didn't know him at the time)'s best friends daughter

Was with dd whilst she was buying some undies in Ann summers(think lacy and cute not leather and crotch less) as we waited to pay the assistant cooed over how pretty they were,then out of nowhere asked “are you ok for cock rings” as she gestured to an abundance of them in various hues and sizes on the counter.Dont know where it came from but quick as a flash I quipped “we’re good thanks I’ve just bought doughnuts.”

I once bought a grey blazer in New Look. The girl was saying how lovely I'd feel in it and how I'd turn heads. I told her it was for a funeral and she stood and looked mortified.
In the supermarket I bought a 'christmas morning' scented candle. The till operator started ranting about how do we know what 'christmas morning' actually smells like? They had a point