If you've ever worked in customer service or retail, you've probably been behind a cash register. Well, how difficult can it be? You scan the customer's items, take their money and that's it! Right? Um, WRONG. Cashiers have to stand for long periods of time without moving, minimal bathroom breaks, know all the current sales, bogos, etc., keep a smile on their faces at all times, and worst of all...they have to talk to people ALL day long without punching them in the face. (ew)
Anyone who is or has been a cashier knows what it's like to have a difficult customer. I personally have my fair share of awful customers everyday. There are just some things that customers do that make many other cashiers and I want to rip our hair out.
1. Tossing your money onto the counter.
This is just a courtesy thing to me personally. If you want to give something to someone, you HAND it to them. Throwing or tossing it to them is just a little insulting to me. I would never do that to someone.
2. Forgetting your money in your car or leaving it at home.
There's nothing worse than scanning $200-$500 worth of merchandise and then hearing the customer say, "I forgot my wallet." or even worse "I left my money at home." I'm a pretty compassionate person and I can understand forgetting your money on a small order, or if you're in a rush with 1 or 2 items. But when you're shopping for a month's worth of groceries and spend hours in the store, that's just being inconsiderate to the cashier, whoever has to put away your groceries or save them for you, and the customers waiting behind you who remembered their money.
3. Not using the divider to separate orders.
This actually makes me so angry and visibly annoyed it's almost scary. It pisses me off even more when they didn't even make an attempt to space their order from the other one in front of them, and then have the nerve to say, "Hey that's part of my order."
4. Putting your money or card on the conveyor belt.
Okay, if you do this you lack common sense. WHY in God's name would you put your MONEY on a MOVING BELT? Don't yell at me when your money gets sucked up, Sharon.
5. Climbing the shelves to get something you can't reach.
It irks me especially when adults do this. Stop climbing the shelves like a child. This is not a playground. GROW UP, and ask a stock clerk or a tall worker to get it for you. I don't care if it takes too long to find someone. If you're in a rush you probably shouldn't be shopping in the first place, because who's going to get blamed when you fall and get hurt for your stupidity? The store.
6. "If it's not scanning then it's free!"
Oh, God. I can't even fake laugh at this joke anymore. I could barely pull off an awkward smile. Let me scream this from the rooftops, THIS JOKE IS NOT FUNNY. I hear this joke almost daily and every time I do I just die inside a little.
Next time you see a cashier, thank them. Make their lives a little easier because they have a demanding job. They deserve some props for not punching the last bad customer in face.