I have worked at my job at a grocery store for about 3 years. In those 3 years, I have learned a lot about people either as a cashier or working in the service desk. These are just some of my experiences.

1. "The customer is always right"

This is one of the most cliché overused phrases in retail. I absolutely hate this phrase with a burning passion. About 90% of the time, they actually aren't right, but they get their way since they will cause a scene and act like a screaming child otherwise.

2. I have some of the most vivid characters come through.

So many people from different walks of life come through every day. For example, I had a lady one time say that she had the choice between hanging out with Johnny Depp in Connecticut or with Keith Urban on the beach up here(In Maine), so she was going to hang out with Keith Urban on the beach with her Bud Light Strawberitas.

3. Answering the phone:

I have to answer all of the calls our store gets every single day. About a good half of my phone calls involve asking if we are open, and I get to resist my sarcastic bitchy nerve to scream "NO I JUST LIKE TO ANSWER THE PHONES FOR FUN!". Another quarter are people who didn't get some groceries. Then the rest have to do with ridiculous questions/complaints.

4. Rude people:

I get to deal with lovely people every day. For example, I'll say "Hi, how are you today?", and the reply I most often get are "MARLBORO REDS". Like okay, I didn't realize that Marlboro Reds was a feeling. Can you feel Marlboro Golds too? How about Marlboro Menthol?. Or the lovely people who get so mad that we can't do debit for lottery. They look like I just deeply offended them for refusing to sell them lottery tickets until they give me cash. It isn't my fault at all. It's just how it works. Or the lovely people who get so mad at me for no reason. My favorite part about dealing with rude people is that I get a lot of stories to tell over coffee with friends. They instantly become my jokes.

5. Co-workers:

I love a good 95% of my co-workers. I have known a lot of them for ages. We just so happen to bond over our part time jobs, where we spend so much time together. The numerous inside jokes, the looks of frustration we give each other, the loud sighs we give to each other 20 times an hour. These are all reasons why I love my co-workers because they understand the struggle too, and as a result we have all bonded, getting to know each other really well, and we practically become a family. I have met some amazing people and made some amazing friends, and they are mostly the reason why I love my job.

6. Workplace drama:

They say that drama happens in every workplace. It's true. Sometimes at work, I can't tell whether we are in preschool or high school, then I remember that I am at work.

7. Operating a register:

I have a love-hate relationship with most of the cash registers at my store. I am actually cursed from breaking a register when I first became a cashier. Now when I go on some registers, either the scale refuses to weigh any produce, or the printer breaks, or the key pad won't work, or with my luck, all three at once. Once I manage to get past all that, I get to cash out customers. Sometimes I get asked silly questions. "Do you take American Express?", as I hold up the divider that says "We Welcome American Express". When you ask "Debit or Credit?" and they reply "Yes Please". Then you have to reply that it was a question and they get confused. It's the equivalent of a waiter/waitress asking if you want soup or salad, and you say yes please. There's no Soup-er Salad. It's soup or salad. When a customer keeps trying to insert their chip card only to not realize that we don't have a chip reader. "Where's your chip reader?" "We don't have one!" "Well you need to get one soon!". Besides ridiculous questions, I have all the produce codes memorized. I memorized them so well that I yell them at people asking me from across the checkout area, or to cashiers I train.

8. "Lovely" Customers:

I decided that I need to continue my rant on rude people. So one time on register, I had some guy make fun of my Boston accent for like 5 minutes. I live in Southern Maine. My town is 80 miles from Boston. So I proceeded to say "WICCCCCCCKKKKKKEEEEEDDDDD" in every sentence to mock the "Mainer" accent. I went on and on for like 3 minutes. When I finished, the guy took his receipt and left. Whenever I talk to customers they either ask me where I'm from, call me "Joel" when my name is Joey, or they say "THANK YOU MA'AM" and I get to be like "Do I really look like a chick to you?".

9. Your regular's practically become family too:

Part of the reason why I love my job has to be my regular customers. They have known me for years, and they come through at least once or twice a week when I am working. These people are such amazing people. They know about my life and I know about theirs. We always laugh and laugh and talk. They have become a part of my work family, and I am eternally forever grateful.

10. You learn about yourself, in addition to other people:

For starters, I have learned that I just hate people, and my favorite hobbies when I am not at work involve drinking either many glasses of wine, or vodka, laying down on my couch, watching Grey's Anatomy, and cuddling with my dogs. I also have learned that I have a lot of skills that I will definitely be able to use in the future such as not screaming at customers, anger management and stress techniques, and that I constantly contemplate becoming a stripper to pay my way through school.