I have been a cashier at a grocery store for three years now. There are many things that I have seen and witnessed that bother cashiers. Here is a list of things that people do that cashiers really don't like.
1. Talk about the weather.
Literally, this is the topic that every customer seems to think we want to hear about. No, we don't care that it is super nice outside because we are stuck inside working. No, we don't care that it's going to rain because we've already heard about the weather 50 times today. This is the one topic that cashiers absolutely hate hearing about, so don't use it to make small talk.
2. Leave your cart at the register.
The area to put the carts away is five feet away from the register. It is not that hard to walk five feet to drop your cart off. This is one huge thing that bugs cashiers because the cart is now in the way of other customers we have to check out.
3. Talk on your cellphone.
We don't care about what you are talking about on the phone, and it is rude to be on the phone while you are checking out so please just put it away. The whole store does not have to hear about your latest break up, or whose being mean to you this week.
4. Pay in all change AND make the cashier count it all.
We have a coin star machine and banks in our town for a reason. Our check out lane is not a bank so please don't expect us to count out $40 in change.
5. Bringing your screaming children inside.
Screaming children are not something we like listening to all day. We get that children throw fits sometimes, but if you do absolutely nothing to make them stop, we don't like you.
6. Put multiple meats inside one plastic bag.
Putting multiple meat in one bag is inconvenient for us and makes the process take longer. It is not easier to scan because we have to scan each one individually. It is best for the meat to be put in separate bags so that we don't have to take the time to take each one out because it just wastes so much time.
7. Telling the cashier what type of fruit it is while they are searching for the PLU number.
You telling the cashier what type of fruit it is while we are searching for a PLU number does not help. No matter what you tell us, we still have to type a code in, so don't get mad at us because we aren't stopping because you told us what it was.
8. Get mad at the cashier when the price doesn't ring up right.
Cashiers have nothing to do with making the prices so it is not our fault when it does not ring up correctly. Pricing is in a completely different department. We can easily fix and change the price so just be patient and calm, and we will get the price right for you.
9. Announce the price of every item that is being scanned.
Again, we have nothing to do with prices, nor do we care. We don't need to hear you tell us the price of every single item as it's scanned and shows up on the monitor, so just keep that to yourself.
These are just a few things that cashiers have to deal with everyday. The job might sound easy, but customer service is never what it seems. Help us help you by making our lives a little easier and our minds a little more sane.