If the till is not open, do not stand in front of it waiting for a cashier to come and open it just for you.
You think that I am joking don’t you? But this is not the case, I wish that it was.
We had a woman begin to unload her cart at a till that clearly was closed. Her reasoning all the other tills (except the one open till with its light on) had we can help you at another register signs on them. But #5 did not have the sign and despite the light not being on and the cashier at check out 3 that was where she began to unload.
And seemed down right ticked when we informed her that the till was not actually open.
I was in customer service. Not standing at check out #2. I had been crouched down getting some items for my till. When I stood up, a woman had unloaded her basket and was staring at me. She unloaded her basket behind (meaning she saw it sitting there and ignored it) the sign saying that the till was not open and just stared at me.
I looked at her. She looked at me.
Customer: Is this till not open?
Me: Well the light is not on and no one is here so…..
I proceeded to put her through because well that is what I do. But reminded her that unless the light was on and someone was actually at the till, it was not open.
Or the lady who as I walked by her with a full cart of groceries for my curbside order (think cold and frozen) and demands a cashier open up for her. I look at her. Shake my head. As much as I want to tell this entitled witch (and she does this every single time. It does not matter if the person in front of her has one item left to be scanned before paying, she always demands someone open a till for her) that she could wait, I also know that that is not good customer service. (Can you see my lip curl with derision?)
Customer: I need a cashier now. I cannot stand here.
Me (rolling my eyeballs although she cannot see that): Come with me to 4 and I will put you through.
Customer: Oh thank you (simpering insincere tone) I cannot stand for long.
Me: You should use our curbside then. You won’t have to stand. Someone else will do you shopping and you just come and pick it up.
Customer: Your what?
Me: Curbside. We do your shopping.
Customer: I just come in with my list and they will shop for me?
Me: No. You call your order in or use a computer to place it, we pick it and call you when it is ready.
Customer: Oh no I cannot do that. I have to see what I am buying.
Me (in my head): Then I guess you can damn well wait in line for the cashier instead of demanding another cashier opens up.
She nattered away at me. And then held the line up up for 5 minutes while she put her debit card in her wallet. Her wallet into her purse. Her jacket on.
Before anyone goes but Jay maybe she is lonely. She wants to talk. She wants to be around people. That is fine. I know that we have lonely customers come in who only want to talk. You want to know what the difference is? They are sweet as pie, with a smile and a how are you? I will bend over backwards for them. I will bag and put their groceries into their cart. I will talk to and laugh with them.
Now though walk up to me and demand that someone needs to serve you immediately, I shut down. I may help you and bag your groceries but I want it done and you gone. There is no friendliness, no desire for you to remain standing in my till.
I realize my job is to serve people. And I love doing it. I must given the fact that every single job that I have had is Customer Service based. Every single one. So I mean, there is a good indication that I enjoy what I do. My enjoyment though can be dampened when customers begin demanding instead of realizing that I too am a human being, not an automated being and please, thank you and a smile go much further with me than a snarled demand that you want/need service right this minute.
And to top it off:
A customer came in after the special was over and demanded that she get it for the sale price. That she had come in at 7 so she could get it before we switched the prices over. K was dumbfounded. Explained that the sale prices were all changed before we even opened the doors at 7. The customer was rude and ignorant and truly thought that she should get it for the sale price. K ended up asking the meat manager who approved it. And now she will come back and try again.
Another customer came in to return refridgerated oat milk. A product that when returned cannot be resold. He told me it was because there were so many of them and the colors are all similar. Despite it saying right on the carton sweetened, and the fact that the colors are not similar at all. The issue was he did not read what he picked up. He just grabbed it and put it in his cart. As he kept making excuses, I stared at him. He waited for me to say that it was ok, and I said nothing.
If I make an error on an item that I have purchased, I suck it up. I either eat it myself or find someone that I can give it to. I do not return it to the store. Especially when it cannot be resold.
The Wonderful and Wacky World of One Single Mom 