Oh well. WTF?

[Willis]

Ok this started on last Friday and REALLY pissed me off.

I went into the grocery store and this bitch really pissed me off. I get into a long line and finally got to get checked out. The cashier was complaining about how she was ready to get off and whatnot. The guy before me had about 4 cans of soup on the belt and I put my basket up since people behind me were putting their stuff on pretty fast.

I didn't think much of it just having my basket up. The cashier accidentally pulled one of my things out and rang it for the guy ahead of me. We both caught it at the same time told her it was my stuff. I thought everything was cool. Not.

She cashes the guy out and I get next. This girl takes my notice that my stuff was mine the wrong way and catches a serious attitude. I guess she tried to read my face or something. She proceeds to DUMP my basket literally upside down onto the belt all the while looking me dead in the eye. I ignored it and tried to play it off. My few items go everywhere.

She asks me to put in my rewards card. I do. It doesn't go through and she asks the girl behind me in line to swipe her rewards card. This cashier was really agitated about something and was taking it out one me. She half assed jams my stuff into my bag and it's sloppy as all hell. I just went on my way. Pissed.

Cue just about a half hour ago. I remembered who she was and was planning on reporting her to her management. Guess what? This girl was so sweet and helpful. I decided not to report her even though I was so ready and had her store manager in my sights.

Did I do the right thing ignoring last Friday and today or what? That cashier was really out of line IMO.

[Gerrinson]

When I was a cashier, it was both a pet peeve and a PITA when a customer left their basket on the belt rather than emptying it.

The reason for this is that hand basket storage was under the front of the belt. So, I either had to squeeze between customers in the register next to me to fit in the basket, or block off my own bagging space with an empty basket that the customer was supposed to put under the front of the belt. So, I can understand the urge to dump everything on the belt and half ass the bagging.

That being said, I was never unprofessional enough to do that to a customer's groceries.

It sounds like her replacement was probably late, and I've known many sups/CSMs that will just stretch the shift of the person leaving to cover the tardiness of someone else.

Again, very frustrating, but taking it out on or even just venting about it in front of customers is very unprofessional.

It sounds like she had a bad day, and doesn't have the skills to hide it.

[MrSunshineState]

I think you did the right thing by not reporting her. People on the clock don't have the luxury of being able to emote and pass it off as "having a bad day." Customers can treat them like crap all day, but if they reciprocate in any way, people instantly run to a manager to tattle on them.

Chances are she had a rotten day because of something that had nothing to do with you and a little annoyance just set her off. It was good of you to let it go.

[Ree]

It sounds like she was having an off day, if I am reading your post correctly.
Am I right that she waited on you again and was much more pleasant and professional?

Still, the fact that she was having a bad day was not your fault.
She did not behave professionally at all.

I would have reported her. There was no excuse for her to behave so badly as a cashier.

It doesn't matter that another customer might have done something to set her off, or possibly had a problem with a manager or coworker.
The customer in front of her is all that matters at that moment.

It's not your fault that her replacement was late, and she should not have taken it out on you.

It doesn't matter that a customer is doing something that's an inconvenience and annoyance. As a cashier, you do not let it show.

I realize we are human and not robots, but it's our job, and we are being paid to do it.

Would you want to be treated like an inconvenience in someone's day?
Would you like to have the merchandise for which you are about to spend your hard earned money tossed all over the counter?

I have always tried to treat my customers the way I would want to be treated.

In my opinion, you were right to be upset by the service.

[MrSunshineState]

In my opinion, you were right to be upset by the service.

Right to be upset, sure. I still think not reporting her was the right move. We have all, at some point in our working lives, done something unprofessional we shouldn't have while on the clock. I have seen many posts on this board about people trying to hide their emotions while on the clock from dealing with a death in the family, to a broken car, to a huge medical bill, sometimes even though it is "professional" and "expected", it is hard to leave your personal life at the door.

If all she did was cop an attitude and then was pleasant letter, it's best to let it be. Going and reporting her seems like it's just snitching. Just my $0.02.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I would've reported her. Just because if my off-day moment of unprofessionalism results in me getting a talking-to, so should hers.

I've told this story before several times but here it is again: Loading up some piece of furniture for a customer. It slips and comes down on my finger and I let slip an S-bomb. Customer tells the manager on duty about it and I get a talking-to about it. People around here will complain about anything.

[bainsidhe]

I would've reported her if only because I'm losing patience with being treated like crap. I've been a cashier and will cut slack, all I expect is a certain level of competence and efficiency in checking me out. And I'll cut more slack if they don't know how to do something, if only they would just ASK when they can't figure it out. Don't just decide that "the computer won't do it that way" and I should just suck it up and deal.

Sorry, this hit a sore spot with me. She was throwing your stuff around while looking you right in the eye. That was intentional so you bet I'd complain.

[MelodiousBubbles]

I've done the basket dumping. Because it is the most OBNOXIOUS thing in the world to have someone just set it on the belt and expect us to empty it. It wastes our time and yours, and is actually not something we're suppose to do.

So any and every time someone placed a basket on my belt, I would remove anything really crushable (eggs, tomatoes, etc) and then dump the rest because I didn't feel like listening to the people behind them bitching about it taking more time than it should.

But to answer your question: I would have reported the attitude, because THAT was unnecessary. The half-assed bagging was unnecessary as well.

[ralerin]

I've done the basket dumping. Because it is the most OBNOXIOUS thing in the world to have someone just set it on the belt and expect us to empty it. It wastes our time and yours, and is actually not something we're suppose to do.

So any and every time someone placed a basket on my belt, I would remove anything really crushable (eggs, tomatoes, etc) and then dump the rest because I didn't feel like listening to the people behind them bitching about it taking more time than it should.

But to answer your question: I would have reported the attitude, because THAT was unnecessary. The half-assed bagging was unnecessary as well.

Quoted because I've done it. HOWEVER. I find it much more effective to ask people, "Could you please help me remove these from your basket?" Most people will comply. Some won't or give me shit about it, and that's when they get their stuff dumped out.

Her attitude, though, is a tricky situation. I can see where it would be a good idea to tell management about it, but most of the time management will come down like a ton of bricks on cashiers. And cashier having a bad day when management throws a shit fit will produce bad results.

[bainsidhe]

but most of the time management will come down like a ton of bricks on cashiers. And cashier having a bad day when management throws a shit fit will produce bad results.

You raise a valid point, but I've also worked places where management will just shrug it off. This is usually done by lower-level management though, who like to be buddy buddy with the regular employees. The only way an employee will be held accountable or retrained is if management is made aware.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, for what it's worth, I think a lot of folks who have never actually had a cashier job where baskets and carts are used probably are not aware that not emptying your basket is an issue.

Before I saw complaints about it here, I didn't. I didn't usually empty my basket because it simply didn't occur to me that it would be a problem if i didn't. Now that I know better, I do it.

Pretty sure that very few customers who fail to empty their basket is actually trying to be obnoxious. More likely they just don't realize they ought to. No, it's not a no brainer. At first glance, it wouldn't appear to be any sort of inconvenience. Someone on here said you have to reach in at a different angle, and if you have to do that enough times, it can give you a problem with your arm and shoulder. That makes sense to me, but it's not something I think the average person would think off right off.

[Kogarashi]

And then it varies from store to store what to do with the basket once it's emptied. Some stores have obvious basket storage under the belt where the customer can reach it but the cashier can't. Other stores are like the Walmart I worked at, where there was no basket storage, at all, at the registers. I much preferred to be handed the baskets so I could put them near my trash can for later return to the doors. I highly disliked going to clean up my line an hour later when I finally had some free time only to find a few scattered baskets getting in everyone's way and being filled up with unwanted merch (because the customers who didn't want merch thought the baskets were there for that, though I guess at least they weren't hiding it among the candy and impulse buys).

Bad day or not, the cashier visibly and deliberately took it out on you, when you likely had little if anything to do with why she was in a bad mood. I would've reported it. Even now, you can go back and let them know, with the caveat that "I've gotten good service from her since then, so I do think it's an isolated incident, but you (manager) should be made aware of it."

[fireheart]

Even now, you can go back and let them know, with the caveat that "I've gotten good service from her since then, so I do think it's an isolated incident, but you (manager) should be made aware of it."

Fully agree here. I've had some isolated incidents, which haven't been write-up worthy, but are still worth mentioning. Because I usually give out good service (even got a compliment from head office at one point ), they will usually pull me aside and just give me a pep talk rather than hurling abuse.

I used to do the dumping thing at Old Store once or twice, but it would be more of a "tip it on the side" not a "dump it straight down" thing. I don't do it anymore since the layout at my store has a space for customers to put their basket and load stuff onto the counter. Of course people will still end up sticking their baskets into the bag rack or right in my face, and I have to move it. -.-

[Jay 2K Winger]

Re: the basket dumping.

Brings to mind something my friend The Mot did for a video he filmed for our blog. It was back around Christmas, and our friend Sam (who worked at the Backwards R Toy Ranch) had scored a huge amount of collectible card game booster packs. Mot decided to film his opening his share of the packs, so he could comment on how valuable/rare/stupid/awesome it was.

Well, Sam had organized all of the booster packs neatly in a box for Mot. First thing Mot does when the camera starts rolling? He upends the box all over the table.

You can hear Sam off-camera go, "Ass."

Must remember to pester Mot into posting that damn video.