So I went to a store today, in spite of feeling a bit off kilter from recent health issues, and wasn't feeling particularly up to dealing with the general public, so I kept my visit short. Went in, got the doorknocker I'd been wanting to put on my home's door for like four months, and went to the check out line.
Picture if you will:
Me: Your friendly neighborhood Shar, in a slightly timorous mood.
SM: Must have been either a shift Manager or another cashier training this one, because he just stood back and watched.
C: Cashier lady with a kinda slurry loud, drawl-accented monotone.
I watch her deal with the guy in front of me and it strikes me as odd how she's speaking. I mean in retail jobs we all get good at rattling off our spiels but this lady is on a ROLL. She doesn't seem to pause for air.. or punctuation. And she's kinda loud. Not shouting but being really strangely...vibrant in her monotony. In a kinda robotic way.
C: Hi and thank you for shopping at Our Store will that be all yuh buying and oh you deactivated tha alarm tag for me when you set it on the counter will that be cash check credit or debit card for you today?(With a complacent smile instead of a cheery grin this kind of talking is really a little creepy)
Me: *blinky blinky* Um, debit. *very quietly, feeling a bit attacked*
C: Okay I need you to just slide your debit card through the pin machine right here Miss Shar that's a pretty name it's my middle name my daddy named me who named you?
Me: .....Um, mine?
C: Okay now I need you to enter in your pin and say yes your total comes to $xx.xx and can I get you to say no?
Me: * so baffled that I said out loud:* ..No? *before realizing she meant push the No button on the keypad, not actually say anything, so I do so*
C: Alright here's your receipt you have a nice day happy fourth we hope to see your smiling face in here again soon!
*All in that same declarative monotone, unnervingly*
Me: *walking out the door, unable to suppress a bit of a twitch-shudder after that barrage*
SM: *To C* Heh, maybe you should pause for air.
Picture if you will:
Me: Your friendly neighborhood Shar, in a slightly timorous mood.
SM: Must have been either a shift Manager or another cashier training this one, because he just stood back and watched.
C: Cashier lady with a kinda slurry loud, drawl-accented monotone.
I watch her deal with the guy in front of me and it strikes me as odd how she's speaking. I mean in retail jobs we all get good at rattling off our spiels but this lady is on a ROLL. She doesn't seem to pause for air.. or punctuation. And she's kinda loud. Not shouting but being really strangely...vibrant in her monotony. In a kinda robotic way.
C: Hi and thank you for shopping at Our Store will that be all yuh buying and oh you deactivated tha alarm tag for me when you set it on the counter will that be cash check credit or debit card for you today?(With a complacent smile instead of a cheery grin this kind of talking is really a little creepy)
Me: *blinky blinky* Um, debit. *very quietly, feeling a bit attacked*
C: Okay I need you to just slide your debit card through the pin machine right here Miss Shar that's a pretty name it's my middle name my daddy named me who named you?
Me: .....Um, mine?
C: Okay now I need you to enter in your pin and say yes your total comes to $xx.xx and can I get you to say no?
Me: * so baffled that I said out loud:* ..No? *before realizing she meant push the No button on the keypad, not actually say anything, so I do so*
C: Alright here's your receipt you have a nice day happy fourth we hope to see your smiling face in here again soon!
*All in that same declarative monotone, unnervingly*
Me: *walking out the door, unable to suppress a bit of a twitch-shudder after that barrage*
SM: *To C* Heh, maybe you should pause for air.
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