Cashier gets complaint for.... TALKING TOO MUCH?!

[BowserKoopa1]

My best friend was working on the register, checking someone out and making friendly conversation. The lady behind them grabbed her stuff and moved to another register, my register! She began to complain that our cashiers were talking too much, and that she just wanted to be checked out and not have to listen to a story. Having no idea what had transpired and agreeing with her just to make her happy even though I thought she was just being an idiot, I apologized.
Later, my best friend says that she filed a complaint and had told the manager that he was talking too much and checking his customer's things out slowly. But according to him, he was talking a little bit, checking everything out as he did. This lady is obviously an idiot, and I would certainly not have someone tell me that I can't talk to another person if I feel like doing so. PLus it makes the day go by faster.

[ShootMePlease]

That is ridiculous.

I enjoy talking with my customers. I have met some interesting people and my job encourages us to do so. I have no desire to be "all business" and it's fun to share a laugh or a good story with a customer.

Fuck that cranky bitch. She must be a very lonely person.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I had one or two people tell me they weren't interested in small talk, and "just ring up my stuff, please, I'm in a hurry" when I worked in retail. One of them wasn't even my current customer. So I clammed up, got them out of there, and then went on chatting with the rest of my customers.

Got no complaints over it, so I must have done it right.

[XCashier]

I chat with the customers too. We talk about craft or sewing projects, upcoming events, crack the occasional joke, etc. I'm still ring them up with all due speed and accuracy, and they all appreciate it.

From the customer side, I wouldn't want a motormouth cashier, but a little friendly chat is nice. Certainly better than the stony silence I've gotten from some cashiers, ringing me up without a word, not even telling me the total or saying "thank you" at the end of the transaction.

[underemployeed]

I got yelled at for talking to my friend about what to do to fix my lawn mower while he was browsing for his lottery. I was given the dirtiest look because the woman behind him was "in a hurry!!!!!" so when the total came to something like 5.81.... I timed her while she spent at least 4 minutes looking for change when she was handing me a $10bill. I'm sorry if you were in such a hurry you wouldn't have spent 4 minutes looking for change and were all mad at me because I spent 1-2 minutes have a conversation where my friend MOVED out of their way and didn't keep talking while they were present because he could tell what a pain they were. Normally, I will have a quick chat while still ringing people out and giving them enough attention and moving quickly to get rid of them so I can finish whatever I was talking about without interruptions.

[Food Lady]

I have been complained about for talking too much, for not being friendly enough, for being too slow, and for being too fast. I can't please anyone, so I amm going to do it however works for me. No matter what, I always have speed scores so high they aren't listed. (I don't know why the scores of the people who are slower than me, but still fast enough, are listed).

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I am not a talkative person around total strangers, but I certainly won't begrudge a cashier for making small talk with a customer.

Unless in doing so they neglect their duties and slow down to a crawl. It is perfectly possible and acceptable to talk and work at the same time.

[Gerrinson]

I don't know why the scores of the people who are slower than me, but still fast enough, are listed.

I ran into something similar at the grocery store. At first, they posted everyone's items per minute. There was a minimum IPM required to keep your job and they were highlighting the people who were under that level. Through some sort of 'reporting' error, my IPM kept getting missed on all the monthly postings. I think it might have been the fact that most people were ringing between 20 - 30 IPM and I was averaging 50+. It seemed odd that only my score was dropped. Every month. For 6 months straight.

I guess some people just can't handle competition.

[Android Kaeli]

I don't talk to customers when I'm on the register, I just can not seem to talk to them no matter what management says. I guess it's because I've worked with some people who took five minutes extra with each customer that I just wanted to get the lines down and fast.

[Food Lady]

I am not a talkative person around total strangers

but you will make commentary on their choices in Halloween costumes....

Gerrinson: Our min score is 88%, and those people do get highlighted. I hover around 96%. If I didn't have customers who dilly-dally, I'd probably be at 98% or 99%.

[Difdi]

Some people can't work and talk at the same time. So if you talk to them as you work, they assume you're not working at all.

[XCashier]

but you will make commentary on their choices in Halloween costumes....

I've done that.

Kid and his mom brought up a vampire cape and plastic fangs.
ME: Oh, you're going to be an IRS agent for Halloween?
Kid:
Mom, CW and customers behind them:

You can have fun with your customers if they're good customers. Sadly, far too many have sticks up their backsides.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I've done that.

Kid and his mom brought up a vampire cape and plastic fangs.
ME: Oh, you're going to be an IRS agent for Halloween?
Kid:
Mom, CW and customers behind them:

You can have fun with your customers if they're good customers. Sadly, far too many have sticks up their backsides.

I've done it too.

Heck, sometimes I see the kids wearing a wrestling t-shirt --9 times out of 10 it's John Cena or D-X-- and make eye contact with them and then do Cena's "You Can't See Me" gesture, or the D-X arms-crossed sign (but not the "suck it" gesture). Always gets a grin out of the kids, too.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

but you will make commentary on their choices in Halloween costumes....

Especially when they're awesome.

[EricKei]

From the customer side, I wouldn't want a motormouth cashier, but a little friendly chat is nice.

Same here. Not talking at all feels impersonal to me, as long as there's no slowdown, it's fine.

Some people can't work and talk at the same time. So if you talk to them as you work, they assume you're not working at all.

Aye, I've had bosses like this who assume that talking ALWAYS equals not working, even if they're watching me type/code away while I speak (note that this of course did not apply to said boss...nor to his girlfriend/second in command). I have found that MOST people can "multitask" these things just fine, and that some people even work faster while talking.