buy a single piece of fruit with a coupon, and then return it

... using the excuse 'it didn't fit right.'

YES XD

Oh god, I hate you. Or love you. I'm not sure.

>..> Excuse me for trying to get some social perks.

I get that, really I do. I sympathize.I've worked in lousy, repetitive customer service jobs. I think my biggest problem is that I heard him strike up the exact same conversation with the three people in front of me.

*snickers* Sorta cuts down on the sincerity of it, huh?

...yeah, we do that. Trust me thoug. Standing there with people going by for 8 hours or so, I can only think to myself for so long before it's that or I start singing rather loud.

Ok, now that's just weird. Maybe he's getting paid by some other company to take a survey.

I tend to vary from person to person. Though working the job makes you know people to avoid talking to

The problem is that stupid fuck'n chicks like being talked to because it makes them feel good.

You must be single.

Ghey and afraid of girls. >:

Oh god, I work in those positions too XD Every single day it's the same

"Want a bag with that?"
"Will that be all?"
"Do you have an Everyday Rewards card?"
"Any cash out with your card?"

....I want a new job ;_;

You're a bad human being. I hope everyone at your job finds you very annoying and there'll never be anything you can do about it.

Hey, I work at a grocery store. I stock the shelves and spend as much time in the cooler as possible, just so I don't have to talk to the customers :P But yeah, we in the food department get fucking pissed off at the checkers, because they are unspecific, they always need our help, they get annoying as fuck, and they are ALL slackers. So, yeah, sometimes I just want to get on the overhead, and say, "Front end checkers... SHUT THE FUCK UP! Thank you."

Well, sorry for rambling in your journal >.=.>

Not ALL checkers are slackers. The vast majority are , not all

You're right, you're right... Just got caught up in the moment. But, there is an exception to every rule ^.=.^

True, not to mention that there are customers who will tell you how to do your job, take five hours (massive exaggeration) to count their money for the purchase, spend forever and a year looking for thier credit/debit/gift cards/checkbook, try to pricematch something that the store doesn't carrry or do (buy one get one free, getting a 36 roll pack of TP for $12.00 which is the price for a 12 roll pack of TP, etc), or even try returning products that the store doesn't even carry or sell.

The trick is to purchase something incredibly uncomfortable for them to scan.

Tampons, panty liners--or if you're willing to go for combo points, condoms and coat hangers at the same time--will usually get them to shut up.

Really? I always had the best conversations with those customers ^^

I've had the best conversations AS that customer XD

Haha, yeah. I guess it just requires the combination of the clerk and the customer not giving a damn :D

Hmm, condoms? check. lube? check. Muscle relaxants? check. sleeping pills? double check. Hmm what am i missing...

(actually did this to prank a friend working the register.. turned so red that he literally ran from the store lol. I'll leave the why that reaction occurred to your imaginations)

lucky i only work in selling overpriced electronics!

...

You didn't just hear that...

Obviously you've never worked retail. Many places pretty much ram it into the heads of clerks that they need to chat it up and act personal and interested in the customer.

Its called customer service. Don't worry though. Its not real. Believe me. Deep inside them, just like everyone else who currently works or has once worked with the general public, they really secretly just want to gouge out your eyes and ram a cash register up your ass. Why? Because you're just another customer and being so means you're nothing but one more massive pain in the ass.

Gotta break up the monotony of a crappy job somehow. Though it does sound like you're referring to a lack of empathy with their socialization, and I can see where you're coming from there.

It's okay because deep down inside they're dead. Oh yeah, they're dead.

Picturing that with oddly colored spikey hair styles, flashing backgrounds, and dramatic music have made me giggle for far longer than a sane person ought.

"Ladies and gentleman, the Chatty Grocery Customer!

You job is to bring me food, take the bags and give me money. It's late, there's a line, I'm quite deliberately not making eye contact. I am clearly looking to collect my hourly wage and go home."

But seriously, this happens to us retail clerks too. I wear a splint and have way too many people asking me about my hand. I'm off for a week? Where did I go? The answer to all of the above? None of your damn business.
AND FOR FUCKS SAKE : "I'll only take a winning lottery ticket" and "If there's no barcode, it must be free!" are not funny. They've never BEEN funny, and after hearing it every goddamn day, it becomes even LESS funny.

I've wanted to take archery lessons for similar reasons...

I'm currently stuck in the hell of retail while going through college, but I have a bit of disdain for what corporate would like us to go through with each customer. I prefer to be pleasant, efficient, and only make conversation if there's something interesting I can say xD

Yanno from what i've seen, it occurs to me its definitely a two way street cos you've gotta see your fair share of dead eyed, peon, zombie customers as well :b

Mmmhm, most definitely.
Especially considering that when one works at Petco, the majority of your customer base is going to be old ladies who's limited social skills mean they rely on cats as companionship.

And that one guy that one time with the 94 rats.

Oh man his house has to wreak D:

And yeah man, nothing like social interaction with crazy cat lady :O

Yeah, crazy otter ladies are far superior.

OMG, I laughed so hard when I read that. I know the feeling, and it gets sadder when they try and keep you there.

Typically a nice, firm backhand works for me.

this sounds like a foamy rant. lol.

The problem is that a lot of this kind of crap comes from the higher-ups. Try not to take it too personally -- a lot of folks are just going through the motions because that's what they've been told to do.

Alternately, there's a slim possibility that there is some piece of information that they need that you haven't been forthcoming about, so they're left with no alternative than to beat the information out of you. Try not to take that personally either.

But if you still find that you can't be bothered to hold a ten-second conversation with another human being while making your VERY IMPORTANT PURCHASES, then maybe you should stay home and shop online.

What you don't realise is that every time a barcode monkey is caught not being uber sociable, they're taken to the backroom and flogged o_o

your my favorite kinda costumer :D i work at a gas station [boss yells at me to call it a "Convent store" -rolls eyes] And I hate when people try and stand there to chat with me while I have a line leading out of the store. They don't seem to understand that when I don't respond and start taking care of another person that means i am done with them.

I was one not long ago, and I generally talked to a lot of people, but... it's obvious when someone doesn't want to talk. Then again, I was overnights, so I generally only got a lot of odd people. :C

You'd like me then. I barely say anything. In fact you're lucky if I say thank you at the end. Furthermore working at a full service gas station I personally get off on filling a car as high as it will possibly go when someone says to fill it...so someone spends more there.

This is why I have my pet deal with the human worms for me.

How about you're next in line but the checker is having a conversation with the customer in front of you who's also her friend? And she continues the conversation after the customer has paid for her items and the bags are packed?

Happened to my mother and me. It was in the lane next to the "12 items or less" lane. The checker in that lane said she'd take us (even tho we had a normal weekday shop that was considerably more than 12 items). Whilst she was checking us through the other checker (who was still having a conversation) had the nerve to bitch at her for taking us because we had more than 12 items. That really ticked me off, as she was also doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. I told her that she had held us up and that she wasn't paid to have lenghty talks with customers and she got pissy and said she can talk to whoever she liked. I went to customer service and complained about her rudeness and when I was walking back to my mother and the checkout lane the checker said "I hope you're happy now, bitch" so I made a U-turn back to customer service and complained about her yet again.

I'm not sure how it works in the US and Canada, but would this sort of rudeness be just let off with a warning or would stricter action be taken?

You're my hero. Although in my case I would have glared, gone to costumer service and commended the job the girl who Waited on me did.. then tell them the other lady's stupidity. The 12 or less is usualy only really enforced when it's very busy. Otherwise if that person isn't doing anything they are allowed to have anyone they want come over. Afterall, say that instead of a costumer it's like a register problem.. are they going to say to the poeple htat where waiting an hour "oh sorry, unless you only want to check out 12 items at a time, I'll only take the couple at the back who've only waited 2 minutes'

I love customer service people who can earnestly and sincerely interact with their customers... but to just by-rote repeat the same "feel good" chat with everyone... that's just evil.

Someone's taking revenge for the people who walk into shops when theres a cue, start talking to the person serving WHILE THEY@RE SERVING others and end up not buying anything.

Those are the bad people. People at the counter talking to customers are just venting frustration at those bad people.

Hi. I'm a chatty grocery clerk.

Shit sucks. I'm not doing what I want to do in life and get paid around minimum wage, and keeping up with school simultaneously. I need to talk to people. I don't want to stew in my own misery. I want to laugh. Make jokes. Hear about your weekend. Anything. I smile and seem phony, but I'm only phony because I don't want to feel like shit. Talking really DOES make me feel better, and I really do forget about my stress that way. If you don't want to talk, I try to pick up on that, I REALLY DO, and I won't talk to you if I know you don't want me to. It's hard to tell though. When you're looking down at the floor and all quiet and stuff, you seem depressed, and I think that maybe a human little chat will lighten you up like it would if I were you. Either way, I still work as fast as possible, because that's my job. I have to provide an enjoyable experience for customers as well as make sure I get you through the check-out in a flash. That's what I'm evaluated on.

Plus, I've been standing at that register for six hours, and I'm not allowed to chat with the other employees. Sometimes I make redundant, repetitive conversations because I'm in blah robot-mode. But sometimes, I'll ask you whether you think time is spherical or linear.

So, yeah.

...Do you think time is spherical or linear?

Hahahaaha. Barcode monkey? That's a good one.

*cracks the whip*
"Back to work bar code monkey! No talk! Just work!"

I have to disagree here.

I have been in situations where all I want is my damn food and leave and all their doing is wasting time. Its annoying, but I can empathize with them because its not the greatest job in the world. I don't agree with calling them names either but that's only my opinion. Its not fun to make fun of people who work the jobs you would rather not, and coming from that, you should understand the situation.

Be nice, Be fast, don't get personal, you want to curb their questions, reply with something tramatizeing, 'how was your thanksgiveing?' reply with a dry answer such as, 'my grandmother died' 'my dog was ran over - by someone in a hurry to get to their thanksgiving dinner' 'My blind mother put my baby brother in the oven for 3 hours, thinking he was the thanksgiving turkey' then after giving said answer, wait around a couple mins and see how many people after you get asked needless questions.

I work at tescos on the checkouts, and we're actually told to converse where applicable, although i'm pretty good at telling whether or not the customer is pissed off or not :p

Maybe its a coping mechanism for the clerk to remain sane. Eight hours of scanning groceries, 5 days a week. It's like hell!