Am I the only person who walks into a store and just wants to handle the transaction without spilling my life story to the cashier?
I get that in retail, for the most part, people are trained to be friendly. Or at least told to be friendly. There’s not much training in customer service for a minimum wage job, and that’s ok too.
I worked off and on in retail for years in my younger days, and I always tried to be friendly, but I was also good at reading people and the level of interaction they wanted. Some people want to come in and chit chat until the line behind them has formed all the way to opposite end of the store. Those are the people you engage in small talk and then politely guide them away so you can deal with the next customer.
If they aren’t making eye contact with you, then they really don’t want to exchange recipes and talk about how the football game went yesterday. They just want to buy what they came there for and get out. Those are really my people.
I am saying all this to set the scene for the weird encounter I had at the store this weekend.
We celebrated our granddaughter’s birthday on Saturday, but our daughter Kim had a birthday earlier in the week as well. I knew Kim had a stressful week and I decided to buy her a belated gift of a bottle of wine to give her at Molly’s celebration.
I walk up to the counter with the bottle of wine, a gift bag and a greeting card…
Cashier: Oh, I’m sorry. It’ll be just a moment. The guy in front of you didn’t have enough money so he ran out to his car for a moment.
Me (digging through my purse): Oooookay…
Cashier: I’m pretty sure he’ll be back. He already gave me a $20.
Me (still digging through my purse): Uh-huh.
Cashier: What does the inside say?
Me (finally looking up): Huh?
Cashier: The card. What does it inside say?
Me (inside my head): It says I’m in a fucking hurry and I don’t have time for this shit.
Me (what I actually did): * open the card and show it to her *
Cashier: Oh…haha. That’s funny.
The other guy comes back in and finishes his transaction and then she starts ringing up my items.
Cashier: Is this for a girlfriend?
Me: No. It’s for my daughter.
Cashier:
Cashier: May I see your ID?
Me:
Also Me (having a flashback to age nineteen):
Cashier: And how old is your daughter?
Me: She just turned thirty-three on Tuesday.
Cashier:
Me: My granddaughter is six years old today.
Cashier:
Me: Do you want to see my ID again?
Cashier:
Me:
Anyway, after twenty years of not being asked for an ID to buy anything except my kid’s ADD medicine, I guess it felt pretty good to know that I still look underage to old ladies.
She would’ve REALLY freaked out if I had told her than technically I’m a great-grandma now.
Stay weird, my friends. Normal is boring!
FABULOUS MELANIE says
November 12, 2019 at 6:59 amAll I heard was you bought wine for someone. What a lovely person you are. Next thing you know, you’ll be buying Rocket Brothers for people. You are a sweet precious person! Hahahaha.
Kat says
November 12, 2019 at 7:46 amI HAVE bought Rocket Brothers for people. I would buy you both had you not abandoned us for Texas! LOL.
Kimmie says
November 12, 2019 at 7:18 amYou could have cracked open the wine before you gave it to me… I would have understood
Kat says
November 12, 2019 at 7:47 amLOL. You needed it more than I did!
Demolition Puppy says
November 12, 2019 at 10:11 amThey just passed a law here, you have to be 21 to buy cigarettes. I went to our local convenience store, was not buying cigarettes. The cashier pointed out that I’d now need to be 21 to buy cigarettes. *blink blink* Wellll….. I’m 41 so I think I got that covered. I still have no idea why she told me that since I wasn’t buying them anyways, but she did look offended that I was 41.
Kat says
November 12, 2019 at 10:31 amLOL. Is there something we’re missing here???
Ernie says
November 12, 2019 at 10:25 amThat is crazy that she carded you AFTER you said the wine was for your daughter. Like, what the Hell? Clearly you are over 21. And what’s with the ‘what does the inside of the card say?’ Um- READ IT IF YOU CARE TO!! Bazaar.
I shop at the same dept store for clothes and gifts and I am chatty. Not when there is a line though. I feel like it works for me because the cashiers are super helpful when they know you. Mini has been with me when a cashier has asked me how my trip went to see my college kid playing water polo, etc. Mini: oh my gosh, they all know you. Do you think you shop here too much? Me: um, maybe. But let’s not tell Daddy.
Kat says
November 12, 2019 at 10:33 amLOL. Nothing wrong with that. I used to know the sales rep at the Dillards handbag counter and she used to text me when things would go 70% off so I could get a designer bag for next to nothing!
Gotta keep the kids quiet, though! LOL
Pip says
November 12, 2019 at 4:12 pmLoved your gifs with your writing. Really funny x
Kat says
November 13, 2019 at 7:31 amThank you, Pip!
M.L. James says
November 12, 2019 at 4:45 pmAt the Panera’s where our writers group meets, they had a cashier that took FOREVER to take an order. There could be one person ahead of you, and it would take 10 to 15 minutes before the transaction was complete. Most of the time, I just went without a drink. The times I actually waited and got to the front of the line, I’m sure he decided I was a total bitch because I was always curt with him and would cut him off with “no” before he could ever finish asking if I wanted this extra or that extra. Ugh! So jealous though that you got carded! I don’t remember the last time I was. It feels just like the last time I had a bowl of Wolf Brand Chili–if you get that joke. Ha! Mona
Kat says
November 13, 2019 at 7:35 amI do get it! Haha!
Rivergirl says
November 15, 2019 at 8:02 amI haven’t been carded in years. You being asked for ID is cause for celebration right there. Hope you bought extra wine!
Kat says
November 15, 2019 at 9:31 amI really should have!
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