Have you ever been a cashier?

Question

If so, have you ever been verbally abused by a customer
Or have you witnessed a customber verbally abusing a cashier?

Tell me your stories.

Answer 1

Yes, I have been a cashier. And I've been verbally abused by @ssholes who think their time is sooo much more precious than anyone else's. We were really busy, and this woman had quite a few groceries, and had been standing in my line for a while because we were backed up. Well, once she finally got to the register, she saw an older man with only a few groceries, and let him in front of her. When it was her turn, this rude witch cut in front of her because she didn't want to wait in line. I told her she needed to go to the back of the line because everyone else had been waiting and she couldn't cut. She kept putting her groceries on the counter, and I told her firmly that I wasn't going to ring her out, and put her groceries back in her buggy. Well, she got all pissed off and went to my manager, who for once, actually backed me up. She stormed off, leaving her buggy full of groceries, saying she would get me fired, etc. etc. etc. The rest of the people waiting were laughing and enjoying themselves. =)
That's just one of many, many stories I could tell!

Answer 2

Absolutely. I have heard:

"So why the **** are you working at Starbucks if you have a college degree?" That one kills me, because I'm working to get a masters degree, and Starbucks works around my schedule and gives me benefits for working part time! Also, I live in Michigan, so I am unfortunately lucky enough to have any job at all in this economy. While I wanted to give that customer a socio-economic rant using words far too complex for him to understand, I didn't... mostly because I respect my coworkers and need the job.

That one almost put me into tears, moreso than someone complaining about a drink made wrong or someone that's just grumpy. Usually when a customer complains to me about something, it isn't something that I take personally. If it is a personal insult, your supervisor or manager should step in and finish the transaction, or at least let you have a break and talk to you about it. That is our effective strategy at my store--it happens to everyone and as coworkers, we support each other.

In my store, if a customer really verbally abuses someone (calls them a name, uses curses), the manager and the supervisors WILL ask her or him to leave. I hope your manager would be willing to do the same!

Answer 3

Yes, I'm a cashier at my job. I have been verbally abused, but you know what just let it fly because the person that did the abusing is not worth your job ... and HELLO lol there really not worth your paycheck. SO just let it roll off your back and don't pay them any mind. Because karma will come back to that person and whatever they did to you or someone else they will get back 10 times worse.

Answer 4

Yep, yes, and yeah! Stories? Honey, I could write you a book ! Tee-hee !
Seems to me like all the idiots come out of the wookwork at this time of year too.
I had a problem with one lady the first time I checked her out, but I refused to let her goad me into a verbal exchange and she ended up liking me, and requesting me as her cashier for the next 2 yrs!

Answer 5

Yes I was a cashier for almost 3 years and I had some really rude customers.I had a lady one time almost hit me in the head with a huge planter.
Customers like to lie too so they will tell the manager whatever they want to.

I think everyone should work in retail at least one so they all can experience it and maybe people wouldn`t be so rude.

Answer 6

As a cashier, you are very restricted in what you can accept.

I had a guy who was making a puchase. he had no cash, no credit card, no checks, no debit card.

All he had was a deposit slip. He wanted to turn the deposit slip into a check.

I told him store policy says it had to be a real check.

He then launched into this ranting screed on how i was a bureaucratic wonk and a corporate asshole and a capitalistic bastard and that I cared not for people.

I called for the shift manager to come over for help, but he never came.

The guy eventually tore up his deposit slip into tiny bits, slammed it on the counter and stormed out.

Answer 7

I used to work at a Marriott here in Honduras... the customers wheren't the mean ones, it came mostly from my coworkers of the same department...

there was one time when i was been just taught the procedures and my so called teacher snapped the cashier card out of my hand infront of the customer... one of the unsaid rules of the hotel is never show customers/clients/guests stuff like that... i guess she didn't care. I just worked for 4 months there, i didn't like who i had to become to fit in...

Answer 8

I've been a cashier for three years in a bank.
Five years ago, one of my customer (which I 've known for years), cashed a cheque from me, but unlucky me, I gave him more than the amount written. So at the end of the day, I had a cash shortage (its a big amount). I found out that I gave him a wrong amount of money, but when I asked him, he denied it. After a week, he finally admitted he took the money more than he supposed to get, and he gave it back to me , without feeling guilty.
But, in returns, I got a third degree warning letter from my company. It hurts, even till now.

Answer 9

When I was 18 I worked at a party store.
We took checks at one time but then stopped because so many people wrote checks for beer and cigs that bounced.
A long time after the policy began a man came in and started writing a check. I said "Sorry, sir, we don't take checks here anymore."
He tore the check in to tiny pieces and threw it in my face.
I told him to f#ck off.
He called the district manager of the store and reported my behavior.
I did not get fired because they knew I had been a good employee.
They did want to hear my side of the story though, and they did!

Answer 10

I worked as a cashier at several places over the years and I witnessed and suffered abuse. Mostly it's because we are trying to follow rules that the customers don't like. Such as not selling alcohol to someone who is old enough but appears to be buying it for someone underage. They get REAL mad if you don't allow them to break rules.