Does It Irritate You When You Hand The Cashier Your Money ...?

Question

... and The Cashier 'Plops' Your Change Onto The Counter Instead Of Placing It Into Your Outstretched Hands?!

Now I understand why the lady who I was waiting behind in the check-out line a few months ago felt. Her response of, "Do you mind handing me my change back ... I was courteous enough to give you my payment in your hand"? was met with a very flustered teller picking up the money and giving it to her. The woman was not rude in any way, and even told her that she was not trying to be ugly, but I could tell that the teller thought that she had made a huge mountain out of a molehill. I felt a little bad for her then ... but now that it's happened to me, I feel that a little consideration is called for. Number one - it takes precious time to pick up all of your coins from the counter, and Number 2 - it's just common courtesy. I'm sure the cashier/teller would not appreciate it if I were to just 'smack' my payment down on the counter instead of into his/her outstretched hand!!

The shoe - so to say - HAS been 'on the other foot', candi. I worked the Counter, the Drive-Thru, AND the BackLine at McDonald's for three years ... I worked counter and Drive-Thru at Church's for a month, I worked Counter and Drive-Thru at Burger King for six months, I worked the SeaFood Department at Winn-Dixie for a month, and I Bartended AND Cocktailed at the Casino for almost 10 years. I've had my fair share of Trials and Tribulations over the years, and I've had so many rude customers that I cringe at the thought of working in that environment again ... but I never, never slapped their change on the counter for them to pick up, especially when they were holding their hands out to accept their money. It's rude, it's unthinking ... and it's demeaning.

As far as the comment about the 15 seconds to pick up my change, that's not the point. And even if it was, 15 seconds is still time-consuming; neither the boss at work nor the instructor at school will forgive 15 seconds.

Answer 1

Yes it does.
From now on I will use that lady`s response.

Answer 2

I would like to see what you would have to say about the shoe being on the other foot...be a checker/cashier and have someone lay their money out on the counter (good luck stopping it from going down the conveyor belt) and then the customer stands with their hands stretched to receive their change back (yes it does happen) more times than I can count, after a while you tend to get a little annoyed...also people who come to the register on their cell phones and act as if you are intruding on their conversations when you greet them, ask them if they have any coupons, tell them their total etc. Cell phone use in the corporate world does not fly, don't try to use it in waiting rooms etc...why do people think it is OK to do it in the check outs at the stores? It is just plain rude.

Answer 3

I prefer that the cashier "count back" my change onto the counter instead trying to shove it into my hands. It's much easier to see that the change is correct if it's arranged on the counter for me, rather than in an unsorted lump in my hands. I don't understand why anyone would be so anxious to touch hands with a stranger. In some cultures it is considered very rude to directly hand money to someone, and the cashier/teller WOULD very much appreciate it you arranged the change on the counter.

Answer 4

As a former cashier, This used to annoy me. Then I figured out why people do it.

I'd like to argue with you on your first point. If you don't have the 15 seconds it takes to pick up the money, then you need an assistant to go to the bank for you. Second, common curtesy and hygeine are different things. Money is vile and germ infested enough without touching someone else's hands in the process. No offense to anyone, but people cough in their hands, pick their noses and scratch unmentionable places. Many people are germ phobic these days and the idea of touching your hand is too much for them. Also, in a bank, being off pennies can cost you your job, so many tellers put the money down flat on the table to count it one more time, then slide it to you. Finally, some people are zenophobic and don't do well with strangers.

I know it's annoying when people do this. It used to make me really angry when customers did it to me. But I realized people do worse things and we need to look at both sides of a situation before we get annoyed. It's such a small thing, really.

Answer 5

I work in Retail and find it annoying when the customer places their money on the counter for me to pick up. I wish they would hand it to me. I have manicured nails and it's very hard to pick up coins from the counter.

Also I think it's often a cultural thing. With many immigrants from the Middle East, for example, a woman may not touch a man's hands.

Answer 6

Some people may not want to touch hands with others they don't know. I lived in Japan for several years. Over there, cashiers hand back bills, but they put change in a small tray on the counter. As money is one of the dirtiest objects you can put your hands on, I seriously doubt it's a hygiene thing but rather an intimacy thing.

Answer 7

When I was in college, I worked at a convenience store and at a grocery store, and this irritated me to no end. I NEVER plopped the money on the counter, even though many customers did it to me. What's wrong--my skin's the wrong color to *possibly* touch my hand? My hands are dirty? You don't like my hair color? What is it??? I think some people are just plain rude, and think that their customers don't deserve respect, even when the customers are the ones paying their salary. It's sad, but I'm pretty sure the money they touch is MUCH dirtier than their customers' hands, if that's the reason why they do it.

Answer 8

Yes , i'll feel a little annoyed because the cashier should have the courtesy to hand over the change my hand. If i have stretched my hand to receive the change and she put it on the counter i definitely feel piss off too.

Answer 9

I do see your point, but consider what if the person waiting for change had filthy hands, or had just sneezed in their hand, or wiped snot from their nose with their bare hand. It is cold and flu season right now, and honestly if I was a cashier, I wouldn't want to have direct contact with anyone.

I don't think I would want to use cash this time of year. Debit seems easier and cleaner.

Answer 10

It's rude of the cashier. Everyone should follow the lady's example.

Answer 11

I've also had cashiers slap the change into my hand. It's not very nice either.