Cashiers

[kellyg]

I know I think WM has some of the most unhappiest cashiers. But I can understand why, and not until recently I found out that they do not get minimum wage, they get quite a bit more, so I felt less sorry for them.

I think that you may have been mislead ...or maybe define your idea of "quite a bit more"?

I have only worked in retail for the past six months. Prior to that I was a stay at home mom for ten years and prior to that I had a few executive admin & lower office management positions. I have to say that being a cashier is by far the most difficult job I have ever had! I truly believe that everyone should work as a cashier at least once in their life.

I've been yelled at for being so called racist as I was helping a new filipino cashier cash out an asian couple?? I've been rudely scoffed at by an old man and told that "there's a reason why you are blonde", only because a supervisor allowed a PM that we normally would not have given. Trust me, in any given day I see far more stupid customers than I do stupid cashiers !

Seriously tho, I try really hard to make the customer happy and yes I believe that a smile and thank you for shopping here are important.

Do cashiers make mistakes, absofreakinlootly, why... because they are human! Are there some cashiers that lack maybe the common sense or get mixed up easily if things go wrong on the cash...sure, not everyone reacts well to a visually frustrated customer who may or not have brought their days worth of frustrations to your till.

Just a reminder to everyone relax...it's the holidays, of course there are going to be hang ups and line ups ... and yes that advertised item may or may not be in by the end of the week but at the end of the day do any of us really need the stress? Merry Christmas!

[Justine]

joseff - all great points!!

I would work early mornings at sobeys all the time, I liked working mornings cause you didnt get any nasty customers and just old ladies and people running in to get lunch or something for later. I worked express cause it was the most fun. When I opened they would give me 5's and 10's in my till, and change, that's it. And people woudl always try to use 100's and 50's on me buying small things (I was express so orders were small generally). I would tell them, it's 7am I can't break a 100! seriously people?

Or best yet, they wanted cash backs first thing in the morning, knowing that we probably didnt have that much money, yes we were open 24 hours but it gets really dead late at night/early morning. I don't have 200$ to give you in a cashback, I don't even have that in my till. I would cringe every time I saw this happen and hoped that I would get people paying with exact change so that I wouldn't have to call over the manager again. There is an ATM in the damn store, go and get some cash out first!!!

[Justine]

I think that you may have been mislead ...or maybe define your idea of "quite a bit more"?

In ontario, that's where I am, I thought WM employees made minimum wage like most retail jobs, at the time it was like $8-9/hr, I found out they made $10.xx

[Evil.Kitten]

heehee.. "Ding dongs"

Some cashiers just don't care.. they've been doing the just for some time and it's mundane.. same old same old.. Some just love it.. and are upbeat and peppy.. I've had quite a few of those at dollarama [this little old lady has been working there for 2 years and she's always like that.. it makes me giggle and happy as well^.^], walmart [young girl with cherry red hair, she mentions whenever an item is going on sale or where else I can get the same item cheaper], loblaws an old co-workr from penningtons works as a cashier there and at the wine rack in the same area; we chat during the checkout and try to cheer each other up, I'll buy her some gum or soemthing to keep her going thru her shift.

[itsjustmebub]

was trying to keep it PG lol

[kellyg]

In ontario, that's where I am, I thought WM employees made minimum wage like most retail jobs, at the time it was like $8-9/hr, I found out they made $10.xx

I think that's about right , I believe that they start at minimum wage and go up based on their cash expierence. Either way it's still not enough $.

[Evil.Kitten]

I think that you may have been mislead ...or maybe define your idea of "quite a bit more"?

I have only worked in retail for the past six months. Prior to that I was a stay at home mom for ten years and prior to that I had a few executive admin & lower office management positions. I have to say that being a cashier is by far the most difficult job I have ever had! I truly believe that everyone should work as a cashier at least once in their life.

I've been yelled at for being so called racist as I was helping a new filipino cashier cash out an asian couple?? I've been rudely scoffed at by an old man and told that "there's a reason why you are blonde", only because a supervisor allowed a PM that we normally would not have given. Trust me, in any given day I see far more stupid customers than I do stupid cashiers !

Seriously tho, I try really hard to make the customer happy and yes I believe that a smile and thank you for shopping here are important.

Do cashiers make mistakes, absofreakinlootly, why... because they are human! Are there some cashiers that lack maybe the common sense or get mixed up easily if things go wrong on the cash...sure, not everyone reacts well to a visually frustrated customer who may or not have brought their days worth of frustrations to your till.

Just a reminder to everyone relax...it's the holidays, of course there are going to be hang ups and line ups ... and yes that advertised item may or may not be in by the end of the week but at the end of the day do any of us really need the stress? Merry Christmas!

I suggest those that call cashiers stupid to go get a job as one.. Try it for 2 months and them come back and tell us how you feel ^_^

These 2 teenagers called me a fat moron for being slow at counting their loose change for their purchase. This was the day AFTER I had my 4 wisdom teeth remove [via surgery.. out cold.. with an IV in my hand] I was in pain and tired.. probably a little looped as well.

I was so happy once they left Walked back into the staff room to take my tylenol 3 and have a break .

It's stressful trying to be quick.. count everything right [I have issues when I'm under the gun .. I panic and miscount or second guess my counting and do it again].

[Justine]

And most cashiers are only cashiers for a short time and then move on to something else, it's just a filler job for most. I worked with a lot of high school girls at sobeys and they all hated it and worked like 2-3 shifts a week. It was the older ladies that had retirements with the store and took it very seriously and were upset when they saw me working "the good shifts" in the morning all the time. The younger girls were more likely to let things slide and were more lax about stuff, coupons and whatnot. And the older ladies were very by the book and would argue their way with customers all the time, getting more upset then they needed to a lot of the time. Anyway, it was neat seeing how differnet people dealt with the pressures of the job.

[Justine]

I think that's about right , I believe that they start at minimum wage and go up based on their cash expierence. Either way it's still not enough $.

Definitely not enough, but a lot of cashiers are for young girls in high school and stuff and for them it's good money if they work enough hours.

I was just surprised that WM paid so much because I was working at sobeys at the time and was getting minimum and like $8.xx something at old navy. So I was even thinking of applying there at the time, same job but pays about $2 more an hour.

[Jopava]

I personally dont get it!! cashiers are always dealing with rude people and the people is always triying to find someone to blame and that is......THE CASHIER!

I wonder how many say the cashier still a s2pid after helping them with coupons and complaints!!

of course not all customers but the ones that are not satisfied when using coupons!

[lekate]

joseff - all great points!!

I would work early mornings at sobeys all the time, I liked working mornings cause you didnt get any nasty customers and just old ladies and people running in to get lunch or something for later. I worked express cause it was the most fun. When I opened they would give me 5's and 10's in my till, and change, that's it. And people woudl always try to use 100's and 50's on me buying small things (I was express so orders were small generally). I would tell them, it's 7am I can't break a 100! seriously people?

Or best yet, they wanted cash backs first thing in the morning, knowing that we probably didnt have that much money, yes we were open 24 hours but it gets really dead late at night/early morning. I don't have 200$ to give you in a cashback, I don't even have that in my till. I would cringe every time I saw this happen and hoped that I would get people paying with exact change so that I wouldn't have to call over the manager again. There is an ATM in the damn store, go and get some cash out first!!!

Yea, someone yelled at me because I didn't have 20s in my till to do cashback on a sat. morning, well my god, I'm not an effing bank teller, get over yourself. And really, the customers who are rude to you, really make or break your shift, it is a difficult job, especially when your personality so clearly clashes with most people, I'm generally a happy person, but mundane talk really bothers me, I cannot do small talk, I'd much rather not say anything, but some customers get really pissed off when you make it clear to them, and I'm like, I'm sorry I'm not exactly like you, but not everyone is!

[Valiant]

To answer you regarding my first post on Page 1 of this thread, the large display case the cashier picked up and carried over to the counter to show me was not self-explanatory, since it did not have any signage whatsoever on it (no Dove Chocolate sign on it); it was only an empty case. (It's a good think they weren't out of bread or milk.)
As well, since they'd sold an entire display case of Dove Chocolate, why wouldn't she have some idea of the price of the product?

The cashiers in the store I'm referring to are also the stockers, and all items out-of-stock are written in a notebook next to the cash register. That notebook contains the item, the date ordered and the date it will come in. Customers commonly ask about stock arriving, and even order special items through the management (very small town).

At no time was this cashier rude to me, just slow-thinking and dull.
Since I was the person there at the time (not anyone else), you can take my word for it, or not.
I hope this answers your questions. I will say (again) that I've been a cashier several times in my life and understand completely about all of the pet peeves of the job.

Some of the posts on this thread are quite revealing; I certainly wasn't singling out any of you in particular when I posted back on page 1. Probably by now, everything that can be said on the subject has been said.

Yea, she's just giving you sass because it seems like it was a pretty self explanatory question. Also, most cashiers don't know when stock is coming in, it's not their job, I never know when stock is coming in at my grocery store, I don't have access to that, does that make me stupid? I hardly doubt that.

I was totally going to write a post about this! Ugh, so many people on here are reminding me the reason I switched out of cash! UGH.

Cashiers aren't stupid, just bored to death, ask them a stimulating question, every time I tried to drum up a real conversation, people just got scared of me and wanted to leave as fast as possible. Being ask "how are you" every few mins for 8 hours actually gets draining.

I have more to say, but I'll come back.

[NancyM]

my beef with cashiers right now is that they keep on putting cleaning products in with my chocolate and clothes and then it stinks the other day i bought pj's for my son and the cashier put a glade aeresol can in with them i had to ask her to put it in a seperate bag i didn't want it to spray all over the jammies

[Justine]

my beef with cashiers right now is that they keep on putting cleaning products in with my chocolate and clothes and then it stinks the other day i bought pj's for my son and the cashier put a glade aeresol can in with them i had to ask her to put it in a seperate bag i didn't want it to spray all over the jammies

In training they should of been taught what items can be packed together and what can't be, and it's just common sense. Don't put raw meat with fruit etc.

[Jopava]

my beef with cashiers right now is that they keep on putting cleaning products in with my chocolate and clothes and then it stinks the other day i bought pj's for my son and the cashier put a glade aeresol can in with them i had to ask her to put it in a seperate bag i didn't want it to spray all over the jammies

I always wash clothes ,underwear, everything that touches my family skin goes directly to the washer first!
who knows where this stuff has been?