I am a bad man.
I know this specifically because of a cashier at King Soopers, the grocery store where I regularly shop.
This past Sunday morning on my way home from church I stopped to pick up a few items. Since my son Jack had seen sick and eating a lot of soup, I picked up four cans of chicken noodle on impulse.
I didn’t know until later that I had 22 items in my basket.
How I came to discover this was when I checked out in the 15 items or less line. To be clear: there was nobody behind me. There was another 15 items or less line next to me. It was not a busy day.
And, like I said, I didn’t know I’d exceeded my limit.
As I was checking out, the cashier said quite loudly, “The number-of-items police aren’t on duty today.”
He didn’t appear to be talking to me. It was more of an aside meant for me to hear.
An older lady in the other express line heard him and responded, “I was SENT to this line by another cashier!”
If he was casting dispersions on her integrity she wasn’t having it.
He responded, “Yeah, but they don’t know how LIMITED THE SPACE is in our lanes.”
I hadn’t ever closely examined the check out lane before. Now I was studying it. I couldn’t really tell that the space was smaller, but I wasn’t going to argue.
At this point I’m starting to think just maybe the cashier is trying to lay a guilt trip on me. My suspicion was confirmed when he handed me the register tape and said, “Here’s your REALLY LONG RECEIPT.”
Normally I say “Thank you” but thought in this case “Kiss my butt” would have been more appropriate. I did not, for the record, say that. I just thought it. After all, I had just come from church.
As I left the store I started worrying that I had egregiously violated check out etiquette. I must have had a hundred items to get so much berating!
I did a quick count and realized I had 22 items (those pesky soup cans were 2/3 of my over-the-limit problem).
We’ve all been in express lines where someone really took advantage of the system. On Sunday, I wasn’t one of those people. I was technically in default, but I didn’t inconvenience anyone (except the cashier) and didn’t intentionally break the rules. What I must have done is interrupted the cashier’s daydreams of celebrity and fortune when I entered his lane.
There are several good grocery stores in my neighborhood. The King Soopers I shop at is closest but certainly not the only option for my future business.
Why would a retail employee berate—directly or indirectly—a customer who is trying to give them their money?
It makes no sense to me.
But I was reminded that I am a bad man. The kind of guy who tries to sneak 22 items through the 15-item line.
And I learned two lessons:
First, I’ll make darn sure I count my items before I get in another express line.
And second, I’ll consider counting my items in a different grocery store next time I shop.
Now where did I put my REALLY LONG receipt?
Have you had an experience like this? Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on Facebook and Twitter as well as in the comment box below.
I don’t disagree with the point of the post at all, but I can’t help reading some feelings of entitlement on both sides of the cash register. Sure, it was a bad experience and I think that experience makes considering your next grocery visit to another store valid.
I guess it was his choice to be ugly, and it was your choice to be upset. But did anyone make a choice to get at the heart of the problem? Was the kid really mad about 22 items or was there something else eating at him.
I want to be treated as an important customer too. I just wonder if that kid wasn’t being treated as an important person. Maybe that’s his boss’s fault, but it seems to me someone else is missing an opportunity to make a difference (and I’m not implying that it was your responsibility).
Then again, it may be as simple as the kid is a jerk.
I like the post. It made me think. Thanks!
As a side note, how would the church that you just came from hope you react in that situation?
Have a good weekend!
Hey Ben…thanks for your comment. Let me provide some context. There was no entitlement on either side of the register that I could detect and I speak confidently for myself. Entitlement is about expecting what you don’t deserve. Any paying customer deserves to ideally be treated well and certainly not to be criticized. Of course the check out guy–a grown adult roughly my age by the way–can be a knucklehead, but it won’t bode well for either his career or the store. (Entitlement is a huge pet peeve: check out Sykes classic “A Nation of Victim” or his brand new book on entitlement, the title of which escapes me).
Rather than entitlement, I would guess the cashier was at the least bored, possibly cranky and at worst disengaged. There was no teachable moment, or anything to suggest an empathic, “Gee, sir, are you having a bad day?” comment from me (and there are times when I’ve taken that approach).
In terms of my church: I ran the blog by a pastor buddy of mine from the church I attend to see what he thought. He thought it was a funny example of bad customer service.
What I appreciate most, Ben, is your comment “It made me think.” That is always my goal. Thank you.
Context is good. I’m not sure where I picked up the assumption it was a kid. I suppose I provided my own context base on my personal experiences. I believe entitlement is a struggle for my generation especially and I know I am guilty of it far too often.
I immediately picked up on the intention of the story addressing customer service, and putting myself in that situation, I would have felt the same way as you. Yet, in my assumed context I would have then felt bad after I left.
Thanks for clarifying. It certainly wasn’t my intention to accuse you of entitlement thinking.
I love your blog. Thanks for taking the time to challenge us.
“I am a bad man.”
Yes, and so is everyone else. That is why Jesus paid the price. Get over it. 😉 (Satire if it did not come across that way. Hopefully generating a humble smile.)
Some things that may have been going on. I will assume since you are on the way home from church that you were dressed nicely. This may have indicated to the cashier that you just came from church. That and the big smile. This may have triggered a sense of guilt or anger depending upon their views and their past engagements with “churchy” people. Some people when confronted with “what they should be doing and know it” react negatively to reaffirm that they are justified with not doing what they know they should.
One of my reasons for thinking this was I was in Ohio (I think) and I went to get my hair cut. I am from Idaho. Or course I started talking to the hair stylist who seems to be a decent guy. He said something of a generally sad nature and to empathize and reassure him I said God bless or prayer might help. That is when things got really different. He said something about being a Christian as a child, but that kind of thinking is bogus hocus pocus or something. He seemed angry at me for suggesting God could be a positive in his life. He finished up the hair cut and I went to the cashier to pay. It was probably the worst cut I have ever had. Now, I don’t know if it would have been any better as my hair is often unpredictable. However, I figured this guy was hurting somewhere so I payed and gave him a nice tip. Though I was taken back and a little ticked at his anger/reaction someone buoyed me up that day and gave me the grace to respond positively. I am not sure other days that I would not have been more unpleasant.
However, I am sure that there was a reason for me being there, and a reason for me to see his hurt. I hope in some way he saw the non confrontational response as a positive in his life. Maybe he just needed someone to listen to him and pray for him.
Perhaps that is what this cashier fella at the grocery store needs. Someone to pray for him. That, and a good arse kickin’! 🙂