Some Manners, Please

I work in retail as a cashier, so I see a lot of stuff going on with people. I see how we treat each other. Frankly, what I see during the busy hours just plain scares me. We are in such a rush to get home and get the day over with, that we forget things like common courtesy. So, here are a few simple rules to make our experiences a little more bearable:

1. When waiting in line at the checkout, please DO NOT cut in line. I see this happen all the time. Someone is in such a hurry, that they will step in front of the person who was about to get their items rung up by the cashier, with no apology whatsoever. Most of the people whom the person cuts in front of are too polite to speak out. Yes, I know you're in a rush to get home during the rush hour. But that doesn't give you the right to push yourself in front of the person that was next in line.

2. When waiting in line at the self-checkout, please give the person in front of you enough time to completely load their purchases into their shopping cart. I've seen people literally breathing down the neck of the person in front of them, trying to intimidate them into hurrying up. This won't get you to the register any faster.

3. Express lanes are just that. They have an item limit for a reason. So, if you have a full shopping cart, and you know you have more than the item limit, please, for the love of God, go to a regular line. I get in trouble when customers violate this rule.

4.Screaming at the cashier and other customers will not resolve any issues you may have with your purchases. That is why we have managers who would be more than happy to hear your grievances.

5.If you have a tight budget, whether it's food stamps or whatever, please decide before you reach the checkout what items you do not intend to purchase. When you decide not to buy half of the stuff in you cart, it holds up the line and slows us down having to put your cart aside and sort out the items you couldn't afford.

6.Gentlemen, we ladies do not appreciate being groped, no matter what hour of the day or night it is, whether you're drunk or sober. Yes, we're there to serve the customer, but that doesn't give you the right to push the boundaries.

7.Please be courteous to the cashier and bagger, if you have one. Being kind wins you better service. If you act rude, it just makes everything more unpleasant for everyone involved. Some of the checkers will try to avoid you in the future, especially if you are deliberately mean to them. Common courtesy works both ways.

8.If you forgot an item on your list and you're already getting your items rung up by the cashier, please do not go off and disappear for twenty minutes if you decide to get it yourself. I've had too many people do this. They come back with an armful of things when they were just supposed to get one item. This is rude because it holds up the line.


There. Eight simple rules. Not much when you think about it. I like most of my customers. That's why I came up with this list of rules. I hope you find them helpful.