badger
9/28/2009, 11:02 AM
It's a slow Monday morning, so I figured this would be a fun idea. I'll start...
After several summers of retail cashiering, there is no job I have more sympathy for than that of a cashier. No matter how miserable my day is going, I always try to be cordial to the poor, lowly cashier that either wishes they had a different job and can't stand their life, or is only doing this to earn extra money and just wants to be a good cashier until they move on in a few months.
Cashiers deal with every customer. Managers will hide in their office and boss others around, store associates will take hour-long breaks and not answer their phones when you beg them to help customers and department leaders will spend the day downstocking merchandise. When the customer can't find anyone to help them, they turn to the cashier... not always in the most cordial way, and not realizing that cashiers are in the same boat as them - not having any help from the other employees when they need it.
It is from my time as a cashier that I have learned the most effective means of customer service - that you are the only one available to help customers, even if you have no ability to help them. Customers will take out all of their frustration on you and you just have to zone it out, realizing that it's not your fault. And most importantly, when you move onto your desired or dream job with higher pay, better hours and a place where you don't have to stand on concrete all day getting yelled at by unhappy customers, you will appreciate what you have a little more and show sympathy and respect to those that aren't quite there yet.
Anyone else?
After several summers of retail cashiering, there is no job I have more sympathy for than that of a cashier. No matter how miserable my day is going, I always try to be cordial to the poor, lowly cashier that either wishes they had a different job and can't stand their life, or is only doing this to earn extra money and just wants to be a good cashier until they move on in a few months.
Cashiers deal with every customer. Managers will hide in their office and boss others around, store associates will take hour-long breaks and not answer their phones when you beg them to help customers and department leaders will spend the day downstocking merchandise. When the customer can't find anyone to help them, they turn to the cashier... not always in the most cordial way, and not realizing that cashiers are in the same boat as them - not having any help from the other employees when they need it.
It is from my time as a cashier that I have learned the most effective means of customer service - that you are the only one available to help customers, even if you have no ability to help them. Customers will take out all of their frustration on you and you just have to zone it out, realizing that it's not your fault. And most importantly, when you move onto your desired or dream job with higher pay, better hours and a place where you don't have to stand on concrete all day getting yelled at by unhappy customers, you will appreciate what you have a little more and show sympathy and respect to those that aren't quite there yet.
Anyone else?