Have you hugged your cashier today?

I mentioned before that I work with the public and that I would share with you some adventures of doing so. Before I start, I want to say that I like my job(s); I do not LOVE my job(s). The work I do love is being a wife & mom. I believe that I give great customer service and I am considerate, polite and outgoing.

I have several repeat customers with whom I have a great rapport. Most of my customers are fabulous but...it seems everyday I encounter people with no manners, little courtesy, and deplorable etiquette.

My biggest pet peeve is being ignored... because the person I'm helping is chatting on their cell phone about such important topics as social injustice [i.e. her best friend slept with her ex-husband, how flaming mad she is and how she's gonna exact her revenge on the little witch... Riveting conversation!] All I can say is that I wish that the use of cell phones be banned in stores, theaters, doctor's offices, and behind the wheel. Have you ever wondered how the human race ever exist before this grand technology? And what about those ridiculous ring tones... one lady's was an ambulance siren and it rang for about 30 seconds before she finally answered her phone to tell her son what he could watch on TV until she got home.

I often get coughed on, sneezed on, frowned at, shouted at, mumbled to, belittled, and criticized. One of the things that bugs me the most is when a customer throws money at me. Or when they put their money on the counter just far enough out of my reach and ignore my open hand. But that's not as bad as when they stand there watching me, with my hand in a brace, while I not only ring up all 197 items but put each & every one of them in their reusable bags which reek of cat urine. [Um, did you know that you can wash those every now & then?] I've even had a customer chastise their shopping partner by growling "Don't do that. It's HER job!"

Yet the thing that bothers me most is when a customer coughs/sneezes in their hand while unloading their items onto counter. [Guess what, ma'am... now I have to touch all those germ-riddled things. Thanks for sharing your cooties! So do you want your 5 lb can of beans on top of your chips or on your bread?] Seriously, doesn't everyone know that you should cough into your elbow not your hand?

But it's just as bad when they bring in their child who stayed home from school with the flu or head lice, and then let them touch everything, that is after they've rubbed their snotty nose or scratched their head... Oh and then they let the child hand me their money. Whatever happened to common sense? If you're sick, stay home and ask your neighbor or husband to pick up the items you need.

Oh my, the life of a cashier... how character-building! All this and more for minimum wage & a migraine. And if you're wondering why I'm still a cashier, two words: bills & flexibility. Money doesn't grow on trees plus I can virtually make my own hours, all the while earning precious time off. I now get a little over 5 weeks of paid vacation a year... (not bad for a pion, eh?) I know there are better, more lucrative jobs out there, but for me this fits my priorities. Mom & wife 1st, public servant 2nd.