I worked as a cashier for many years, and I'm sure the cashier feels just as awkward asking a stranger that as you feel being asked. For me it was more of a polite was of saying "Hello I'm going to try to be friendly and make your experience enjoyable rather than make you listen to silence and beeping!" When I go shopping I do enjoy it when the cashier asks that because it does make it less stressful. I suppose it makes it seem like you are not a burden on them and that they are happy to help you.
What really irks me is the cashier's at Walgreens when they say, "Be well" when you leave. I do not care for this saying because I feel that they are all programmed to say this. It's like they are robots and cannot think for themselves. I cannot stand it when big corporations tell you what to do and literally put words in your mouth.
It doesn't really bother me I guess but I find it kinda stupid because you're not going to get anything out of asking me that question. A lot of the time the person is not being genuine. They're just doing it because their boss told them. Even if they are being genuine, it's not like I would tell them because often I'm dealing with emotional baggage and I'm way too introverted to let you know I'm even doing badly. I mean I understand the purpose and it's not that I'd rather them be rude but I hate how society is so fake nowadays. I prefer they ask a question like "you find everything okay" than a disingenuous question that can sometimes be personal. Maybe I just feel this way because I'm an introverted loner though.
You are the first person seemingly bothered by a nice polite person. They aren't trying to be rude so just go with it. Think of it like this, they go out of their way to say something like this to you when they don't need to. It's ok if you are not actually fine, but just say so, it speeds up the process.
Kind people are getting rarer and rarer.. so if someone takes the time out of their day to greet me politely, whether paid to or not, I really appreciate it. I especially appreciate it from those who would probably, at that point, rather bite my head off and go home to bed lol.. I feel for people that work with the public day in and day out.
I agree with you Grumpy, I always have a smile and a "Hello!" from the cashier whichever of the big supermarkets I go to. I enjoy having a conversation with the cashier, they usually welcome a chat. I don't mind if they comment on my purchases because it's usually interesting. For example, they have said. "Oh that's a bargain. That was more expensive last week." Or "I bought that the other day and made a pie out of it". I'm sure it helps them through the day to chat to customers and most of us are happier after a chat over the shopping!
Yeah, we can share those things to cashiers when asked. Our issues keep cashiers' minds off their own problems. It would be good to make them laugh at us and at themselves thinking, "My problem isn't that bad, after all!" Also, if the queue at the counter isn't that long.
Lol, I don't mind making other people wait if i haven't finished answering. Usually, though, I time it out so that I'm asking them about their day about the time they are ringing up the last few items. That's something else that I like about talking to cashiers... There's a very well defined end to the conversation. Once they hand you your receipt and change, you both know the conversation is over. It isn't one of those really awkward situations... Where you are done talking but you aren't sure the other person is done.
