Customer Service at stores

[giantsfan2016]

Although I wasn't a Cashier when I worked at this particular store, the upstairs management at the store had the brilliant idea to require all their cashiers to introduce themselves to every customer. The wisdom of the upstairs management was that it was good customer service. - Let me tell you none of the cashiers ever did this unless someone from management was around.

What do I mean by the Cashier is supposed to introduce themselves to the customer? I'll use myself as an example even though I wasn't a Cashier at this store.

Me: Hello, my name is Brammy and I'll be your Cashier today.

It's ridiculously stupid. When I'm in line at the cash register at Stop and Shop, Walmart, Price Chopper, etc I don't care what the Cashier's name is. (Name tags are a mandatory part of the dress code anyway).

This is what I care about:

The Cashier being polite and friendly.
My order being rung up quickly.
The Cashier politely answering any questions I may have.
The Cashier telling me how many gas points I have in the case of Stop and Shop or Price Chopper.
The Cashier properly bagging my items.

There is a group of friends I have and we are in a continuous Facebook Group chat. One is a male in his early 40s and is a teacher and also slings cards at the casino nights and weekends. Another is also in his early 40s and works in the sales dept of a media company. A third is in his mid 20s and does IT work for a fire department in suburban Houston. - Any way the three of them all say I'm wrong, off base, and why I'm not employed.


That brings us to this story about something that happened at my old store yesterday. I was there shopping and I went to the Produce Department to see if my buddy Duck is working. He is. His birthday is coming up on Wednesday the 9th so I say to him "Hey Duck, Happy Birthday!" He says "Thanks, Brammy you too." (My birthday is exactly 2 weeks after his, but I'm 12 years older. - Okay, I lied he didn't call me Brammy. He called me my real name. He told me Brammy is a stupid nickname). Then he says to me "Hey, Brammy, if you're not in a hurry I'm going on break in 5 mins if you want to talk." I responded "Cool." So I'm standing off to the side watching Duck finish putting out bananas. A customer asked him if there was any more asparagus. He told her No, but there is asparagus coming in on the truck later this afternoon." So the customer goes on her way and Duck resumes finishing up with the bananas. About 90 seconds later the same lady asked him again about the asparagus. Again he told her more would be coming in on the truck later. She went on her way. 90 seconds later she was back. This time she was in full bitch mode. "Are you sure, there isn't any asparagus?" Duck (Still polite) responded "Ma'am more is coming in on the truck later. The truck will be here sometime before 5PM." The customer was still in full bitch mode. "I don't believe you. Let me speak to your manager." Duck does an exasperated sigh and goes in the Produce Department back room to get Scott the manager. Meanwhile I'm just shaking my head in disbelief. Two minutes later Duck and Scott come out of the back room. Scott tells Duck to take his break. So Duck and I go outside and sit down at the picnic table.

Duck: I hate to say it, but it seems like there are more and more crazy customers.
Me: You know I've been in the retail game for 17 years. I've seen it all.
Duck: So what's going on? Anything exciting?
Me: Same old Same old.

Then I told him the story about the store that required the Cashiers to introduce themselves the customers. He tells me that it's ridiculous. He has worked at Stop and Shop since 2012 and has worked the Front End until about 3 or 4 weeks ago. He started as a Cart Boy. Then he became a Cashier and then Front End Supervisor (which also includes working the Customer Service Desk and Gas Station). After being a Front End Supervisor for the past 3 years he got a promotion to Produce Clerk. (50 cent raise in salary and 30 hours/week guaranteed).

[TheFugitive]

When I was in retail management we had a few serious incidents of our (female) cashiers
being stalked.   Some scary misfit guy would decide that some girl working in our store was cute.
He'd ask her out, and when he was shot down he would refuse to take no for an answer.
He kept coming back to bother her, hanging around outside after her shift to talk to her,
etc.  Some of the cashiers got quite freaked-out.  I followed more than a few of them home after
we closed to make sure they arrived safely.

I would be afraid that having the cashier acting uber-friendly in this manner...."Hi, I'm Sandy, and I'll be your cashier today!".... is going to be perceived as flirting by these misfit stalker types and it is only going to encourage them.