Customer Disservice

A new employee at a large local grocery chain was excited about his first week on the job. He was in high school and eager to serve others and make some money while doing it. The young man loved visiting with people. He could strike up a conversation with anyone and thoroughly enjoyed the time spent engaging with others in dialog. He was a people person.

While initially learning the ‘ins and outs’ of becoming a cashier, there is quite a lot of information to absorb. We’ve all had the opportunity to be in the check stand with the employee on his or her first experience checking. Needless to say, it does take a while. They fumble through the key codes, items scan at an incorrect price and the checker is not sure how to correct the problem, and if you are unfortunate enough to have a large amount of produce, every item code must be looked up in a book and the length of time spent checking out is more total time then you actually spent shopping. And just as you see light at the end of the tunnel the manager is paged. And paged. And paged again to deal with mistakes. By the time you finish and leave the store you are completely drained.

The only thing that keeps you from going insane is the fact that they are trying their best. We’ve all started new jobs and know it takes a bit to get the hang of everything. And when the checker has a great attitude, even when it’s obvious they are having difficulties, it helps to diffuse the feeling of total anger.

As the young man was checking out a customer he began small talk with her. “How are you doing today? Are you enjoying the weather?” These questions were asked as he slowly scanned the customer’s groceries. She then realized by his speed, or lack there of, that he was new at this. She did find his demeanor pleasant enough though so she chatted with him as he worked. An item that the checker enjoyed also came across the register. “Wow, I love these cookies! They are my favorite!” She laughed and replied that she liked them too.

“Where’s the baby? At home?” the checker asked. The woman was puzzled. She was elderly and had no children at home. “Is your baby with a sitter?” the cashier asked. The woman finally asked the cashier why he was asking about a baby and told him that her children were grown and no longer in the area. The cashier looked at her confused for a moment and asked, “If you don’t have babies, who are the diapers for?” The woman turned bright red and said nothing else for the remainder of the time. When the transaction was completed, she grabbed her bag of groceries and her Depends, left the store, and vowed never to shop there again.

That slip up was not intentional. The checker did not mean to upset the customer. There was an age barrier that separated the young checker and the elderly woman from one another. This age barrier is common. Perhaps if the checker had understood the needs of the elderly the question would not have been asked. The best way for the barriers to come down is to communicate with one another. Develop relationships and enlighten each other. And building that bond will undoubtedly open an exchange of sharing for a lifetime of experiences.

And Ma’am, if you read this, please know that I am sorry.