Why Your Cashier Seems Grumpy

Short answer... because some people are jerks. Too many people.

Long answer: A good cashier begins her career eager to please and tries to do her best to make the computer work, bag your groceries without smooshing them too badly and accurately take your payment. In reality, most transactions run smoothly. When something goes wrong, like you all decided to come into the store at the same time and didn't inform the scheduling manager three weeks in advance, and the lines get long, and you (but not you, but rather your fellow customer) impatiently taps his card on the counter as he waits and then proceeds to haggle about the price of an item that he didn't choose redeem points to get at the discounted rate when the cashier asked him, your cashier does her best not to let it get to her.

And when customer after customer just goes through the line, buying their stuff without any real interaction with the cashier. Almost interactions. Your cashier almost works with people. It's strangely draining. And when you (no, not you) get in her line, even though the light is turned off and the "Till closed. Please go to next cashier" sign is up because that's the only way she's going to get a break. Ever. And when you (no, certainly not you) forget to write the bin number on your bulk item and then proceed to tell her the price of the item ad nauseum, when what she needs is the bin number. Or you (do I need to tell you it's not you? or is it?) forget to write the bin number on your bulk item and proceed to tap your card on the counter while she looks up the number for you. Or when you (you?) are rude or snippy about mistakes or what you perceive to be mistakes. Especially when you're wrong. This happens to your cashier over and over and over again. So, while she had good intentions when she started out, it's just hard to be very chipper.

All is not lost, you can do something! You can realize that your cashier is a person, that she is doing her best. You can respond to her with the patience of a civilized person and maybe treat her the way you would like to be treated. I think someone really cool recommended that.

Oh, and for goodness sake, stop throwing your change on the counter with all your dimes and pennies for her to pick them up. My goodness, that's annoying. How would you like your change put on the counter for you to pick it all up??? Sheesh, put it in her hand, already!