Cashiers say it’s your fault they don’t want to talk to you anymore.
OK, it seems it’s actually more complicated than that.
Over the last few weeks, there’s been a lot of discourse stirring after a popular content creator asked why cashiers no longer ask how you’re doing.
It’s started a back-and-forth, with some people saying it’s due to a lack of social skills and others saying cashiers don’t owe customers that level of engagement.
Well, these cashiers are here to set the record straight from their side of things.
Here are five reasons why cashiers don’t want to chat you up, according to TikToker and prolific retail worker Sami (@samimoofle.)
@samimoofle Im surprised people are surprised retail workers are fed up #retail #fyp ♬ original sound – samimoofle
1. Poor treatment
“Y’all treat us like sh-t,” Sami said. “I learned working in retail a long time ago that no one cares about genuine interaction anymore, especially after COVID.”
Sami said she is a seasoned customer service worker who’s been in the industry for nearly a decade. She’s worked at several popular retailers, including Applebee’s, AT&T, Bealls, CVS, Lowe’s, and Verizon, to name some, mainly on the management side.
Her video has more than 120,000 views as of Sunday.
She used to try making conversation with people, she said, but now what ends up happening is that they try to “start sh-t,” imply you’re being smart with them, be dismissive and rude, and/or imply the cashier is stupid.
“Customer service is a give and take, and if you’re taking, and taking, and taking, I’m not gonna give you customer service anymore,” she said.
2. Lacking management
“Gone are the days of good managers,” Sami continued.
She’s noticed a stark difference pre and post-pandemic, noting that all the good managers were run off due to poor treatment during COVID-19.
She speculated that the current batch of managers at many establishments were likely not trained properly. Sami noticed that these bad managers try to intimidate employees, don’t follow the rules, and treat workers unequally.
3. A mass exit
“We’re all f–ing fed up and leaving the industry,” Sami added as her third point.
Sami has noticed that whole generations of people have left the service industry. While many people around her used to enjoy their work, she said it’s become unbearable with the rapid rise of rude customers and “Karen” behavior.
“Y’all wanna have a conversation with someone so bad? Call your momma,” Sami said.
4. Overworked
Cashiers are often on their feet for hours at a time. They could easily interact with dozens to hundreds of people in one day.
It’s mentally exhausting to have the same conversation with each customer, and no matter how engaged a cashier may seem in the conversation, it’s “pure delusion” to think they actually care about you, Sami said.
She shared that her experience has been so sour in recent years that she went back to school to get her degree so she could work at a nonprofit and help workers sue their employers.
5. Wild interactions
Another creator, Jaylynn (@jaylynn.athena), whose video has more than 200,000 views, shared some of the wild things people have said to her face. Here are a few:
- ‘Why are you smiling so hard, what’s so f–ing funny?’
- “Oh, I didn’t know they let *racial slur* work here anymore.”
- “Why are you taking fashion advice from HER?”
- “And exactly how old are you?”
“And you wonder why cashiers don’t talk anymore,” Jaylynn said.
@jaylynn.athena this is why #anaykashe #retail ♬ original sound – jaylynn athena!!₊˚⊹ ᰔ
Troubling stats
CX Scoop reported that over two-fifths of customer service workers experienced abuse or hostility from customers, and they say it’s only getting worse.
For many of them, especially those working in brick-and-mortar stores, this is taking a toll on their mental health and causing them to leave customer service in search of other job opportunities.
Here are some stats:
- 43% of customer service workers endured verbal abuse, including screaming and swearing
- 17% faced threats of physical violence
- 36% experienced customers threatening their job security
The majority of workers said they don’t feel adequately trained to handle these situations.
The Daily Dot reached out to Sami and Jaylynn via TikTok direct message and comment.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
