I know cashiers may be told to say this to seem like they are concerned about your shopping experience, but I’m at the checkout counter. What am I going to say, no, do you have tarragon-scented candles anywhere? And what, run back and get them while everyone waits?
I tell the cashier at my grocery store any time I couldn’t find everything I wanted, not because I want her to have someone run in back and look for more cilantro while the five people behind me in line glower, but because I hope she will tell her manager.
No, I haven’t found how to achieve a reasonable amount of hapiness in this shitty world, with its shitty communities and its shitty people and my shitty non-existent girlfriend. What can you sell me?
I always answer “Yes, and so much more! But this is all I want.”
“Yes I did. The manager needs to work harder hiding the stuff.” Gets a smile most times.
Some places they will; I try to avoid those places. I’m always the person next in line behind the person who didn’t find the Open Pit BBQ Sauce. And I hate waiting while someone makes a mad dash (or slow crawl sometimes) to wherever to get the missing item. There is a hardware store I like though where they ask that question. If the person (and I must admit that sometimes it has been me) says no, the clerk calls over the manager to take care of that person while she continues with the rest of the line. No real extra wait involved the way they do it.
This is indeed a very annoying question that basically forces you to lie or waste everyone’s time. Maybe the purpose is so other shoppers hear the false information that you are satisfied with the store so they will assume they are the problem if they aren’t? It isn’t as if the checker makes a note of things you did not find and passes it along to management, so the question is completely useless.
I don’t like to lie, so I sometimes just say “no,” but don’t elaborate. Of course this creates an awkward situation, but hey, I didn’t start it!
One time I was shopping at my local discount odd lot clothing store - they buy department store overstocks and sell them cheap. The store looks like a random muddle and even though they try to sort by style and size it’s uneven.
But once at checkout they asked me that stupid question and I was honest and said that I really liked the shirt I was buying and wished I could buy another identical one. The cashier poked at his computer then called over a shop assistant who found another shirt in those cluttered racks less than a minute. Who knew?
Our grocery store often has a person directing customers to an available checkout. That’s the person who needs to be asking if you found everything, so they can coordinate the search for missing items before you get in line.
These days my response is usually along the lines of “it’s not so much did I find everything but did I remember everything.” Most times I’m halfway home when I have my “oops, I forgot something” moment.
I usually say ‘yes’ or ‘pretty much’, as the cashiers probably have been taught to say it and have repeated it so often that it has become rote, and disturbing their routine seems a cold act to me.
That said, sometime before I die (which I am not planning for the next 25 years or so), I do want to say “Why yes, you seem to be out of lilac-scented dildos,” just for the reaction.
One time I actually told the cashier “No” and her response was “Good” as she continued to ring my stuff up. Obviously she wasn’t listening to me. 
Is it wrong to send them searching for Caffeine-Free Diet Jolt Cola?
When I have to say that line (and I do, every time I ring someone up) and the answer is no, you’re missing X I usually ask the customer (what a notion!) if they want us to have someone run and get the item (if we have it) or if they’d prefer not to wait. If they have a large order and we know where the item is we can frequently get it to the line before I’m ready to hit “total”. Other times I might say “Yes, we know, we’re sorry we ran out of that item” or “I’m sorry, I’ll let someone who can do something about that know”.
I agree, it’s a pain in the ass question but I’m required as part of my job to ask it.
Beer Aisle 1.
I’ve said “No” a couple of times, but I stopped doing that because the cashier either sent someone after it, delaying the line, or got into a lengthy conversation with me about why they don’t carry it anymore.
Does Bono ever get asked this question?
I’ll answer honestly, but if there was something I didn’t find, I’ll say that I intend to come back later when it’s a priority, otherwise I would have found someone to ask earlier.
The one time I said no was at Publix, and the cashier called the manager, who when realizing they didn’t stock the item, offered to run to another store and get it for me.
I felt so out of my comfort zone being treated with so much attention that I don’t even joke answer that question anymore.
Try, “Yeah, your shelf news is getting boring.” They’ll either look at you like you have lobsters crawling out of your ears, or nod knowingly.
I always say ‘yes’ because the cashier can’t or won’t do anything with a different answer. It’s become the “have a nice day” of cashier greetings.