This poses a dilemma for those of us who work as cashiers.
My employer requires me to engage with customers. If a manager is watching and I am NOT chatting with you I can be punished for that lack (seriously - I once almost got written up because I wasn’t speaking to a customer who was completely deaf and communicating with me by written word. So glad THAT nitwit manager is no longer at the store where I work). And, seeing as I don’t really know you, that doesn’t leave much to chat about other than the weather or your purchase choices.
So when I say “Hi” then ask about coupons/offers, then offer some additional comment it really, really, really isn’t to annoy you or piss you off - it’s because my employer requires me to do that. When employees in a store keep asking “can I help you?” it’s because we’re required to do that and if we don’t do enough of it the entire store can get called on the carpet for that lack.
Now, yeah, some customers obviously don’t want to engage so I will cut my required script to the minimum. I avoid comments like #2 because that’s just stupid and rude. I try to stick to what @Kimstu calls blather but I am required to blather by my employer whether or not you or I want to blather. That said, there’s a right way and a wrong way to make blather and we are currently having a problem with a new hire who has a gift for saying the wrong thing.
Like I said - American cashiers are often required to be chatty by their employers.
Here are a few tips for you curmudgeons to help avoid the worst of the chatty cashiers:
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“I’m in a hurry” - doesn’t always work, but I’ll cut the blather to the absolute minimum required by my job and focus on getting you out the door. That’s me - not everyone gets the hint with this one.
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“No coupons, no member card, and I’m in a hurry” - this does not always work but at my store it allows me to cut most of the otherwise required script. Pretty much distills it down to “hello” and “Your total is $X.xx, have a nice day.”
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“Don’t want a conversation, just ring me up.” - borders on rude, but it’s direct and again, most cashiers will deliver some silence with that.
I use the two myself as a customer. At one store around here known for the lengthy script required of the cashiers, one time I went to pay for an item and said “I know your boss wants you use a script but I am in a crisis - just ring it up without the speech and I’ll tell management how wonderful you are.” She did and yes, I did follow up and praise her, saying I got exactly the service I wanted.
Now, on a certain level I get that arguably it isn’t fair that you have to take this extra step. On the other hand, I couldn’t foresee the need for that ESP course so I’m not a mindreader. My employer tells me I need to serve the needs of the customer but I can’t do that unless I know what your needs are. I get all sorts of requests: “As few bags as possible, load 'em up”, “I need light bags”, “put the eggs, bread, and bananas each in their own bag”, “Sorry, the kid was hungry and ate the banana” ::: looks at limp peel in their hand ::: “but I’ll pay for it now”. “Do you have an opaque bag for the adult diapers?”, “I’m sorry the reusable bag I just handed to you has a lot of goat hair on it, is that OK?” (no, I am not making that one up), “I need help getting this in my car”, “My kid just threw up, do you have some paper towels?”
So, if you can let me know (preferably without anger or ire directed at me personally) that you don’t want small talk I’ll do my best to accommodate you. But you have to communicate with me in some fashion to cut the chatter so if I’m questioned on it I can say “that’s what the customer wanted”, otherwise I am obligated to talk to you as a condition of my employment.
Oh, and if you are yourself a cashier please do NOT call me “hon”, “sweetheart” or “young lady”. ThankYouVeryMuch.