# When (and why) the fuck did checking out at a store become such a goddamned stupid ordeal. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 4, 2013, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803 "2013-04-04T04:07:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/41 "2013-04-04T07:38:49Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > While I agree that the OP is a bit of a dick, I have to admit that “I’m just doing my job” is distressingly similar to “I’m just following orders.” When you get right down to it, neither is much of an excuse. Godwinned in 36. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/42 "2013-04-04T07:42:28Z")
The thread seemed like it was lacking a certain something. ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/43 "2013-04-04T08:00:57Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I know it’s a rough situation, and believe me, I know what it’s like to be unemployed. I’m not saying there’s an easy answer here. > > But in my mind, when retail workers treat \*me \*like crap - by pestering me, by delaying me, by following a script and refusing to engage me like a human being - then I’m showing them respect by responding in kind. I’m treating them as equals. To be, it would be much more insulting if I thought, \*oh, they’re just retail drones, they’re not responsible for their own actions. \*By reacting to their actions I’m respecting the fact that they’re acting out of their own free will. We _are_ drones, to a certain point, though. Or cogs in a machine. I’m fine with that. I’m getting paid for it. I don’t mind people getting annoyed at me, or complaining about the store, or the delay. I don’t take any of that personally. I’m just asking that the customer doesn’t make it their point to insult me as a person. “I hate your store.” Fine. “Your loyalty card is a fucking conspiracy to get me to buy more thingamabobs and doohickies and I reject it as a tool of the devil.” Fine. “You won’t let me return this used whatsit I bought two years ago without a receipt? Well, you’re a fat, fucking cunt and I hope you die!”(Yes, this happened.) NOT FINE. Take it up with the company, but do not make it about me. That’s all I’m asking. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/44 "2013-04-04T08:09:41Z")
I don’t know. When I only have 1 item I walk up to the self check out, punch in my phone number (for the fuel points), scan my item, run my debit card through the reader, & am out the door. 30 seconds, tops. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/45 "2013-04-04T08:14:11Z")
> [@Ms.Pumpkin](#): > > We _are_ drones, to a certain point, though. Or cogs in a machine. I’m fine with that. I’m getting paid for it. > > I don’t mind people getting annoyed at me, or complaining about the store, or the delay. I don’t take any of that personally. I’m just asking that the customer doesn’t make it their point to insult me as a person. “I hate your store.” Fine. “Your loyalty card is a fucking conspiracy to get me to buy more thingamabobs and doohickies and I reject it as a tool of the devil.” Fine. “You won’t let me return this used whatsit I bought two years ago without a receipt? Well, you’re a fat, fucking cunt and I hope you die!”(Yes, this happened.) NOT FINE. Take it up with the company, but do not make it about me. That’s all I’m asking. But if workers don’t care about annoying customers, why should customers care about annoying workers? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/46 "2013-04-04T08:27:32Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > I started to write “meat farmer” and thought it wasn’t very clear, but would be the same euphemism now that I think about it. Meaty, porky goodness in more way than one! Too bad she’s a she, and I’m a she, and we’re not she types. I am just impressed that you have your own anything-farmer. ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/47 "2013-04-04T09:25:36Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > But if workers don’t care about annoying customers, why should customers care about annoying workers? You really don’t see a difference between an employee enforcing a company policy and a customer personally attacking an employee? Really? Calling someone names is not “annoying” them, it’s being a dick and hurting them on a personal level that has nothing to do with the actual reason you’re upset. There’s a big difference between a person who is being paid to do a job a certain way, and a person being a complete fucking asshole to someone just because they’ve been inconvenienced. I’m being paid to act. I play a particular role for 9 hours a day, and if I step “out of character”, I could lose my job. You come in for 10 minutes, and you _don’t_ have a script to stick to, which means you get to decide if you’re going to act like a normal, respectful human being who realizes I’m an actual person who, at that moment, is being paid to say my lines, or like a complete jerk who treats complete strangers like shit, just for doing their fucking job. Anyway, I’m done arguing. I understand your view as the customer- I really do. After all, I go shopping sometimes, too. I’ve taken this thread far too personally, I imagine, when all I had intended was to point out that a person’s still a person underneath whatever uniform they might wear. Oh, almost forgot! “Have a nice day, and thank you for shopping with us!” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/48 "2013-04-04T11:33:36Z")
> [@Ms.Pumpkin](#): > > You really don’t see a difference between an employee enforcing a company policy and a customer personally attacking an employee? Really? Calling someone names is not “annoying” them, it’s being a dick and hurting them on a personal level that has nothing to do with the actual reason you’re upset. There’s a big difference between a person who is being paid to do a job a certain way, and a person being a complete fucking asshole to someone just because they’ve been inconvenienced. > > I’m being paid to act. I play a particular role for 9 hours a day, and if I step “out of character”, I could lose my job. You come in for 10 minutes, and you _don’t_ have a script to stick to, which means you get to decide if you’re going to act like a normal, respectful human being who realizes I’m an actual person who, at that moment, is being paid to say my lines, or like a complete jerk who treats complete strangers like shit, just for doing their fucking job. > > Anyway, I’m done arguing. I understand your view as the customer- I really do. After all, I go shopping sometimes, too. I’ve taken this thread far too personally, I imagine, when all I had intended was to point out that a person’s still a person underneath whatever uniform they might wear. > > Oh, almost forgot! “Have a nice day, and thank you for shopping with us!” 😉 Judging by his horrendous attitude, I’m guessing Mr. Special here has never had to work a day in retail in his life. Must be nice. On the other hand I’m glad for the retail experience so I don’t get worked up into super asshole mode over such trivial things. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/49 "2013-04-04T11:49:48Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Which is why it is an entirely different word. > > Don’t know why some of you are throwing these kiddy cocktail fits. I didn’t even call anyone a punkfaggot. I refereed to the reward points on the stupid card as such. You’re upset about insulting an inanimate concept? :rolleyes: No dumb-ass. When you call some kid a retard or refer to something as ‘gay’ - the problem isn’t that you’re being mean, the problem is that you’re equating being gay or being retarded with being ‘bad.’ The idea is that retards and homos are so awful, that you’re going to use that status as an adjective to describe something you hate. Pretty fucking awesome on your part. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/50 "2013-04-04T11:56:33Z")
The OP’s rant is about K-Mart. The “K” of course stands for Kresge; and Hell for rude customers is identical to Kresge’s bargain basement; where you’ll recall from old movies, women fought like furies over scraps of clothing. I’ve never seen a self-scan lane in a K-Mart They have a dozen closed check-out lanes, which they only open during the Xmas rush. The rest of the year they are for people in the one long line to glower at. They hire the lowest rung of the labor market, with one motivated (bitchy) asst. manager who has to run the jewelry counter as well as help everyone else do his or her basic function. By the time you’re finished being “served” by them, you’ll wish your sales tax were higher so they wouldn’t have been forced off welfare. The shelves won’t be re-stocked for a long, long time. (this, along with the reduced staffing, is part of “Lean” manangement philosophy. You and I have suffered due to this trend in may way in many areas since the Great Recession made Lean the lastest Big Thing. K-Mart is hardly the lone offender) As you leave, for one last dose of Ghetto, you have to show your sales slip to a security guard, while both of you know that you could be showing him yesterday’s sales slip and walk out with anything you want. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/51 "2013-04-04T12:23:02Z")
Its the pit guys - you can be perfectly pleasant in person, then come vent here. Its supposed to be amusing. It used to be amusing before you got yelled at for calling an axe murderer a fuckwidget because “well, you know, maybe he was abused as a child.” “You need to be more understanding” - this is the pit, its the place where recreational outrage is an art form. What gets me about that sort of shopping (run into the store to grab something) is not the staff - who are annoying, but the other customers. In aisle 7 we have Marge and Norma who seem to live next door to each other, but upon finding themselves in the grocery store, park their carts next to each other to catch up - completely blocking the aisle. Jenny has come shopping bringing four children under six with her, which need to be dodged by the sprint shopper. The old man in a hat has left his car to push a shopping cart - you didn’t think he could go slower, did you? Having finally run the obstacle course that is your fellow shoppers, you go to the self checkout lane which will be fast - except of the four lanes, one is occupied by someone who doesn’t know what a UPC code looks like, one is occupied by someone who has completed the family shopping for a month and has a heaped cart, one is occupied by someone who is trying to argue with the machine on the price of bananas, and the forth has someone in front of it chatting on her cell phone while only half her groceries are rung up. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/52 "2013-04-04T12:40:55Z")
> [@Ms.Pumpkin](#): > > I dunno. Obviously I’m biased, as a retail worker, but I just don’t understand the prevailing attitude that it’s okay to treat people in certain occupations as so much useless, interchangeable trash. I can’t help but think it’s related to the notion that it’s OK to treat the poor as so much useless, interchangeable trash. And the notion that anyone on a lower social or financial rung than you is human garbage. One advantage to my current employment is that I don’t have to take that shit from anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/53 "2013-04-04T12:44:29Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > But in my mind, when retail workers treat \*me \*like crap - by pestering me, by delaying me, by following a script and refusing to engage me like a human being - then I’m showing them respect by responding in kind. I’m treating them as equals. To be, it would be much more insulting if I thought, \*oh, they’re just retail drones, they’re not responsible for their own actions. \*By reacting to their actions I’m respecting the fact that they’re acting out of their own free will. The problem is that the two of you are NOT on equal footing. If you treat people like crap the worst that will happen is you will be asked to leave the store - _maybe_ - and you can go somewhere else or come back another day. The retail drones, however, _don’t have a choice_ if they want to keep their job. They HAVE TO bug you, whether either of you likes it or not, and they HAVE TO take your verbal abuse and if they don’t they lose their livelihood. That’s not equal. That’s shooting fish in a barrel, and it’s not fair to the fish. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/54 "2013-04-04T12:50:33Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Its supposed to be amusing. Someone should alert the OP. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/55 "2013-04-04T12:52:05Z")
> [@Fugazi](#): > > I don’t know. When I only have 1 item I walk up to the self check out, punch in my phone number (for the fuel points), scan my item, run my debit card through the reader, & am out the door. 30 seconds, tops. All fine and good until you’re juggling a half-gallon of dripping ice cream behind a 112-year-old Korean woman trying to cram 50,000 won into the receipt printer. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/56 "2013-04-04T12:56:34Z")
Then when I cut you off with a smile, a shake of the head and a “No thanks!”, _stop talking_. You’ve done you’re job. Your ass is covered. We’ve acknowledged each other’s humanity, and we can now go our separate ways. Continuing to make your pitch after I said I wasn’t interested is basically telling me to go fuck myself. I don’t care whether your corporate overlords told you to tell me to go fuck myself. That’s not an excuse. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/57 "2013-04-04T12:56:42Z")
KMart is the worst run department store around. I only go there because it’s the only department store within 20 minutes of my house. They already have poorly motivated staffers, and saddle them with lousy POS management, store cards, eReceipts, it makes checkout a nightmare. I dread paying for my stuff, especially with a 4 year old in tow. You just know that, even if there are only 2 shoppers ahead of you, something will go wrong, and you’ll sit and wait for someone to come by and help. Thankfully, my Kmart stopped asking for receipts when the eReceipt option was being pushed. Seriously, how fucking stupid is it to push your customers to walk out with no receipt, then ASK them for the receipt at the door? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/58 "2013-04-04T13:17:12Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Then when I cut you off with a smile, a shake of the head and a “No thanks!”, _stop talking_. You’ve done you’re job. Your ass is covered. We’ve acknowledged each other’s humanity, and we can now go our separate ways. They can’t stop talking because according the the corporate dickheads sitting in their nice, quiet, insulated offices who never have to deal with the asshat public _their job is not done until the entire pitch is delivered_. Their ass is NOT covered. Do you not understand that failure to comply with corporate orders means that they may lose their jobs? Fired for cause means no unemployment can be collected. Fired for cause means good fucking luck finding another job in this economy. Risking your ire is paltry compared to that, so yes, they WILL continue because the alternative is intolerable in this era of shit-on-the-poor. YOU don’t get to decide what their job duties are, the people who sign their paycheck do that and those people, whom you will never see or speak to and who don’t give a rat’s ass about your feelings, are somehow convinced that subjecting both employees and customers to this bullshit will someone engender good feelings and high profits. > [@](#): > > Continuing to make your pitch after I said I wasn’t interested is basically telling me to go fuck myself. And you’re telling them to not only fuck themselves but their entire families by risking their jobs by failing to complete their duties. Here’s an idea - if you don’t like that shit _shop somewhere else_. Oh, right, we all stopped patronizing those quaint little shops on mainstreet to save a few pennies at the big box stores and now we have no alternatives. Well, sucks to be us, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/59 "2013-04-04T13:25:13Z")
[QUOTE=deltasigma] Isn’t kmart owned by sears now? [/QUOTE] Just the opposite - Sears was circling the drain faster than Kmart was a few years back. Kmart had the cash reserves after auctioning off the old Blue Light Special carts, so something called Sears Holding Corporation or SHC was formed, and [Kmart bought Sears.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Holdings_Corporation#Founding) How the hell they’ve managed to not completely destroy Sears mystifies me. I’m just happy to see that Orchard Supply Hardware was able to escape SHC and is once again a thriving independent company. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803/60 "2013-04-04T13:32:52Z")
My experience at S Mart is exactly the opposite: several times an employee has forgotten to remove the theft avoidance tags and I’ve walked out while tripping the alarms. One time I didn’t notice until I wore the same shoes I bought to that store, and the alarm went off when I was walking through. I stopped, this time. No one came over. I tried leaving everything in my bag and I still tripped the sensor. So I took off my shoes and it didn’t trip it. A _customer_ was trying to figure out the problem with me, rather than any employee coming over, if only to assure me that I could walk out. I just said “hey, that’s weird,” and I put my shoes back on and walked out with the alarms blaring. I still haven’t found the tag in my shoes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-the-fuck-did-checking-out-at-a-store-become-such-a-goddamned-stupid-ordeal/654803.md?page=4)