Was This Appropriate Behavior of a Cashier?

Updated on September 04, 2010
A.F. asks from Garland, TX
15 answers

So the other day my husband and I are doing some shopping and when we go to check out the cashier starts commenting about my husband paying with all cash, mostly $100 bills. She says, "wow, where do you work, are they hiring?" My husband kind of laughed it off and she goes on to say how much she hates her job and is willing to work anywhere else, then quietly says to him as I turn away, "No, seriously if your place is hiring let me know, I'll go anywhere but here."

I felt this was rather inappropriate, my husband is a business owner and I know he would be upset if one of his employees is basically begging their way into a new job while during working hours for himself. It also almost felt as if the girl was hitting on my husband, especially how she quietly goes on to keep talking to him about it when I turn my back. It was obvious she was a little money hungry seeing him pay with so many big bills but this is normal for us, we rarely use our credit cards for store purchases and it really threw me off seeing someone make such a big deal of it almost assuming we were rich because of it, which were far from.

Anyhow, just curious to know what you think or how you would have handled these remarks.

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V.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

I think the first part where she said, "Wow, where do you work? Are they hiring?" was fine. I'm a cashier and I make jokes like that all the time.

However, I think she took it WAY too far by continuing the questions.

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S.B.

answers from Redding on

No offense, but I don't know why you are so upset about this beyond taking things to mean the girl was "hitting" on your husband. Which, again, no offense, I doubt is true.

Do you have any idea what a crappy position being a cashier can be? They put up with rude people, screaming kids, people who don't have enough money and items have to be put back, and apparently, wives who think they're hitting on their husbands.

I have a ton of excellent experience and I've actually worked places where people wanted to "steal" me as an employee. But, you have to remember, in this economy now, employers hold all the cards and most don't really care about their employees or whether they're happy because if they don't do everything demanded, there will be 100's of applicants willing to fill the position. For all you know, that girl has worked there for a year, still has no benefits, hasn't seen a raise and just got her hours cut back. She may desperately want to improve her life and her situation.
Hey, I've done this at jobs. I'm older and a little more subtle, but it's a way of networking. I used to have to travel hours for a job and believe me, when I dealt with clients I knew might have opportunities closer to home for me, I treated them like gold and told them to remember me if they ever needed someone fabulous or knew of anyone else. I wasn't being disloyal to my employer, I was being loyal to my situation. A full third of my paychecks after taxes was going in my gas tank. I didn't even have a gas guzzler. I was a single mom spending more time on the road than taking care of myself, my house or my kids and after a while, you begin to quesion it and resent it.
So many people are getting laid off now that you can't assume if you have a job, even a great one, that you'll have it the next.
How do you define money hungry?
People who don't have money usually are.
Report her to her manager if it makes you feel better.
She'll get her butt chewed. Maybe fired.
Maybe she's already been told they can't afford to keep her and they've given her notice in which case they won't care.

I think you are being more jealous than anything, that's just my opinion.
Your husband didn't do anything inappropriate, the whole exchange probably took less than a few minutes, but you're still steaming.

I think you read way too much into it.

Best wishes.

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J.D.

answers from Dallas on

Let it go... There is already too much drama in this world!

9 moms found this helpful

A.S.

answers from Davenport on

This cashier is probably getting paid $7.25/hour and may be treated like dirt at her job (and come on, being a cashier isn't exactly rewarding for most people). Yes, she should know better than to display her dissatisfaction while on the job but I am guessing she is truly miserable and was probably having a bad day/week. It is highly doubtful that she was hitting on your husband. She just wants a better paying job, not your husband.

4 moms found this helpful
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L.D.

answers from Las Vegas on

Cashiers are typically young, inexperienced in the professional business world and not well paid. I know this is not the case with all cashiers but I know that this was true for me and a lot of my friends that worked at the mall with me way back in a day. This cashier was probably very impressed by the amount of cash your husband was carrying on him. Most people pay for large purchases using a credit or debit card now days so, no doubt, your husbands wad of $100 bills is bound to leave an impression on someone who probably makes little more than minimum wage. I'm sure that she naively figured that your husband was just an employee like her and she wanted to work for a company that would pay her just as well. She didn't behave herself very well and maybe the thought of having a "rich guy" right there was somewhat enticing to her (and, then again, maybe not) but I really wouldn't give her a second thought. If your husband is faithful and loyal to you, you have nothing to worry about.

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S.H.

answers from St. Louis on

just smile & walk away. It's the kindest thing to do.

3 moms found this helpful
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J.M.

answers from Boston on

It wasn't appropriate, but I think you handled it the right way. Laugh it off as a compliment, and comment about how some people have no manners on the way home. I really wouldn't tell her boss, because she's clearly already miserable working where she is and I would feel terrible either making her life harder there or worse, getting her fired.

As an aside, I would start paying with smaller bills - you just don't want to set yourself up as a target for a mugging. Sounds paranoid, but cashiers are going to remember people who pay in big bills week after week, and some people are more nefarious about how they'd bring in a little extra cash. Avoiding credit cards is great, but there's no reason you can't pay with $20s.

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M.T.

answers from New York on

It's inappropriate, but it's not a big deal. If you're talking about a teen or college aged person, they often don't really understand what is and is not appropriate behavior in the place of business and just doesn't know that this isn't really how to act at work, but I don't think she was hitting on your husband romantically and really, what is there to do about this anyhow, except complain about her to management, and then she'll likely get fired and have no job. She may desperately need money, perhaps she is trying to pay her way through college or is driving a piece of cr*p that's literally falling apart on her or has a young child with medical issues and the bills that go along with it.

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B.K.

answers from Chicago on

What could you do? Nothing. Just shrug your shoulders and feel a little bad for her that she could be so enthralled by a $100 bill. I am a business owner too, and I know employees say dumb things sometimes.

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J.P.

answers from Boise on

I think I would have contacted the manager of the store if it bothered me. The first comment was fine, but to continue was a bit much, especially bad mouthing her current job. I think it is fine to ask about hiring, but not the rest of it. Otherwise, I would let it go. It was inappropriate, and I might have a comment ready about how as a boss I wouldn't appreciate my employees badmouthing me to customers, so no, he isn't interested in hiring her.

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A.S.

answers from Eugene on

Being a former Store Director/manager. The cashier should say Hi, Did you find every thing okay? would you like our extreme buy? Much more than that should come from the customer and answer their comments. Thank you. If I got those questions from a cashier, I would laugh it off, or give the evil eye depending on my day. No one is hiring, and said she was lucky to have a job at all, don't take it for granted.

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S.H.

answers from Dallas on

I dont think it was a big deal. Just let it go. Maybe she is treated bad at work and really needs another job. Being a cashier stinks, so I would give her a break. as long as she was nice to you then let her blow off some steam.

L.M.

answers from Dover on

It was inappropriate but since she is not your employee I would let it go. If it were to happen again I would tell her that while looking for another job she should continue to give 100% at her current job (I have been a cashier but no matter how unhappy you are it is not the customer's fault). If that doesn't curb things, you should tell the manager...they can't fix what they don't know is broken.

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M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Inappropriate yes. On many levels.

However, not many people pay with cash these days, although its coming back in vogue, she was probably truthful in that the highest bill she's seen or handled is probably a $50 or one $100.

T.M.

answers from Fort Myers on

I can relate. I went shopping at an all around home center store last Christmas to purchase something and at the check out point was told the Cashiers whole story about her husband being targeted and sent back to his country being an illegal whereas she was an American citizen that had to work this poor paying job & could I help her get another job? Besides being shocked I was speechless as well.
The conversation with your spouse was uncalled for period.

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