The other day Adam and I were shopping. We were on a car trip and we stopped to buy something to nibble on while we were on the road. Lately we have been on an organic food kick and whenever we can we try to buy organic foods. Adam's favorite is Neuman's Own! So anyways we were all set with our food in hand and as you normally do we went to the checkout line to purchase our food. We had the usual friendly banter with the checkout clerk you know the usual, "Nice weather we are having," "Any big plans for the weekend?" As the balance was being totaled the clerk said, "Those are pretty expensive snack you are buying there." I didn't say anything back just smiled as Adam paid the man. This statement really bothered me. I think it bothered me because it is none of the checkout guys business what we do with our money, or what kind of snacks we buy. Who is he to comment on what we buy, that is not part of his job description.
Then I started to think. Every time I buy something it tells a little bit about who I am to the checkout clerk. Without really knowing it I am letting this stranger into my life. They know that I like non-fat milk instead of whole, diet coke and whole-wheat tortillas. And maybe that really isn't saying much about me and I know that I shouldn't worry.
I think that it should be a law that checkout clerk are never allowed to make comments of what their customers buy. I think it's just rude and I never really know how to answer back. I bought some pasta salad at the Co-op on Wednesday for lunch and the bagger said, "That's not a lot of salad." Once again I just smiled. What was I supposed to say?
Now I dread going to the checkout line. I can't help but wonder what the checkout clerk is thinking about my purchase and if they have any cool comments to say. I think I am going to start to buy more stuff online.
5 comments:
I agree that it seems kind of rude to comment on the price of a snack in that way, although I wouldn't go so far as to say there needs to be a law regarding it. Free speech has been limited enough as it is. Still, you can -- as you're suggesting -- "vote with your wallet" and choose not to visit that store.
I'm afraid on-line isn't much better for privacy, though. They may not comment on anything to your face, but everything you buy is being tracked and some computer somewhere probably knows just as much about non-fat milk, Diet Coke, and whole-wheat tortillas as the local bagger. But really, the only way to avoid that is to not buy anything and live on a farm in northern Idaho or Montana or something.
I guess you are right about the whole law thing. But I think somewhere in the checkout clerk's manuel it must say, "Don't make comments about customers choice of purchase." And even though there is the freedom of speech thing I don't remember that stopping any employer from firing someone.
Two words ... "self checkout". Well, maybe that won't work either, because if you use one of those nifty "frequent shopper" cards, the UPC code is tracked on everything you buy, just like Marshall said. It is a marketing technique, and actually very helpful. But the commenting by the bagger? Yep -- outaline.
Britany, I'm going to go ahead and be the one to completely agree with you. I know some of your statements were half joking, simply because I understand where you are coming from. OK I understand the whole thing about freedom of speech. However, I do believe people take it a *little* too far. Freedom of speech does not give one the excuse to be RUDE. To those people I say...Keep your freaking comments to yourself. Plus, you shouldn't have to "boycott" a store based on the friendliness of the employees, an employer should know better than to employ someone of that character. One of the reasons I wholeheartedly agree with you is because I deal with the same type of people at the Pizza Hut in Joliet (HOLE-iet). Incredibly rude people, yet instead of driving 15 extra minutes out of my way to give my business to another pizza hut, I would much rather just tell the manager that the employee was rude to me. After all, how would anyone ever know if they were doing anything wrong without a little confrontation?
- ing -
I don't let people like that rent space in my head.
you must be a pretty cool person if they take notice in what you buy.
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