If you would allow me to play the role of the crabby, old man for a moment…
So I was at Publix just a few minutes ago and I’ve got to say that I’ve had better checkout experiences in my days. Working the checkout were three teenagers – one girl at the register, and another two bagging. The problem was, all three of them were a little more focused on their conversation than they were actually checking me out … and by a little I really mean entirely. I mean, technically the girl did scan my groceries, but that was about the extent of it and she didn’t actually give me my total until I had already seen it myself on the screen as I was signing for my credit card.
But I think it was the actual topic of their conversation that rubbed me the most because they spent the three minutes I was checking out debating the differences between MILFs and Cougars. Granted, for a brief moment it was somewhat comical – pretty much because at one point one of them suggested that “nobody knows what they mean anyways,” despite my own generation originally coining the phrase MILF a la the classic American Pie, but still, I guess it just bugged me because frankly, that’s not appropriate talk in front of customers.
The thing is, I’ve worked my share of shit jobs and while they didn’t necessarily have as much exposure to customers as working in a grocery store might, there was still the understanding that there were certain things that you just didn’t talk about in front of them. I worked in a warehouse, so the language in general wasn’t always church-friendly, but when a customer who we didn’t know came to pick something up? You can hold the risque conversation until they’ve left and you’re out back sweeping again. It’s simple respect.
Respect both for the customers, and for your own employer because while I’m certainly not one to be offended by just words of any nature, I still recognize that there’s a time and a place. It’s not cute for little kids to swear at school, it’s not cool to use the f-word in front of Mom if she really hates it, and it’s not respectful to your employer to use language in front of the customers if there’s a chance that they might be put off and not want to return. Have that same conversation in the back while you’re moving boxes or even right at the registers while no one else is around and that’s fine – just don’t do it in front of the customers.
No, it probably won’t prevent me from shopping at that particular Publix in the future, albeit mostly because I only stop there for quick trips anyways, but it definitely left a sour taste in my mouth. Is it just me? Is this a generational thing? Or is it possible that I was simply much more reserved at my first job than most others ever were or are??? Is it possible that my expectations are simply too high for somebody working a minimum wage job at 5 minutes to close?????