What nobody seems to realize is that customers will come in and tell their cashiers all of the drama going on in their lives.
It's like I live a daily soap opera. People will come in, and all I have to do is say 4 magical words: "How are you today?" and it is like the floodgates opening.
I hear about women hating their husbands, men cheating on their wives, who slept with who and how little Timmy's father isn't really little Timmy's father.
I could probably make a shitload of money if people came to me when they were suspecting their significant other of cheating.
One of our customers is married; I see his wife all the time. Yet on the weekends, this guy comes in pretty much every Saturday night with a different girl on his arm. And he's drunk. So is the cheap whore he's with. I don't think he realizes that he's a regular customer though, he's just out having his good old time.
There's another customer that comes in every day and tells me about the yelling and screaming she heard from her neighbor's house, who is also a customer. When I hear about it, I will then ask the screamer basic questions, when actually I'm trying to fish for more information.
Even MORE customers come in and tell me about the fights they have with their family or spouses. It's like I'm their counselor, there to listen. Usually I just nod my head when listening to them and occasionally I'll agree with them to hear more of the story.
If the gossip that I hear is juicy enough, I will share it with my coworkers and anyone else that might enjoy it. I'd be careful what you say to your local cashier. You never know who they might be telling your dirty laundry to.
So, how are you today?
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Brilliant! At one of my old jobs, we used to swap stories from customers also. For a long time I developed film at a 1-hour photo. You also have to be very careful what kinds of pictures you bring in for developing because if there's something incriminating, you better believe the whole store has seen it.
ReplyDeleteSame goes for (some) hairdressers! Don't say anything you wouldn't want repeated to the next ten customers.
ReplyDeleteSo if I lived close to you I could swing by and tell you all the crap in my marriage instead of paying this stupid counselor thousands of dollars???
ReplyDeleteHmm....
::snort::
You should definitely start charging! =P
ReplyDeletehehehehehehehe, I'm a cashier/night stock. I've been in groceries for 13 years. I sooooo understand and know where you are coming from!
ReplyDeleteDang, and the only things I've been talking to my favorite cashiers about are gardening and recipes - they must think I'm dull as dishwater. I'll come up with something better before I go shopping next time. Perhaps I could casually work into the conversation that I wasn't actually born female . . .
ReplyDeleteAre cashiers the new hairdressers now? Haha
ReplyDeletehahaha!! I'm SO glad to have found you (via SITS); I used to be a cashier and can relate to most anything or everything you're talkin' about. I'll put you on my blogroll! :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love the one about the woman who was supposedly homeless - yeah, I can relate to that one also. I may have to post about that someday.
Salt: I think it'd be fun to develop people's photos! It'd be a chance to embarrass them even more when they came to pick up those 'secret' photos.
ReplyDeleteLinda: I know, sometimes it's great to work with the public! :-)
Supermanslady: Yes. Yes you could.
Kat: I wish I could. :-)
FallnAngel: It's hard to keep secrets. :-)
AngieB: It would probably make your cashier's day if you had some juicy gossip going on in your life. :-)
Alison: Looks like it. :-)
Sally: Woohoo! Someone else that understands my pain! ;-)