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Talking to cashiers.

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by Canterpiece, Apr 12, 2018.

  1. Totesgaybrah

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    Ugh I’m the same.
    Difference is that with a cashier the interaction only takes a min or two but with a barber you’re stuck there for at least 15-20 mins and you have to stare at eachother in the mirror. It’s the worst.
     
  2. Niagara

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    That is exactly the reason why I minimize conversations with employees in stores and get anxious around them. I'd rather not have to think about whether I was being made fun of for something I said as soon as I walked out the door every time I buy something. I know it's dumb to care, but stuff like that messes with me and gets stuck in my head the rest of the day.
     
    #22 Niagara, Apr 16, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2018
  3. Devil Dave

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    At the shop where I work, we get lots of regular customers, mostly elderly people, who have full blown conversations with us about what they've been up to this week. They are lonely people who get bored sitting at home, so they spend the day going up and down the high street, visiting every shop and cafe and chatting with every shopkeeper and waiter they meet, as if we are all buddies with them. We don't actually care what they've been up to, we just want to get through our shift to earn our money and go home.

    It does make a nice change when a younger person has a friendly chat with me while I serve him or her, but I don't expect it from anyone. Just a polite smile, hello, thank you, and good bye are just fine. I'm not there to make friends, I'm just there to make sure you pay for your goods. It's something we have to do, so we might as well be nice to each other while we do it.
     
  4. Blast

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    I give one word answers when I get my hair cut.

    I think they have come to know me in my barbers as they seem to have stopped trying.

    My partner, on the other hand, will chat their ears off.

    There is no middle ground.

    :laughing::sweat_smile:
     
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  5. BiBarefeet

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    And ironically it seems at least more likely that of all of the types of people providing some sort of customer service, male hairdressers are more likely to be attracted to males. I'm similar, I chat but not chat...in that the day to day mask I wear is covered by another mask that seems to project a different aspect of my personal onto them...not gay, not straight, not really interested in anything they have to say, but too polite to ignore them or tell them to be quiet. It's very weird, and I am complete conscious of me doing it as well...I think the duration they are in close proximity to you, coupled with the fact that they are touching a part of your body with their hands, heightens this strange stage act that people can experience with barbers and hair stylists.
    But maybe it's just me after all!
     
  6. LostInDaydreams

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    I used to dread having my hair cut for this reason. Trying to make conversation for 40-ish minutes was so hard. However, I've partly gotten less concerned about - I think working in a customer facing job really helped, I just got used to talking to people - and my current hairdresser has a daughter the same age as mine, so we actually have something to chat it about. The conversation doesn't feel forced.
     
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  7. Richard321

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    40-ish minutes?! What do you have done?! Mine is over in 15 minutes. But I hate it still. I go as infrequently as possible. I always feel dirty after having a haircut. It's the same regards going to the dental hygenist. I again feel so dirty afterwards. I might as well have cut the grass and swept up outside. Cashiers by comparison are a pleasure.
     
  8. LostInDaydreams

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    I would have thought 40-ish minutes is about normal for a women's cut. It's got to be washed, cut properly, dried, cut a bit more, etc.

    I've been in there for over two hours when I've had colour put in. That is a bit too long (and expensive). I don't do that every time.
     
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  9. Richard321

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    Yes, of course, female hair cut and styling takes much more time and costs much more too. Sorry, I didn't look to see whether you were male or female earlier. Sorry, there were males before you talking about the barber shop.
     
  10. Rin311

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    As a cashier, I'd just like to say... we see a bazillion people every day. Very, very few stand out of come to mind. No reason for any cashier to focus on you or remember you in any way. You're kind of invisible in that way. Much more than you think.
     
  11. LostInDaydreams

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    No worries, I didn't make it clear that I wasn't referring to the barbers. :slight_smile:
     
  12. BMC77

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    I also hate having my hair cut, and put it off as long as I can. One reason: I find it hard dealing with the light chit-chat with the person cutting my hair.

    I also find conversations with cashiers can be tiresome sometimes, even if they only last a couple of minutes. Although I do like talking with some cashiers I casually know.
     
  13. Richard321

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    I do like you user pic / icon.
     
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  14. LostInDaydreams

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    Thanks. :slight_smile: I like yours too.
     
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  15. Destin

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    I've mastered the art of meaningless light chit chat during haircuts. They're going to always start the conversation, but I flip it on them quickly and continue flipping everything back to them - as long as they're talking I don't have to, so I just keep them talking about themselves.

    They usually have their license to cut hair on display somewhere so I'll ask them about that 'so was it hard to get your license? What's involved with that, I'm always kinda wondered? 'did you go to a professional training program for it?' that's like 15 minutes of conversation right there alone.

    Eventually I don't even have to talk anymore, they just keep talking about themselves like what happened to them that day or something about their family for the rest of the time. They seem happy to be able to talk about themselves, and I'm happy since I can just stay quiet and listen to someone tell me a story.
     
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  16. Totesgaybrah

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    You really have nothing to worry about unless you’re making inappropriate comments to the young girls working there. Somehow I doubt that is the case.
     
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  17. Lawrence

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    YAY for forced small talk!!1!

    I go into autopilot mode and focus on the task at hand

    I prefer to order groceries online. Then I can play video games or whatever. Plus I only have to speak a little to welcome the delivery person and tell them where to put down my shopping. They probably want to get it done quickly
     
  18. Canterpiece

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    Fairly recently I spoke to a cashier without stuttering for once, I know that may seem to be a fairly minor achievement to some, but it made me feel happy briefly, so I'd consider it a success worth a small amount of celebration. :slight_smile:

    Someone behind me was chatting to the cashier so the environment felt more casual, I got my things with a brief polite smile and a thank you, and that was it.

    I'm not a great fan of talking to hairdressers either. One time when I was at this hairdressers, and she tried to strike up a conversation. This hairdressers was inside a shopping centre, and she asked me what I had planned for the day so I just said "Shopping" and it went awkwardly silent. :haircut:

    :sweat_smile: Probably should've expanded on that answer or something.
     
    #38 Canterpiece, Apr 24, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2018
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