Retail Etiquette: The Silent Headset Saga

Have you ever walked up to a checkout, ready to exchange pleasantries, hand over your hard-earned cash, and move on with your day, only to find that the person at the till isn’t actually there? 

 

 

Oh sure, physically they’re standing right in front of you, scanning your items, but mentally?

They’re locked into a riveting conversation via headset with someone far more interesting than you, the mere customer paying their wages.  

This was precisely the scenario that unfolded during my latest shopping trip. First me, then my mum, both subjected to the same silent treatment. No greeting, no polite acknowledgment—just the monotone utterance of the total cost before they resumed their covert earpiece chatter like secret agents on a mission.  

I was there, feeling invisible, my irritation steadily bubbling. And then, without thinking, I turned to my mum and muttered, ‘I hate it when they do that.’

She nodded, equally unimpressed. Because here’s the thing - shopping isn’t just a transaction; it’s an interaction. A few words, a smile, a simple ‘please’ or ‘thank you’, these tiny, everyday courtesies add up to make the world a little warmer, a little more human. But instead, we got the customer service equivalent of a dial tone.  

Now, I’m not asking for a deep and meaningful conversation at the checkout. I don’t need to discuss the existential meaning behind my choice of paper towels. I don’t even need to know what exciting staff drama is unfolding behind the scenes. But what I would appreciate is basic human decency. Just a smidge.  

So here’s my message to headset-wearing, chat-distracted cashiers everywhere: We, the humble shoppers, are not mere background noise to your workplace banter. We are actual people, standing right in front of you, engaging in the grand societal ritual of handing over money in exchange for goods. And the least you could do is acknowledge that we exist.  

Is that really too much to ask?