Self-Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself, Part 16

Grocery Store, Ignoring & Inattentive, Lazy/Unhelpful, Reddit, Self-Checkout, USA | Right | CREDIT: ookusp | March 1, 2026

I was the opening supervisor in a grocery store with only one cashier until about forty-five mins after opening. To preface: I am NOT a morning person and am usually grumpy AF in the mornings, but I can fake it real good when I choose/need to.

That being said, I was working the self-checkout until the scheduled attendant was supposed to start. It’s a slow and peaceful start to the day until this lady comes to start cashing her stuff out.

She’s talking on the phone and taking her time (which is not a problem whatsoever) while I just stand there observing, because what else am I supposed to do if she doesn’t need help and she’s the only customer there?

Well, when she eventually does ask for help putting in her produce, I walk over and start to show and explain to her what to do, while I do her first item for her. After that goes in, I stand off to the side so she can do the next one on her own, but I’m right there in case she needs help again.

This entire time, she’s still yapping away on the phone, barely listening to a thing I’m saying.

She goes to try it herself and forgets which button to press to find the code, so I tell her again which button to press, but I’m making sure she’s the one doing it this time.

After about a minute of this, she gets fed up and says:

Customer: “Ugh, can you just do it for me? This is so much work!”

Me: *Politely.* “Well, it is called SELF checkout, and I’m trying to teach you what to do so you also know for next time, but if you want someone to do it for you, then you can head on over to the cashier right there. She has no customers and would be happy to serve you.”

She did not like that answer one bit, and she tried arguing with me. I got fed up and straight-up told her:

Me: “If you weren’t on the phone while I was trying to show you, then you would know what to do. I will not be doing it for you, as that’s literally what the cashiers are there for. Your options are to either let me show you again, and you do the rest yourself, or go to the cashier.”

She finally decides to go to the cashier, but not before cussing me out on her way over, to which I just gave her the fakest:

Me: “Okay! Have a nice day!”

This p***ed her off even more, and left me feeling a mix of annoyance and joy.