The Till Is Closed And So Is Her Brain

(I’m working on cash. We have four tills open and a fairly large line. In our store, we have a button to push that will call a customer over to our till when we’re ready for them.)

Coworker: “Okay, I’m going for my break.” *begins shutting down her till, which involves logging off, turning off the overhead number, and locking the sensor remover*

Customer: *walks up to coworker’s till*

Coworker: “Sorry, I’m just shutting down.”

Customer: “That’s fine.” *begins putting her stuff on the counter*

Coworker: *looks to me at the next till with a “Should I?” sort of expression*

Me: *mouths “no”* “Go on your break.”

Customer: *continues unloading*

Me: “Ma’am, sorry, but she’s actually leaving.”

Customer: *does not acknowledge me*

Me: “Okay…”

(I call up my next customer and gesture to my supervisor, on the till beside me, about the lady.)

Supervisor: *after finishing with her customer, walks to the till* “Ma’am, you’re going to need to come down here. No one is working here.”

(I couldn’t believe that the woman was seriously just going to stand there at an empty till. I almost wish we could have just left her the fifteen minutes until my coworker came back.)