I was in the grocery store the other day and I had the following interaction:
The cashier was doing some paperwork when I walked over, so I said to her, "Are you open?"
Cashier: "Yes, of course!"
I only had two items, milk and bread, so she asked me, "Do you want the milk and bread in a separate bag?"
Me: "No, you can just put them in the same bag."
Cashier: "Please."
Me: "What?"
Cashier: "Put them in the same bag please."
I was stunned. She asked me a question and I was just answering it. I didn't know I had to punctuate every sentence with the word please. I always say thank you when they finish bagging. Do I now have to say please when they start bagging too? Is this some rule of etiquette that I'm not aware of?
I think a general rule is that you don't say something patronizing like that to another adult unless they are being outright rude.
Cashier is an idiot. "Please" is used with a request. You answered a question so adding please isn't necessary. And you answered nicely. But worse, it's rude to correct another adult, even worse when that adult is the customer. I would have told her it wasn't her place to correct me as she isn't my mother.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
DeleteAgreed!!
DeleteTotally!
DeleteWow, that was rude, I would have had no idea what to say!
ReplyDeleteOn another note, have you ever seen the show "Emily Owens, MD"? It is only one season and is on Netflix. It's so cute, I think you'd really like it!
You were right to be stunned. Her career as a cashier will be a short one.
ReplyDeleteShe may have been in "mommy mode" and absentmindedly had a teaching moment....to the wrong person!!
ReplyDeleteThat was my first thought as well! I frequently do this to my husband and have to bite my tongue often in public.
DeleteHere's one for the books. I was in a supermarket that charged customers a nickel
ReplyDeletefor the paper or plastic bag. As the cashier was checking me out, I decided to
make myself useful and do the bagging. However, I did the unthinkable: I put
a paper bag into a plastic one! As I was about to hand her the money, she looked at me with disdain and said, "It's going to cost you extra for that setup."