Did You Find Everything Okay Today?

So one of my more normal jobs was as a cashier at the wal-mart back before it became a super wal-mart. (I just noticed how many of my blogs start with “So blah blag blah.” I am pretty sure that is how I start a lot of conversations. *le shrug*) I think of it as one of my more enjoyable jobs. It was better by far than working at Braum’s. One day I will write about working at the Braum’s /shudder.  Basically I got paid to stand in air conditioning and talk to people all day but only for short periods of time, so if they annoyed me I was rid of them quickly.

Back in those days most of your training was computer based. You spent the first several days sitting in front of some ancient computer watching videos and taking tests. If there is anything I am good at, it is staring at a computer and taking tests about what I learned a few minutes later.  After about three days of that, they have you spending half of your day in front of the computer then the other half with a cashier upfront shadowing them. Then they turn you loose with a training cashier all day until you are ready for a cash register all by yourself. It is a big important day.

The fascination thing about those first few days without another cashier standing there is that the strangest stuff goes wrong. When you have another person there things go fairly smoothly but whenever you are on your own weird stuff goes wrong. Its really embarrassing to try and explain to a customer that you are new and that  you have no idea how to open the cash drawer, that you are aware that your handy vest got stuck in said drawer, and you have no clue why all the displays are blinking and smoking. Well I am exaggerating about the blinking and smoking part but, a fun fact, when cashiers did have to wear, the could in fact get caught in the cash drawer and it would get everything stuck. That was a great day for awkwardness.

Anyway during training they would teach you count change back from the penny and to always ask if the customer found everything okay. Getting the hang of counting change back from the penny takes a bit for the number impaired like me but it was pretty easy. The secret is all in how you hold the coins. (I am full of pearls of wisdom today.) The question about finding everything okay was the interesting thing.

The computer told me that I was to ask that of all of my customers because Sam Walton felt that it would make the customers feel like we cared about their shopping experience. Random side note: the computer talked about the founding father Sam Walton like others talk about religious founders, it was a bit creepy.  Most of the time people just mumble something but sometimes people would actually respond. If a customer would tell me they had problems finding something, I would tell them where it was if I knew or I would find someone who did know.  People seemed genuinely surprised when I would help them like that.

*Insert witty and less abrupt closing here*