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I try to support brick and mortar businesses in my town to help promote local character and prosperity, for instance. Problems arise when cashiers subtly, mostly, assume the customer is a shoplifter.

The mother of all such assumptions is the cashier's question, "Is that all"? The question can make you feel that because you are only buying one or two inexpensive items that you must be hiding five other items somewhere and only intend to pay for the cheap items you put on the counter. Or maybe the cashier is genuinly trying to jog the shopper's memory about other items he may have forgotten to declare. What is the cashier really trying to say?

There has got to be a better way for stores to protect their merchandise from theft without that disconcerting question. I do a lot of shopping on Amazon to avoid such cashier microaggressive questioning.

Maybe the best solution would be to go with the Wal-Mart/Costco model: check the receipt of every customer leaving the store. It wouldn't be 100% effective in stopping shoplifting, unfortunately; however, the "light" shoppers will be spared the annoying and ineffective leading question technique, and maybe they wouldn't defect to Amazon quite so often, which would keep the money of the frugal shopper flowing to the brick and mortar businesses.

Reason of review: Poor customer service.

Monetary Loss: $9.

Preferred solution: Better training of cashiers (see post).

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Guest

This is the silliest thing I've ever heard, and it scares me how sensitive this great nation has become. Everyone is offended by every little thing now a days.

I get asked that question all the time and it has never once crossed my mind that I am being accused of stealing something.

I think of it as stamps, or ice, or something large that an associate is supposed to meet me with that the cashier wouldn't know i needed of she didn't ask. Translation this question as a shoplifting accusation is quite a stretch, and I worry about how paranoid you are.

Guest

I typically ask, "Is this all for you today?" in a polite manner. Sometimes as an ice breaker for our transaction or as filler talk.

Usually, it's so I don't go to the payment process only to be requested for a change to the transaction. You'd be surprised how often this happens when I give them their total despite letting them have ample time to mention anything else. Time is a factor for transactions as most people are often on the go, so it's best to ensure everything is set to go. The question is also a spin on, "Did you find everything alright today?" Because, the reason they arrived with so little could mean they didn't get what they came in for.

Seriously, many of us would like to skip the small talk, but it's expected of us as customer service associates to do so as our job.

Acey Bjt

Cashiers will ask this question because of the way the counters/checkout lanes are constructed---they are unable to see into your cart or wish to make sure you don't have items way at the back end of the counter that you forgot to bring up. This serves as a reminder for those who actually forgot to bring items to the cashier to be scanned.

As for checking receipts upon exit at places like WalMart, I find that method rather offensive and ***---another reason to not shop at WalMart. Which we don't.

Guest

I agree the cashier is being silly, but I doubt she is claiming you are shoplifting.

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