'You're all to blame': Former Lowe's worker reveals the real reason cashiers don't want to talk to you anymore

The cashiers say it's your fault they don't want to talk to you anymore.

Well, it sounds like it's more complicated than it actually is.

Over the past few weeks, a popular content creator has asked why cashiers no longer ask how you are.

It's gotten off to a rocky start, with some saying it's due to a lack of social skills and others saying cashiers aren't owed that level of customer engagement.

Well, these cashiers are here to set the record straight on their part.

According to TikToker and popular retail worker Sami (@samimoofle.), here are five reasons why cashiers don't want to chat with you.

@samimoofle I'm surprised people are surprised retail workers are upset #retail #fyp ♬ Original words – samimoofle

1. Bad treatment

“You treat us like that,” said Sami. “I learned a long time ago working in retail that no one cares about real interactions anymore, especially post-Covid.”

Sami said he is an experienced customer service worker who has been in the industry for almost a decade. He has worked with several popular retailers, including Applebee's, AT&T, Bealls, CVS, Lowe's, and Verizon, to name a few, mainly on the management side.

As of Sunday, his video had more than 120,000 views.

He used to try to strike up a conversation with people, he said, but what happens now is that they try to “start up,” imply that you're smart, be dismissive and rude to them, and/or call the cashier stupid.

“Customer service is a give and take, and if you're taking, and taking, and taking, I'm not going to give you customer service anymore,” he said.

2. Lack of management

“Gone are the days of good directors,” continued Sammy.

He noted a stark difference between the pre-pandemic and the post-pandemic, noting that all good managers were let go because of poor treatment during COVID-19.

He surmised that the current batch of managers in many organizations may not have been properly trained. Sami observes that these bad managers try to intimidate workers, do not follow rules and treat workers unequally.

3. A mass exit

“We're all leaving the industry fed up,” Sammy added as his third point.

Sami observed that a whole generation of people had left the service industry. While many people around her enjoyed their work, she said it became unbearable with the rapid increase in rude customers and “carnage” behavior.

“You want to have a conversation with someone so bad? Call your mother,” Sami said.

4. Overworked

Cashiers are often on their feet for hours at a time. They can easily contact dozens to hundreds of people in a day.

Having the same conversation with every customer is mentally exhausting, and no matter how engaged a cashier seems to be in the conversation, it's “pure delusion” to think they're actually thinking about you, says Sammy.

He shared that his experience in recent years had gotten so bad that he went back to school to get his degree so he could work at a nonprofit helping workers sue their employers.

5. Wild interactions

Another creator, Jaylynn (@jaylynn.athena), whose video has over 200,000 views, shared some of the wildest things people have said to her. Here are a few:

• 'Why are you laughing so loud, what's so funny?'
• “Oh, I didn't know they let *racial slur* work here anymore.”
• “Why are you taking fashion advice from her?”
• “And exactly how old are you?”

“And you wonder why the cashiers don't talk anymore,” says Jaylin.

@jaylynn.athena this is why #anaykashe #retail ♬ Original words – jaylynn athena!!₊˚⊹ ᰔ

Disturbing statistics

CX Scoop reports that more than two-fifths of customer service workers have experienced mistreatment or hostility from customers, and they say it's getting worse.

For many of them, especially those who work in brick-and-mortar stores, it is affecting their mental health and forcing them to leave customer service in search of other job opportunities.

Here are some statistics:

• 43% of customer service workers have endured verbal abuse, including yelling and swearing
• 17% experienced threats of physical violence
• 36% experienced consumers threatening their job security

Most workers said they did not feel adequately trained to handle these situations.

The Daily Dot reached out to Sami and Jeline through TikTok direct messages and comments.

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