Why aren't grocery store cashiers more friendly?

[sergio]

WTF are you trying to say? That they should accept slavery with a smile?[/QUOTE

I was discussing cultural differences. If I were a cashier at a supermarket in BA I wouldn't be very happy either but I think it's true that in some societies people are just more resigned or complaint and capable of being cheerful despite their hardships. I've noticed this among Filipinos for example. They are far poorer than Argentines and generally well educated by global standards but they tend to be cheerful. The comment about "difficult" Argentines however didn't apply only to working class people but also to people at much higher levels of society whom the Frenchman thinks have an "attitude".

 

[steveinbsas]

Simple. Low salaries.

I agree that it would be difficult to dispute the ¨simple¨ assertion that grocery store cashiers are unfriendly because of low salaries.

Now, about them lawyers...

 

[Aztangogirl]

You only shop at the big chain stores, right? Such as Jumbo, Easy, Coto. That's the reason you don't receive any greetings.

One of many reasons I love living in the city of Buenos Aires is shopping in my neighborhood where the owners greet me with a smile by name! And then thank me as I leave their shops. This reminds me of how it was during the 1950s and 60s in Chicago, before life became a rat race. Personal attention requires so little effort, and the benefit is the customers return.

I totally agree. I just moved into my apartment. I plan to live in it the rest of my life. I love my neighborhood. Every store I use on a regular basis, I introduce my self and ask their name. I don't mind Senora, but my name is so much nicer.

 

[perry]

This topic is imho such a trivial topic as Argentina has so many positives . It seems that the original poster lives his life dwelling on the differences insteading on embracing the positives here . For example in the USA and Australia eating in restaurants is not a pleasant experience like Argentina as the customer seems rushed all the time over there and is constantly encouraged to buy more food , spend more on drinks , and then whisked out of the restaurant in record time as to fill in the next shift . Then to top it off in the case of the USA if you leave less than 15% tip the waiter its considered sacriledge . This does not create a relaxing experience .

Here in Buenos Aires to my utter surprise I have been told numerous times that I am over ordering by waitstaff ( this would never happen in Australia ) Waitstaff in Buenos Aires do not molest their clients and keep a respectful distance. This is to me positive and makes for a much more enjoyable experience as having a waiter buzzing constantly by your table is irritating . There is also no obligation to leave huge tips and if you leave 10% they are grateful . The argentinian restaurant experience imho is the best in the world .

 

[Ries]

I would totally agree. I have such pleasant experiences here in restaurants, regardless of price or degree of fancy-ness.
In Seattle, I have been going to a Chinese Restaurant since the late 60s, which is famous for grumpy, mean waiters. Obviously, people put up with it, since its now been in business since 1935. Or, Joe's Stone Crab in Miami- which has also been in business since 1913, is usually over $100 per person, and is actually very well known for its waiters, who are, to put it nicely, short tempered, rude, assholes. (you should hear what people who DONT like the restaurant say)
I cant tell you how many times in the USA I have had to wait for a checkout person who was on the phone, or doing their nails.

(and I went to New Garden today, and had two very sweet, attentive, and nice clerks wait on me)

Some people can always find something to complain about.

 

[London2Baires]

The french person can't have been from Paris. If a Parisian were to call any other culture arrogant it would almost certainly create a singularity as time-space would simply buckle under the irony...

I discussed this today with an Argentine friend. How view is that people in the rest of Latin America are more accepting of their situation in life. They make do with less and they have a greater capacity to be happy with less. The situation in Venezuela, he pointed out, is so serious that many have left out of desperation. They're grateful to have enough food to eat and for the medical care they receive. They approach their work with in a more positive and cheerful way. Not all cashiers in BA are nasty but it's true that customer service is generally poor. People at this level earn very little and it has to be frustrating to see people buying a lot of expensive food that the cashiers cannot afford to buy themselves. The Venezuelan may be grateful that he is not hungry and not begrudge the Porteño who can buy more but the Porteño has an inflated value of his worth. it's a part of the culture that has evolved over decades. I had a chat with a Frenchman a few months ago who had worked in BA for awhile. He loved BA but found Porteños "difficult". When I replied "arrogant" to his "difficult" he nodded in assent.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

This topic is imho such a trivial topic as Argentina has so many positives . It seems that the original poster lives his life dwelling on the differences insteading on embracing the positives here . For example in the USA and Australia eating in restaurants is not a pleasant experience like Argentina as the customer seems rushed all the time over there and is constantly encouraged to buy more food , spend more on drinks , and then whisked out of the restaurant in record time as to fill in the next shift . Then to top it off in the case of the USA if you leave less than 15% tip the waiter its considered sacriledge . This does not create a relaxing experience .

Here in Buenos Aires to my utter surprise I have been told numerous times that I am over ordering by waitstaff ( this would never happen in Australia ) Waitstaff in Buenos Aires do not molest their clients and keep a respectful distance. This is to me positive and makes for a much more enjoyable experience as having a waiter buzzing constantly by your table is irritating . There is also no obligation to leave huge tips and if you leave 10% they are grateful . The argentinian restaurant experience imho is the best in the world .

What I think is so good about this "trivial" topic is the way that so many people have responded with different and positive stories making it clear that there's more than one side to this argument. I don't go as far as Aztangogirl and exchange names - partly because combination of memory/hearing issues means I probably won't catch the name or remember it afterwards. But I always greet the other person and try and ask something trivial like, how are you? How do you like the weather? And smile. And make eye contact.

A couple of other things: if I am wearing earbuds I take them out and park them in order to gesture that I am now giving them my full attention. And remove sunglasses for better eye-contact.

 

[Silvie]

They are quite friendly in the smaller stores in my neighborhood. BTW I never came across a very friendly cashier at a New York supermarket.