We’re at the stage of our lives where most of us develop the desire to make money. It’s no secret that the number of jobs available to teenagers in our area is limited, and although cashier jobs around here are usually always hiring, the stress and agony of being a cashier simply isn’t worth it. 

They say everyday is a new day, but when you work as a cashier, this doesn’t feel like the truth. Take working for Martins or Kroger for example. You stand at a cash register all day waiting for people to come into your line, and then you get the chance to ring up a bunch of items that you probably already rang up earlier that shift for a different customer. You wear the same apron, work shirt, and work shoes as the day before, and you even greet the customers with the same old questions. “How are you doing today? Do you have your advantage card? Did you find everything okay?” Over time, this persistent repetition just gets old, and it makes working at a register very monotonous.

As a cashier, you’re already working a tedious job, and to make matters worse, customers do whatever they can to get their way, and kissing the buttocks of customers is something you’re just going to have to get used to. I hate to break it to all of your parents, but it’s not the cashier’s fault the price of an item isn’t ringing up the right way, so don’t rip us a new one if your 25 cent coupon doesn’t come off. 

“The company is doing a dis-service to their customers, and the customers think it’s our fault,” says Senior Drew Schulz, a local grocery store cashier. “My job introduced this kiosk where customers clip their own coupons to their advantage card, and if they don’t clip the coupon the right way, it won’t work, then all of a sudden when the customer checks out, we become the bad guy.”

Not only do cashiers take heat for coupons not working, but they also get bashed for items not being in the right places. 

I too work at a local grocery store as a cashier, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many times angry people come at my throat for something being moved in the store. Like Ma’am, I work as a cashier, I don’t stock the shelves, so I have literally no idea where your gluten free pizza crust is, and no, I don’t know where your gluten free cheese is, either. 

In addition to dealing with mean customers, we have other responsibilities outside of our payroll. If it’s 90 degrees outside with a heat index of over 100, cashiers should NOT be going outside to get carts. Carts are already heavy, so good luck trying to push carts through the snow in the winter time when it’s below zero. I suppose that’s part of the job, though, right? 

If you’re looking to get a job anytime soon, stay away from cashiering. It’s mentally draining and there are better options for you to make money. Find a job that’s going to make you happy, and if that job happens to be working as a cashier, well.. good luck Charlie. 

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the GENESIS staff. Reach Tyler Lehner at [email protected]