How People Really Feel About Trader Joe's Chatty Cashiers, According To Reddit
Trader Joe's cashiers have a reputation for being extremely friendly. And that fact comes with little surprise — cashiers and "crew members" are offered excellent perks, including store discounts and the promise of high salaries through annual raises.
People have even made satirical videos about the congeniality of Trader Joe's workers. One video, made by @alexispotvin8, compared the behavior of Trader Joe's and Whole Foods employees. While the Whole Foods worker was a little more standoffish, the Trader Joe's cashier was depicted as extremely sociable and empathetic, even checking the hypothetical customer out when they were two cents short. The video also showed the Trader Joe's worker positively commenting on the user's grocery selections, saying that the pumpkin spread is "So good!"
According to Chowhound, this isn't an unusual occurrence — workers just love making conversation with customers during checkout! But while some people also love chatting it up with their cashiers, others prefer the process of paying for their groceries to be smooth and silent.
Most people like the friendliness
A recent Reddit thread started by @vihawks asked, "Do any of you like chatting with the cashier?" The user noted that they usually enjoy the small talk and believes that it makes the whole shopping experience a little more personable. However, they also responded to another comment in the thread by saying, "I too am not very social in general. In fact, I much prefer self-checkout lanes if available, that way I can eliminate any chances of having a conversation with anyone."
For the most part, customers agreed that they liked talking to cashiers. As user @Bmc00 wrote, "When my mom goes through the line, the cashier usually gets her whole life story by the time she's done." Meanwhile, user @somegummybears said that according to the Trader Joe's podcast, cashiers aren't really required to talk to patrons (per Chowhound). Still, some employees love doing it anyway.
While it's ultimately the customer's choice whether or not to indulge the cashier's chattiness while paying for their groceries, perhaps we can all agree that Trader Joe's customer experience is one of the many things that make it so special.