Convenience or A Big Hassle?

We all take convenience, or variety, stores for granted. We all do. Just get stuck needing something, and not have one around.
I would never have thought I would ever work at one, let alone manage one! But I do. After four-ish years behind the counter, I've learned a few things I'd like to share with you to make your experience a little more pleasant.

• Do not, and I cannot repeat this enough, do not come into a convenience store if you are in a hurry. We cannot promise you will be served quickly. We cannot promise there will be no lineup ahead of you and we cannot allow you to jump line because you did not leave home early enough to get where you have to be.
• Please, do not snarl at the person behind the counter and expect them to be sweetness and light when they answer you. You get out of this brief encounter what you put into it. You want polite service? Be a polite customer.
• Please think about your question before you ask it. Just because you no longer see cigarettes for sale behind the counter does not mean we no longer sell them. In Ontario, we have been "blacked out" since May. This means the government tells us how we can sell cigarettes and to whom.
• Speaking of cigarettes, we must now ask you for identification if you look younger than 30 years old. Please, find a different response other than "Are you kidding me?" Also on the list of responses we're tired of, "Seriously?" and "But I'm 32!" If I had a quarter for every time I've heard any of those responses, I could retire tomorrow. I remind you, the government and our head office decide who we ask for I.D; not us. We can lose our job if we are caught selling to an undercover enforcement agent, and your bad habit is not worth losing my job over. Do you want to explain to my children why they can't have new shoes?
• Please don't assume that because you don't see the item you're looking for we don't have it. Ask us. It may be in a spot you don't expect. That person behind the register is there to provide a service to you, the customer. If they look bored, perhaps they're hoping for something to do.
• If you like the look of our store, tell us. If you think it's really clean, or you really like the way something is displayed, tell us! We like getting kudos even more than complaints.
• Put yourself in the shoes of the person behind the register. Yes, your total probably is the amount on the screen. No, they cannot haggle with you. You can try and negotiate the cost all you want, but they are not authorized to change the price of the items you want. If that person says your order is $7.69, then that's what it is. This is not a flea market, it's a store.

So now that I've gone over some basics for you, I hope this will help make your next visit to a convenience store more enjoyable; no matter where it is.