Finally, One of Them Who Will Look You in the Eye

And actually put your change in your hand instead of dropping it on the grocery bagging trough. Meet one supermarket cashier with an actual work ethic, who “tells all” in a society where the customers of common, daily goods are such that customer service is generally pointless and thankless.

But there is precious little return for these efforts. Many customers treat la caissière as though she was not there, staring past her and failing to say hello back, according to Mrs Sam. When they do speak, it is often with condescension or anger. “It's not a majority who are impolite but it's not far off,” Mrs Sam said. “They are often very vulgar. They are fed up with being there and they take it out on us.” Insults fly as staff refuse people with 11 items at the ten-items-or-less checkout.

Then there are the mothers who point at the checkout worker and say to their child: “You see, darling, if you don't work hard at school, you'll become a caissière like the lady.” Mrs Sam tells them that she had five years of university education.

I know you’ve probably heard the gripe about Americans having as one of their interminable list of flaws the terrible sine of “being too friendly”. Try asking Mrs. Sam if that’s such a bad thing.

Oh, and she blogs too. Give it up for your hard-working cashiers, folks!