If you look up cashier pet peeves online, there seems to be a recurring one that folks who work behind the register mention, and that’s the double standard of paying customers placing their change on the counter.
TikToker KJ (@katanna.jade) has had a viral moment on the platform already, but the last time, she was telling her story from the customer’s perspective. In her newest 5-second clip that’s accrued over 366,000 views, the cashier calls out customers who don’t seem to have a problem with placing change directly on the counter, but take issue with the practice when an employee does the same to them.
@katanaa.jade What goes around comes back around #cashierproblems #cashierlife #fyp #viral ♬ original sound – KJ 🌸
Jade says in her video as she speaks into the camera, “One thing I hate about being a cashier is people don’t think putting money on the counter is disrespectful until I do it.”
A Redditor penned a post in the r/TalesFromRetail sub asking retail workers why cashiers disapprove of paying with change on the counter. According to this poster, when customers do this or hand crumpled bills to workers, they don’t do it out of disrespect but mainly because they’re generally a “flustered” person. But the writer honestly wanted to know why it seemed to grind so many people’s gears.
One Reddit user who responded to the question explained: “Setting money on the counter instead of giving it to me is only irritating when I’m actually ready to take it when you get it out. Some customers set it down before I’m ready for it, and this doesn’t bother me (particularly if it’s so they can start loading their stuff back into their cart and not hold up the line) I have never heard an acceptable excuse for crumpled bills. Give me those and I will take my time smoothing them out before finishing the transaction. Mention being in a hurry and it’ll take longer.”
Another cashier shared their dislike being paid with another particular change practice.
“The worst is when they pull a giant handful of change out of their pocket and [hold] their hand so you can pick through all the change to get the exact change for them because they can’t be bothered with basic math.”
As for Jade’s video, there were plenty of viewers who had a lot to say about the “change giving double standard” she referred to in her clip.
One commenter, who also appears to have worked as a cashier, shared one of their favorite tactics for when customers paid by putting their change on the counter.
“Baaabbbyy. I used to LOVE it when they got coins as change, Cause imma let that dime ROLL.”
Another TikToker said that when this happened to them, they gave the same energy right back at to the customer.
“Big pet peeve! I started sliding their money across the counter to them when I was a cashier,” they said about being paid with change on the counter. Another user also echoed, “I did it bk every chance I got. You put it on the counter but got your hand out to get change. Baby pls.”
There was also one TikToker who pointed out that sometimes customers will still put change on the counter even “when your hands out.”
However there were some in the comments section who said that as customers they may be guilty of sliding over change on the counter, but never mean it to be rude.
“I needed to hear this, I never mean it to be disrespectful,” one said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jade via email for further information.
