For the Checkout Assistant That Left Me Totally Speechless – I Salute You
It was a weekend morning, and I was sufficiently irritable, topping off the family car. This was one of those petrol stations that doubles as a convenience store, so you run the risk of ending up in line people bearing baskets of pricey provisions. This is a dreadful thing to occur when the sole aim is to get gasoline and leave. Dreadful.
Fourth in line I stood in the queue. Just one person serving, a young woman. Something stood out in her demeanor. When the faffer at the front of the queue had completed payment for a cleaning product, his pastry, and his box of eggs, I was certain that I heard the cashier bid him a wonderful day. Unusual. Perhaps I’d misheard, or perhaps she spoke and meant it ironically. The thought crossed my mind if perhaps she was a supporter in my battle with dithering, reflecting my irritation for those who delay straightforward customers such as myself.
I moved up, becoming the third customer. The person ahead of the queue discharged her fuel-only transaction with notable efficiency. And there it was again: “Have a wonderful day.” In fact, it was “have a wonderful day”. A stateside native? Here in Stourbridge? Her tone suggested it, and hardly anyone here tells people those exact words, or even just a nice day. Very rare. You don’t get many Americans visiting this town, least of all working in petrol stations or elsewhere.
Now I stood second. After an elderly lady engaged in a right old battle with her basket, her food items, her purse and her loyalty card. This took an eternity. After she finished, the woman also got told to have a fantastic day. Yes, American for sure. Confirming it was possible by saying something hilarious to her, to observe that thing when they look at you, without a smile, and state very earnestly: “You are very amusing.” But I couldn’t think of a funny comment to say.
In the end, I embraced the heartfelt tone – or a performance of it, which amounts to identical in effect – with which she looked me right in the eye, piercingly, and told me a wonderful day. I felt better for it. Beneficial indeed.
