How can I help you?

This past year I moved across country to DC. Although the moved proved easier said than done, I am finding that the city and the surrounding area are very nice and the people are indeed friendly. However, the customer service here is a bit different…wait, maybe I should rephrase; checking out at a cashier is different here. First, very little eye contact is made, if any. I know, strange to think you can be helped by someone and never make eye contact, especially when you’ve got a ton of groceries that take about 8 minutes to check out. Second, a total price is never told to you. You never hear, “Your total is $25.37,” or “It’s $25.37,” or even “$25.37.” Instead, the cashier just points (if that) to the credit card device (again without making eye contact) and you try to read what it says on that monochrome screen that someone has accidentally signed using a real ball point pen. I’ve tried to say hello to a few cashiers; in fact, I say “hello” or “good evening” to pretty much every cashier that assists me. There are definitely some who perk up and say “hello” back. However, the majority responds with a faint “hello” under their breath as they continue to scan your items one by one. It’s somewhat sad that this occurs so often. What happened to the time when you enjoyed some human interaction when you went out to run some errands? Maybe I’m the exception, maybe this is the way most prefer. Still, it’s hard for me to understand how the automatic, pre-recorded, pleasant voice at the self check out machine is more helpful, informative, and welcoming than the human being behind the checkout stand.