So I went to my local CVS to buy a toothpaste with cash and here is how it went after I approached the cashier to make the purchase:
Cashier: Did you find everything you needed? Me: Yes
Cashier: Do you have a CVS card? Me: No
Cashier: Do you want a CVS card? Me: No
Cashier: Are you sure, you get discounts and coupons. Me: No, I don't want it, I just want to pay for the toothpaste with cash and be out of here.
Cashier: Do you want to donate $1 to Me: No, Can you stop harassing me and just let me buy the toothpaste with cash so that I can get out of here.
Similar experience at Barnes and Nobel , Whole Foods, and various stores in the mall. Not sure why stores are resorting to interrogating their customers now. You are here, we might as well harass you like a used-car salesman even though you are paying with cash. One store in the mall insisted that they have my email and phone number (so that it will be easier to process return just in case I wanted to return) when I was buying item with cash - I dumped the merchandise and walked out.
Funny this topic comes up. I still use cash for a lot of smaller purchases under $50. I'm getting more and more strange looks when I pull out cash versus plastic.
We just went out for brunch, and I paid with cash. There was a pause when the cashier looked at me handing her cash, almost like, what is that? Then they struggle in trying to figure out what the change should be.
Making a cashier have to "think" these days, instead of just scanning" is really making them work for their minimum wage.
Cashier: Did you find everything you needed?
Me: Yes
Cashier: Do you have a CVS card?
Me: No
Cashier: Do you want a CVS card?
Me: No
Cashier: Are you sure, you get discounts and coupons.
Me: No, I don't want it, I just want to pay for the toothpaste with cash and be out of here.
Cashier: Do you want to donate $1 to
Me: No, Can you stop harassing me and just let me buy the toothpaste with cash so that I can get out of here.
Similar experience at Barnes and Nobel , Whole Foods, and various stores in the mall. Not sure why stores are resorting to interrogating their customers now. You are here, we might as well harass you like a used-car salesman even though you are paying with cash. One store in the mall insisted that they have my email and phone number (so that it will be easier to process return just in case I wanted to return) when I was buying item with cash - I dumped the merchandise and walked out.