I’ve often wondered why convenience store staff seem to operate like robots, efficiently carrying out their tasks without paying much or any attention to customers. It’s a common occurrence for them to respond with a simple “YES” (はい) without fully engaging with what customers are saying.
Take, for instance, my regular visits to the nearby convenience store, where I always prefer to use Famipay/Paypay to avoid cash transactions. As soon as I approach the register, my initial words are, “Hi, I don’t need a plastic bag, and I’d like to pay with Famipay/Paypay” (こんにちは、袋いらないでで支払いは\_\_PAYでお願いします。) Despite clearly stating my preferences, the clerk invariably responds with a quick “YES” (はい) and then immediately follows up with, “Do you want a plastic bag?” – even though I just mentioned that I don’t need one. They also then go to say; “How would you like to pay?” when I’ve already indicated my chosen payment method. It is quite annoying.
This leaves me wondering: Why do they automatically respond to my instructions without truly listening? Is there some underlying logic to their actions that I’m missing?
Let me note that it happens almost all the time with foreign staff but it does also happens sometimes with Japanese.
I’m curious to understand if there’s a reason behind this pattern of behavior.
23 comments
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Become an alcoholic and start going around 3 am. They are more like eeeeeh how’s it going ya stupid bitch.
It’s because they have a script to follow and any deviation from it could get them in trouble with the boss. They’re minimum wage OP, just let them be.
This post reminds me of that video of that foreigner screaming at the poor clerk calling her a robot because she asked him to confirm his age when he was buying his cigs. (Customer needs to press the button on the screen to proceed with the sale.)
Sounds like someone from this sub lol.
Do you ever drive and zone out and 10 minutes later you’re like “woah did I do all of that on autopilot?” That’s probably what the conbini clerks do too.
They are paid to follow the manual. Manual is a must follow. If they dun, their manager would called their tencho to kyouiku them observing them from the camera. Would the company pay them extra if they serve you better? No way! They are already very tired meeting lots of people especially those crazy people.
Because that kind of work sucks and they are mentally drained out.
My favorite part is when you say in Japanese “I don’t need a bag”
And they reply with “Do you need a bag?” And do the little hand signal for bag.
Then you repeat “I don’t need a bag.”
Then they say “Next customer please!”
But yea their job sucks so I don’t get angry at them.
How many people do you think they have to go ring up every shift in a day?
Also I kinda like the script as a buyer. Less “how you doing today hun” from the US. Let me buy my famichiki with minimal interaction.
I found store clerks smile back when I smile and say common courtesy (hello thank you goodbye) and let them do their script. They hate it when I try to do anything outside of the scope of work like small talk.
Now that doesn’t mean they don’t recognize me or ignore me. But they still do their script.
For bags specifically having your eco bag visible reduces the chance of getting the question by 72.5%
There used to be a convenience store clerk near me who was a native English speaker, so her manager made her recite the same robotic script in English to foreign costumers. Something about her droning on with the canned phrases in English was unsettling. Normally I just tune out the meaningless Japanese convenience store speech, but hearing it in English was jarring for some reason.
Found OP:
https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/13ie0ec/foreigner_throws_a_tantrum_at_japanese/
Part of the problem here is you. You are doing things out of order, and they’re simply not ready to accept your commands at that time.
Coming up and immediately telling them “I don’t need a bag”??? The payment also doesn’t come up until all your items are scanned. At 7/11 now you don’t even need to tell, you just press your selection on the touchscreen facing you.
I went to a Lawson between Otsuka/Sugamo that was automated, even the cigarette purchases. That will spread eventually.
maybe don’t say you don’t need a bag, the default seems to be no bag
Because when you work a job like that you’re used to saying the same things in a certain way 1000 times a day. When I was a cashier back in my home country I’d often accidentally ask “would you like a bag” or something like that even when the person already asked for one previously.
I’d usually realize afterwards or halfway through my sentence but it’s just second nature to ask when you ask a million other people the same question in the same order every day for months or years. It’s not just a Japanese thing.
Many now are from other countries and don’t speak Japanese natively. If they don’t stick exactly to the official keigo script, then some oyaji is going to throw a tantrum because he hasn’t been given the proper groveling.
As someone who has worked a job like that in my home country, following the script is how you manage such a job. When you say the same thing over, and over, and over you say it no matter what the customer comes up and says. Even if you try to adapt to what the customer says the habit is too strong. Customer saying something different or everything up front messes with the flow of your work. It’s actually more helpful if you just play along with the script.
Wait until you try to explain that you’d like two bags – one for the hot things and one for the not-hot things. They otherwise seem happy to put an ice-cream next to a nikuman…
Any job where you deal with the same situations over and over again is like this
That’s why I don’t wave at the roadwork traffic control people to say “thanks”
Because I’m nice
Reality is they see hundreds of people a day and you are not special to them
I think because they double check and don’t want to have any miss understandings. You said something, he recognized and do it like you said, but then you chance your mind and then he need to reverse it. Or he didn’t understood it right also possible. At the end more stress and on top time they will loose, problem with the boss etc.
So it’s easier for them, just to repeat everything for everyone and that’s like always. So direct question – direct answer – task Fulfilled – no problem!!!
“I know exactly how they operate but I want them to operate the WAY I DO. Why are they so stupid?” – OP
Used to work at a conbini and I’d just follow a script so I don’t forget anything and I can get to the next customer quickly. Maybe don’t interject anymore if you’re already aware they don’t listen to you and help them out by allowing them to finish their script.
If you do the same scripted shit over and over, a thousand times a day, you’ll salivate when the bell rings, too.
I know what they’re going to do/say, so I follow the script, as well. I wait for them to ask.