Where I GOT it was from your post!!!
I guess the first thing you need to understand is the part about "self checkout". There is no SCO "cashier" per se. What we do is to mingle in the immediate area where the SCO takes place. We take care of errors, canceled items, bagging, and a myriad of other duties -- all the while hoping the equipment continues to function properly. When it doesn't, we fix that also. We are not wandering off "blathering with someone else" The "someone else" you refer to is the four customers that are using the terminals.
When I said "schmoozing" I meant the customers in my direct sphere of influence. Am I supposed to ignore them? If I did there would be those here, perhaps even yourself, who would say "They ignore me when I'm usuing the SCO terminals so that's why I believe Wal-Mart is such a bad place."
In fact, the issue of our being behind the main terminal watching a screen is what is galling us. We WANT to be with the customers so we can service their needs properly and in a timely manner. We simply cannot do that if we are in some remote position where we have to walk around to get to the customer to serve those needs. Perhaps you prefer the aloof, remote operator who ignores you like those of our competition. Well, I would suggest you continue to go to those types of stores because if you were to come to my store you would see what real service is.
We try to give every customer as much personal service as we can and that includes greeting them, asking as to their well being, and generally having small talk if they desire. There is no attention paid to one customer to the detriment of all the others. We move about, as one does at any function, and share our time among those customers. You, on the other hand call that "blather" and being "off" somewhere which simply is an imaginary position born of taking everything I wrote completely out of context.
Here I am detailing in minute detail for you when everyone else here seemed to get the shortened version just fine. Are we now clear on this; or must I now parse every word sentence by sentence?