When paying for something why do people put their money on the counter instead of handing it to the cashier??

Question

I have been a cashier off and on for years and this is a pet peeve of mine.I find it very rude.How hard is it to hand the person your money?

Answer 1

Some people don't like touching and you need to respect that.  I attend AA meetings and some people are insulted when I don't hold hands and hug!  Have respect for the boundaries of others.

Answer 2

Perhaps they are only making sure u see that they are paying the right amount for the item.

Answer 3

sometimes i put the cash down while i look for change. Im not trying to be rude, i used to be a cashier, but sometimes its hard when you have your hands full.

Answer 4

they probably have no respect for the cashier or they dont care

Answer 5

It's easier to put money on the counter to count it (hence the name for counter?) instead of hand it penny by penny to the cashier. I usually scoop it off the counter and give it to the cashier if I see that she is having difficulties. I had people do that to me before ( i was a cashier for 4 years!) and I would just hold out my hand if I saw them putting it on the counter. Usually, they pick it up and hand it to me.

You can't get too upset, it's your job to collect the money. If they throw it at you, become more upset!

Answer 6

I always do. I do get cashiers who put my change on the counter.

Answer 7

I do it sometimes because it avoids the money being dropped or you having to fumble with a mixture of notes and coins, which is awkward.

It can hardly be interpreted as rude.

Answer 8

Honestly, money is the nastiest, dirtiest thing that transfers from one person to another.  It is not necessarily YOU, but some people are conscientious about germs, and really don't want to touch the hands of a cashier.  I could be wrong, but if I'm not, hopefully this will give you a little more patience dealing with these "unique" customers.

Answer 9

I usually do hand the money to the cashier, but if they are bagging the purchase I may place it on the counter.

Answer 10

Partly because America is a mixture of cultures.  In many cultures, it is considered rude to expect a person to take money out of your hand.  Placing it on the counter is a sign of respect.  For a lot of people, it's not even a conscious thing... it's just what they observed their parents doing when paying for something, so that's how they do it.