Article written
  • on 15.06.2011
  • at 02:07 PM
  • by Lynn
category: Personal Experiences

How to Handle a Rude Cashier 50

I got the following email a few months back. I gave her my response (which I may share in a few days), but I’m curious what you all might suggest.

Do you have any advice on how to handle a situation where a cashier is so rude to you when you’re using your WIC voucher that you want to cry? Here is what happened to me.

I had 2 gallons of milk listed on my voucher, but I knew we would only use the one, so I only took one [to the check out]. At the check out, [the cashier] told me I had to take two because it was on the voucher. I explained that I did not HAVE to take two. She smacked her gum at me, rolled her eyes and yelled to another cashier, “This WIC mom is trying to tell me I don’t know [how] to read her voucher, can you come help me?”

Her fellow cashier came over and tried to tell me I HAD to take two because my voucher said so. The line behind me was growing and people were moaning and sighing. I left the line to get another gallon of milk that I knew would just be wasted. I came back with my two gallons ready to check out, and again [the cashier] rolled her eyes and said, “If you’re going to use WIC at least know how to read the voucher!” At that comment I told her to just stop ringing me up and that I was leaving.

I went to find a store manager and filed a complaint but the manager seemed really indifferent. I am so upset and hurt by the way I was treated and I do not know what I can do. Any advice?

I’m angry that she called me “this WIC mom” really loudly, and I am angry that the manager just said “ok thank you for letting me know, bye now.” The manager didn’t even apologize. All of this took place in front of my son which broke my heart that he had to watch his mom get treated with such dis-respect by strangers. Do I just drop it or what should I do?

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There are 50 comments for this post

  1. Cassandra says:

    Heh, I’m really beligerent and combative with people as it is and would have started yelling. Becoming a mother has actually made that part of me worse because it’s not just me they’re trying to walk all over and disrespect, but they’re also getting in the way of my child’s wellbeing. Oregon WIC requires everyone to take an introductory class to explain how they work and all the little details. Grocery store clerks are not. In fact, on more than one occasion I had to explain to a checker how to do it. I’ve also filed complaints about two stores with both the WIC office and the actual stores. I haven’t taken my WIC checks back there and made sure they knew that.

    Also, don’t forget that times are terrible for pretty much everyone and you’re going to run into a lot more apathy and discontentment pretty much everywhere. It might not have been that the store manager didn’t care about the checker being disrespectful, but that he just didn’t care about anything, period. Considering how many people with PhDs are now getting minimum wage jobs, there are a lot of people incredibly unhappy with their lives and not giving a crap about the work they do.
    Cassandra recently posted: How to Preserve the Breastfeeding Relationship

  2. CAmom75 says:

    Oooooh, I would hate that. It’s really tough when the manager doesn’t even care. Fortunately I’ve rarely run into rude cashiers. Maybe annoyed, but not rude. However, I am pretty confident that if you called corporate, they would be more than happy to take your complaint.

    Things ARE tough. And stores are (or should be) competing for your business. And when you hand over your WIC voucher, it’s the same as cash, to the store. They get reimbursed for every penny, plus a small handling fee. So whether you’re paying with cash, credit, EBT, WIC, or a stack of coupons, it shouldn’t matter one bit to the stores.

    And I’ve been swayed in my shopping experience, to go to differant stores. Right now, I’ve switched because Safeway is actually a little out of the way for me, and Save Mart is doing a similar gas reward program, plus running a “Collect & Win” Game. So when I use my 2 formula vouchers, and both my baby food vouchers, that gave me like 8 game pieces and a $.15 per gallon, gas reward. :-)

  3. tracey says:

    Sadly, there are rude and disrespectful people everywhere in the world. It still shocks me when it happens, but it shouldn’t. All you can do is continue to be a good role model for your child and explain to him that THAT is not the way that a civilized person behaves. Also, responding back to an ignorant person will only reinforce (in their minds) that they were justified to be rude and insensitive to you. Trying to take the high road is the hardest lesson for most of America.
    tracey recently posted: Me and My Big Mouth

  4. Lynn says:

    Tracey, that is the kind of good practical advice my momma would give me! Excellent words. I do think that it is appropriate in addition to trying to take the high road to as politely as possible report the problem you encountered to the next level up in the store and possibly the local WIC office depending on the reaction you get from the store. Not to try and get someone in trouble or get revenge but just so that it is less likely to happen again to the next person.

  5. Dena says:

    I’m so sorry this happened to you. I’m a cashier at a Walmart that just upgraded to a supercenter. Therefore, we started doing WIC. I would never treat someone like this. I know how it is to fall on hard times and feeding your child is more important than anything else. I don’t allow rudeness to WIC customers around me. I have stood up for mothers on WIC to other customers. Really, I don’t have anything more to say than how sorry I am. I hate that some rude, hateful people make all of us look bad.

  6. Mantha says:

    I feel so bad for this mom! I’ve never had something that bad happen. What’s so wrong with doing everything you can to feed your children? All the advice before me is spot on, I would add only to not go to that store/cashier again!

  7. wicatwalmartistheworst says:

    Okay so you’re upset that someone called you what you are? You are a mom on Wic, hence, you are a Wic Mom.
    If I was holding up the line to buy cat food, I’d probably get called “Cat food girl” because, guess what! The cashier doesn’t know your name. I can’t believe you are even complaining at all; you receive a handout from the government as it is. I’m sorry that shopping free of charge is STILL so awful for you.

    • Robert says:

      Figures – some idiot just wanting to belittle another person who has fallen on hard times. Sure, there is some abuse in welfare and government programs. However, you have not right, nor does that piece of crap from WALmart, who probably has no real skills or abilitites, to belittle a woman who is actually trying to save the tax payer money by not buying something she will not use. I am a disabled veteran with numerous years of service and ten deplaoyments to IRaq with several to Afghanistan as well. I served in Special Ops. I sacrificed for this country and this moron’s rights and freedom of speech. I had to go get QIC from my daughter because Uncle Sam is screwing me around on my benefits – I was supposed to be medically retired but because our “accident” occurred over the worng line of a map they have shifted our paperwork putting us in a backlog and then not providing what they promised. They left me high and dry. Now, these injuries have led to signficant problems internally which no threaten my life and will force my daughters to go on without their Dad. My suggestion is you shut your damn trap unless you know what you are talking about. This lady did not deserve that treatment nor does any other WIC recipient. Funny thing is these jerks that typicaly whine and cry about all people getting some help from WIC are the same ones that do n ot pay, evade, or cheat on their taxes.

    • Yours_truly says:

      Hello, “wicatwalmartistheworst”, do you know how incredibly uneducated you sound? You do understand that WIC isn’t welfare, correct? Although it is government funded it is in no way a form of welfare, you pathetic moron. How about you consider a college education for yourself, and a real job. It’s funny how a person with a low paying job is so quick to judge a mother on WIC. I’m only 20 years old with a BA and currently pursuing my Masters and I am on WIC, beacause my parents have worked and I have a right to be on it. If scum of the earth can abuse the system why can’t those of us who actually deserve it be on it? People in this world need to focus on the big picture. Life isn’t forever, eternity is. I’ll let God sort people like you out.

  8. Lynn says:

    no, you would not get called cat food girl. . . just like I don’t hear cashiers yelling out- pepsi fanatic, fat lady, black man, old man, purple shirt lady, skinny dude, or any other unneeded descriptive term. The polite thing to call the customer when you don’t know there name is CUSTOMER.

    Of course judging from your other comments on here social skills aren’t something you excel at so I’m not surprised you didn’t realize that was rude of the cashier.

  9. Lindsay says:

    I would have not argued with the cashier and just got the 2nd milk. These vouchers seem to have strict rules. When the goverment is involved, they are “making your choices.” I am sure I could have found someone to give the milk to. A friend, neighbor, etc.

    • Lynn says:

      Lindsay, actually yes you can find someone to give the milk to but according to the government that is actually illegal to give away or sell your WIC food. Getting it and giving it to someone else may be playing by the supermarkets rules (because it gets them more money) but it is not playing by the governments rules and since they pay for it we should be playing by their rules.

  10. Tina says:

    You should try looking at things from the cashiers point of view. If a WIC voucher is not followed precisely then the transaction is void and the store loses money. This can and will result in the cashier being fired. Would you want to be fired over someone who’s getting their items for free? No you wouldn’t. Also when I was a cashier the rudest customers I ever had were all women using WIC. They would get so angry at me for reading over their voucher to make sure the dates, items, and the weight of their fruits matched. Apparently I was wasting their time which made me angry because if I was getting something for free I’d keep my mouth shut and just deal with it. This is the problem in todays society. People feel so entitled to government benefits because they have children they can’t afford. If your getting more items than you need inform the WIC office so they can adjust the items you’re getting.

    • Robert says:

      BS Tina. Most of these cashiers today have no respect for the customer. They give you all sorts of problems using the dang WIC checks. No program forces you to buy all of the items – it just limits the items the program will pay for and the brands. And by the way these are very basic staples like milk, cheese, formula, whole grains, eggs, fruit, and beans. There is no luxury and most states make you buy the el cheapo brands. Not all, but there are many cashiers that are rude and condescending if you use SNAP or WIC. Just because someone has fallen on hard times does not make them a bum, user, trash, or deserving of this treatment. I respect this woman for trying to not waste the taxpayers money on something she knew they could not use. It is the indiviudals right to leave an item off. Heck, several times the store may be out of an item and the family might need the rest of the items. Think people.

  11. Lynn says:

    Tina you might enjoy reading my post about the cashiers point of view (http://wicwoes.com/2011/cashiers-shoes). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve apologized to my cashier for having a pain in the butt order when I was checking out with WIC. I knew it was going to be more work and stressful for many of the cashiers and I felt bad for being the customer that had to go through the line and cause the stress.

    It also isn’t fun to know that many times when the cashiers saw my WIC items I reminded them of their “rudest customers.” Talk about making me feel even worse. I am sure you are right- it just hurts to know that cashiers saw me and dreaded that I was going to be one of those rude customers.

    I think it would help a lot of the WIC clinic and the grocery stores were on the same page but unfortunately they aren’t. You think that a mom can simply go the WIC office and ask them to adjust the voucher to eliminate unneeded items. I know for a fact from when I worked for WIC they cannot just give a mom 2 less gallons of milk on the voucher. They tell the mom’s don’t get the milk you don’t need so it saves money for the program. But they can’t take the milk off the vouchers they are for set amounts. Some stores then go and tell the cashiers that the customers HAVE to get ALL the items. Unfortunately those supervisors have trained the cashiers wrong and the cashier is stuck in a bad spot. They have a supervisor that doesn’t understand or is not following WIC policy training them wrong and a customer that doesn’t want to waste tax dollars on milk they know will go bad in their fridge.

    No doubt its a tough spot for a cashier to be in. I recommend any cashier who is being told that customers have to buy ALL the items on their voucher give a call or email to their local WIC office and let them know that is what the supervisors are telling them to do at their store.

  12. Mary Kay says:

    Wic Checks are a loaded gun that is given to the supermarket manager in order to try to get rid of an employee they don’t like. Please do not shop during the dinner rush, and please do not use your wic checks in the fast lane.

    • Lynn says:

      Mary Kay, I think most WIC participants do try to shop during the none busy times. Most are well aware that WIC checkout is stressful and frustrating for cashiers just like it is for them. Unfortunately sometimes between work schedules and picking kids up from school or getting them at the bus stop the only time a WIC participant has to shop happens to be the only time a bunch of other people seem to have to shop and so they have to check out during the busy time. I assure you though MOST of them dread checking out with a WIC voucher during these busy times just like you dread it and if they can they avoid it!

  13. Victoria says:

    GOD! I #&*@& hate WIC so much i swear if you cant afford to feed your $(*&@$ dont BREED! And it pisses me off to no end when customers come up with the WRONG @#$! and than get an attitude when i explain that they picked up ex amount ounce package and the right one which is written ON THE VOUCHER is ex amount of oz’s

    #$@#% WIC!

    • Lynn says:

      Victoria, I left your comment up with much of it edited. I believe the intent of what you wanted to express is still there but some of the specific words you used were just too much for me to want to be sitting on this site. I wish you all the best in finding a different job where you can work without feeling so much anger and resentment. You make me feel all the more thankful for the friendly cashiers that are at my local grocery store!

    • Katy says:

      Sounds like Victoria is a little unstable. People can have decent jobs when they “breed” and loose them to no fault of their own. They may not qualify for food stamps but are able to get on WIC to help them get by. Not everyone is on the program long term. Yes, there are abusers but there are some people who are truly down on their luck and I for one would rather a child having something to eat than go to bed hungry.

      • Retail Slave says:

        The Bottom Line is that the retailer sees it as a Money Maker and to a Checker the wic check is a loaded gun.
        Managers also use it as a tool to get rid of people they don’t like, and yes they let their favorites get away with mistakes.

    • Melissa says:

      You obviously did not read the article. She wanted only 1 instead of 2 gallons of milk and didnt want to waste the milk and taxpayer dollars by getting 2. By having a pregnant woman and 2 toddlers on the program, we qualify for 12 1/2 gallons of milk a month. We only drink 4-6 of them so I skip them. If my voucher includes whole grain, cereal, or peanut butter that we will use, I buy those and dont get the milk sometimes. I dont agree with all of the nutritional guidelines for wic and dont think my children (both over 2) need that much milk, so we dont get it. I could easily get the extra and pass them on to a friend, but that is dishonest and federal fraud. I worked for 9 1/2 years in a professional capacity and would never dream of treating my clients the way that cashier treated that customer (aka client). Its rude and unprofessional.

  14. deb says:

    lynn, I agree. As a former cashier at a W/M supercenter, I never felt that the customer was REQUIRED to buy all the items on a WIC voucher, nor did I insist or ask why they didn’t. All those items were certainly appreciated by the customer, but alot of the items weren’t ones they preferred, or could not use. So I always felt that if they did NOT buy all allowed on the voucher, they were in fact saving money for the program by not buying items they knew would go to waste. Yes, WIC vouchers were difficult at times, but for the most part, I was lucky to have an understanding WIC customer, especially when I gave them the careful and respectful attention they deserved. Kudos for including Victoria’s comments. She might need to find a different line of work, preferably not in customer service.

  15. Joytotheworld says:

    Hi all! I had my first child when I was still in college, and although my fiance had a stable, well-paying job, since we weren’t married and I was unemployed, I was put on Medicaid and WIC. I knew that Medicaid was government funded, but I had no idea that WIC was for people with a certain income. So I strutted up to the grocery stores and got my cereal and milk without thinking twice about what anybody thought. I think it was because I acted so empowered and not like I was “using” government assistance that I rarely noticed any scowling, and the cashiers were actually very helpful in letting me know if I didn’t have the right items. I just went about my business with a smile and I think it made all the difference!

  16. Michelle says:

    Due to unforseen circumstances, my children are now on Medicaid and WIC. I never in my life thought I would have to need assistance… NEVER SAY NEVER. Needless to say, the very first day I received my vouchers (after sitting in the WIC office for 3 hours past my appt. time), I went to the store. The WIC office was very clear about not signing the vouchers until all the items had been totaled and the cashier wrote the amount on the voucher. However, my cashier wanted it signed before anything was totaled. Being new to this whole thing, I politely told her that I was told not to sign it until after the transaction. If looks could kill, I would have been dead. Then, of course, she spoke to someone else about it, and proceeded to bang the keys of the computer and never said another word to me… I explained that I was new to this program and was just doing what I had been told. This was my first experience and I really felt bad for anyone else who has to use WIC, because I do think people tend to treat you differently. Also, my Target store doesn’t accept WIC.. just found this out today after selecting all of my items… UGH… Guess I’ll stick to Harris Teeter because they are very nice all the time and their cashiers are trained about how to use the vouchers.

  17. A checker says:

    I read your comments… I am sorry that you were treated badly. I am in fact a grocery checker who takes MANY WIC vouchers. Again, I apologize for the rudness of some checkers… but please… you need to be in my shoes! I think that WIC is a wonderful program. I always try to treat others as I would like to be treated, but SOME of the WIC customers are just awful!!! We suffer too, but there is no recourse for us for the abuse we must take. So, remember… it isn’t always roses for us either. I hope for all of you good shopping. Sorry about the rude checkers.

  18. Jamie says:

    Wow. Interesting comments. I’m a pedi nurse (LVN) and have been for 7 years. I’ve never had to work at a grocery store and don’t know how it feels to check people out all day, but I imagine some of all customers are rude whether they are on WIC or not. I also didn’t realize it was a “low income” program. I thought women qualified for it based on being pregnant, income, and/or certain health issues of their children. I’ve had plenty of patients who were on WIC and their parents weren’t on any other government assistance, were educated and usually 2 parent working households. Those patients parents didn’t seem disadvantaged or more rude than others. I didn’t know there was this cashier vs. wic customer beef going on but I’ll make sure to tell my patients’ parents that the cashiers at their local stores are sometimes offended at their use of WIC instead of foodstamps, cash, or credit and feel people using WIC are ruder. Lol, since when is it the cashier’s business to make personal or ethical judgements about a customer based on how they pay?

    • Melissa says:

      They need to meet all the requirements. Income is at 185% of the poverty level which allows many to receive wic while receiving no other public assistance. The only other public assistance I receive is called BCMH (Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps) for 1 son who was born with a craniofacial birth defect. WIC for us will turn out to be temporary because my husband found a part-time job and once that starts our income will be over the threshold. I doubt WIC is a way of life for most people, but with the income guidelines a lot of military families receive it along with some young professionals just starting their careers.

  19. Crystal says:

    Actually, most of the people on WIC that I’ve waited on have been perfectly lovely people…it’s only once in a while that we get someone who’s really rude or demanding. Generally, if you complain a certain number of times (I’m not sure of the number) to the WIC office, the store will lose their WIC accreditation.

    • Melissa says:

      Thats great to hear. I am new to wic and guess what everyone makes mistakes. I picked up pb with honey (a no no) and the cashier corrected me. I found out the store oj in the 1/2 gallon jug wouldnt scan right, but the cardboard container will. I picked up the wrong applesauce last night (knew it was supposed to be all natural, which I prefer anyway, and picked up the regular by mistake). I always try to be apologetic and the cashiers are always understanding. I will say, I appreciate when the cashier mentions that my order will take longer, but I have never had them say its due to wic. Unfortunately, I usually have 4 or 5 separate orders to separate all the wic vouchers and my final order is always with coupons so it takes longer too.

  20. ketrn says:

    A few years ago we were foster parents (I work and my husband was SAH parent to the babies we cared for) and of course all of the babies were formula fed and WIC-eligible. My family was very poor when I was growing up, led by single mom (we had several stints on welfare, food stamps, subsidized housing, etc.), and I had this real aversion to EVER taking any kind of subsidy. I can still recall the mean kid in 4th grade who said my parents were lazy bums because I received free lunch. So anyway, going to the grocery store with these vouchers was really tough because as an adult I have never received any public assistance. I completely agree with the existence of a strong social safety net, however, and I know that so many people are struggling these days despite making good choices. As an RN, I also am very aware of how important good nutrition is to healthy child development. Anyway, long story short, I had LOTS of bad experiences with WIC in the past few years. I even changed the grocery store I frequented because I was so humiliated a few times. I learned to always carry that WIC book with me (so I could “prove” to the cashier that the store brand organic baby foods were allowed, etc.) I also made sure before they walked 30 feet away to the cabinet where the formula was kept (and the 10 people in line behind me collectively groaned) that they knew that it was “X-type’ formula, not the regular kind, etc. We have stopped fostering and we ultimately adopted our last foster daughter so we are hopefully done with WIC forever!

  21. T. Duncan says:

    I am not a cashier but my daughter “was” until she went to check the schedule last night and she was no longer on it. She asked why and the answer was because she did something wrong on 2 WIC vouchers. She scanned the wrong juice on one and allowed the person to purchase lactose free milk on another (different customers, at different times) her boss did not let her look at her mistakes but just read to her what was wrong. As any mother thinks, I have a wonderful caring daughter (she was a WIC baby) she would try her best to be kind to everyone that checked out in her lane…but she said the WIC customers were not very nice. I can understand feeling uneasy and thinking everyone thinks you are using the government when you have WIC or Food Stamps because I have been there myself. BUT when I purchased my WIC I made sure I had what was on my voucher and never tried to get by with purchasing the wrong item. She told me that some people get mad because she would tell them that they couldn’t get something and respond by saying that they were NOT going back to get the right thing , so she would do it, (yes that was her job) But like some of the other posts, IF YOU ARE GETTING SOMETHING FREE take the time to double check and if the cashier is a sweet little high school girl (like my daughter :) help them out and go back and get the correct item. Kinda sad when you think that my “WIC baby” was just trying to do her job and help her family with some bills and she gets fired because of a program that she herself is helping to support by working and paying her taxes hmmm. Oh and you know I think I need to look into that ” not allowing lactose free milk” deal because I am almost possitive the WIC program allows Lactose free kids to drink milk too lol.

    • debbie says:

      as a cashier i have made mistakes and that manager was in the wrong should have let her see the mistake and u can get lactose free milk he should say iam sorry but they never do

  22. Devrie says:

    People get assistance because their jobs don’t pay them enough to actually work. So, these companies lobby congress to increase handouts for people so they can continue to pay less. Ironically, 80% of all Wal-Mart employees have some sort of government assistance. Most store workers do, because you can’t afford to put just one child in daycare and actually drive to work to give 40-60 hours of your time to a company who buys cheap goods overseas so that it can make a profit off of your life. That store manager probably forced cashiers not to let people get away without getting everything on the voucher because it made money off the government.

    Ah, how our good old media has filled the heart of the half-hearted with hatred for low-income people when the people who get the actual money, as in, not cheap milk and cheese, are the ones who become billionaires off the government money! I don’t blame them, either.

    The issue of “handouts” is funny when people get so puffed up, full of judgment and hatred over people who get a $10 worth of food when the company gets $40 from the actual government for the “retail value.” The low-income people never get the actual cash!

    It’s too complicated to understand that other people have different lives with different challenges and different dreams. It’s easier to put ourselves on a throne, pat ourselves on the back while belittling others while being ignorant of the real agenda.

  23. Ilona says:

    I think so many people here have missed the point. Everyone is getting into a “wic” discussion. (Yes, I know this is a wicwoes site.) The person who originally posted was looking for empathy for being treated rudely, when she was 1) doing the right thing for her family 2) doing the right thing by not wasting public assistance money and was behaving respectfully herself. I really feel for her, because more and more people seem to think that because they can “get away’ with it, they take out their anger on the innocent and for some reason seem to get their kicks out of it. I’m not on WIC, don’t care who is or isn’t on it. I don’t care if one or most WIC customers are rude. Each person deserves to be treated with respect by a clerk and/or by anyone, unless they are being a bitch or intentional aggravator, which this lady was certainly not. There is NO excuse for a clerk to treat this lady or anyone badly. I don’t give a **** if that clerk had a bad day, a bad year or has a bad corn on her foot that hurts. She has no business talking down to this lady; she knew she was being sarcastic and insulting her. I think she was a pathetic, mean bitch who has so little power in her life, that she takes what little power she has a clerk, holds it over the tired, the weak and the poor, the beautiful or whoever she can, just because she can. Why do I say that? Because the manager’s response confirmed it. That clerk knew the manager wouldn’t do jack, if she took her hostilities out on this nice lady.

    Shit rolls downhill, people. Usually when the clerks are bitches, it is because the manager is one. The reason the manager is a bitch/prick can be varied, I’ve found. Often, though, it is because the store owner is a greedy person . Just like someone else here cited, the store makes more money if she is forced to follow intentionally mis-interpreted rules that says she MUST take two gallons, even if it is wasting the public’s money.

    Why is it that many people posting here are making up b.s. reasons to defend rudeness? Anyone that defends bullying a mother trying to do the right thing is part of the whole problem today. Excepting one or two people who suggested reporting this incident higher up, the rest of you are also part of the bigger problem. You all have left this person to feel even weaker and more helpless at being insulted publicly, treated like a street urchin looking for a handout, instead of the decent, economic person they are.

    The answer to this problem is very straightforward. You have been wronged in a very harmful way to your dignity as a human being. There can be no excuse for this. It will take some energy and time, but if you have been left feeling ab-used by this clerk and the useless manager, you need to go further up the line, until you find someone who will act. Realizing how long it would take to call each of these people, I would write a letter and send it to each person each step of the way over the manager. Send it to the store owner, send it to WIC program coordinator, and soforth. Being unfamiliar with the WIC program, I believe that some of the people on this site would be better able to assist you with the names of other government officials over this program and who could influence removing the store from this program.

    Just like with children, these narcissistic individuals need to be put in their place. Swift and just, they need to be slammed down from the top. When you let the top dogs know that their clerks are biting into their bottom line, and that you have been sharing this information with everyone on Facebook, on every review site like Yelp.com, etc. (and make sure you do report on those sites as well), that is the only way to evoke change.

    If everyone keeps saying, yehhhh, oh well, there will always be rude people. Well, yehhhhhh, with lame apathetic behavior like that, of course the rude people will continue to be rude, until the door shuts on the money coming in to their wallets.

    To the original poster, I am so sorry you were treated this way. The fact that it upset you so much to post here, tells me you are probably hurt very deeply. You are a kind person who doesn’t think of ways to get back when insulted; you were quite shocked and didn’t even know what to say when faced with such crude unhelpful self-centered witches. Although it won’t take away the smarting of the experience, I do encourage you that in order for you to feel better about yourself, you need to do something about this situation to show the respect for yourself that you deserve. Good luck and many warm hugs for you.

  24. Lindsay says:

    People these days need to learn how to struggle and take care of themselves and their children. That is the frustration with seeing people get free food when some work for what they have and have their priorities right. I see many young people with a Starbucks drink in their hands, the latest cell phone and newest clothing and car, yet get this middle class welfare. It’s about priorites. When my kids were little I went without so I could feed them. I didn’t have luxuries. I fed them well and didn’t ask anyone to help me. It doesn’t cost that much to feed a little body. And take a look at Craigslist and see how much baby forumula is being sold. It’s free government food people aren’t even actually giving their kids. They are selling it for profit. It’s rather disgusting if you ask me.

    • Paula says:

      Lindsay, I am here to tell you that many people that struggle to feed their children DO work, and DO have their priorities straight! There is NOT one thing wrong with asking for help to feed our children! Many people that use this and other government subsidies, legitimately need them. Many of us do work hard at our employment, but yet do not make enough of a basic wage to pay all necessary bills and feed children adequately. Many on government assistance work hard at lower income jobs, or are having some other hardship that necessitates them to get assistance. To assume that everyone that receives help to feed their children doesn’t have their priorities right, according to you, is way off base.

  25. Carla says:

    I have a sick child with lung problem. She is always coming down with something. So she is sick almost all of the time. My boyfriend is deployed and wven with him being in the service, we were accepted for wic. I hate going to the store and using it. I just keep telling myself, this is for her and I love her. I remind myself of that, when people are giving me dirty looks or getting mad how long it takes in line. Today at the store they didn’t have any signs up saying wic approved. I was so confused, then the cashier told me some of my items were not right. I knew they were because I went by the wic book, that says what items to get and what you can’t. There was only two check outs open, and my cashier yelled sorry this is taking so long, I have wic here. I told my boyfriend about it and he wants me to stop using wic. He pays taxes to he said, and I can’t work because our daughter is a sick child. Just so some of you haters out here know. Not all of us on wic, is a lazy pos… some of us really need the help. My daughter cost us a ton of money. Thank God for wic.

  26. Carla says:

    Lindsay I agree with you to a point. I know people who lost their good paying jobs. Once their unemployment ran out they were screwed. Sometimes that’s why you see someone in a nice car or clothes. Because at one tim they had a good job when they purchased those things. Now they are in a fight to keep bills paid, not lose their car and home.

  27. Linny says:

    To all you low life people who hate customers why dont you quit! Obviously you were made for flipping burgers or grunt work, its not even that hard you ignorant freaks i work in customer service at Harris Teeter and i put up with a lot of crap and apologize for things i didnt do or that arent my fault im also responsible for 20 sixteen year old cashiers wic checks are nothing they are to easy so stop treating customers like crap they pay your salary!!!

    • Retail Slave says:

      Linny, You are obviously a manager that gets a bonus by treating your cashiers like crap. You think they are easy? Yes they are if you are not the one who has that loaded gun called a wic check in your face at the check out line. It is simple I see this lady who has 8 kids, Every year she is pregnant, alot of us think she keeps getting pregnant so she can mooch another wic check.
      She comes into our line and is DEMANDING. She does not even want to work. She says it is God’s will that she has all those kids. If I am not mistaken, the Bible says that “He who will not work, will not eat” The Bible doesn’t say “Thou shalt have more kids than thou can afford so thou receives thy wic check”

  28. Bobbi Sue says:

    I went to King Soopers in Colorado. I presented my WIC Checks and I saw the checker begin to shed a tear which she was trying to hide. I asked her what was wrong and she said that Store Managers are using WIC Checks to fire people. I looked over and saw that a Manager who was wearing a Black Vest and a red name tag was grinning in her direction. He was polite to me and said that my wic checks help to get rid of trouble makers who complain about Managers. I walked out of that store and went to Walmart Instead, I heard that Manager bragging that he got rid of a Cashier who made a mistake on a WIC Check. Wic is supposed to help us in hard times, I had no idea that WIC was a tool used by retailers to put people out of work that they don’t like. Shame on King Soopers and Walmart.

  29. JP says:

    Next time wear a condom if you can’t afford to feed your kids yourself!

    • Sweet Jean says:

      JP, Child Birth is a known fact of life. Of Course we both know what creates Child Birth. If you are in the heat of the passion, and then pregnancy occurs as a result and the need for wic arises, I will remember what you said. Better yet, how about saying that unless you have beaucoup bucks then don’t have sex. Are you willing to abstain from sex just because you don’t have money?

  30. humanbeing says:

    I worked a professional job as a single woman for many years. To get better benefits, I switched to a job when I was married. I worked there for a year, and they laid me off. A week later I found out I was pregnant! I BEGAN DESPERATELY SEARCHING FOR A JOB AND NO ONE WAS HIRING. I then began wic. WIC costs relatively little for the good it does for struggling women and babies. I wish there was a faster way to get the food. How can anyone judge a mother who is getting food for her children? I have had very sweet cashiers and I have had absolutely cruel cashiers. People feel like they can be rude to someone because they are poor. I always say a little prayer that my cashier will not be rude to me. I try to get in lines where people have to wait for other reasons (usually a full cart…my cart will have ten wic items) so that it equals to the same amount of time. I think rudeness in general is wrong.

  31. Bonnie says:

    I worked at walmart in the mens department and randomly would get called to the cashiers during the rush times. I told every wic customer who came in my line that I have never been fully trained on the register and that I was sorry, but I would have to get someone to help me. Most were extremely nice and said to take my time. A few could even walk me through it. Every now and then You got that one customer that was rude and told me to get off the register if I didnt know how to work it. ( now if I wasn’t working I would have told the lady off) Since I didn’t want to be checking any more then she wanted me to be, I told her if you want to tell my manager I suck at the register and get me off of it I will gladly go back to my department. She found it funny and calmed down after that and was perfectly pleasant afterwards. I no it is wrong to pass blame, but if it calms someone down and makes them laugh at the same time go for it. lol. Basically I am just saying no reason to be rude just do what your trained and get a manager and maybe make a joke to lighten the mood.

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